Console Diablo 3 given unprecedented Blizzard commitment

By Robert Purchese Published 21 November, 2011

"We've never invested in it to the degree we are now."

Blizzard has never committed to a console project as it is, now, with Diablo 3 - the days of out-sourced and eventually scrapped last-gen project StarCraft Ghost should be forgotten.

"People don't believe us when we say we're going to make a console game - flat out," Diablo 3 director Jay Wilson told Game Informer magazine (reported by VG247).

"I understand why they don't believe us," he said, "because we've tried this before.

"We've also never invested in it to the degree that we are doing now, and we've never had a product we felt was appropriate for it."

Despite Wilson's candid remarks, Diablo 3 on console hasn't officially been announced - although the developer has been not-so-secretly building a console development team for it.

"We are still in active exploring mode," explained Wilson. "We haven't officially announced a product.

"We say that because we like our product announcements to be a big deal. We haven't been as secretive about this one because our biggest barrier is actually getting a console team."

When Diablo 3 was announced for PC, at BlizzCon 2008, fans were treated to blow-out of game information, extensive of gameplay video footage and masses of screenshots.

As Blizzard's first console project, Diablo 3 shoulders extra pressure. This has to be a spectacular console debut - one that will live up to the company's daunting reputation on PC.

"We don't want to port it," declared Wilson. "We want to build it for console. There's a key difference. Certainly, a lot of things get brought over, but a port is trying to take a PC game and graft it onto a console."

"Our goal is to make a game that feels like it's natively made made for a console.

"If we make it, we want it to feel like a Blizzard game and that we built it for that platform from the ground up."

With full production on console Diablo 3 either not yet under way, or scarcely begun, it may be that Blizzard looks to the next generation of machines to house its game. The playing field would be level, and Blizzard may find the platform holders more malleable when negotiating Diablo 3's online pursuits - the real-money auction house may take some green-lighting. A debut on a new generation of consoles would also ensure Diablo 3 a long life - something Blizzard is eager to support on PC and Mac.

Wilson said the console makers - presumably Microsoft and Sony - have "been eager to work with" the Diablo 3 maker so far.

"Everyone wants Blizzard games on consoles to happen, and [console makers] are some of the most eager," said Wilson. "So, I'm hopeful. It's hard for me to say beyond that."

The Diablo 3 console team will be helmed by lead designer Joshua Mosquiera, who lead designed Company of Heroes and was a creative director at Ubisoft.

"We are starting to fill the team out with new hires and some core members of the Diablo III team," explained Wilson. "Because we are close to done with [the PC version], some groups finish before others, mostly the art group. We're able to ferry over some art talent to the console group."

The sumptuous CGI cinematic for Diablo 3.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ED209 #1 6 months ago

    As an Xbox 360 owner can i be the first to say: 'Who the fuck are Blizzard?' We don't want your kind round these parts. Too litlle too late. ...and other unwelcoming sentiments.

  • arcam #2 6 months ago

    So... current-gen or next-gen?

  • spekkeh #3 6 months ago

    Everyone wants Blizzard games on consoles to happen, and [console makers] are some of the most eager,

    Uhoh, timed exclusive moneybags confirmed.

  • CaptainTrips #4 6 months ago

    Diablo 3 wouldn't be Blizzard's first console project - some of their very early games (Lost vikings, Rock and Roll Racing) were console games. They also made (Very poor) console ports of Starcraft and Diablo 2 for the N64 and PlayStation respectively.

    EDIT: It was of course Starcraft: BW, not SC2. :p
    Edited by CaptainTrips at 21/11/11 @ 11:59

  • syra #5 6 months ago

    I don't get why the artists need to go over to console, other than UI and some minor tweaks surely the art should be the same for a console version?

    I'll go ahead and assume the consoel version will launch with the first expansion in a year and a half after pc launch then...

  • Ranger101 #6 6 months ago

    Good to hear - it sounds like they're actually giving a great deal of thought to a console version, instead of a bad port. Hope it doesn't mean we lose the essence of Diablo though.

