Joystiq

Take the sounds of Sanctuary with you with the Diablo 3 soundtrack

JC Fletcher — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:00 EST

Here's the perfect way to keep your excitement going while you wait to get into the Diablo 3 server. The 23-track Diablo 3 soundtrack is now available for download on iTunes for $11.99 - a soundtrack that was acclaimed by iTunes reviewer BigJeff71 as "Surprisingly good and not too scary."

If you're still waiting to play after those 23 tracks elapse, you can also buy "The Music of Diablo 1996-2011," a $12 anthology of classic tracks, and the Diablo 2 soundtrack.

Take the sounds of Sanctuary with you with the Diablo 3 soundtrack originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 review: Hitting the jackpot

Mike Schramm — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:50:00 EST

Hack-and-slash action RPGs, pioneered by Blizzard's Diablo, are essentially slot machines. You click the mouse, and every time you do there's a chance you'll get the loot you want . Yes, the trappings of role-playing and combat mechanics are there, weaker in some cases and stronger in others, but in terms of brain chemistry you're playing for the jackpot.

As anyone who's been to Vegas will tell you, there are different kinds of slot machines. There's the rickety old unit sitting in the gas station near the airport. And there's the junky Jokers Wild machines blinking and chirping in that one casino downtown, where the air smells too much like your grandmother's bathroom.

And then there are the machines in that one room in the Bellagio, where velvet seats wait underneath crystal chandeliers. That's where the shahs from Dubai come to play with thousand dollar tokens, where pretty ladies serve you drinks as you play, and where a private concierge will happily help you order up a steak, buy a Brooks Brothers suit, or get you anything else you might want. Blizzard's Diablo 3 is that Bellagio room, high stakes and luxurious and ready to cater to your every dungeon crawler need.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (10/21/11)

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Diablo 3 review: Hitting the jackpot originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo's Descendants

Rowan Kaiser — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:12:00 EST

Filed under: Features, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Retro, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, RPGs

This is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

With Diablo 3's release date set, I decided to take a look back as the series' legacy --and play some of the better Western-style action/role-playing games around. Last week I talked about how Fallout, not Diablo, became the model for a generation of blockbuster role-playing games.

But Diablo did wield some influence. The first initial wave of clones didn't make much of a splash, but around the time Diablo II came out in 2000, the action/RPG style began to grab more attention. In 2002, Dungeon Siege and Divine Divinity were both released to some acclaim, but they never really fit the model of a Diablo clone. Dungeon Siege was as much Ultima VII and Baldur's Gate as it was Diablo, while Divine Divinity merged many concepts from Fallout and similar games with a real-time core. Missing from both? The constant clicking that, to me, defined Diablo.

Continue reading Diablo's Descendants

Diablo's Descendants originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember Diablo with new 15 year anniversary website

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:15:00 EST

In celebration of fifteen years of Diablo -- the original came out all the way back in 1996 (!) -- Blizzard has launched a special anniversary website. The site has all kinds of Diablo-related content, from a timeline of the entire series, cutscenes from Diablo 2, video interviews and a lengthy video retrospective.

Of particular interest is an interview with Diablo 3 director Jay Wilson, who states, "We're almost done with Diablo 3 and that's a fitting celebration of the 15 year anniversary." He adds, "We'll get it to you as soon as we can." In related news, 2014 is going to be one hell of a year.

Remember Diablo with new 15 year anniversary website originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 beta preview: Polish and punch

Mike Schramm — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:01:00 EST

While all the Diablo 3 talk this week will probably center around Blizzard's announcement of the player-to-player auction system, there's plenty to say about the game itself. It's the most polished it has ever been, and while the mechanics were in and working at the last BlizzCon, this beta build featured all of the classes with both sexes, the early questlines and story in the beginning of Act 1, co-op play, and the latest implementation of the full skill and crafting systems. We didn't get to play with the skill-tweaking Runes, but we were shown them being slotted and used in a hands-off demo.

Regardless of how you feel about real-money transactions and third-party payment providers, Diablo 3 is still turning out to be one hell of a videogame.

