And the fanboys wept: no Diablo 3 until 2011

Posted by Andrew On November - 23 - 2009

diablo3screenshot12

Diablo 3 will not ship in 2010.  In a recent interview with Techland, Blizzard Executive VP of Game Design Rob Pardo dropped the bomb that Diablo 3 “is not going to be out next year.”  And the clouds rained the tears of a thousand Diablo fanboys…including mine.

What’s taking the company so long to go gold with the third installment of the franchise that’s already sold 18.5 million copies worldwide?  Blizzard just wants to make sure they make a great game, according to Pardo.  Can’t really argue with that, as the company’s track record is nearly unblemished.

When Blizzard says it needs more time to make a game truly great, one would be a fool to deny them it. Especially given the delay of StarCraft 2 to 2010, Pardo’s words really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

But what do you think?  Is Blizzard slacking on the Diablo front?  If your sights are securely set on StarCraft 2, does this report even faze you?  Let us know in the comments section.

*Images via Blizzard.

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32 Responses so far
  1. Dustin Said,

    Best title by Blizzard? You guessed it, The Lost Vikings.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 8:10 pm

  2. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Myea, I don't think I ever assumed it would come out 2010, I was actually hoping for 2011, because I won't be able to get a new alienware until then, I'm still paying off the one I got 3 years ago, roflmao.

    Seriously though, they can take all the time they want, they've earned that much in my opinion. Modern Warfare 2 will last me a good bit into 2010, and I'm sure I will get hooked back on WoW once Cataclysm comes out. :(

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm

  3. Dustin Said,

    Yeah, Cataclysm will hook many, myself included. Luckily, I've been gearing up my huntard on Vashj named NotoriousPIG.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 pm

  4. Comrade_Anon Said,

    So yea, Dustin, I see your comment on Intensedebate and on the recent comment pane on your site, but it's not showing up here in the article?

    In response though, I have been playing WoW since 2 months after it first came out, and what's sad is my highest char is only 76 and I just started her when I got Lich King (DK). I'm just way to casual with it. I hate raids, too. I did however play on private servers for a bit and I've experienced everything in Kara and Naxx, just not on retail.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 9:45 pm

  5. Dustin Said,

    Weird. I've been off and on since beta, but I have 7 level 80s on my account… I'm super awesome at gaming!

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:41 pm

  6. MMOMFAndrew Said,

    im leaving this comment just to see how many intensedebate points i have. if comrade_anon has more than me i'll forever call him champion and aspire to his greatness.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 pm

  7. MMOMFAndrew Said,

    DAMN! you've got me on points, champion_anon.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:44 pm

  8. Comrade_Anon Said,

    MUA HA HA HAAA!

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 pm

  9. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Lol. I need to get paid for what I do, (which is edit, play, and review games), but it's that first step that I always seem to trip on. There isn't much of a game development nesting here in KY, lol. Once I get the payment thing down I can start playing stuff a bit more! Ahh… to dream.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 pm

  10. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Btw guys, I sent you a "contact us" message about possibly reviewing Torchlight or Trine in the wake of this article. Torchlight looks to be very Diablo-ish and I'm planning on getting it soon. I tried to get it the "bad" way so I wouldn't have to wait while at work, but um, yea, I'm just gonna skip that and buy it after watching the review. It has very low system requirements, yet looks beautiful, I think it would hold your interest at least for a little bit this holiday.

    Trine on the other hand seems to have some pretty beefy requirements. Even though I have an Alienware, I'm doubting that it will run it very smoothly. (Of course my laptop is nearly 3 years old)

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 pm

  11. Dustin Said,

    We'll have to check those two out. I know Justin and Andrew have played some of the XBOX Arcade titles, such as our Zombie Apocalypse review, but we'll need to dedicate more time to other titles beyond the big ones for 2010.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:21 pm

  12. Comrade_Anon Said,

    I hate to triple post, but check this out on newegg, lol.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N...

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm

  13. Comrade_Anon Said,

    I hate to triple post, but check this out on newegg, lol.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N...

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm

  14. Dustin Said,

    They must know something everyone else doesn't. LOL! Anyone taking the over/under on 12/31/2010? I'll take the over!

