Diablo III PC Set For May 15...But Where Is The Console Version?
See Full ImageIt's obviously a PC-oriented franchise and the third iteration was clearly designed first and foremost for PC, so it's probably best played on PC.
That much we know. But after a ton of evidence pointing toward a console version of Diablo III, the announcement of a new release date for the long-awaited title doesn't mention any console installment.
It may be coming at some point down the road, but here's the question- should they even bother? If it's best on PC and the vast majority of those interested would play it on the PC, is it even worth releasing the game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? Sometimes, exclusivity makes sense and this could be one of those times. Also, let's not forget that the last time a new Diablo title hit store shelves was in 2001, and that was only an expansion for Diablo II, which launched the year before. This leads me to another question (forgive the tangent):
Why does it take so long for games in PC-based franchises to arrive? Why? I don't understand. Eleven and a half years? What for? Duke Nukem Forever took what, thirteen? And it sucked. Now we're hearing rumors of a new Baldurs Gate. We are talking about franchises that aren't a couple years old, they're not a generation old, they're two generations old. And in all that time, not one new entry. I just can't figure out why a game like Diablo III requires a decade of development. Maybe someone can educate me because it boggles the mind.
P.S. Legitimate question, not mockery.
Tags: diablo iii, diablo 3, diablo iii console, diablo iii ps3, diablo iii release date
3/15/2012 12:07:59 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (34 posts)
Highlander
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:25:10 PM
5 up, 9 down
Rogueagent01
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 9:19:26 PM
I loved Darkstone and Diablo on the PS1 and would love to play a game like that again, sure their repetetive but I like them. Mind you I never played a Baulders Gate game so I can't/won't comment on those.
And please if anyone knows of a Diablo style game on the PS3 that I haven't played please mention it. I would love to get it!
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:40:26 PM
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Man, now I just got to go load up WC3 and have a round =p
Last edited by Temjin001 on 3/15/2012 12:40:45 PM
4 up, 0 down
saintaqua
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:45:23 PM
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I'll be happy if it makes it to consoles and I'll be content if it doesn't.
I think it would be smart of them to bring it to PS3 at least since then it's safer from the pirates out there while the PC and 360 versions are open game.
1 up, 5 down
Akuma07
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 4:45:23 PM
It is similar in fame to Starcraft. One of the best multiplayer games in existence.
4 up, 0 down
jimmyhandsome
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:47:51 PM
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I have faith in Blizzard to deliver a quality product, no matter how long it takes to make.
0 up, 0 down
bebestorm
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:51:47 PM
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0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 1:23:54 PM
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Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo III will be release on May 15 in most major markets, with a Latin America and Russia launch coming June 7.
The game will also be offered for "FREE" to World of Warcraft annual pass subscribers.
There will also be a Collector's Edition that will be $99.99 that will include.....
a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, the Diablo III soundtrack CD,
a 208-page Art of Diablo III book,
and a 4 GB USB soulstone(with full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) and Diablo skull base).
And also included, is exclusive in-game content for Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 1:56:32 PM
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0 up, 7 down
Geobaldi
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 2:07:14 PM
5 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 2:56:30 PM
0 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 3:34:54 PM
2 up, 0 down
Geobaldi
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 3:56:57 PM
3 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 4:48:06 PM
It does everything Diablo 2 did right, and a whole lot more.
2 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 7:55:05 PM
Click Monster.
Click on loot.
Rinse.
Repeat.
Personally, after seeing so many games inspired by Diablo (Downright clones really), I am a bit burned out on the basic formula..
Borderlands shared a similar formula and that was the first time I became infatuated with one of these games where your sole motivation is gaining more loot.
I'll take Borderlands 2 over diablo 3 anyday. At least it brings the genre into a more immersive first person view rather than the played out, old school, top down isometric view that. Hell, farmville on facebook uses that camera angle. My 55 year old mother plays farmville.
haha!
I'm being honest but kinda trolling in a fun way...don't take me seriously
Last edited by Palpatations911 on 3/15/2012 7:57:03 PM
0 up, 3 down
CrusaderForever
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 2:38:46 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Axe99
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 4:21:24 PM
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And then there's the issue of tech requirements. For the 6 million or less PC gamers with rigs that can run games at their full settings, then clearly it'll be prettier (even if it controls like a spreadsheet), but for the rest of us, a console is the best gaming option we have in terms of performance as well.
Hell, I have a PC that is more capable than a PS3, and I'll still wait until Diablo III is out on console, or won't bother about it at all (and my favourite times with the original Diablo were two-player on the PSOne, not on PC - and I had a PC more capable than a PSOne back then as well).