Gallery: Diablo 3 beta (8/1/2011)

Continue reading Diablo 3 beta preview: Polish and punch

Diablo 3 beta preview: Polish and punch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard games and expansions on sale at Amazon

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:01:00 EST

Whether you're looking to rebuild your Diablo or Starcraft software collections, or if you just want to get down on the complete World of Warcraft anthology before it gets extended tomorrow, you should probably go hit up Amazon. For today only, they've got big sales on Blizzard's big games.

Continue reading Blizzard games and expansions on sale at Amazon

Blizzard games and expansions on sale at Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 Q&A panel highlights

Daniel Whitcomb — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

On the second day of the BlizzCon, a handful of members of the Diablo 3 development team, lead by game director Jay Wilson, sat down to answer questions from BlizzCon attendees. There were a lot of questions asked, and a few nuggets of useful and intriguing information gleaned. Let's take a look at some of the highlights.

Continue reading BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 Q&A panel highlights

BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 Q&A panel highlights originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 panel covers Artisans, armor models and atmosphere

Daniel Whitcomb — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST

The Diablo 3 crafting sanctuary panel, much as the name suggests, did introduce a look at the new Diablo 3 item crafting system. However, it also covered quite a few interesting inside looks at the philosophy and process of the upcoming Blizzard game.

As game director Jay Wilson puts it, Sanctuary is a world at war. It's been 20 years since the events of Diablo 2, in which the 3 prime evils were vanquished, and hell has been preparing for revenge ever since. The development team has been working on building that world under siege, and this panel was meant to reveal a little bit about how they've been going about doing that.

Continue reading BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 panel covers Artisans, armor models and atmosphere

BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 panel covers Artisans, armor models and atmosphere originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PopCap canned a cute, turn-based Diablo-type game

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Casual game (and class 3 electronic pharmaceutical) developer PopCap apparently had a beta of a RPG that "felt like a turn-based version of Diablo that was very cute." PopCap's creative director, Jason Kapalka, recently told Develop in an interview about this latest threat to global productivity. Thankfully (for humanity), Kapalka explained the game's complexity spiraled "out of control," stopped being casual and was dropped.

The game now slumbers in PopCap's "design review" dossier, awaiting the day some adventurous designer solves the mystery of making it casual and unleashes its fury upon the masses. Kapalka expressed that every couple of months PopCap looks back on the game "because it was really fun," but that there are a dozen or so games in the same position. "These games are never 100 percent dead," Kapalka said. Diablo never is. Never.

PopCap canned a cute, turn-based Diablo-type game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard Global Writing Contest now open for submissions

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Fan fiction writers, gather round! Well, first, close out of all those Word documents you've been agonizing over for the past few months. You know the ones we're talking about. The ones which involve throbbing. And quivering. And Sonic the Hedgehog. Why not put your unique skill set to good (and infinitely less creepy) use, and participate in Blizzard's Global Writing Contest?

The company is accepting 2,500 to 7,500-word pieces of fiction set in the Diablo, StarCraft or WarCraft universes until August 23, 2010. The grand prize winner will receive a tour of Blizzard HQ, where they'll meet the team's writing staff, and will walk away with some sweet Blizzard collectibles. Also, though the contest's FAQ doesn't explicitly prohibit it, we'd strongly advise against sending in your steamy, Kerrigan/Thrall-fronted erotic fantasy-thriller.

Blizzard Global Writing Contest now open for submissions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 2, Warcraft 3 bans reach Icelandic proportions

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST

Blizzard, in preparation for the launch of StarCraft 2 and the new Battle.net framework, recently banned over 320,000 Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3 players that violated the company's Terms of Use by using hacks and third-party tools. According to a census taken earlier this year, there are currently 317,630 people living in Iceland. Let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that so many people play Blizzard's games, its moderators can ban more people than the entire population of the 175th largest country on the planet.

Folks from all corners of the world -- not just Icelanders -- who were found to be using illicit means of self-improvement while playing the two games had the CD key tied to the cheated game in question revoked for 30 days, while repeat offenders were banned permanently. It's not worth it, our dear readers! Keep it legit!

