No Diablo III in 2010

[Evil Avatar]

http://evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/d3_monk.jpg

Shacknews is reporting (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60136) that Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime has stated that only Starcrft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm are heading to your computers in 2010.

[pwnophobia]

Insert mandatory "keep it cooking and fine tune it boys"

[The-Builder]

Oh come on! Stop teasing us.

[djwunder]

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I mean, how long did it take for Diablo II to come out?

[bakes73]

PWNOPHOBIA IS FUNNY

but I am all for letting it simmer....

[Meusli]

Was someone not getting a hands on this week? I thought it was getting close if that's the case.

[MasterEvilAce]

Blizzard would be dumb to release three hit franchise releases in a single year. Hell, it would be a RECORD BREAKING year.. but you have to span these things out. If they released everything in 2010... well what would they have for 2011?

[Hapless]

Pretty sure they already have two SC2 expansions planned and well underway and it's not like WoW is going anywhere anytime soon.

[EL CABONG]

That sucks out of the 3 Diablo is the only one I will play. Not an RTS guy and I have been Wow free for years now.

[Nightstorm]

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I mean, how long did it take for Diablo II to come out?

How does it not surprise you? Diablo came out in 1996, Diablo 2 in 2000. Being generous that's a 4 year dev cycle. Diablo 3 started in 2005, again being generous, could have been earlier. We're looking at 6+ years for this sucker. Admittedly it's bigger, there's more to coding 3d etc, but then again they probably have a bigger dev team.

I know Blizz likes to polish and I appreciate it, but these delays are starting to get ridiculous. Hell, WoW had what, a 4 year dev time? And that's an MMO.

Maybe it's just frustrating cause I've been chopping at the bit to play this, hehe.

[Morpheus]

Damn, sorry to hear that. But on the other hand, this gives them more time to polish it, so playing it will be like a dream come true.

[Tintivilo]

it wouldn't be so bad if they didnt mention it at all, saying we are making this awesome things YEARS before its released pisses me off

[Hydroeric]

What about Diablo 3 in 2009?

eh?

[sgtslappy]

Was someone not getting a hands on this week? I thought it was getting close if that's the case.

If that were the case then SC2 would have been out a year ago.

[southwick]

What about Diablo 3 in 2009?

eh?

We can hope and pray!

[brutalus7]

Well as long as they don't start saying a date and then push it back a couple of times before finally releasing it like they have with Starcraft 2, I'll be ok with it. Pick your day and stick with it Blizzard!

[bean19]

Utter Bullshit!

(We all expected this right?)

[randir14]

What about Diablo 3 in 2009?

eh?

I read the Diablo 3 team is a lot bigger than the SC2 team so it could be a possibility...

[Wyrm]

I called it a long time ago, but still disappointing. At least I'll have another year to save up the additional cash to make it look nice and pretty on a giant monitor.

I was hungrily awaiting Diablo 2 when it released, and when I got it, I remember four guys crowding around my massive 22 inch CRT monitor. The graphics were not overly impressive, but the game oozed atmosphere. We spent hours taking turns leveling a Necromancer, and I knew then that the game had its firm grip on our company.

I spent the next three years utterly and completely addicted to the game in every possible way.

I think D3 will be bad, bad news.

[FreezaSama]

Blizzard would be dumb to release three hit franchise releases in a single year. Hell, it would be a RECORD BREAKING year.. but you have to span these things out. If they released everything in 2010... well what would they have for 2011?

...More WoW expansions?

[brandonjclark]

I read the Diablo 3 team is a lot bigger than the SC2 team so it could be a possibility...


Well, my money is on 2011, but I'd rather be wrong. However, it does look awful close to being finished, doesn't it?


Also, when thing was shown to the "less color, more dreary" crowd and they had a fit (I know, I was one of them), then why would Blizzard laugh at them? I mean, if most people are saying it needed to look a different way and you're at LEAST two years away from release, why not entertain a simple palette change? In other words, why all the fuss to defend it on Blizzard's side unless there was NO way they were changing it because they were almost done?

[Meusli]

Here (http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1015815p1.html) it is, I thought hands on came near the end of the development cycle. They are just c**k teasing us now.

[Morpheus]

Well, my money is on 2011, but I'd rather be wrong. However, it does look awful close to being finished, doesn't it?


Also, when thing was shown to the "less color, more dreary" crowd and they had a fit (I know, I was one of them), then why would Blizzard laugh at them? I mean, if most people are saying it needed to look a different way and you're at LEAST two years away from release, why not entertain a simple palette change? In other words, why all the fuss to defend it on Blizzard's side unless there was NO way they were changing it because they were almost done?