  • gribb #7 6 months ago

    Diablo III would be the easiest game in their catalogue to port over, although I'm sure the stupid implementation of the in-game marketplace is just one reason why the transition won't happen easily.

  • DreamT #8 6 months ago

    Interesting, but it's hard to be excited about something which sounds so far off. I think they should make it for next gen and build it with better and more interesting combat, ie. simple combos, block/riposte, roll/dodge etc. Do that and I'll play it forever.
    Edited by DreamT at 21/11/11 @ 10:07

  • ED209 #9 6 months ago

    Ultimately more choice can only harm console gamers. Relationships will only tolerate so many gaming hours, and when they dissolve the next barrier is eating, drinking & sleeping. Let Korea be a lesson to us all about what happens when you cross that barrier. So thanks but no thanks Blizzard. We've all got enough to be getting on with over here.

  • Turrican_Freak #10 6 months ago

    Joypad controls on pc! I hope that runic games is listening.
    Edited by Turrican_Freak at 21/11/11 @ 10:14

  • bad09 #11 6 months ago

    Let's see them try tying console users to the net to play a video game in single player.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #12 6 months ago

    @CaptainTrips: It was Broodwar (with an additional campaign), not StarCraft 2 that was released for the N64 - and the main developer was not Blizzard either.

    On top of that it wasn't too bad, it was actually quite impressive given the lack of RAM on the N64 compared to a PC. It even supported split-screen co-op, which is highly unusual for a RTS game.

  • StooMonster #13 6 months ago

    If the save files were transparent between platforms, I would happily buy the PC/Mac version as well as the Xbox 360 version. Then I could play from wherever I pleased. :)

  • bigjimbeef #14 6 months ago

    I've no idea how it came to be, but I very fondly remember finding a copy of Diablo for the PSX a while after I'd been playing it on PC. It was multiplayer, and generally played pretty well. I've been waiting for them to announce similar games ever since really. I'll be playing it on PC, so it won't matter that much to me, but I like to think that it'll help expand the Diablo franchise in the way it did for me years ago.

  • darkmorgado #15 6 months ago

    Its not their first console project. Diablo and Warcraft 2 both appeared on PS1. Starcraft appeared on the n64.

    Going back further, The Lost Vikings was console exclusive.

  • Spekingur #16 6 months ago

    Is this the reason why Diablo 3 is not out yet on the PC? Because it must be made ready for consoles?

  • Agent_Orange #17 6 months ago

    Wait lost vikings was out on amiga or dos first wasnt it?

  • Toothball #18 6 months ago

    @bad09

    It might not be that much of a stretch to imagine console gamers playing solo games while online. It's become a habit for many Xbox gamers, and I can frequently see people playing things like Skyrim on my friends list. In fact, after having got used to that practice myself on Xbox, I always play games while online whenever possible.

  • kangarootoo #19 6 months ago

    Increased DRM measures on PC, and a new focus on console platforms. Is that the sound of a toe being dipped into water that I hear?

  • kangarootoo #20 6 months ago

    @bad09

    "Let's see them try tying console users to the net to play a video game in single player."

    Well they don't need to do they, because consoles aren't open to piracy to the extent that the PC platform is.

  • bad09 #21 6 months ago

    @Toothball

    There is a world of difference to being online and being chained online ask Capcom ;)

  • Cjail #22 6 months ago

    Diablo 3 on consoles it is absolutely feasible in my opinion.
    Controls could be adapted to be much like Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, with inclusion of melee, and surely the graphic is not as demanding as other PC games (Battlefield 3) so this gen could handle the game no problem for me.

    As a PS3 owner I will surely be happy to see such an awesome franchise joining the family!
    Edited by Cjail at 21/11/11 @ 11:58

  • arcam #23 6 months ago

    @kangarootoo

    I don't think it's as simple as 'they don't need to'. It's part of a strategy that goes way beyond piracy, and I think in a few years time it will the norm, on consoles or otherwise.