[Via WoW.com]

Diablo 2, Warcraft 3 bans reach Icelandic proportions originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo III's female Witch Doctor conjured up

David Hinkle — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST

Offer sacrifice at the throne of Jobu by clicking on the image above

The slow trickle of Diablo III class highlights has revealed a new page on Blizzard's site: The Witch Doctor. Both its male and female versions offer a look akin to what you'd expect from something called a "Witch Doctor." We imagine the monthly bill for chicken blood is through the roof.

Of course, we've seen the male version of the class before, but the look of the female character model is all new. There's even some brief snippets of character abilities, if that's your type of thing -- so head on over to Blizzard's site and check 'em out.

Diablo III's female Witch Doctor conjured up originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision SEC filing mentions Diablo 'sequels'

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST

Activision SEC filings sure have gotten interesting lately, haven't they? First we learned that the company ousted the heads of Infinity Ward, then we saw World of Warcraft listed as a potential risk and now we have word that Blizzard is currently developing Diablo sequels. Take a breath and read that again: Sequels, as in "more than one."

Yes, the very same SEC filing mentions that Blizzard is currently hard at work on Cataclysm, StarCraft II and "sequels to the Diablo franchise." It's very possible, and even likely, that the filing refers to Diablo III and its inevitable expansions (which had better include the Necromancer). It's also possible that the phrasing is meant as a forward-looking statement, stating that Blizzard continues to work on the Diablo franchise. It's also worth noting that the same SEC filing refers to "development of a sequel" to the game, so reference to "sequels" could simply be a mistake. Or maybe, just maybe, Blizzard is pumping out more Diablo than we thought.

When reached for comment, a Blizzard representative told Joystiq, "We don't have any new announcements to make." He added, "For the Diablo franchise, our full focus is on Diablo III." So that means it's coming out really soon, right? Right?

Activision SEC filing mentions Diablo 'sequels' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3's female Barbarian knows the riddle of steel

David Hinkle — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

Click image to crush your retinas, to see the image embiggened before you and to hear the lamentations of your browser

Because Diablo III won't be released until 2014, we've got plenty of time to check out the game's various classes. The latest to get the spotlight treatment is the female Barbarian. It's kind of funny because she looks like one of the most notable male barbarians ever: Conan. Just, uh, don't tell her we said that she looks like a dude!

If you're playing catch-up, the official character page on Blizzard's site has a brief bio on the class and a look at some of its special moves.

[Via Co-Optimus]

Diablo 3's female Barbarian knows the riddle of steel originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard offers updated look at the new Battle.Net

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST

Let's be honest. Between Diablo III, Stacraft II and the new World of Warcraft expansion, we're all going to be pretty heavily embroiled in Blizzard's games over the next couple of years. That's why we were thrilled to see this recent update on the new Battle.Net, which has been renovated by Blizzard from the ground up to offer a Steam-esque cross-game platform for players of all Blizzard's titles.

A recent post on the StarCraft II blog reveals the three pillars of the service: Achievements for in-game deeds (which, in turn, unlock avatars and emblems for your profile); a beefy competitive ranking bracket and auto-matchmaking functionality; and social networking features available for everyone playing one of Blizzard's games online. It looks predictably slick -- check out some screenshots and a video of the interface on Blizzard's official blog.

Blizzard offers updated look at the new Battle.Net originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3's female Monk designs revealed on The Jace Hall Show

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST

In a recent segment on The Jace Hall Show, the typically secretive Blizzard dev team gave the towering host/television producer/Monolith founder a sneak peek at some of the concept art for the female iteration of Diablo 3's Monk class. While she doesn't embody what we normally imagine when we think of devout martial arts experts, she looks supremely badass. You can check out a few screengrabs from the clip on fan site BlizzPlanet, or simply watch the video posted after the jump (the segment starts at the 6:44 mark).

