Big changes to Diablo 3 detailed, more to come

By Oli Welsh Published 20 January, 2012

"No one will remember if the game is late."

If you played the Diablo 3 beta, admired its polish and reckoned the game couldn't be far from release, think again: game director and arch-tinkerer Jay Wilson has unveiled extensive changes to the game's systems, some minor, some major - and promised that even bigger revisions are on the way.

The way character stats and itemisation work is being changed, along with numerous adjustments to the interface, crafting and customisation systems - and "we're working on major changes to the skill and rune systems that we're not ready to talk about," Wilson said. And with that, the chances of the game seeing release in the first half of 2012 all but vanished.

"While working on Diablo 3 we've been called out for messing around with systems too much, that the game is good as-is and we should just release it," said Wilson, who has talked Diablo fans through countless changes to the fundaments of the game since its unveiling in the summer of 2008.

"I think that's a fair argument to make, but I also think it's incorrect. Our job isn't just to put out a game, it's to release the next Diablo game. No one will remember if the game is late, only if it's great."

Of the current adjustments, most of which can be seen in the beta, the headline change is to character attributes: Defense, Attack and Precision are being dropped and the core stats are now Strength, Dexterity, Intellect and Vitality. The idea is to give each class a core stat and "reduce the amount of item overlap, diversify our item pool, and create a cleaner, more exciting itemisation system," Wilson said.

"Obviously these stat changes are one of the bigger systems changes we're currently working on as they have far reaching requirements to re-itemise and balance the game," he added, ominously.

Beyond that, one of the artisan crafting characters, the Mystic, is being dropped from the game, along with the associated Enhancement customisation system: it "simply wasn't adding anything", said Wilson. The Cauldron of Jordan and Nephalem Cube that allowed players to salvage or sell items on the go have been removed, as the Stone of Recall (now called Town Portal) allows players to do these tasks easily enough and "it's a good idea to break up combat". The Blacksmith can now salvage items, but common (white) items can no longer be salvaged.

Staple Diablo item, the Scroll of Identification, has been junked and all characters now have an innate ability to identify items; the fifth quick-slot button is now a dedicated potion button; and character stats can be seen on the inventory UI.

"There's a lot of work left to be done, though," Wilson warned, just in case you were worrying that his team was rushing the game out of the door. "We're constantly tuning and making balance changes; it's a massive task," he added.

"We want Diablo 3 to be the best game it can be when it launches. To get there, we're going to be iterating on designs we've had in place for a long time, making changes to systems you've spent a lot of time theorycrafting, and removing features you may have come to associate with the core of the experience.

"Our hope is that by embracing our iterative design process in which we question ourselves and our decisions, Diablo 3 won't just live up to our expectations, but will continue to do so a decade after it's released."

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (81) Latest comment 4 months ago

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  • NotoriousR #1 4 months ago

    You know what's a great change you guys can make? Letting me play the game in offline mode.

  • SnoppleMonster #2 4 months ago

    Noooooooooo.

    I'll have expired by the time they release this! :(

  • Tricky #3 4 months ago

    Thank christ for that - too many games to get through as it is. I didn't need this along with SSX and Syndicate to distract me.

  • jonfon #4 4 months ago

    Runic Games must be dancing around their office this morning knowing Torchlight 2 won't clash and will be out first now.

  • Zozzilla #5 4 months ago

    Just let me preorder the CE for crying out loud! AAAARGH!

  • Vixremento #6 4 months ago

    I keep hoping to see "Diablo III will include a pure offline mode for those that have been crying" in these official posts (yes I haven't given up hope and I probably never will).

  • syra #7 4 months ago

    THIS IS MADNESS

  • Spekingur #8 4 months ago

    Reading about all these changes makes it feel like it won't be a Diablo game that'll be released in the end :/

  • anomagnus #9 4 months ago

    i really didnt see this out in H1 2012, and maybe i'll be proved wrong.

    But i can't see this coming out before its ready for console.

  • arcam #10 4 months ago

    I wish everyone took this much care with their releases.

