Official Blizzard Quote:
We’re focusing on customization through items as they can be seen better from how far away the camera is from the character.

OK, so no character customization except for items. I guess I can live with that, just promise me this will speed up development, so you’re ready for 2011 release!

Official Blizzard Quote:

Did we not already talk about that? Think we did. Like the cap raises another five every difficulty level? So when you reach hell difficulty the caps would be at 15? No? Did we not say that at the last BlizzCon? Think we did.

So the skill cap will be 15 at Hell difficulty. I think that makes perfect sense, you need more damage per skill depending on the difficulty level. Unless there’s a fourth difficulty introduced. Then it will be EXACTLY like Diablo 2 with skills capped at 20!

I hope there’s a bit more Diablo 3 info and gameplay videos at Blizzcon come October.

First, I’m really looking forward to playing it. More importantly, however, I’d like to see Blizzard’s marketing machine be done with Starcraft 2 and the upcoming WoW expansion (Dec release?).

Are we going to see a July 2011 release for Diablo 3? I’m keeping my fingers crossed it’s even sooner than that!

In addition to the Diablo 3 jokes, Blizzard also introduced a matchmaking service for Battle.net.

The default search on the site is for a Psionic alien, looking for a hot date, between levels of 30 and 60!

The final news item in the April’s jokes series concerns Blizzard’s foray into mobile gaming. They have introduced two games for iPhone/iPad:

Blackthorne 2: Thorne Harder – Guide Kyle Blackthorne on an epic quest to save Earth from almost certain destruction in this long-awaited sequel.
Queen’s Quest – Using a revolutionary new “natural language interface,” Queen’s Quest will challenge you like no game has ever before.

I think the new screenshots speak for themselves. They’re definitely more contrasty and have plenty of dark areas. The outside areas (Act II?) are looking similar to Luth Golein, so Blizzard seems to have taken to heart the pleas of their fan base.

Jay Wilson: Throughout the history of patches on Diablo II, there were a lot of updates to runewords and they really powerful from when they were introduced. At one time or another though all of the different item types were the most powerful, like unique items were the best, or rare items at some point.

Our general approach for Diablo III is to make sure that every type of item has a place to be useful. For example, maybe we’ll have a legendary item, which is the new name for our unique items, be the best helm, whereas rares will have the most powerful chest armor, and so on. Having a spread like that will allow for a more varied itemization system we hope.

I think we’ll still be stuck collecting exotic components but time will tell if Diablo 3 will be like Diablo 2 item-wise.

It does look very much like the same skill in Starcraft II – the one that the Protoss mothership had. Anyway, it’s a fine animation, hopefully the finished game isn’t too heavy… I don’t want to upgrade my hardware so I can stop time.

Here’s what J. Allen Brack has to say:

We just want to make the right game for the right platform.

Think about StarCraft II. Some real-time strategy games have tried to happen on the console. Some of those have been successful, but overall, our experience is that it’s going to be a better game on the PC, ergo it’s developed on the PC.

But we’re a company of gamers. I have two consoles at home. Sam has consoles. We’re a culture of gamers. We will definitely work on a console game at some point. I have no doubt about that. It’s just [a matter of] what game. What makes the most sense?

Does that mean that Diablo 3 will grace Playstation 3 or maybe Xbox? I don’t know. But the LAN party days are kinda over, so it makes sense for Blizzard to go for mass appeal.

Unlike World of Warcraft and its kin, Riftforge will have a free-to-play mode. Even more importantly, you’ll be able to SOLO end-game content by borrowing characters from your friends, hiring mercenaries, or leveling your own party of three. In this and other aspects, it’s much closer to Diablo than to WoW.

Here’s a bit more info from the official press release:

November 24, 2009 — Riftforge Entertainment Ltd. today announced the development of Riftforge, an ambitious fantasy online role-playing game. It challenges massively multiplayer online game conventions with deep, tactical combat, adding a significant element of player skill. Hundreds of thousands of players will be able to cooperate and compete on an unprecedented scale, thanks to a new web technology platform.

“As hardcore gamers ourselves, we have been sidelined for a long time by greedy game companies that are going after the lowest common denominator,” said Krasimir Koichev, Riftforge’s Producer. “The unrivaled depth of the Riftforge’s tactical combat system rewards competitive gamers for their skills, not just the time spent button mashing.”

The game world’s central location is the Riftforge, a hub structure that seemingly exists out of space and time. When the first Rift opens, players will be able to explore the immense landmass of Manirak. It is home to dozens of warring tribes, feuding city-states, and two empires fighting for supremacy.

The player creates a House (e.g. House Stark), which can send multiple commanders and their troops to combat missions. Completing missions and campaigns results in a constant progression of new skills, better equipment, and elite units.

Commanders and their troops come from the three branches of the Riftforge military: the Guardians, the Rangers, and the Raiders. Each archetype comes with its own unique commanders and units, with customizable skills, specializations, and equipment.

Features:

• Three powerful RPG archetypes to choose from: Guardian, Ranger, and Raider.
• Rare, elite, and epic units for each of the six troop types
• Dynamic front lines across 81 areas in nine war zones
• Seven enemy factions fielding dozens of generals leading massive armies
• Deep and engaging tactical combat, within a familiar turn-based system
• A graphics engine that combines isometric pixel artwork with Flash animations
• Playable on almost any device with a browser (including smart phones like the iPhone)
• Social features that enable players to interact and trade, cooperate and compete
• Includes a free-to-play MMO mode to encourage players to try the game

Update: Riftforge lens coming up.