[Via VG247]

Continue reading Diablo 3's female Monk designs revealed on The Jace Hall Show

Diablo 3's female Monk designs revealed on The Jace Hall Show originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Diablo III screens have derailed our train of thought

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

Blizzard recently released yet another batch of gameplay screenshots from Diablo III, showing off some of the game's arid environments. They're attractive as all-get-out, but we've become extremely distracted by their subject matter. For instance, we see some sand, and then we see some blood on that sand, and then we think of how awesome it would be if Blizzard did a top-down RPG version of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, and then that's all we think about for the rest of the day. Curse you, overactive imagination!

Gallery: Diablo III (1-30-10)

New Diablo III screens have derailed our train of thought originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The psychology of a gamer's search for phat loot

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:15:00 EST

Have you ever wondered what keeps gamers forever in search of the next great piece of loot, why WoW players have to find the last piece of that epic armor set, why Borderlands fiends constantly quest for a better gun? The answer, according to website pscychologyofgames.com, is all in the brain's neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine neurons. Put simply, dopamine neurons monitor dopamine, a chemical that accompanies good or pleasurable things -- like, say, finding some rare loot in Diablo. Dopamine neurons subsequently try to predict when good things will happen in the future.

The site further notes that dopamine neurons "really go nuts when an unexpected, unpredicted gush of dopamine shows up, giving you an even bigger rush." In other words, unexpectedly stumbling on that rare item brings even more pleasure and causes the brain to want to repeat the process. To put it even more simply, the site states that the reaction is similar to the one many people get when playing a slot machine. Winning is entirely random, but that doesn't stop the brain from trying to figure out a pattern.

Just be glad you're not popping a quarter into the disc drive every time there's a loot drop. Not yet, at least.

[Via GamePolitics]

The psychology of a gamer's search for phat loot originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard says no Diablo 3 in 2010, 'who knows' when it'll be released

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Remember that silly, insane rumor from back in 2008 about Diablo 3 being released by Blizzard before StarCraft 2? Turns out that Blizzard's Rob Pardo thinks that's a bunch of hogwash. Rather, that's at least what we can infer from his recent conversation with Techland on the subject. "We always announce all of our games too early," he says. "I think it's safe to say that, yeah, [Diablo 3] is not going to be out next year."

Considering StarCraft 2's delay to 2010, we think it's fair to assume that Diablo 3 will in fact not be arriving before a StarCraft sequel. Pardo adds that it's not a question of lacking resources, as "each game has individual development teams; it's just that the way that we develop games, we develop them very iteratively." Worse yet, there doesn't seem to be a finish line in sight for D3. "Now when we announce [a game] we just go, 'Here's the game we're working on, we're going to start talking about it and who knows when it ships.'" If any of you were still holding your breath for Diablo 3's release, now might be a good time to exhale.

[Via Big Download]

Gallery: Diablo 3 (9/5/09)

Blizzard says no Diablo 3 in 2010, 'who knows' when it'll be released originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Torchlight dev speaks about Blizzard competition, MMO plans

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Max Schaefer, co-founder of Torchlight developer Runic Games (and former Blizzard North staffer) recently sat down for the most terrifying interview of his life. In an interview with German gaming news site PCGames.de, Schaefer was buffeted with strongly-worded interrogatives, at one point being told to "Defend yourself!" The harsh questioning was worth it -- Schaefer opened up about similarities between his studio's game and Diablo, explaining, "we plead guilty to trying to perfect a style of game we've worked on since the early 90's."

The more intriguing part of the interview came when Schaefer discussed the future of the series -- a future which involves a free-to-play MMORPG based in the world of Torchlight. Just because the game won't put a hurt on your wallet doesn't mean Runic Games is skimping out; according to Schaefer, the Torchlight MMO will be a large production, complete with "a lot of customization, an overworld, random and instanced dungeons, PVP, and much more!"

Schaefer added that the MMO is still about two years out. The studio plans to go into pre-production as soon as it squashes all the bugs in the offline version of Torchlight, and hopes to have the game reach the community with alpha and beta testing phases "as quickly as possible."