  • TheApologist #11 4 months ago

    Companies that have the luxury of delaying their games - Blizzard and Valve I guess - have rarely had cause to regret taking the extra time. Good for them, and good for players, I reckon.
    Edited by TheApologist at 20/01/12 @ 09:57

  • syra #12 4 months ago

    @Spekingur you must be reading it wrong then, because they are basically taking out all of the new features and cutting back down to diablo2

  • Darren #13 4 months ago

    Oh, just release it already, will you, instead of teasing everyone about it? Why officially confirm a game is coming out then have a beta if it isn't then released within a reasonable time afterwards? They run the risk of people getting bored of waiting and deciding not to buy the game at all when it is released. I know the series has a huge fan-base but even their patience can't be unlimited?

    Many websites had the game up for pre-order since last year and I placed mine with ShopTo.net. It's kind of annoying to have the developer then turn around and admit that the game is nowhere near finished. Well, just shut up then, keep quiet and get on with it until the game IS completed! :(
    Edited by Darren at 20/01/12 @ 10:07

  • TheBiGW #14 4 months ago

    I understand they want the game to be perfect but balance tweaks like this are regularly released after the retail date for MMOs and even fighting games. Why not release it now, and then release Diablo III+, or an expansion pack or something with these tweaks included?

    Or maybe I'm just too eager to play it NOW and don't like waiting...

  • Spekingur #15 4 months ago

    @syra Reading over these changes again on another site makes me believe that you might be right. Getting rid of the Identification Scroll however is... sacrilege almost.

    I am very afraid that they might mess things up too much in Diablo 3 thus making Torchlight 2 more of a successor to Diablo 2 than Diablo 3. This is what I am afraid of but hoping is wrong. I guess I'm just prepared for the worst :p

  • Eldritch #16 4 months ago

    Fair enough, I'm fine with them releasing the game whenever "it's done", as long as it's really as good as everybody obviously expects it to be.

    And keep in mind that Blizzard have no financial pressure whatsoever to worry about. Lucky bastards!

  • TriggerHippie #17 4 months ago

    "The idea is to give each class a core stat"

    So exactly how the much maligned (on Eurogamer) SWTOR does it.

  • Eldritch #18 4 months ago

    I understand they want the game to be perfect but balance tweaks like this are regularly released after the retail date for MMOs and even fighting games. Why not release it now, and then release Diablo III+, or an expansion pack or something with these tweaks included?
    That's something rather odd to say when so many people in these parts complain about Day One patches and unpolished games being released all the time.

    Just try bridging the gap playing Torchlight 2 and even Torchlight 3. Maybe it'll make you appreciate Diablo III all the more?

  • super_monty #19 4 months ago

    I am going to cancel my pre-order.

    I might be dead by the time this is released and my wife will already be struggling with the funeral bill.

  • Eldritch #20 4 months ago

    @super_monty The CE would actually make quite a nice tombstone.

  • repeater #21 4 months ago

    Diablo 3 just got upgraded to "Chinese Democracy" status.

  • Frosty840 #22 4 months ago

    Does nobody at Blizzard remember how utterly broken Diablo 2 was at release?

    It's virtually unrecognisable, balance- and which-things-worked-wise from the modern version of the game.

    Just release it fun and patch it later.

    Hell, I'd play it more if I thought I'd have frequent patches to keep me interested.

    Take a leaf out of Valve's book and release mutators every week and patch them into the main game if they work.

  • Stevonymo #23 4 months ago

    Diablo 3...The new Duke Nukem...And we all know how thas turned out. Sometimes when you are doing something and you keep messing with it you just make it worse.

  • UncleLou #24 4 months ago

    Runic Games must be dancing around their office this morning knowing Torchlight 2 won't clash and will be out first now.

    There's no release date for T2 anymore, there's basically no gameplay video, hardly any screenshots, no updates. At this rate, I'd be surprised if T2 is actually released earlier than D3.

  • Ryboy #25 4 months ago

    'adjustmentes' lol.

  • darkmorgado #26 4 months ago

    @Stevonymo

    A couple of years since announcement is hardly the next DNF. And blizzard always take their time with their games, as do Valve, and they've never released a bad product.

    Wind your neck in, you're embarassing yourself.
    Edited by darkmorgado at 20/01/12 @ 11:06

  • OverWind #27 4 months ago

    Am I the only one thinking that automatic town portals and automatic identify-items is a crappy move? I mean, why not just make one button you push in the game which both kills monsters, collect loot, talks to characters, and moves you to the correct location? And then have a checkbox if you want it to be pressed down automatically. That way you can just sit and stare at the screen while the game completes itself.

  • Eldritch #28 4 months ago

    @OverWind

    Sorted.

