Diablo 3 is coming, an argument

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jul 5th 2006 at 2:55PM }

Over on diablo3.com, one loyal fan has posted a rather convincing argument -- actually, a series of arguments -- for why Blizzard must have Diablo 3 in the works. Considering the success of the first two installments, especially Diablo II, another sequel seems like a no-brainer. Of course, when you're still profiting from an even more successful title like World of Warcraft, as Blizzard is, a new Diablo game isn't a pressing matter.

Our opinion? Sit tight. Diablo 3 will happen -- maybe it is happening -- but the game isn't going to be in our hands until Blizzard has ridden the WoW wave a bit further.

Tags: Blizzard, Diablo, Diablo 3, Diablo3, World of Warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, WoW

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Comtar @ Jul 5th 2006 3:15PM

This story could be true, but in my opinion it isn't. There's a list of reasons why, starting with the cancelation of Starcraft: Ghost. Blizzard would tell you a list of reasons why they canceled Ghost, but I think it's cause WoW is a cash cow. And is putting all their resources into WoW. It's common knowledge there are 6 million WoW users, paying $15 a month. That's $90 million in free money a month.

Another main reason I think this story is BS (that no one wants to talk about) is it's common knowledge most the original Diablo programmers left Blizzard and began working on Hellgate: London. Playing Hellgate: London at E3, it feels alot like Diablo, it just happens to be in a First Person View. Does anyone really think a Diablo 3 would live up to all of our expectations?

And while I'm talking about Diablo vs WoW, doesn't anyone realize that WoW IS PRACTICALLY a Diablo 3? The game uses most of it's interface types and commands from Diablo. How much different would Diablo 3 be compared to WoW except for maybe a locked 2/3 camera angle?

Nicholas @ Jul 5th 2006 3:17PM

D3 wont come out till after the 2nd WoW exp pack...

Hawk @ Jul 5th 2006 3:22PM

By the time D3 comes out, all hell will have broken loose...

Oh, wait...

moofree @ Jul 5th 2006 3:25PM

Pushing out WoW expansion packs won't make that game any better... it'll just keep people addicted for a little longer. (though, of course, with a monthly charge to play, that's what they're planning on).

I just want a new _GOOD_ blizzard RTS.

Derbeste @ Jul 5th 2006 3:31PM

I side with Tycho and Gabe on this one. WoW IS Diablo III: Online.

I mean they are introducing socketed items for heaven's sake.

Besides (and I know I may be circumsized for this) I never thought the Diablo series was that great. It was one of the more repetative games I've ever played....but I guess the same could be said of all RPGs. /Shrug

Comtar @ Jul 5th 2006 3:40PM

Personally I think Diablo 3 is a pipe dream, here's a couple of reasons why, the first main reason is I think Diablo 3 was scrapped long ago for the same reason Starcraft: Ghost was canceled. It's because WoW is their cash cow. They make $15 a month with 6 million users and that equals $90 million of free money a month, that means they've made over a Billion dollars since it's release. Blizzard will tell us Ghost was canceled for many technical reasons, but I don't believe it. Ghost looked amazing at E32005 and it's a shame their opening FMV they showed at that years E3 isn't online for all to see, it was amazing.

The second reason Diablo 3 is a pipe dream is it seems most everyone has forgotten that the programmers of Diablo left Blizzard to work on Hellgate: London. Let us try to remember that a similar situation occured with Perfect Dark Zero, I never understood how anyone was excited about Perfect Dark Zero when most the Perfect Dark programmers left to create the company Free Radical and their series of games: Timesplitters. Perfect Dark was an awesome game with a substandard sequel. And now with Diablo 3 as a possibility, some people need to ask themselves if a Diablo 3 would have an real quality to it since most the programming team left. I'm sure the FMVs would be awesome sauce, but how would the game be? Would it be as buggy and undecided as Starcraft: Ghost?

These to me are the main reasons why Diablo 3 won't happen, but something else to concider is how dramatically different would the gameplay be between Diablo 3 and WoW? Most of the ways the interfaces work in WoW are based of Diablo, not to mention the Green, Blue, and Purple items... And the (this weapon) of the (insert animal name here). That's one thing that sold WoW for many people was how much it was like Diablo in the first place. The only difference between a Diablo 3 and WoW would be a locked 2/3 angle camera.

AlloyNES @ Jul 5th 2006 3:42PM

Just FYI, when Blizz started concepting and developing for World of Warcraft, it was to be "World of Diablo" so to speak. But, they at some point realized that Warcraft would be better suited to be a Blizzard mmo. Just think, if they kept with their original plans, we woulda had World of Diablo, while sounding cool, would've been a cookie-cutter mmorpg for sure. Not as unique and fun as WoW.