Why should they change it, just because people on the internet say it? Couldn't it be because they actually think the bright and colorful setting is best for D3? It has been 20 years in the story, with no evil, so it would get better in the world. Back comes the evil, and my guess is, the world will get darker and darker as you progress in the game.

But I do hope your right, and they are near completion. It would rock, if the game came out this year to everybodys surprise. But it won't.

[yutt]

Why would anyone want a game to be released before the developer felt it was ready?

Gamers make no sense sometimes.

[WpnX]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Titan Quest is on Steam for $20 (with expansion). I am just going through the game now, and it certainly scratched my Diablo itch.

Great class system. Full 3D. Many "fixes" to make the game less annoying (ie - no weapon degradation, town portals are free, no need to identify armor, no item loss on death).

[Morpheus]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Titan Quest is on Steam for $20 (with expansion). I am just going through the game now, and it certainly scratched my Diablo itch.

Great class system. Full 3D. Many "fixes" to make the game less annoying (ie - no weapon degradation, town portals are free, no need to identify armor, no item loss on death).

Totally agree with you. It's a great game to play, when your waiting for the next installment in the Diablo series. Completed it many times myself.

[Grandpappy]

I need this game in a bad way. It's a shame that it'll likely be 2011 before it comes out.

[ÜberJumper]

When's the end of Fiscal 2009 for Blizzard? March 2010?

If that's the case, they've still got some time in 2009 to release it?

I'll go ask Jay!

[Exodus]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this new way of dealing with health/mana regain by enemy drops. What happens when you're taking on a boss? o_O? Are they going to go with the, boss can summon useless trash you kill for health? :\

[Evil Avatar]

it wouldn't be so bad if they didnt mention it at all, saying we are making this awesome things YEARS before its released pisses me off

In some ways that is why I don't spend a lot of time posting about every little piece of Diablo III information that leaks out.

Oh... the Monk. Oh... something else. What is the point when it will be 2.5 more years before the title hits the store shelves?

[bean19]

Also, when thing was shown to the "less color, more dreary" crowd and they had a fit (I know, I was one of them), then why would Blizzard laugh at them?
1. I remember this and they laughed at the way it was presented. It is a LOT easier to photoshop an image than it is to change it in-game while preserving game design goals.

2. They stated that there is range in the color palette. There will be levels that get dark and dreary but they build to that.

Personally, I agree with you (and the people who photoshopped this) that it SHOULD be darker. The previous games were brilliant in producing a feeling of despair and hopelessness as you ventured further and further into the depths of hell.

Thematically, Diablo has always been a tragedy and the colorful palette on display does not support it as well as the art in previous games.

[sixtyfps]

[img=http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1430/diablo3.jpg]

[sixtyfps]

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1430/diablo3.jpg
...please forgive my fail; I realized news posts have a 'preview' option I can use.

[Phinor]

It sure as hell isn't coming out in 2009 nor in fiscal 2009, spinning the message around doesn't change the facts. They just mentioned they have pretty much decided on major features, haven't even done much work on bosses and are even debating the fifth class. They are in the middle of development phase, far away from finishing or getting to polish phase. Knowing Blizzard, I wouldn't even expect it in the first half of 2011 although I sure do hope it's the game of the summer for that year.

And yes I do want the game more than any other game but it's probably two years away right now :(

[Vulture]

Know the question becomes, does some Chinese/Russian pirate hackers take the present engine and reverse engineer it. Getting a look and feel alike Diablo III clone out BEFORE the 2011 release of the original?

'Cause you know damn well the chinese would grant copyrights and trademarks to a native major software product.

[Vulture]

Know the question becomes, does some Chinese/Russian pirate hackers take the present engine and reverse engineer it. Getting a look and feel alike Diablo III clone out BEFORE the 2011 release of the original?

'Cause you know damn well the chinese would grant copyrights and trademarks to a native major software product.

[murpes]

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Titan Quest is on Steam for $20 (with expansion). I am just going through the game now, and it certainly scratched my Diablo itch.

Great class system. Full 3D. Many "fixes" to make the game less annoying (ie - no weapon degradation, town portals are free, no need to identify armor, no item loss on death).

Also on GameTap I believe.

[Frogleg Special]

PC gaming exclusive FTW.

PC Gaming Alliance should have funded Blizzard so they can put games earlier & more.

[Duskfire]

Well as long as they don't start saying a date and then push it back a couple of times before finally releasing it like they have with Starcraft 2, I'll be ok with it. Pick your day and stick with it Blizzard!

Pretty sure Blizzard never gave a date for Starcraft 2; their answer was that it will be ready when it is ready. Its gaming stores and the media and so forth that kept on bringing up dates.

[brandonjclark]

Why should they change it, just because people on the internet say it?

