Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Diablo 3 Director Jay Wilson: Auction Houses 'really hurt' game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-auction-houses-really-hurt-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-auction-houses-really-hurt-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-auction-houses-really-hurt-game/#comments
Former Diablo 3 Game Director Jay Wilson admitted during a talk at GDC 2013 in San Francisco that both of Diablo 3's Auction Houses (both the real-money and the in-game gold item auction house) "really hurt the game." Wilson said that before Blizzard launched the game, the company had a few assumptions about how the Auction Houses would work: He thought they would help reduce fraud, that they'd provide a wanted service to players, that only a small percentage of players would use it and that the price of items would limit how many were listed and sold.

But he said that once the game went live, Blizzard realized it was completely wrong about those last two points. It turns out that nearly every one of the game's players (of which there are still about 1 million per day, and about 3 million per month, according to Wilson) made use of either house, and that over 50 percent of players used it regularly. That, said Wilson, made money a much higher motivator than the game's original motivation to simply kill Diablo, and "damaged item rewards" in the game. While a lot of the buzz around the game attacked the real money Auction House, "gold does much more damage than the other one does," according to Wilson, because more players use it and prices fluctuate much more.

"I think we would turn it off if we could," Wilson said during his talk. But the problem is "not as easy as that;" with all of Blizzard's current players, he says the company "has no idea" how many players like the system or hate it. Blizzard, Wilson said, doesn't want to remove a feature that lots of players will be unhappy to see go. But he did say that the team is working on a viable solution, without giving any other details about what that would be like.

JoystiqDiablo 3 Director Jay Wilson: Auction Houses 'really hurt' game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-houseblizzard-entertainmentDiablo-3gamegdc-2013jay-wilsonpcreal-money-auction-houseremoveThu, 28 Mar 2013 15:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 director Jay Wilson moves on to new Blizzard project]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-moves-on-to-new-blizzard-project/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-moves-on-to-new-blizzard-project/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/diablo-3-director-jay-wilson-moves-on-to-new-blizzard-project/#comments Jay Wilson, who has been directing Diablo 3 for seven years, has decided to move on to other projects within Blizzard. Writing on the Blizzard forums, Wilson says that while working on Diablo 3 has "been one of the most challenging and rewarding periods of my life, I've reached a point creatively where I'm looking forward to working on something new." Wilson promises fans that support for Diablo 3 will continue and that he will aid the team as Blizzard finds a new director.

Wilson makes note of Diablo 3's bumpy launch and its subsequent woes. The development team doesn't always make "the right decisions" he admitted, "but if we made a mistake then I feel we've made an exceptional effort to correct it." That effort includes scads of additional items and changes to drop rates, as well as the Monster Power and Paragon systems.

As for what project Wilson will take on next, we'll just have to wait and see.

JoystiqDiablo 3 director Jay Wilson moves on to new Blizzard project originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardblizzardDiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcFri, 18 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 'Team Deathmatch' goes back to the drawing board, 'dueling' coming in the new year]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/diablo-3-team-deathmatch-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board-duel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/diablo-3-team-deathmatch-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board-duel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/27/diablo-3-team-deathmatch-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board-duel/#comments Diablo 3's Team Deathmatch mode has been a long-promised addition for players of the loot-hunting dungeon crawler since it first launched seven months ago. Though the mode is up and running at Blizzard, a blog post from Blizzard's Jay Wilson says the Player vs. Player-focused mode "isn't yet where we want it to be," and thus won't be released in its current form.

One reason the mode has eluded release is its lack of depth. "Simply fighting each other with no other objectives or choices to make gets old relatively quickly. We've brought a lot of people in to try out Team Deathmatch and, while some found it entertaining, most of our testers didn't feel like it was something they'd want to do beyond a few hours," Wilson wrote. The mode requires more varied objectives and lucrative rewards to compel players to keep playing over time, Diablo 3's lead designer added.

Another issue is class balance in a game designed with Player vs. Environment scenarios in mind. "In a casual PvP mode, something equivalent to a WoW Battleground, this would be fine, but Team Deathmatch felt very hardcore, and it put a laser focus on class balance in a way that we didn't think would be good for the game as a whole." Because of these issues, Blizzard has decided to go "back to the drawing board on a new replacement for Team Deathmatch." Whatever the mode ends up evolving into will indeed be free, Wilson noted.

Wilson adds Blizzard will add "Dueling" soon, due to fan demand. "First and foremost, if our original goal was to support dueling, then we're not achieving that goal very well if we don't actually give players a way to duel in-game," he wrote. Dueling will be added to Diablo 3 in patch 1.0.7., set to arrive after the new year.

