http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3 Diablo 3 News: Diablo 3 is official! Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:46:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Blizzcon starts tomorrow and there's a ton of news related to Diablo 3 and the other Blizzard games. Starting with Diablo 3 - there will be a playable demo (as predicted here). If you're lucky to have a ticket, you'll be able to play as a Witch Doctor or Barbarian. A ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/new-character-revealed-at-blizzcon/ Town portals and corpse runs are two of the things that made Diablo and Diablo 2 quite unique. Now, they're being "revisited" by the game design team. Town portals will be removed in Diablo 3. Instead players will be using waypoints for quick transportation. I.e. if you're close to a ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/dying-in-diablo-3/ A recent rumor that Diablo 3 will be released BEFORE Starcraft 2 actually prompted Blizzard to officially address the issue of the release date. Here's the summary in short: Battle.net 2.0 will be released simultaneously with the release of Starcraft 2. The best guess for that is early 2009, with a ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-release-date/ If you're the kind of guy who always goes for a macho character, you might ignore the screenshot below. It's not Bruce Dickinson fighting Eddie, it's a female barbarian fighting a Siege Breaker. If you ask me, she's pretty cool. I'm partial though - my favorite Diablo 2 character was an ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/barbarian-fighting/ Jay Wilson stated in an interview that dungeons will be randomly generated - in true Diablo tradition. Btw, Jay is Diablo 3 lead designer. Outdoors will be persistent, however, and will not change from game to game. In other words, you can use landmarks in multiplayer as meeting places. I.e. Meet ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-outdoors-persistent/ Battle.net hasn't been upgraded much since it first came out. Blizzard have promised a new and improved version of Battle.net (2.0) that will coincide with the introduction of Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3. Below is the confirmed feature list (source: DIII): * Excellent Ping * Channels and Chat in-game * Ladders and Rankings, secured ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/battlenet-20-features/ A week ago I posted that Diablo 2 is back on the sales chart. I also posted that if you want a copy, you don't need to purchase a retail copy for $55 (for the Battle chest) or $35 (for Diablo 2 and LoD). You can purchase a Diablo 2 CD ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/getting-diablo-2-on-the-cheap/ Adam Sessler from G4TV is speaking against the guys who re-did the Diablo 3 screenshots to make them darker and gothic. His argument seems to center on the fact that Blizzard can do whatever they like with Diablo 3 because it's theirs. This guy obviously didn't attend marketing courses at college ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/adam-sessler-on-diablo-3-art-design/ If you have $300 to spare, you might be interested in pre-ordering a giant figurine (statue?) of the Barbarian - one of the Diablo 3 characters. The statue is not painted yet but I guess it will eventually be painted. For $300 - it better be an art masterpiece. The only ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-statue/ After Diablo 3's previous Art Director left, Blizzard started looking for a new Art Director for Diablo 3. So I guess the screenshots done by the fans do have some weight when it comes to the art direction. Here's the ad: Blizzard Entertainment is currently looking for a talented, motivated, and ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/blizzard-seeks-art-director/ Diablo 2 is enjoying a Renaissance of sorts on the back of the Diablo 3 announcement. The classic game is back in the sales chart at number 6! I gave my copy of Diablo II to my cousin a few years ago, so now I'm beating my head against the wall. ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-2-back-on-the-sales-chart/ In an interview for MTV, Jay Wilson said that Diablo 3 "will round out the story arc set up by the previous two games." “We also tried to focus a little more on bringing characters back, and not just from ‘Diablo II’ but from ‘Diablo I,’” he said. “We feel like ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-the-end/ Tickets for Blizzcon 2008 will be on sale starting next week. So here's a reason to go and buy one - there will be three panels with developers working on Diablo 3: Diablo III Class Design You’ve witnessed the raw physical power of the barbarian and the terrifying alchemy and diseases of ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-panels-at-blizzcon-2008/ This news just came in from Gamasutra . Brian Morrisroe, art director on Diablo 3, is leaving Blizzard. In light of the whole argument about the new COLOR in Diablo 3 screenshots, you'd expect someone to lose their job. Not so this time, Brian is leaving on his own accord. What's ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-art-director-leaves/ In an attempt to steer Blizzard into a darker world for Diablo 3, gamers have done some Photoshoping on Diablo 3 screenshots. The new screenshots are darker, the