A troubling question indeed, one that not even Deckard Cain has the answer to and neither do your boys at GWW, but I do have some updates to share with you about the coming months, development and a few things to consider when we think about this game.
Diablo III has been in development for the better part of the past 4.5 years and doesn’t feel any closer than the glimpse we got of it back in 2008 when it was announced and again this past summer at E3 2011. Why is that? As a fan of Blizzard and the world of Sanctuary, I can say I am with you on that notion. I’ve waited over ten years for this game of which I can say patience has started to wear thin. But why is it important to wait, what could be better than installing D3 right now and venturing into the countless horrors that await and slaughtering a bloody path of righteous retribution through a new world with your best friends. Oh god, that almost brought a tear and rightly so, this is important.
Well I can tell you that unlike so many game companies, Blizzard has always, first and foremost, released paramount, industry and genre changing experiences. I know with confidence this will be no different. I asked the rhetorical question above, “what could be better…” and the answer is everything. Wouldn’t it be that much sweeter to realize that the game you want so badly is being catered, improved, perfected, tested over and over until it’s ready? Speaking of, it’s been in beta for a while now and the news we received last year about it’s expected release looms ever closer. I don’t know if it will be ready in time, but I can say that when it is, it will be ready in every sense of the word.
I love World of Warcraft and Starcraft, but Diablo is my franchise of choice within Blizzard Entertainment’s portfolio of awesome games. Each time I look at things being done to Diablo 3 I play them back in my head, revisit them multiple times, research other internet sources and continue to dig for more juicy updates. Each time I look and find wealth I also find quotes from some of the big boys on the development team. This really shows me that they are committed to the experience initially as well as the future and desire what their gamers do, a great title now, and a better game down the road.
Currently alot of work is going into the game covering design concept as well as literal changes to the mechanics, UI system, vendors, crafting and the relationship between combat and extra curricular activites as it pertains to the overall experience. Alot of changes to be made between now and a Q1 2012 release, but it’s safe to say that even if it misses that deadline, it’s moving closer to our DVD ROM tray, going to be epic and a destination game for many loyal fans. Just a little bit longer, I promise!
Stay tuned for more updates!