  • darkmorgado #29 4 months ago

    Not necessarily. They could, for example, link Identification to an XP system, so items worth >(skill value * level), or something, are unable to be identified by your character. Or it might be set to increase at integers that intersect with levelling up.

    And let's face it, identification was never really a "mechanic". It was annoying having to dedicate endless bag space to scrolls so that you could identify your loot. They weren't optional, there was no risk/reward mechanic for using them (for example, no chance of destroying an item by accident if you tried to identify it using a scroll instead of in the town). Ditto for scrolls of town portal. They added nothing to the game aside form an artificial financial barrier for low-level players, who ironically are the ones that tend to use them more.

    Without knowing exactly what limits and systems are being put into place to ensure balance, it's premature to say that the removal of Town Portal and Identification scrolls is, in itself, a bad thing.

  • Subdominator #30 4 months ago

    @arcam I don't. It's not like they are fixing something that is broken. They want it to be the perfect game but you'll never achieve that goal. The last developer that tried it was 3D Realms. And we all know how Duke Nukem Forever turned out to be. If you're working on a game that long you lose your sense of reality, you think that small things are huge and that you have to fix them or nobody will like the game.

    But I'm pretty sure the community is much more annoyed by the lack of a release date than by all the little tweaks they feel are so important. It doesn't even make sense. Blizzard has a track record for constantly tweaking their games AFTER the release. Putting so much effort in it BEFORE the RELEASE is just throwing money out of the window, because once the player count reaches a million they will see balancing issues they could never see in the closed beta.

    Taking your time is great. Taking too much time not so much.

    Do you see and feel that

    Starcraft 2 was 5 years in development?
    Rage was 7 years in development?
    Duke Nukem Forever was 13 years in development?
    Half-Life 2 was 7 years in development?

    Personally I am pretty disappointed when a game is so long in development and the end result is not much better than a competitor who has been in development for 24 months. Especially so cause for some strange reason they don't seem to have more content. You'd think the designers can easily put 100+ hours worth of gameplay into these games after several years.

  • jetsetwillie #31 4 months ago

    this is why i never even look at release dates. and just play what is out when its out.

    release it when its ready

  • Eldritch #32 4 months ago

    Do you see and feel that

    Starcraft 2 was 5 years in development?
    Rage was 7 years in development?
    Duke Nukem Forever was 13 years in development?
    Half-Life 2 was 7 years in development?
    Yes, yes, yes, and yes. And sometimes it was bad and sometimes it was good for the game in question.

    Comparing Blizzard and 3D Realms is really quite absurd though.

  • Nova1977 #33 4 months ago

    If the mayans are right about 2012, we may never get to see this game EVER! Remember that Blizzard.

  • CaptainTrips #34 4 months ago

    Other developers take note - this is how you respond to beta feedback and testing data. If Bioware had had this appraoch with their beta for SWTOR then they most likely wouldn't be faced with the dwindling subscriber numbers they are now.

    I can wait. Release the game when you think it is ready, Blizzard.

  • beatwolf #35 4 months ago

    This is really getting to be too much. 11+ years of development, come on Blizzard. And you Blizzard fanboys don´t tell me a masterpiece takes it time, look at Half-Life 2, yes it was released a fair amount of time after Half Life but nothing akin to this utter silliness.

  • darkmorgado #36 4 months ago

    @CaptainTrips "Dwindling subscriber numbers".

    Lol, proof please. It's the fastest growing MMO ever released.

  • Darren #37 4 months ago

    I don't mind the developers taking years to code a game, actually I'd prefer it if it means less bugs and glitches at launch (hello Bethesda!), but I'd be happier if its existence was kept quiet until it was near a confirmed release. The fact that there was a closed beta and it was available for pre-order led me to believe the game would soon be out. I might as well cancel my pre-order then and reorder it when a release date is actually announced for it.

  • jonfon #38 4 months ago

    @UncleLou
    There's no release date for T2 anymore, there's basically no gameplay video, hardly any screenshots, no updates. At this rate, I'd be surprised if T2 is actually released earlier than D3.

    Why do you crush my dreams so? Why?

  • dsmx #39 4 months ago

    They are right though about people forgetting it being late, BF2 got delayed for something like 6-9 months, yes it was still a bug riddled mess at launch but I still dread to think how bad it would of been if they'd of launched when they originally intended.

  • Dangerous_Dan #40 4 months ago

    @Frosty840 - Diablo 2 was utterly broken at release?
    Eh, No...