Torchlight dev speaks about Blizzard competition, MMO plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Diablo III's desert wastes

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

click to enlarge

Yes, it hasn't even been a week since we brought you some hands-on impressions of Diablo III. One might say it's too soon to add to those impressions, and one might have a good point. Allow us to offer a counterpoint: It's Diablo III. This game, at the very earliest, will not release until 2025 (Q4, of course). As such, we have to provide you with any and all possible coverage. It would be irresponsible not to. Besides, there's some new stuff to cover here, and it's good stuff.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (9/5/09)

Continue reading Hands-on with Diablo III's desert wastes

Hands-on with Diablo III's desert wastes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard interview: Leo Boyarsky and Kevin Martens on Diablo 3

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:30:00 EST

We know that we've been fire-hosing Diablo 3 information on you, but keep those raincoats zipped because there's more incoming. In fact, we sat down with Leon Boyasrsky, lead world designer, and Kevin Martens, lead content artist, at BlizzCon. While they didn't drop any deafening secrets on us like ZOMG what the final class will be, they did go into further detail about the game.

Read on through for the full interview, and imagine what it'll be like if Martens gets his dream wish and they stick a Sideshow Collectibles Barbarian statue inside the Collector's Edition of the game. The chances of that actually happening are pretty much zero, but still ... we can dream.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009: Diablo 3

Continue reading Blizzard interview: Leo Boyarsky and Kevin Martens on Diablo 3

Blizzard interview: Leo Boyarsky and Kevin Martens on Diablo 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009: Martial arts secrets of Diablo 3's Monk

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

When you think hardcore-fantasy, swords-and-sorcery killing machine, you think "monk," right? At BlizzCon, Diablo 3's new character class, the Monk, was unlocked, supposedly having been inspired by pen-and-paper RPGs. According to Jay Wilson, almost all of Blizzard's characters are meant to hearken back to the "golden age of RPG gaming." The Monk is designed to be a fragile, melee-based character that performs some amazingly agile moves. With skills like the "Seven-Sided Strike" and "Way of the Hundred Fists," we'd say he's stripped from a different golden age -- from the reels of 1960s and '70s Kung Fu serials. The only detail that's missing are the Bruce Lee yips.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009: Diablo 3

Continue reading BlizzCon 2009: Martial arts secrets of Diablo 3's Monk

BlizzCon 2009: Martial arts secrets of Diablo 3's Monk originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 to include parental controls, region-specific gore edits

David Hinkle — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Diablo 3 designer Jay Wilson was on hand at the recent GamesCom, where he met up with Wired and frankly discussed the game's gore. He confirmed that the title would not only have parental controls, but could have a lot of its signature violence stripped for select regions. "Yeah, we're going to have to be able to turn off blood, change the color and things like that, because you can't have red blood in some regions, regions that we would very much like to sell the game in," Wilson said.

Though he doesn't foresee any issue in selling the game in Germany and Australia, Blizzard will have to carefully weigh its options when it comes to a release in in China. "With our relationship with NetEase, we recently got new information about what China really wants, and it's a lengthy list. It's really hard for us to cater to. We'll try. There's no reason we wouldn't want to go there, but there is a certain point where we'd have to redo so much of the game that it's not viable anymore," Wilson explained.

Diablo 3 to include parental controls, region-specific gore edits originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009: Day one round-up