    It will be very interesting to see if a 360 version has the same requirements, but I suspect it's a bit soon on consoles. It'll rule out too many potential buyers.

  • Daeltaja #24 6 months ago

    So Diablo's real delay is due to console porting. Nice!

  • kangarootoo #25 6 months ago

    @arcam

    I'm really not sure (knee deep in speculation here of course). Blizzard may be an exception, but for most publishers any online-connected requirement is primarily about security (whatever else it may do). I'm not super familiar with Diablo 3, so maybe there are gameplay reasons for requiring online (I don't buy the character balance stuff that I know was mentioned).

    As for the future of consoles, I don't believe online will be a requirement unless content is streamed (which may of course be the future).

  • miiiguel #26 6 months ago

    I always play online, every single game. As a matter of fact when, for some reason, my net is down, I don't play at all. I like to have the date on my Achievements.

  • number3son #27 6 months ago

    @kangarootoo

    Actually, Blizzard has specifically said that the online requirement has nothing to do with piracy or DRM. They have stated flatly that the auction house requires it. So if they strip the online requirement from the console versions while leaving the auction house in then it shows that they were lying about their rationale in the first place.

  • Inmediasress #28 6 months ago

    Well so much for Blizzards PC elitism that they so loved to spout.
    Then again seeing as D3 looks to be potentially a second rate kiddy game with obtrusive DRM, and Blizzard's money laundering scheme for the chinese, I wouldn't even mind if it was console exclusive.
    The fanboys will of course decide on that.

  • arcam #29 6 months ago

    @kangarootoo

    IMO it is deeply connected to the trends of software as a service, minor but frequent updates, micro-transactions and publishers building networks of players that they can market to and whose habits they can observe.

    Obviously there is a huge push for multiplayer to appear on console games at the moment, mostly for the reasons above - it stands to reason that instead of just encouraging you to go online as is currently the case, soon it will be a requirement. I also assume there will be be a middling stage where playing offline is available, but will lack features and services if you aren't connected. From there the transition to an online requirement will be reasonably simple.
    Edited by arcam at 21/11/11 @ 12:56

  • Rack #30 6 months ago

    Diablo 3 on PS3 with Move support and no auction house or always on bobbins? Surely too much to hope for.

  • Slipstream #31 6 months ago

    Well everything apart from FPS's feel better on a gamepad.

  • Xardan #32 6 months ago

    Shouldn't be too hard to port to the 360 but the PS3 might take some significant time resources. Especially since Blizzard aren't familiar with the current console gen.

  • ic4ruz #33 6 months ago

    @Slipstream Um no.

    RTS games are better on a pad? oh yeah right, console gamers have perhaps forgotten that there is a genre called that.

    Most games plays better with m/k except for driving/fighting games.

    And beside it's not like gamepads is something that is console only. As a PC gamer you can buy any pad/steering wheel/controls as you want.
    Edited by ic4ruz at 21/11/11 @ 13:43

  • Toothball #34 6 months ago

    @bad09

    Oh, I've no doubt that some will kick up a fuss. That happens no matter what the topic is. But I wouldn't really care if a game insisted I stay online because barring hand-helds on the bus, I don't game any other way. I'd also imagine that most of my friends list wouldn't care either, although that's partly because I don't know many who stay offline while they game. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy really, as if they did I wouldn't have met them online.

  • kangarootoo #35 6 months ago

    @number3son

    Yeah I know Blizzard have said that. I don't know enough about the auction house to understand why that is the case. Do they say it is for auction house security, or something else?

  • kangarootoo #36 6 months ago

    @arcam

    Good points. I have no strong preference myself, though on the few occasions I have BB probs I'd be annoyed if my single player gaming session was ended as a result.

    A lot of it is perception. Every Facebook game requires that you be online and be logged into Facebook, even though many of them could function offline if they were built that way. Nobody complains that singleplayer experiences in FB require connectivity, because "Facebook is online" is the common view.