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm

  15. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Same. I hope they do release it on Christmas Eve, like it was rumored a while back, that would be awesome. Santa would be absent for awhile. ; )

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:41 pm

  16. Kyol Said,

    BlizzTard always said it would be out sooner then we think. IM CALLING SHENANIGANS!
    They might just be milking WoW for its last 12 months, WoW sawk IMO since WotlK. :J

    Kyol. <3

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 24th, 2009 at 5:16 am

  17. Dustin Said,

    Well, whether you love WoW or hate it, it has another good 2 or so years in it at least. With Cataclysm coming out in 2010, nearly everyone I know who used to play is considering renewing their subscription to try it. Blizzard wins again.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 24th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

  18. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Indeed, Blizzard is a beast. As long as they keep putting out pure gold, everyone will be playing whatever they want us to play. : )

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 24th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

  19. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Oh and btw, I did buy Torchlight last night, it is unbelievable. Super stoked about the free to play MMO version coming out later. There are so many good things about that game, they really have combined a lot from Diablo/WoW/Dungeon Runners to make this a very nice dungeon crawler. Items are plentiful and there is enchantments, sockets, and you can even permanently learn spells from scrolls in addition to your classes spells. I'm rolling a mage that is using a pistol in one hand and a wand in the other, and I have a spell that works like the WoW priests' bubble for if the baddies manage to make it that close. One thing I thought was hilarious, is this almost looks identical to Diablo 3. There is a level that they show for the Barbarian in Diablo 3 that I definitely played last night, the spot where the mobs climbed up the side of the bridge. If you all get the game, the quest that takes you to the area is called "Through the Portal."

    Do yourselves a favor and buy this immediately, it will quench your Diablo 3 thirst, lol!

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 24th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

  20. Jimstylin Said,

    Stalling is a good way to build up a greater demand and prices

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

  21. Dustin Said,

    At this point, I'm not certain that delaying the title has anything to do with demand or prices though. It should likely all be about content for the game. Also, a huge company like Blizzard won't want to release their huge hits in the same six months to a year. If StarCraft 2, WoW: Cataclysm and Diablo 3 all came out around the same time, that would equal less people getting all 3. If Blizzard can tier their releases so that each game has maximum exposure and lack of competition, they can expect all 3 to be massive successes. I know that over the last few months, I've been limited to what I play or buy because so many games have been coming out. Over saturation of good titles into the market = less people buying all the games and limiting themselves to one or two of their favorites. Blizzard is full of marketing and developer geniuses, so the release date for D3 will likely be a smart and well thought out one.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

  22. Dustin Said,

    Comrade, I also bought Torchlight last night. Holy shite this game is good. For a $20 near Diablo-port (made by the original developers of Diablo), this game has been delivering sheer fun. The music/sound/graphics/gameplay are all top notch and the thing that blew me away was the amount of mods and active user community on their forums. I'll definitely be doing a review of this title and highly suggest anyone who enjoys dungeon/Diablo-esque games to pick this one up immediately.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

  23. Comrade_Anon Said,

    I just want a decent paying job there, nothing fancy, enough to live off of, is that too much to ask :(

    I would definitely have to agree with Dustin, they are more than likely trying to get top exposure for all of their games. Also, as unlikely as this sounds, I heard a rumor they are tweaking Diablo 3 because of stuff that was released in Torchlight. Now, normally I wouldn't even give that rumor a shread of my attention, but I have to be honest. After playing the game for 2 days now, I can say, they probably are changing at least some minor things because of Torchlight. Torchlight looks like a Diablo 3 clone and D3 hasn't even come out.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

  24. Comrade_Anon Said,

    :D Don't cheat tho… :( I used a cheat and got myself some spending money and it for one takes away the fun, and two blocks your shared stash. lol.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

  25. Dustin Said,

    I noticed that it is easier just to shoot most stuff if they are single targets. I almost want to just run in to melee with the Destroyer, since shooting is so easy.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

  26. Comrade_Anon Said,

    What difficulty are you playing on?

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

  27. Dustin Said,

    I guess I'll be bumping it up to Hard tonight. I will only have my laptop while in Oklahoma for the holiday weekend. I wonder if Torchlight will run alright on it. It's kind of a POS. Also, great popping health stones analogy! :)

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

  28. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Thank ya, thank ya, it took me a few minutes to think of a good one, with so many drug addicted stars out there… lol.

    The games requirements are amazing. It requires a x86 cpu at least 800Mhz, lol. If you don't have a laptop faster than that, I won't laugh in your face… I will wait until you turn your back :P It only needs a 64Mb vid card, too, so that's nice.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

  29. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Hmm, unless the games name is Duke Nukem Forever, then it also is a good way to build up debt, rumors, and false hope. *still crying inside*

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

  30. Dustin Said,

    Haha. I have better than that. Its like a 2 year old Toshiba Satellite, but I can play wow at like 15-20 FPS on it and it runs nudie websites pretty well, so I think I should be okay.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  31. Comrade_Anon Said,

    Rofl, you said nudie… *chuckle*

    J/K but yea, you're prolly good to go, did you get off steam or D2D? I think D2D says there is no DRM but you get like 10 installs from what I hear.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 5:59 pm

  32. Lenny Said,

    I’m really looking forward to both Diablo 3 and SC2. Though, I did grow up fighting endless Fallen in the dungeons of Tristam. Star Craft is more of a recent liking of mine. I’m just sick of damn WoW. Not even a fun game for me, which is supposedly what it’s all about. Actually just an absolute waste of time. Shame everyone’s stuck on it.

    ReplyReply

    Posted on November 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm

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