Elizabeth Harper — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST

The news coming from BlizzCon has been fast and furious -- and we can hardly blame you if you haven't been able to keep up with the announcements coming from Anaheim so far.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: A little expansion by the name of Cataclysm was officially announced, with a world of pain now on its way to classic Azeroth and two new races. So what's new in Azeroth? Two new races, Goblins and Worgen (Horde and Alliance respectively), the reordering and rezoning of much of Azeroth, an array of new race/class possibilities, a brand-new secondary skill, and some shake-ups in class mechanics and character/guild advancement.
DIABLO 3: Meet the Monk, the game's latest class and -- so the trailer suggests -- a kick-ass martial artist. Also, surprise surprise, the game may still be coming to a console near you.
BATTLE.NET: Battle.net will gain new features in the expansion, including an Xbox-Livesque ability to see what your friends are playing and which servers they're on, in addition to sending messages to them.
PICTURES: Here's a map of the reordered post-Cataclysm Azeroth, a gallery of the art display at BlizzCon (containing some Cataclysm art, employee-decorated noobz, and StarCraft and Diablo universe pieces), a dedicated gallery for Cataclysm concept art, and a gallery of the costumes at BlizzCon.
VIDEOS: We have video for you of the Cataclysm trailer, what Azeroth zones will look like post-Cataclysm, and the animation for Human-to-Worgen transformation.
THE GUILD: The entire cast showed up and brought the funny at their live panel and at our reader meet-up. Gallery here!

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009

BlizzCon 2009: Day one round-up originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Diablo III media features Monk, deserts

David Hinkle — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

Hot on the heels of news that Diablo 3's new class will be the Monk, Blizzard unloaded a bunchton (that's internet-speak for "27") of new images on us. The screens not only give us a good look at some of the Monk's spells (he makes things explode, apparently), but there's also plenty of tasty concept art to ogle.

All of the locales in these shots show off a desert environment; could Lut Gholein and its surrounding areas make a return in Diablo 3? Let's hope so, this time sans annoying Horadric Staff gopher quests. You know what we're saying, right? Right, guys?

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009: Diablo 3

New Diablo III media features Monk, deserts originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Diablo III 'Monk' class dropped on Korean Blizzard site

Christopher Grant — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:15:00 EST

[Update 2:59PM - Blizzard VP Chris Metzen just confirmed the Monk during BlizzCon's opening ceremony. They've got a cinematic - surprise! - that we'll nab for you as soon as it's available. This looks like in-game footage though; it's not the normal Blizzard-quality cinematic.]

While the opening BlizzCon ceremony is just minutes away, one potential secret has already been spoiled ... by Blizzard itself. The mega-developer's own Korean site revealed the above image, showing off all the way to the right ... a new Diablo 3 class. Judging by that nifty saffron-colored robe, we're guessing this is the long-rumored Monk class. More info as we gather it.

(To find the screen for yourself, go to this Diablo 3 site and change the language to Korean. Voila!)

[Via WoW.com]

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009: Diablo 3

New Diablo III 'Monk' class dropped on Korean Blizzard site originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo creator to lead Marvel MMO development

Justin McElroy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:27:00 EST

We're not ones to assume that past performance is a definitive indicator of future output, especially in the games industry (Volition goes from Saint's Row to the radical Red Faction: Guerrilla? Who saw that coming?). But we can't help but be encouraged by the news that former Blizzard North boss and Diablo creator David Brevik has joined Gazillion to lead development on the Marvel Universe MMO.

We're more excited about the hire because we hope it indicates the title's gameplay direction. A more action-influenced MMO take on the world of Marvel sounds like it's been bitten by radioactive awesome.

Diablo creator to lead Marvel MMO development originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Orc on Campus: We tour through Blizzard

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:40:00 EST

Blizzard's main company headquarters are, much like any other, located somewhere inside a massive corporate building complex, this one deep inside Irvine, California. Once you get past the guard gate and make your way inside, it's not quite like most business parks. For one, Blizzard has its own ginormous Orc Wolfrider statue guarding the front doors.

There's enough lush green vegetation around to conceal a Fallout-style vault, or a mechanized army of robotic dragons ... which might be where your monthly World of Warcraft fees are going. At least part of that money went to pay for the company's own sand volleyball court, where brave employees reenact that scene from Top Gun.

What other secrets does the place hold? Read on to find out, and browse through the 99 images in the gallery below, which sadly doesn't include the photos we were asked not to show or talk about. Hopefully they'll let us do that soon. For now, let the speculation begin ...