JoystiqDiablo 3 'Team Deathmatch' goes back to the drawing board, 'dueling' coming in the new year originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BlizzardBlizzard-EntertainmentDiablo-3Jay-WilsonmacpcPVPThu, 27 Dec 2012 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard explains why it's hiring for console Diablo, but not making console Diablo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-explains-why-its-hiring-for-console-diablo-but-not-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-explains-why-its-hiring-for-console-diablo-but-not-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-explains-why-its-hiring-for-console-diablo-but-not-ma/#comments The situation around the potential console release of Diablo 3 has been strangely half-secret. Blizzard has openly hired for console development, and company representatives have said that they are "investigating" and "exploring" console Diablo projects. They've talked about console controllers and their advantages. But it never got to the point of actually announcing anything.

"Yeah. We haven't officially announced it, because we're not 'experimenting,'" Diablo 3 director Jay Wilson told Gamasutra. "We tell people that basically we're experimenting, because it helps us hire people. The better people we hire, the better chance we have to actually make it."

In other words, there's no concrete plan, but Blizzard is bringing in people to try things to see if they will work - which, yes, sounds a lot like experimenting. "That's why we haven't kept it super secret, but we also haven't confirmed it, because we're not sure yet whether we think it will work, and whether we think we have the resources to do it," Wilson said.

This bit comes at the end of a lengthy interview, during which Wilson also provides a lot of background on the development process - like how a PowerPoint presentation substituted for a design document.

JoystiqBlizzard explains why it's hiring for console Diablo, but not making console Diablo originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardconsoleDiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcMon, 14 May 2012 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard still tinkering with Diablo 3 systems, highlights new changes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/19/blizzard-still-tinkering-with-diablo-3-systems-highlights-new-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/19/blizzard-still-tinkering-with-diablo-3-systems-highlights-new-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/19/blizzard-still-tinkering-with-diablo-3-systems-highlights-new-c/#comments Diablo 3 For a game that isn't even out yet, Diablo 3 has undergone many, many system changes. Today, game director Jay Wilson has posted a load of upcoming system adjustments, mostly made to systems that have already been changed. A few prime examples include the complete removal of "identify item" scrolls -- characters handle that with a universal spell now -- a dedicated potion button, and Blizzard deciding to rename the Stone of Recall and "just call it what it is," namely "Town Portal."

Another big change, the Nephalem Cube and Cauldron of Jordan (both integral to the crafting system), have been removed from the game outright. According to Blizzard, the two items "detracted from the benefits of returning to town to sell items, salvage, craft, and interact with the townsfolk." It's a lot to take in, especially given how long fans have waited for Diablo 3 but, in Wilson's words, "no one will remember if the game is late, only if it's great."

Head over to the Diablo 3 site to read about these changes (and many others) in more detail.

JoystiqBlizzard still tinkering with Diablo 3 systems, highlights new changes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionblizzardDiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcThu, 19 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Remember Diablo with new 15 year anniversary website]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/remember-diablo-with-new-15-year-anniversary-website/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/remember-diablo-with-new-15-year-anniversary-website/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/remember-diablo-with-new-15-year-anniversary-website/#comments Stay a while and ... you know the rest 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.

JoystiqRemember 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>15th-anniversaryanniversaryblizzardblizzard-entertainmentdiabloDiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcThu, 05 Jan 2012 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard talks console controls for Diablo 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/blizzard-talks-console-controls-for-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/blizzard-talks-console-controls-for-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/blizzard-talks-console-controls-for-diablo-3/#comments Blizzard's Diablo 3 developers are on the main stage at BlizzCon 2011 right now, and game director Jay Wilson spoke a little bit about the potential console version of the game. Nothing has changed -- there is no officially announced console version. But Wilson did confirm that Blizzard has hired a team to work on it, and that the company has been iterating on console controls.

"The movement actually feels better on the controller," Wilson said, in response to a fan's question. "Targeting is the issue." Most of the schemes the team has come up for choosing what to attack and loot require a reticule, "which we really don't want to do," Wilson said. "Monster distribution and AI also feels a little bit different than it does on the PC version."

And Blizzard won't even say that there's a console version coming "because we don't want to announce something until we're sure." Obviously the team is working on it, and obviously Diablo 3 on a console would be extremely popular -- the first game did officially come to the original PlayStation all those years ago. But as Wilson says, the team wants to assure that "if it goes on a console, it doesn't compromise the PC game in any way, and it feels like it was built for the console."

JoystiqBlizzard talks console controls for Diablo 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentconsolecontrolsDiablo-3jay-wilsonpcSat, 22 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 'feels even better' with console controllers, but support won't be ready for release]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/diablo-3-feels-even-better-with-console-controllers-but-suppo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/diablo-3-feels-even-better-with-console-controllers-but-suppo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/diablo-3-feels-even-better-with-console-controllers-but-suppo/#comments Blizzard isn't ready to announce any kind of console version of Diablo 3 -- as in all things, it's taking its sweet damn time -- but game director Jay Wilson is open to discussing the results of the company's console "experiments."

