It's official: Diablo 3 is on it's way, expecting to touch down sometime next year. Personally I'm a bit surprised that Blizzard were actually making a Diablo 3: One would expect that with the monumental success of World of Warcraft they would just pack it in and retire.
But I find interesting is that Diablo 3 has apparently been in development since 2001 - that's ten years. Seeing as the gaming industry moves at such a mind-blowing pace, ten years would be an eternity: Technological advancements happen, investors get worried with lack of action and the many of potential buyers have to satisfied lest they get frustrated and take their money elsewhere.
But strangely everyone seems rather cool with this: Blizzard run by the policy of taking their time with their products and doing the best job possible - and they can get away with this purely out of their previous successes. More astonishingly the fans of Blizzard, of which there are many, are very understanding and accepting of this and will hold onto the undying hopes (not to mention faith in Blizzard) without question.
Geez, how good do you have to be to enable this to happen!?
But the unflinching acceptance to the long development cycle of Diablo 3 makes an interesting counterpoint to the debacle that was Duke Nukem Forever. Both games were/are being released on the premise of when it's done - yet whilst the Diablo fans quietly accepted this, the Duke Nukem fans got angered. And whereas everyone kept indefatigable faith in Blizzard, everyone made countless jokes at DNF's MIA status. When the hopes for DNF eventually crumbled, the hopes for Blizzard remain high and untouched as ever. And when everyone was so keen to put the boot into the DNF before it was released, Blizzard are still able to escape such a fate unscathed.
And whereas the constant delays of DNF was a sin beyond forgivable, Blizzard, as well as Valve, are allowed to work at their own pace and we allow it to happen without any thoughts of anger or betrayal.
We're a hard mob to please us gamers aren't we?
Well Blizzard has enjoyed a reasonable amount of success now, so it has a massive and really good bunch of people following it. As for retiring, are you asking game designers of great games to stop making great games? Bah, Never! lol
ReplyDeleteWell WOW has been so successful, one would think Blizzard would retire to the Bahamas and spend all their days on a yacht (or several) snorting cocaine....
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