Gallery: Blizzard Tour

Continue reading Big Orc on Campus: We tour through Blizzard

Big Orc on Campus: We tour through Blizzard originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard looking for short stories based on its games

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST

If you consider yourself to be quite the wordsmith, we suggest turning your attention to a recently announced contest from the PC gaming juggernauts at Blizzard. The developer is currently asking literarily inclined fans to produce 3,000 to 10,000-word short stories set in the universe of the Warcraft, Diablo or Starcraft series. The author of the judges' favorite novelette gets a free ride to Blizzard HQ to meet the team's writing staff, and will take home a replica Frostmourne sword with which they can behead their harshest literary critics.

You can check out the official rules here. Yes, they're disqualifying entries containing any obscene or lewd activities -- so save your "throbbing" and "heaving" for your breathtakingly erotic Sonic the Hedgehog slash fiction.

[Via Big Download]

Blizzard looking for short stories based on its games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard gives E3 the cold shoulder

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST

Blizzard doesn't need you, E3! "Activision Blizzard Inc." is showing up at E3, but one half of that power couple already plans to stay home and count its money ... and laugh at all the broken homes it's created with World of Warcraft. Giant Bomb has been told by a Blizzard rep. that the powerhouse developer will "not be attending or participating in E3 2009."

Don't worry, kids. If you want to touch the Blizzard goods, it'll probably be at a public event and the company is gonna make you pay for the privilege! Put that $100 aside for Blizzcon now (if it happens this year) and prepare to hit F5 like a monkey as soon as tickets go on sale for a (slim) chance to enter the Blizzaphile lovefest.

[Image]

Blizzard gives E3 the cold shoulder originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard unleashes five new Diablo III screenshots

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:18:00 EST

Filed under: PC, RPGs

Click for shocking new images.

It's like Christmas all over again for Blizzard fans. The company showed off new images of Starcraft II just a few days ago. But wait! There's more in that bag o' goodies. Blizzard just updated the Diablo III website with five brand new action-packed screenshots. This sneak peak reveals a towering enemy, some magic spells, and moody fog-filled environments. Considering Blizzard's penchant for painstakingly slow development, clicking on these images will be closest thing to playing the game we'll have for a very long time.

[Via BigDownload]

Gallery: Diablo III

Blizzard unleashes five new Diablo III screenshots originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard orchestral soundtrack CD available in November

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra is releasing a two-disc compilation of Blizzard Entertainment's best known symphonic pieces. The album, called Echoes of War, covers music from the Diablo, StarCraft and WarCraft universes -- sorry, Lost Vikings fans.

The box set, which features 90 minutes of music, will cost $30 and release in mid-November. There's also an orange Legendary Edition with an extra DVD, featuring a making-of featurette and other dross supporting material for $50. Good peons will find the CD's full track list after the break. Zug-zug.

[Thanks, Jayson; Via OSV]

Continue reading Blizzard orchestral soundtrack CD available in November

Blizzard orchestral soundtrack CD available in November originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard's Rob Pardo talks Diablo 3

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Mac, PC, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Online, RPGs, Interviews

We met up with Blizzard's Rob Pardo, vice-president of game design and one of Time Magazine's 2006 "100 Most Influential People in the World," at BlizzCon to ask him about all things Diablo 3, since we'd already gotten the good from him about Starcraft 2 and Battle.net. He didn't grant our wish to let us take home a copy of the Diablo 3 demo, but he did say a beta would be out for the game ... at some point. Find out what little we were able to squeeze out of him after the break.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: The Experience

Continue reading BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard's Rob Pardo talks Diablo 3

BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard's Rob Pardo talks Diablo 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2008: In-depth Diablo 3 hands-on

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Online, RPGs

When we weren't taking photos, sitting in Starcraft 2 panels, or watching the closing ceremonies at BlizzCon, all of our available free time was devoted to Diablo 3. It was the first thing we played within minutes of the grand opening, and the game they had to pry us away from when the doors closed. Yes, it's just that good. Plus, we still have two character classes that haven't been revealed yet, so who knows what else this has in store for us.

