"We're definitely in the home stretch," game director Jay Wilson cruelly teased. "We're crunching. This is when the magic happens." Dare we presume that means a 2011 launch? We'd better not.
Diablo 3 'definitely in the home stretch,' says game director
by James Ransom-Wiley 
on Apr 29th 2011 2:00PM
47
"We're definitely in the home stretch," game director Jay Wilson cruelly teased. "We're crunching. This is when the magic happens." Dare we presume that means a 2011 launch? We'd better not.
Reader Comments (47)
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:02PM xiLeShadow said
YES!! YES!! YES!! 2011 Diablo 3!!
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:12PM Frozen Radiator said
@NaeemTHM One day Blizzard will pull an Apple and release a game during one of their Blizzcon events and the collective minds of 4,000,000 nerds will melt into a warm white paste.
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Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:23PM oOWallaceOo said
@Frozen Radiator
And then the fans at Blizzcon will be pissed that Blizzard has released the game when they were away from their computers thus rewarding the non attending gamers who do not show the same love for Valve... I mean Blizzard
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And then the fans at Blizzcon will be pissed that Blizzard has released the game when they were away from their computers thus rewarding the non attending gamers who do not show the same love for Valve... I mean Blizzard
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 7:18PM TrueWhiteBoy said
@Frozen Radiator
Rock n Roll Racing 2?
I'm ready.
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Rock n Roll Racing 2?
I'm ready.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:02PM Rizraz said
::DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:02PM foxhound said
And the computing world gives a collective "Yay" to the news. :] But I agree with the cautiousness mentioned in the article's last line... I'd love for it to be this year, but ...........
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:02PM pickupdoctor said
Please bring this to Consoles and I want The Witcher 2 on my PS3 also.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 9:52PM DV8ing1 said
@pickupdoctor I don't understand why this comment was downvoted. I'm a pc gamer 1st but a console gamer 2nd and have no idea why we can't all get past this exclusivity thing and let all gamers enjoy classics in the making. I have no qualms over the console and pc versions having differences due to size constraints or control issues but it would be ideal for more copies to be sold to help fund the next great endeavor by our favourite developers.
Please don't be fanboys for the sake of being fanboys .
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Please don't be fanboys for the sake of being fanboys .
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:02PM zuluhammer said
By Blizzard standards that could be weeks, months, years or eons...
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:04PM Huey2k2 said
Please let this be true...
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:05PM Frozen Radiator said
Soon: Copyright 2004-2011 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. "Stretch" does not imply any particular date, time, decade, century, or millennia in the past, present, and certainly not the future. "Stretch" shall make no contract or warranty between Blizzard Entertainment and the end user. "Stretch" will arrive some day, Blizzard does guarantee that "stretch" will be here before the end of time. Maybe. Do not make plans based on "stretch" as Blizzard will not be liable for any misuse, use, or even casual glancing at "stretch."
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:10PM Frozen Radiator said
@Frozen Radiator Awesome. The only word I forgot to change was the very first one.
Kill me now.
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Kill me now.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:05PM PercyChuggs said
Anyone else notice the frequency in which italics are being used in Joystiq stories recently? The PSN Hacker stories are filled with them, and even this story has a couple.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:17PM Zertoss said
Nothing makes me squeal in child-like glee quite like Diablo news.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:21PM ClanPsi said
Nice! Only 2 more years to go!!
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:26PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
Nice, I can't wait to play this on PC.
And eventually PS3.
Because you know it's gonna happen.
And eventually PS3.
Because you know it's gonna happen.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:26PM Droopox said
soon™
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:28PM CommanderCool said
Most people think that "the home stretch" is a baseball reference. In fact, it's a horse-racing reference. The last straightaway is the "home stretch," which usually comes at the 80-85% mark. So, let's use that as a minimum. Production started in 2001, ten years ago. That means they could be at least a year and a half to two years away from completion.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:45PM Drakkenfyre said
The thing you aren't putting into your equation is that they have said they started and rebuilt the game several times over.
They weren't happy with any of the revisions. The one they are currently working on is not the same as they started in 2001. They built a concept, didn't like it, threw it away, started over. Built a prototype, didn't like it, threw it away, started again.
Just like TF2. It started as a completely different game, went thru 12 different versions before it became what it is.
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They weren't happy with any of the revisions. The one they are currently working on is not the same as they started in 2001. They built a concept, didn't like it, threw it away, started over. Built a prototype, didn't like it, threw it away, started again.
Just like TF2. It started as a completely different game, went thru 12 different versions before it became what it is.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:50PM Mechazawa Prime said
@CommanderCool
Production did not start really start in 2001. The Diablo 3 back then was still in the hands of Blizzard North. Diablo 3 has undergone several iterations since then. The current version of Diablo 3 has been in the oven since about 2005 at the earliest. I say that because the gameplay is said to be influenced by the first god of war which came out in 2005. That came out of an old interview when Diablo 3 was first announced. Personally I think real development started even later, around 2006 or 2007.