Felix Andrews @ Jul 5th 2006 4:04PM

This... is news?

Govo @ Jul 5th 2006 4:08PM

"World of Diablo, while sounding cool, would've been a cookie-cutter mmorpg for sure. Not as unique and fun as WoW.]"

And WoW ISN'T a cookie cutter MMO? Unique? Uh... I don't think so.

Night Elve @ Jul 5th 2006 4:18PM

I do not want another Diablo T_T ... My blood needs a StarCraft sequel.

goatse.cx @ Jul 5th 2006 4:18PM

it is rumored that all blizzard franchises will become mmo games after a fashion. either way diablo 3 will most likley be diablo 2 with 3d graphics and more "exciting" click-on-enemies-till-they-die action! i personally cannot wait.

Laxcat @ Jul 5th 2006 4:21PM

Am I the only one that wants Warcraft 4 (I'm talkin' RTS) more than anything else from Blizzard?

dmbrandon @ Jul 5th 2006 4:26PM

Cookie cutter MMO?

Not really. They used a butter knife. They cut a piece of Lineage, a piece of EQ, some XI... Somethis, some that, so on and so forth.

Wow is a Gingerbread house... tasty, and fun to look at. But once you're at he end, you either start over, or like the crumbs.

dmbrandon @ Jul 5th 2006 4:29PM

*THE, *lick the crumbs.

I'm at work, so shhh

T-Man @ Jul 5th 2006 4:43PM

All I think anyone really wants from blizzard is Starcraft 2.

Ahms @ Jul 5th 2006 6:15PM

Diablo has been about fast paced action really. WoW, aka Pullcraft, isn't up to par with that speed. They are different genres with some related aspects, such as items and Classes. You don't even choose your stats in WoW since it's totally gear dependant. Another thing I love about Diablo, mainly D2, is how well themed the Classes are. The skills, lore, setups, etc. are very interesting, compared to WoW where alot of stuff is just copied from EQ

I'd love a D3. I occasionally have my D2 urges and go back to it for a bit, but would love a new psycho click-fest!

Rare Hare @ Jul 6th 2006 12:21AM

I'm almost to the point of cutting myself and writing hopeless love songs to the Diablo franchise. I want Diablo III, and badly.

I still go back to Diablo II for my fix, and I've been contemplating replaying the original Diablo.

Nuero @ Jul 6th 2006 4:28AM

I thought Diablo III basically was coming...
Isn't that what "Hellgate: London" really is??
http://www.hellgatelondon.com/

John H. @ Jul 6th 2006 4:48AM

If they carried Diablo a bit closer to its Roguelike roots, made more similar to the absurdly excellent, Japanese-only Shiren the Wanderer, then *maybe* I could get excited about it.

But I doubt they're going to do that. Players don't want to think, they want to slog.

Pip @ Jul 6th 2006 9:23AM

If they are set on riding the WoW wave a bit more, then that'll mean Diablo 3 wont be out for another 5-6 years if we follow the EQ timeline of players finally burning out.

pluto_777 @ Jul 8th 2006 4:42AM

This is newsworthy why?

Johnnyj @ Jul 9th 2006 1:21AM

d3 has to be comming soon right?? I just don't know why there has been no word of it at all for so long! you would think it would be time to start getting some hype out about it!

Blue @ Jul 18th 2006 5:22PM

Sorry but I don't think we'll see Diablo 3.

thebigchunky @ Jul 22nd 2006 6:07PM

why do people insist on getting their hopes up uselessly? D3 is never coming out, and if it was, it would be turned into an mmo like WoW, which, of course, means a monthly fee, which is probably the only reason why people are still playing D2 instead of WoW.

here's some more evidence against D3:
anybody who plays online will notice that the servers have been getting crappier and crappier at an ever increasing rate. back before WoW, when there was in excess of 100K people on USEast at any given time, there were never any problems, with the exception of the occasional realm down from making games too fast. now, let's go forward to a WoW-dominated era. there's rarely more than 50K on USEast, and it's a rare occasion if anybody can join more than 10 games without getting a string of "Failed to Join" messages. on top of that, USEast has had at least 2 major problems within the past month, one of those "problems" lasting about 5 days. during said 5 days, no games could be made or joined. so why was nothing done? the people in charge of fixing the servers were on vacation for 4th of July weekend. think they'd let that happen to WoW?

so. the biggest nail in the coffin of D3 is one that nobody before me has touched upon: Blizzard's lack of interest. they DON'T CARE. if they've allowed the D2 division to sink into the horrid state that it's in, why would they want to make a sequal?