We were happy just to be able to return to the world of Diablo after seven years since the Lord of Destruction expansion set was on store shelves, and it was worth the wait. Find out everything we could during our exhaustive hands-on after the break, and be sure to check out the galleries below that show off in-game screens and concept art. Plus we're sticking that gameplay footage in again, because it's the only way we can enjoy Diablo until there's a beta, or some sort of miracle occurs.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo 3

Continue reading BlizzCon 2008: In-depth Diablo 3 hands-on

BlizzCon 2008: In-depth Diablo 3 hands-on originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2008: Rob Pardo talks Battle.Net monetizing

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Adventure, Fighting, Online, RPGs

Not everyone was thrilled with the weekend news that Blizzard is looking to monetize Battle.Net in some way. So we made that one of the first questions we asked Blizzard VP Rob Pardo. The good news is, they're not going to make Diablo III subscription based. Find out everyone he told us after the break.

Continue reading BlizzCon 2008: Rob Pardo talks Battle.Net monetizing

BlizzCon 2008: Rob Pardo talks Battle.Net monetizing originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III lore & art panel

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Mac, PC, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Online, RPGs, Galleries

Story guru Leonard Boyarsky and background artist Chris Donnelson spoke at yesterday's Diablo III Lore & Art panel just before the closing BlizzCon eremonies, and they detailed how the background of the previous two Diablo games will tie into this one. Check out the highlights after the break, and find out how the gameplay has been changed to emphasize the story and art in this title, and what's been happening in the 20 in-game years since the events of Diablo II.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III Art & Lore

Continue reading BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III lore & art panel

BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III lore & art panel originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III gameplay panel

Kevin Kelly — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST

Blizzard's Jay Wilson and Wyatt Cheng took the stage at BlizzCon for a second time yesterday to helm the Diablo III Gameplay panel, which gave us a few more details about the eagerly awaited third part in Blizzard's mouse-button mashing trilogy. Check out the highlights after the break, which include updates on some of the creatures you'll encounter, and how they're taking steps to mix up the gameplay by inserting "random adventures."

Continue reading BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III gameplay panel

BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III gameplay panel originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon, day one

Elizabeth Harper — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: PC, MMO

Were you one of the many who didn't have the opportunity to make it out to Blizzneyland... er, we mean BlizzCon, of course... this year? Never fear, because Joystiq is on-hand to tell you exactly what's happening on the show floor. Enjoy BlizzCon from the comfort of your desk chair, away from the lines and the crowds and the delicious Diablo 3 gameplay... but we digress. On with the show. See our live coverage of:

The convention floor, full of all sorts of shiny temptations for your inner fanboy (or girl).
The uneventful opening ceremonies. I hope you weren't expecting a big announcement!
The many fans attending in costume and the costume contest.
Panels on World of Warcraft's user interface, the game's classes, the game's art, and the arena PvP tournament.
Diablo 3 news ruled the day, with the announcement of a new class (the wizard), plenty of wizard info in their class panel, new screenshots & cinematic, gameplay video, and hands-on gameplay.
The news that StarCraft 2 was being released as a trilogy (with one game for the Terran campaign, one game for the Zerg campaign, and one game for the Protoss campaign) left some people cold, but we've got to say the gameplay Blizzard is showing off still looks incredible.

Stay tuned for more news from Blizzneyland... er, BlizzCon... throughout the day.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: The Experience

BlizzCon, day one originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard's Wilson: Some Battle.net features to be 'monetized'

Kevin Kelly — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Adventure, Online

Speaking at yesterday's Diablo III Gameplay panel, Blizzard's Jay Wilson was asked one of the questions that's been hiding in the back of all of our brains, "Is Battle.Net going to remain free?"

His response probably wasn't what you'd want to hear. "We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features," said Wilson. "We kind of have to." He went on to say that they do recognize that everyone loves having it as a free service, and that they don't have a strong desire to make a subscription-based game.

What does that mean for our beloved free online gaming service? We're hoping to find out when we talk to Blizzard bigwig Rob Pardo later this afternoon.

Blizzard's Wilson: Some Battle.net features to be 'monetized' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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