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Production did not start really start in 2001. The Diablo 3 back then was still in the hands of Blizzard North. Diablo 3 has undergone several iterations since then. The current version of Diablo 3 has been in the oven since about 2005 at the earliest. I say that because the gameplay is said to be influenced by the first god of war which came out in 2005. That came out of an old interview when Diablo 3 was first announced. Personally I think real development started even later, around 2006 or 2007.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 7:21PM TrueWhiteBoy said
@Drakkenfyre
I'm still waiting for a Mega TF mod :)
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I'm still waiting for a Mega TF mod :)
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:31PM Dashx747 said
I wish we at least could get some information about the game. Really curious about the new mechanics, like the trade system.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:39PM brightbonewhite said
What's the status on Starcraft: ghost? Kekeke...
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:42PM Marshillboy said
No LAN = no buy
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:56PM Mechazawa Prime said
@Marshillboy
People are STILL mad over this?
I understand the complaints with LAN in SC2, but it's nowhere near as important in Diablo 3.
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People are STILL mad over this?
I understand the complaints with LAN in SC2, but it's nowhere near as important in Diablo 3.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 3:11PM Marshillboy said
@Mechazawa Prime
For me, the most fun part about diablo clones is being able to go over to my friends house and play on lan. Even online play using ventrilo doesn't come close to being able to yell at somebody in the same room . Good solid fun.
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For me, the most fun part about diablo clones is being able to go over to my friends house and play on lan. Even online play using ventrilo doesn't come close to being able to yell at somebody in the same room . Good solid fun.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 4:36PM Mechazawa Prime said
@Marshillboy
I did the same only as stated above I used battle.net.
Reply
I did the same only as stated above I used battle.net.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 7:23PM TrueWhiteBoy said
@Marshillboy
Exactly, the best part of playing Diablo and Diablo type games is in a LAN environment
Reply
Exactly, the best part of playing Diablo and Diablo type games is in a LAN environment
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 2:57PM ShadowXIII said
Lies! Just like the damn cake!
I'll believe it when I see it.
I'll believe it when I see it.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 3:09PM Marco le Polo said
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 3:17PM TheRedComet said
I'd say there's a good chance it comes out this year.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 4:10PM r4in said
As much as I truly hate waiting I am still very happy that they take their time and build the game properly so that we get a extremely high quality game once it is released. I am constantly impressed that they have taken over 10 years to make this when Diablo II was so good back in the day.
Imagine if we got a new Diablo every year... (Granted.. that would be cool at first.. but...)
Imagine if we got a new Diablo every year... (Granted.. that would be cool at first.. but...)
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 4:16PM Pipp said
i bought a new computer in anticipation for this game
four years ago
four years ago
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 4:54PM morikaweb said
I think Diablo is the new Duke Nukem Forever. It's been in development almost as long and is no here near being released.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 7:27PM Drakkenfyre said
No, it hasn't.
Duke Nukem Forever suffered from one of the creators insisting on recreating the game over and over every time he saw a unique thingy in any other game. Funding the game from his own pocket, he made his developers suffer as they recreated the game over and over, coupled with several engine changes.
The Diablo team, immediately after releasing Diablo 2, wanted nothing to do with Diablo for awhile. Then they put out the expansion.
They started working on a concept game, but it wasn't fun. They scrapped it. The team was eventually disbanded, as the branch of the company was absorbed into the main company. They tried working on a new game. It still ended up not being fun. They scrapped it several times. This was out of a gameplay decision, not out of a drive to "make it perfect, and the best game of all time." At no time during this was the game announced.
A few years later, it was restarted. This time, a few years later, it was announced to the public. This is just development time. Duke Nukem Forever had developmental hell.
If you want a game that mirrors the long absense without any info Duke Nukem Forever had, look at Episode 3. It's forever "We have upcoming info eventually", but nothing has been seen of it, and no details released in years.
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Duke Nukem Forever suffered from one of the creators insisting on recreating the game over and over every time he saw a unique thingy in any other game. Funding the game from his own pocket, he made his developers suffer as they recreated the game over and over, coupled with several engine changes.
The Diablo team, immediately after releasing Diablo 2, wanted nothing to do with Diablo for awhile. Then they put out the expansion.
They started working on a concept game, but it wasn't fun. They scrapped it. The team was eventually disbanded, as the branch of the company was absorbed into the main company. They tried working on a new game. It still ended up not being fun. They scrapped it several times. This was out of a gameplay decision, not out of a drive to "make it perfect, and the best game of all time." At no time during this was the game announced.
A few years later, it was restarted. This time, a few years later, it was announced to the public. This is just development time. Duke Nukem Forever had developmental hell.
If you want a game that mirrors the long absense without any info Duke Nukem Forever had, look at Episode 3. It's forever "We have upcoming info eventually", but nothing has been seen of it, and no details released in years.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 6:20PM SaintV said
Seeing is believing with Blizzard.
Posted: Apr 29th 2011 7:28PM TrueWhiteBoy said
@SaintV
Especially all those sweet Ghost screen shots
Reply
Especially all those sweet Ghost screen shots
Posted: May 2nd 2011 8:16AM Grimbear13 said
Being my favorite franchise I'm ecstatic to hear this I went to Blizzcon last year exclusively to play this and was not disappointed. When this game launches a few friends and I plan on taking a week vacation so we can dedicate the proper amount of time to a game who's predecessor has claimed probably at least a full year of play time from me.