    Perhaps one day "XBox1440 / PS5 is online" will be the same mantra, and will be accepted in the same way.

  • number3son #37 6 months ago

    @kangarootoo

    Yes, they've said online-only is necessary for auction house security (to prevent hacked/duplicate items). But I seriously doubt it's actually the real reason. I think it has more to do with establishing Battle.net as an online shop and preventing mod makers from making content available to purchasers, as they did with Diablo 2. After all, Activision would have a hard time selling you overpriced DLC if there are thousands of fans willing to make even better content on their own for free.

  • Primatori #38 6 months ago

    This is one of the best development companies in the world of gaming, possibly my favourite. They dont do things by half. Loved Starcraft, Warcraft III, Starcraft II and WOW. If they do this, i think they are going to wait for the next gen of consoles, it will offer them more options at least and i dont think they would have a console version done in time for the current gen. They have been a 100% PC gaming development company and now want to enter the console market.

    Can you really blame them with well over 100 million XBOX and PS3 consoles, it is becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that there is huge quantities of money to be made on these platforms, alongside the native PC. Why handicap yourself by focusing on one platform.

    Look at Call of Duty for example, i would love to see the breakdown of sales on the PC Vs the Console. It would be madness for them to focus on PC only. We could do with a company like Blizzard entering the console market.

  • Bleed #39 6 months ago

    Couldn't care less about a console version. They should stick to making & RELEASING the PC version above anything else before it gets too outdated like WoW's graphics.

  • Rajin #40 6 months ago

    @Primatori

    Or we could do with a company NOT entering the console market. Don't get me wrong, diablo on consoles is actually a really good idea. But you make it sound as the PC has quality developers and ports in sheer amount.
    Edited by Rajin at 21/11/11 @ 17:12

  • Primatori #41 6 months ago

    @Rajin

    That's not what i meant by my post at all. I am a console gamer and have been for the past few years. I used to PC game alot but couldn't keep up with the costs of hardware upgrades etc. Console gaming just seemed easier and everyone was on an even playing ground. I take your point, i just think that in many cases Blizzard rarely produce poor games, and i would like the opportunity of playing their games again, i.e console gaming.

  • Rajin #42 6 months ago

    @Primatori

    My reply was not meant to sound agitated in case you thought it were.


    My only fear is that blizzard, a company known for taking it's time, will split resourches or move their release dates even further(which might be the case at Diablo III)
    Edited by Rajin at 21/11/11 @ 20:23

  • man.the.king #43 6 months ago

    @ED209

    As an Xbox 360 owner can i be the first - and probably only one - to say: 'Who the fuck are Blizzard?' We don't want your kind round these parts. Too litlle too late. ...and other unwelcoming sentiments.

    Fixed that for you :o

  • xuiton #44 6 months ago

    why buy this game. they are going to be having a real money market place. of course you do not have to use it, but people who 'sell' on the market place are secret.

    Blizzard could easily sell in game items themselves for real money, pathetic way of grabbing even more money.

    gaming these days has become a mugs game.

  • RandomTerrain #45 6 months ago

    I can't wait for this to come to consoles, Blizzard make some superb games, and I'm sure this will be fantastic fun. Although I hope they don't force us to stay online all the time.. my connection has a tendency not be somewhat problematic at times. Anyway, bring it on! :o)

  • madjim #46 6 months ago

    @Agent_Orange I sure remember playing it on the Amiga.

  • Slipstream #47 6 months ago

    @ic4ruz haha you got rather defensive didn;t you? If it makes you feel better I used a game pad on my PC when playing Final Fantasy XI. You can breathe now.

  • Primatori #48 6 months ago

    @Rajin

    Thats a good point alright, i would also hate to see them stretch their development teams instead of hiring a dedicated console development team. I think in the article, it did say they were looking for a console team which would lead me to think that they might not share the PC dev team. But i could be wrong.