    Did they change a lot of things over the many years it was patched for? - Sure, great support but that doesn't mean it was broken at the start and definitely not utterly.

  • Dangerous_Dan #41 4 months ago

    I'm pessimistic about Diablo 3.

    I'm worried(hopefully unfounded), all these delays could lead to a multi-platform launch on PC and consoles and what they actually do right now is optimizing the engine and integrating good gamepad support.
    Not a good thing in my book. I don't like too many compromises in games.

  • haderach512 #42 4 months ago

    Don't they have a certain panda expansion to release in 2012? and a certain zerg invasion? they consider it to be enough, it seems. I, for one, don't buy the "we want to make the absolute perfect game" argument, but to each his own.

  • Antsy #43 4 months ago

    And while you're delaying, please take another look at the whole auction house bollocks and online single player. Thank you.

  • Avaloner #44 4 months ago

    Am I the only one who thinks this has a lot to do with the console version of the game?

  • Kostas #45 4 months ago

    Just make the freakin game playable in offline mode just like the first poster has said and i am set to put this game on my buying list.

  • fragglerocks #46 4 months ago

    Oh FFS Blizzard, just give us the game already!

  • dirtysteve #47 4 months ago

    "No one will remember if the game is late."

    The Valve theory.

  • Arsecake_Baker #48 4 months ago

    @darkmorgado

    Whilst i can't argue about dwindling subscriber numbers, i do know that on one hand a lot of people are unsubscribing after completing the main storyline.

    Example, from my guild of 264 (beta) only about 55 have kept an ongoing subscription after main storyline completion, if this is a similiar situation across the board, then a few eyebrows are probably being raised at EA/Bioware.

    Oh and this: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. fell nearly 3% to $17.75 on Thursday morning after an analyst with Brean Murray Carret & Co. cut his price target on the stock to $22 from $28, citing concerns about the recently released online multi-player game "Star Wars: The Old Republic." In a note to clients, analyst Todd Mitchell wrote that "creeping concerns" about the performance of "Star Wars" -- which was released in late December -- is causing him to trim his earnings estimates for the 2013 fiscal year. "Specifically, initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation of early play is causing us to rethink our churn assumptions," Mitchell wrote.

  • Spuzzell #49 4 months ago

    @Avaloner

    Nope. I'm also certain that multi-platform development is having a huge delaying effect.

    But that's fair enough isn't it?

    Just so long as everything isn't delayed until the next gen of consoles.

  • CaptainTrips #50 4 months ago

    @darkmorgado - I don't know how anyone can call anything "Fastest Growing" based on a month's worth of data.

    What I can confidently say though is that there are less people renewing their subscription than bought the game in December. I'm actually not one of them - I'm playing through the game slowly and enjoying it, but my continued patronage is severely dependant on Bioware's ability to a)fix the game's UI and combat delay in the next couple of months, and b) not completely fuck up the game again next time they release a patch.

    I don't want this to derail into a SWTOR thread - there are SWTOR threads for that. All I was saying is that it is quite rare to see a developer change the fundamantals of their game based on a beta test in the way in which Blizzard have decided to here.

  • WeakOrbit #51 4 months ago

    Any bet's that it will still have a day one patch?

  • Lunatic4ever #52 4 months ago

    totally lost interest in this. back then diablo was quite unqique and that was one of the main reasons why it was so incredibly successful. Today, it seems like it won't offer anything innovative or new. We've played a lot of games like this and Blizzard doesn't come up with some drastically different which kept as asecret until release day, I'm sure I won't purchase it.

  • super_monty #53 4 months ago

    I can't wait for this I have impressed with Starcraft 2 and the ongoing patched for the game, it feels like they listen to their customers.

    I think it's going to be worth the wait.

  • Anjelaoni #54 4 months ago

    @syra no, this is sparta ;-)

  • Daeltaja #55 4 months ago

    Bullshit. They're holding it back so they can launch it on consoles at the same time. Have the balls to admit it, Blizzard!

  • jogyourmind #56 4 months ago

    I think this game is going to be HUGE. When D1/2 came out, it was the good ole days when hardcore PC gamers ruled gaming, and we had games like Baldur's Gate and Ultima Online. So a super casual hack n slash RPG succeed despite of that. Nowdays the majority of gamers are hack n slash tards, so this game is going to succeed bigger than ever before.