1 up, 4 down
Robochic
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 4:57:04 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Geobaldi
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 5:13:07 PM
2 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 5:11:48 PM
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Half life is another franchise with a big dev cycle, HL2 took years to come out after the first game, and it has been years since HL2.
Look at CoD for example, yearly releases, and everyone knows that the series is going to decline sooner or later, and the series never takes any huge strides that continue to redefine the genre.
All the PC games i have mentioned, all completely redefined their genres when they were released.
I guess my point is that the level of quality in big name PC games, that have huge dev cycles, tend to me a LOT more then the games that don't. I am NEVER dissapointed when I go and buy a game like half life, starcraft or diablo, I know that no matter what I am going to be very satisfied.
I rarely feel that way about a console game. KZ3, AC:B & R, FFXIII. All games I was dissapointed with.
It isn't limited to console games. Many many PC games suffer the fate of declined quality or value, the FEAR franchise for example. It was tipped to become the next DOOM, however, FEAR2 and 3 were both dissapointments.
Last edited by Akuma07 on 3/15/2012 5:14:43 PM
1 up, 0 down
Geobaldi
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 5:15:39 PM
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 6:10:29 PM
Anyway, lets not forget the game play between PC games and console games are essentially bridged these days. Thank you Xbox =p
With the exception of Blizzard, most everything exciting that happens anymore on PC happens on console. Near every industry leading game title today has itself rooted as a PC experience that has migrated over to the console platform.
Look at them:
The Elder Scrolls
Bioware-style RPG
Crysis
Deus Ex
Portal
Half-Life
Rage
Bioshock
Call of Duty
Battlefield
even Bungie had Halo planned for Mac/PC until late in it's development
These games tear it up in the charts critically or in sales. With every single dev responsible for the game's listed having gained their nortority first for many years in PC's domain.
That's all well and fine but the sad part of this gen is with the east.
It truly is sad to see how the Japanese have sucked so terribly this gen. On PS2 they seemed to me as an unmoveable giant. These days the west have essentially dominated every genre with little looking to change anytime soon. Back then, gaming on PC and console meant two very different experiences, each owning their own strengths.
Anyway, I carried on for a bit there. I think my Max rendering is done now =p
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 6:32:13 PM
sitting here, yeah, it's changed so much.
Back then the hot games on PS2 minds were titles like
Resident Evil
Tony Hawk (and all like-games)
Final Fantasy(or Squaresoft's like stuff)
Xenosaga
Gran Turismo
MGS
ZOE(anything Kojima basically)
Tekken
Virtua FIghter
Ico/SotC
SSX
Jak&Daxter
Ratchet
There's more I'm sure. But back then hotter PC games liek Half Life and Deus Ex essentially sucked on consoles.
But really, what people thought about back then and played exclusivy on consoles was a lot different than what was hot and exciting on PC. It's just a big melting pot these days, save Sony and their awesome exclusives =)hmmm. rendering still not done... SNACK TIME!
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 6:50:56 PM
And Onimusha was good fun too.
Now DMC is the center of upset and reboot and Onimusha has gone browser...
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tlpn99
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 6:03:54 PM
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Oh yeah Diablo how longs this been mentioned DNF was almost Vaporware, no one believed it was coming, when it did it was meh at best. Will wiat for reviews on Diablo 3.
Last edited by tlpn99 on 3/15/2012 6:05:02 PM
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SmokeyPSD
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 9:31:09 PM
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berserk
Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 10:05:16 PM
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They made it this far because everything they release is top quality after all and that take lot s of time .
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Nynja
Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 7:48:40 AM
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Console games typically are big budget with large development teams working on them and they only have essentially 2 flavors to code and test for. 360 & PS3 with some console firmware version tests.
Big budget PC games will have large studios as well, typically have many different configurations to code and test. Think of all the operating systems you have to support with all the different service packs, AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, SLI support, game controllers, etc. Without a hardware standard, testing games are a pain in the arse.
I suppose Diablo III wanted to push a new game engine, thus 2-3 years to get that engine built then another 2-3 years to get the actual game off the ground.
This is not to say that PC games just take longer to develop for, as the size of the team along with intended hardware support will always dictate the development time.
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Robochic
Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 9:49:06 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Geobaldi
Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 4:15:40 PM
0 up, 0 down
Nerull
Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 7:56:08 PM
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So I much prefer pc availability over consoles. Although it's nice when everyone can play, it's most annoying in a case like Dark Souls where 100K people want a port but are unlikely to get one because of Namco.
As for Diablo itself, I loved the originals, but the new art style and overhyping has rendered me less than eager. I'll prolly play it eventually.
0 up, 0 down
killerbee12
Saturday, March 17, 2012 @ 1:27:11 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Draguss
Monday, March 19, 2012 @ 12:38:53 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Rogueagent01
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Thursday, March 15, 2012 @ 12:22:56 PM