Blizzard has been conducting said experiments, Wilson said, because "we feel that the controls and the style of the game lend itself to a console." And the tests have been successful. "With some of our early experiments in putting a direct control scheme into the game via a 360-like analogue controller, I've been 'Oh this feels even better, with direct control...'"

But Blizzard still isn't officially announcing this apparently better functionality for the game, either in the form of a console release or gamepad support for the existing PC version. Wilson made a conditional announcement, however: "I can pretty much guarantee that if we decide to do a console version that we will look to support a pad on the PC," he said. "But initially with release I don't think we'll be ready."

JoystiqDiablo 3 'feels even better' with console controllers, but support won't be ready for release originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardDiablo-3gamepadjay-wilsonpcThu, 22 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo 3 'definitely in the home stretch,' says game director]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/29/diablo-3-definitely-in-the-home-stretch-says-game-director/#comments Following unprecedented access into "Blizzard's gated, guarded headquarters complex" earlier this week, The New York Times has returned practically empty-handed. Sure, correspondent Seth Schiesel got to play Diablo 3 for "about an hour" -- a fleeting opportunity that some of us would nevertheless kill for -- but he was unable to glean any solid details about the game's secretive, make-or-break trading system. Nor was he able to dig up any new dirt on those possible console ports, not to mention demand to know when the lead PC/Mac version is going to be released.

"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.

JoystiqDiablo 3 'definitely in the home stretch,' says game director originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpcrelease-dateFri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 Q&A panel highlights]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-qanda-panel-highlights/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-qanda-panel-highlights/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-qanda-panel-highlights/#comments 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

JoystiqBlizzCon 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzcon-2010cow-leveldiablodiablo-3economyendgameesportsjay-wilsonpcpvepvpq-and-aSun, 24 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BlizzCon 2010: Diablo 3 panel covers Artisans, armor models and atmosphere]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-panel-covers-artisans-armor-models-and/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-panel-covers-artisans-armor-models-and/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/blizzcon-2010-diablo-3-panel-covers-artisans-armor-models-and/#comments 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

JoystiqBlizzCon 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzconblizzcon-2010developer-paneldiablodiablo-3jay-wilsonmacpanelpcSun, 24 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo III lead says no console version planned]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/diablo-iii-lead-says-no-console-version-planned/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/diablo-iii-lead-says-no-console-version-planned/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/diablo-iii-lead-says-no-console-version-planned/#commentsFiled under:


Hello and welcome back to civilization from under your rock. We say this because if you haven't heard Blizzard is hard at work developing Diablo III you must have been stuck somewhere. In order to halt console version rumors Joystiq sat down in an exclusive interview with lead designer Jay Wilson. Wilson broke console gamer hearts everywhere confirming Blizzard "[doesn't] have any plans" for a console version of the upcoming, highly anticipated, sequel. While plans could change it looks like Diablo fans will have to upgrade their PC when the title releases -- which is sometime between now and the end of time.

JoystiqDiablo III lead says no console version planned originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddiablodiablo-3interviewjay-wilsonMon, 30 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


At the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris, Blizzard designers took to the stage to talk about the design goals and fundamentals behind their upcoming title, Diablo III. Jay Wilson, lead designer on the title, presented a rundown of the design philosophy behind the game, covering its origins, the game's approchability, and the design team's "better gameplay, less carpal tunnel" approach.

Gallery: Diablo III

Continue reading WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals

JoystiqWWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-netbattle.netblizzardblizzard-entertainmentdiablodiablo-3jay-wilsonjoystiqfeaturesMacPCworldwide-invitationalwwiwwi08Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq chats with Jay Wilson on Diablo 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


click to embiggen
The buzz here at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is all about Diablo 3. When will we have a playable demo? When can we expect a release? Blizzard, of course, isn't willing to commit to a date other than their standard "when it's done" answer:
  • What classes are going to be available? Blizzard's answer: we're not ready to talk about that.
  • Will there be a cow level? Blizzard's answer... well, more on that later.
Joystiq had a chance to catch up with Diablo 3's lead designer Jay Wilson (whom you may know from his work on a little game called Dawn of War) and pick his brain about how he got on the Diablo 3 project, what's in store for Battle.net, and the secret cow level.

Gallery: Diablo III

Continue reading Joystiq chats with Jay Wilson on Diablo 3

JoystiqJoystiq chats with Jay Wilson on Diablo 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-netbattle.netblizzarddiablodiablo-3entertainmentjay-wilsonjoystiqfeaturesMacparisPCsecret-cow-levelworldwide-invitationalwwiwwi-08wwi-2008Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:00:00 EST