colors are less saturated. I must say I'm impressed with the result (see below). Not Blizzard though. Jay Wilson, designer for Diablo ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-screenshots-redone/ In an interview for MTV, lead WoW designer Jeff Kaplan said that Diablo 3 will feature an Achievement system. There's already something of an achievement system in Diablo 2 with the Lords, Dames and the other titles. However, what's new in Diablo 3 is that your Diablo 3 achievements will be ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-achievements/ A while back we examined the top 5 differences between Starcraft 2 and Warcraft 3. Now, it's time to examine the Diablo 3 announcement, the demo and the trailer, as well as all the additional info that has been released by Blizzard. Here's the top 5 differences! 1) More color, less ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/top-5-differences-between-diablo-2-and-diablo-3/ Blizzard’s Worldwide Invitational 2008 starts in half an hour in Paris. If you can check the intro image - there’s a dark shape that is more and more visible. UPDATE: Diablo 3 is OFFICIAL! Live news from the event: 12:15 — Announcement…..!! Guy playing Diablo music on an acoustic guitar… 12:18 — Footage ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-announcement/ Blizzard has opened the floodgates! A few dozen screenshots have been released thus far and here's the ones that I found most interesting. Be sure to check the official Diablo 3 announcement too. The Barbarian hacking through skeletons. Note the duel-wield. The Witch Doctor and his mass-effect spells. I guess he's the ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-screenshots/ This is the demo that was given during the Diablo 3 announcement in Paris. You can download the high-quality gameplay footage here. Check out the Diablo 3 screenshots too. http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-demo/ Updated (June 28): Finally, Diablo 3 is announced and here's the Diablo 3 trailer! You can download the high-quality version here. http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-trailer/ Blizzard has launched an official Diablo 3 forum at Battle.net. Just click here (no posting allowed yet). You can check a screenshot below: Let's hope and pray there's a Diablo 3 announcement at the WWI. Update: Diablo 3 release date has been tentatively set to follow the launch of Starcraft 2 and Battle.net ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/official-diablo-3-forum-launched/ Update (June 28): Diablo 3 has been announced at the WWI in Paris. You can now review the Diablo 3 trailer, screenshots, as well as demo. Below is the main box image for Diablo 3! http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-3-box-art/ Now, I don't know if you're fans of Conan ... but I simply love Robert E. Howard's stories and even the first Conan movie. So I'm very excited about the launch of Age of Conan tomorrow. The guys who have covered the beta have posted very positive reviews, so if you ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/age-of-conan-out-tomorrow/ Update (June 28): Diablo 3 has been announced at the WWI in Paris. You can now review the Diablo 3 trailer, screenshots, as well as demo. Blizzcon 2008 has just been announced. For those interested to attend, it will be on Oct 10 and 11th at the Anaheim Convention center in ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/blizzcon-2008-diablo-3-announcement/ Update (June 28): Diablo 3 has been announced at the WWI in Paris. You can now review the Diablo 3 trailer, screenshots, as well as demo. The owner of Diablo3.com has "confessed" he has transferred the domain to Blizzard. Here's the gist: A few months ago we were contacted by Blizzard in ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo3com-goes-to-blizzard/ Remember the days when Blizzard played jokes on Diablo, dressing him as Santa? You can forget about that... Diablo has become Blizzard's bastard child. They're probably going to deny they ever did it ... which is close to the truth as Blizzard North did it and they have left the company ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/blizzards-disregard-for-diablo/ Update (June 28): Diablo 3 has been announced at the WWI in Paris. You can now review the Diablo 3 trailer, screenshots, as well as demo. This Flash Diablo game seems to be a tribute to the original Diablo. There's some resemblance but how the hell do I turn off the ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/diablo-flash-game/ According to the whois database (confirmed by Blizzplanet too), Blizzard had gone ahead and registered a dozen of domains with Diablo 4. That's right! They have had the Diablo 3 domains registered for a while now but I guess they decided that a single sequel just won't do. So they got ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/more-diablo-domains-taken-by-blizzard/ You've probably heard it already but here's the summary: Activision, Inc. and Vivendi have announced that they will combine Vivendi Games, Vivendi's interactive entertainment business which includes Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft, with Activision, creating the world's largest online and console game publisher, the total transaction being worth more than US$18.9 ... http://www.maxfreak.com/diablo3/archives/activision-blizzard/