  • digitalash #57 4 months ago

    @NotoriousR You're right of course, but this means there's zero piracy.

    Over the next year or two, makers of single-player games will realise that they can get away with including always-on drm as long as a) they've got some excuse for it in the eyes of the players and b) they can actually come up with a reason for processing some game critical element on the server side so you can't play a cracked version. Diablo is just an early example, but consider KOTOR as well, which very much has an mmo side and a single-player side.

  • Psychos1s #58 4 months ago

    That's something rather odd to say when so many people in these parts complain about Day One patches and unpolished games being released all the time.
    There is a difference between releasing a polished game with little to no bugs and all features working properly to constantly changing the game. They spend weeks/months working on a new system and making sure its polished and then scrap it. Rinse repeat.

    A famous quote:

    "Art is never finished, only abandoned." –Leonardo da Vinci

    Release the game already! These system changes can be updated in future expansions or updates. I feel this delay has more to do with the console releases. Nevertheless at least there are great games to bridge the gap.

  • Avaloner #59 4 months ago

    @Spuzzell

    If the gameplay lends itself as well as they are saying to joypad control, with Blizzard saying it plays even better on a joypad, then yes. I have my doubts though.

  • TheGuvernor #60 4 months ago

    This game has taken so long to come out all the characters will be geriatrics;
    - stand aside demon or I'll whack you w/ my level 27 zimmer frame of incontinence.

    Personally I'm bored shitless just hearing about the delays in this title.

  • IvorB #61 4 months ago

    This is Blizzard we are talking about, not Polyphony or the guys that made Duke Nuken: Forever. They don't f**k around. Be patient, all of you.

    Release it when it's ready, Blizzard. When Diablo is ready for us, we'll be ready for him.

  • xuiton #62 4 months ago

    remove the cash shop and I will buy this, otherwise I will pirate it, just for the sake of it.

  • darkmorgado #63 4 months ago

    @Arsecake_Baker

    Initial sales were well north of a million, and it's always to be expected to have a small number of people dropping off after the initial free period. And MMOs play the long game. Just because they dont sell a gazillion copies on day one does not mean that it won't be successful.

    What is more important is that sales momentum continues with a decent attach rate for subscription, something which noone can really predict or look at until there is at least 6 months worth of data.

  • darkmorgado #64 4 months ago

    @xuiton

    You realise that nothing in the game forces you to use the cash shop, right? Everything on there will be available, in-game, using in-game currency.

    Sounds like you just want to try justifying piracy.

  • xuiton #65 4 months ago

    @darkmorgado no.

    The so called auction house with real money that is anonymous is bull. Blizzard could easily sell the items themselves and nobody would know.

    after how bad DLC has damaged gaming already, the last thing I want is a cash shop openly in the game. regardless if I don't have to use it or not.

  • adz #66 4 months ago

    @syra THIS.IS.BLIZZAAAAARDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • MeBrains #67 4 months ago

    Diablo 3 Forever FTW!

  • Alivada #68 4 months ago

    If GW2 also gets a delay I may just cry.

  • ilmaestro #69 4 months ago

    "Thank christ for that - too many games to get through as it is. I didn't need this along with SSX and Syndicate to distract me."

    To me, this means "delay SSX and Syndicate please", not "keep on delaying something that could well be the best game of the year".

  • Inmediasress #70 4 months ago

    @xuiton
    I agree people lack foresight.
    First it was DLC then this whole online culture of being "connected" which is sold to people as a feature whereas its a leash.
    Next comes Blizz with its online money laundering program.
    If that is successfull gaming is in for hard days next gen.
    This doesn't have to do anything with choiche because no matter what I choose the majority decision will influence my gaming habits as well. Wether I like it or not.
    All I see is in this supposedly age of "free speach" and a load of other bullshit, that companies and not just in gaming, try to take every possible freedom from users/consumers/people.
    All in all sometimes people have to be protected from themselves.
    You can have all the choiches in the world if you don't know how to choose.
    eg: blind Blizz fanboys who would sell thir mothers to Blizzard if asked and Blizz knows this.

  • felastica #71 4 months ago

    All I know is I'd be pissed if I'd bought the WoW Pass, thinking I was going to be getting Diablo this summer...