Ugh, trick question?

Didn't you know that whining on the InterWebs is the best way to get your point across and actually get something done?


Surely if Blizzard is 2.5 years away from release they could entertain suggestions, instead of downright making fun of someone's uber-inspired photoshop pics.

[Qoz]

Pretty sure Blizzard never gave a date for Starcraft 2; their answer was that it will be ready when it is ready. Its gaming stores and the media and so forth that kept on bringing up dates.
Well they said beta at the start of this summer, and that beta would last-4-6 months. They also indicated otherwise that SC2 was a 2009 release. Well it didn't turn out that way..

I don't blame them really. They get bombarded on the forums to publish a release date, or just a vague hint. When they finally say a vague hint, it is like a major letdown to everyone if it does not hold. So they have learned their lesson to keep their mouths shut.

[DeadPixel]

Maybe they want to integrated Duke Nukem Forever into the game, you can play it from the credits screen.

[Xarcara]

ill say this up front i have no intention of purchasing any of these three games, but blizzard has tons of people wrapped around there little fingers...let me ask you what if the publisher was Sony would everyone be so nice?

[PopoWRX]

ill say this up front i have no intention of purchasing any of these three games, but blizzard has tons of people wrapped around there little fingers...let me ask you what if the publisher was Sony would everyone be so nice?

Well, you have to build up a ton of good will with gamers to have the leeway Blizzard gets, so it is mostly deserved. The publisher is Activision Blizzard so that already conjures up bad feelings, it's just Blizzard the developer that gets the benefit of the doubt.

[Duskfire]

ill say this up front i have no intention of purchasing any of these three games, but blizzard has tons of people wrapped around there little fingers...let me ask you what if the publisher was Sony would everyone be so nice?

I have never played a bad Blizzard PC game, thats basically it. So yeah, to me Blizzard shits gold (similiar to Valve and Bioware.) I loved Starcraft, and if I get the same experience spread over three games, then so be it. If the first one is terrible then maybe I won't buy the others. But until something happens otherwise, I'll always have faith in Blizzard doing a good job.

[mixuk]

How does it not surprise you? Diablo came out in 1996, Diablo 2 in 2000. Being generous that's a 4 year dev cycle. Diablo 3 started in 2005, again being generous, could have been earlier. We're looking at 6+ years for this sucker. Admittedly it's bigger, there's more to coding 3d etc, but then again they probably have a bigger dev team.

I know Blizz likes to polish and I appreciate it, but these delays are starting to get ridiculous. Hell, WoW had what, a 4 year dev time? And that's an MMO.

Maybe it's just frustrating cause I've been chopping at the bit to play this, hehe.

It costs so much money to make a game nowadays, that you can't afford to fuck it up. That's why the big companies are willing to spend extra to make it good.

A game pushed out through the door too early, rarely sells well.

[bean19]

A game pushed out through the door too early, rarely sells well.

Nightstorm was making the point that 4 years of development is an extremely long development cycle. That's NOT pushing something out the door too early.

Assuming the game makes it out in 2011, that gives them a 6-year development cycle.

[Exodus]

Nightstorm was making the point that 4 years of development is an extremely long development cycle. That's NOT pushing something out the door too early.

Assuming the game makes it out in 2011, that gives them a 6-year development cycle.

The game had three revisions. That's not a regular development cycle.

[bean19]

The game had three revisions. That's not a regular development cycle.
Which is troubling in and of itself. Looking at the game now, it's pretty much Diablo II with better graphics and neat-o triggered events.

[Exodus]

Which is troubling in and of itself. Looking at the game now, it's pretty much Diablo II with better graphics and neat-o triggered events.

Ummm were you expecting them to go to a more behind the shoulder type of game or something?

[bean19]

Ummm were you expecting them to go to a more behind the shoulder type of game or something?
Not at all, but it shouldn't take 6 years to poop out a game that so far only has the loot system and graphics as notable feature upgrades/changes.

[Antdude]

Absolutely no surprise here. When it was first announced, I thought to myself, '2011 at the earliest.'
As for people who ask, why even announce the game if it's so far off?; What's the alternative? If they say nothing until, say, 6 months before it ships, then they're accused of being too secretive, and, not knowing anything, you would have nothing to look forward to at all. and if they announce it now and it takes a long time, you accuse them of over-hyping it. How long were we hearing about how great 'Spore' was?

Finally, Blizzard never, ever mentions a release date until the game is practically gold. Anyone who believes a release date from Amazon or Gamestop is engaging in wishful thinking. They know nothing. Until there is a press release from Blizzard with an actual date on it, there is no release date.

[Exodus]

That and oh i don't know, their marketing department having something to do creating and maintaining jobs is a good thing.