  • Monstro #72 4 months ago

    While I applaud the attitude and perfectionism, I can't help but worry they're tinkering needlessly. Gamers are used to the idea of games as a service now - they patch and change and evolve (TF2, WoW, SC2). Not only that, but major rebalances tend to tempt players back in when they're bored of the core experience. Going through so many revisions behind closed doors may make no difference to the end user, while missing out on opportunities to publicly evolve the game.

    But the worry is that it's worse then needless perfectionism: it's easy to believe that after all this time, they've simply lost perspective.

    And I'll bet some developers are REALLY cheesed off about having major features pulled so late in development...

    So I'm taking this with a slightly concerned 'fair play!'. Just a shame that when it comes out, it will be almost impossible to say whether the two-year tinker time has made any tangible difference...

  • space_ace #73 4 months ago

    Aw hell no

  • jogyourmind #74 4 months ago

    @CheeseChipsAndBeans

    You have a simple mind.

  • mornegroth #75 4 months ago

    This is amazing. There's so few producers nowadays that really take their time perfecting and releasing a game the best way they can. I'm being sincere when I say that I wasn't very surprised by the game (based on all the videos they released until now)... But now I'm actually looking forward to see the final product.

    Ubisoft should learn from this.

  • jogyourmind #76 4 months ago

    @CheeseChipsAndBeans

    Yes your simple mind imagined that up, good one. It shows just what kind of mentality you have. Ahhh I remember being 13 too and getting a girl and shagging her was the biggest achievement any boy could dream of! And people like you made fun of the chess/fantasy/boardgame/maths/science/whatever geeks because you again imagined that they had less chance of achieving this oh so lofty goal you use as some kind of benchmark in your life.

    As for the hardcore/mainstream thing, if you really knew me, you would have seen how much I loved Batman Arkham City. Is that not mainstream? But how could it be?! How could I like that game but not Skyrim?! It doesn't fit your dumbass 13 year olds psychological profile?! Oh noooez!!! The reason I don't like Skyrim is because it's shit. It has shit story, shit dialogue, shit 'quests' (chores), and the most shit thing of all is the combat which is the majority of what you do. Not only is it shit, but it's buggy shit. And not only that, but it's overhyped by Bethesda and the media they paid off, and they manipulated the simple minds of people like you in to thinking it's actually game of the year material. So yeah, how terrible I am for not being impressed by some overhyped buggy shit.

  • panathatube #77 4 months ago

    They have the luxury of time because they have loads of cash... Unfortunately, many game studios have deadlines great time restriction, and as a result the end product is not what it should have been or it is broken entirelly (Gothic 3 was a great example among others).

  • jogyourmind #78 4 months ago

    Exactly. And whether I like it or not, it will at least be rock solid.

  • Machetazo #79 4 months ago

    I'm disappointed in their ditching Identify scrolls. I like that you had to choose the items that you thought would be worthwhile to discover about.
    Same as with the varying priced NPC who sells you unidentified items. I really liked that, that I could CHOOSE to spend my money and hope for something good from random blue item. It could end up complete trash, but that's the gamble and it's fun.

    There's no point in unidentified items at all, if all I'd need to do is push a button to draw upon my character's miraculous, never-ending font of arcane knowledge..It's plain and simple bullshit, and I am not impressed.

    Every character just innately knows what an item is?...fuck off. We can tell this is going to consoles. :rolleyes: No wonder they announced this stuff after the lead producer walked. :( I'm not one to pay much interest in stats, but this change is likely to affect the fun provided, and I hope they'll reconsider.
    ("Town Portal" - what's in a name, I'm not concerned there).

  • Machetazo #80 4 months ago

    @ilmaestro "could well be the best game of the year"

    I seriously hope that doesn't turn out accurate, otherwise that's a prediction towards a lacklustre 2012. D3 will be competent at what it does, but is probably not, as a game, going to blow people's socks off...Why? Because of its protracted development, the amount of time since D2/LoD. Plus, the dominance of CoD/BF. People's Friend's Lists are not going to be chocka with D3 games. WoW collaboration extends the reach, but I don't think it permeates as far as the shooters.

    The train is headed out of the station, and Blizzard are content to just let it happen. Believing that the name will sell it, and on that, I agree it probably will.

  • alceste007 #81 4 months ago

    I am not looking forward to Diablo 3 any more. To me, it seems like Blizzard just keeps dumbing down the game.

    Identify scrolls / Stats / Talent trees too complicated? Well, we at Blizzard with just remove all of that so you can mindlessly click away.