Blizzard Still Isn't Sure About Diablo III on Consoles

[John Funk]

Blizzard Still Isn't Sure About Diablo III on Consoles

Blizzard is hiring, but not experimenting.

We've heard Gamasutra [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94164-Diablo-III-Might-Show-Up-on-Consoles], however, game director Jay Wilson said that the reality was a bit more nebulous than that.

"We haven't officially announced [Diablo III on consoles], because we're not 'experimenting,'" said Wilson. "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."

"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."

With regard to the question of resources - I know that Mr. Wilson has been hard at work finishing Diablo III, so we can cut him some slack, but it seems that he's forgotten that the company for which he works also operates World of Warcraft. It probably has the resources to build a moon base. That said, of course just throwing money at a problem doesn't instantly lead to a solution, especially not for a studio as notoriously meticulous as Blizzard.

It also begs the question what the people Blizzard is hiring are doing if not "experimenting." Are they sitting around all day eating sandwiches? Letting hungry gerbils into the server rooms [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117262-Server-Issues-Mar-Diablo-IIIs-Launch] and snickering? Inquiring minds want to know!

In all seriousness, it's interesting to hear that D3 on consoles, which most of us thought was as close to a sure thing as one could get, still hasn't even reached the "experimenting" stage. I suppose that right now, Blizzard's Diablo team has other things on its mind.

The full interview with Jay Wilson is a fascinating read, especially if you're interested in the development and design of a game like Diablo III. Check it out over at Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/170258/candid_words_from_diablo_iiis_.php?page=1].

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[antipunt]

They're too busy counting monies

>_>

 

[StriderShinryu]

There really isn't any question as to whether or not it will work. It does work and it has worked in the past for both the Diablo series as well as similar games. The real question is how much control they'll be able to have and how an included cash market would function.

Honestly, I'd say it's an inevitability though it may not end up being a direct port.

Another thing to bear in mind is that they don't want to spoil sales of Diablo 3 on PC. It's no coincidence that this news comes out as D3 launches as there likely are those who would hold off on buying the game on PC if they knew for a fact that a console version was just around the corner.

 

[Torrasque]

There really isn't any question as to whether or not it will work. It does work and it has worked in the past for both the Diablo series as well as similar games. The real question is how much control they'll be able to have and how an included cash market would function.

Honestly, I'd say it's an inevitability though it may not end up being a direct port.

Another thing to bear in mind is that they don't want to spoil sales of Diablo 3 on PC. It's no coincidence that this news comes out as D3 launches as there likely are those who would hold off on buying the game on PC if they knew for a fact that a console version was just around the corner.

I don't see why anyone would want to play D3 on a console, it would just feel really weird. I guess people without good enough PC's would have to play the console port (despite the fact that D3 is not graphic intensive at all). /shrug

Like you said, I have no idea how the auction houses (especially the real money one) would work. Maybe it would coincide with Microsoft's rumored change from MS points to real monies? That would certainly be a push that would help the D3 console port along.

 

[Torrasque]

I don't see why anyone would want to play D3 on a console, it would just feel really weird. I guess people without good enough PC's would have to play the console port (despite the fact that D3 is not graphic intensive at all). /shrug

Like you said, I have no idea how the auction houses (especially the real money one) would work. Maybe it would coincide with Microsoft's rumored change from MS points to real monies? That would certainly be a push that would help the D3 console port along.

There are people out there like me who have absolutely no interest in PC gaming at all but would probably buy it if it was on a console. I find the PC and mouse and keyboard to be the most uncomfortable piece of shit I have ever used to play games. There are plenty of other reasons as well why I think PC gaming is a useless waste of money but thats not relevant.

Diablo 3 isnt a game I would actually pay money for but if it came out on consoles I would trade in some games to pick it up. Its people like me who either dont like or dont have gaming pcs that blizzard is considering. I think the main thing stopping them right now is that I honestly dont think Sony or Microsoft will let them have the cash AH.

I hadn't even considered the fact that Sony/Microsoft would want a cut of the pie, but now that you mention it, that would make a great deal of sense. Microsoft and Sony are not exactly scions of charitability.

I grew up as a console gamer, and am still mostly a console gamer, but after playing D2, WC3, SC, SC2, and other games, it just makes sense that a game like D3 would be better on PC. There is greater control customization for the PC (also considering you can use an xbox controller) as well as the internet connection being more reliable.

 

[Torrasque]

I'm way too cynical to believe them on this. They want more money, they've casualized D3 to hell (heyooo) already, porting the game to consoles is a sure thing if there ever was one.

They've casualized it? Please tell me how they have casualized it, I am genuinely interested in how you think they've made it more casual.

 

[Lucyfer86]

I'm way too cynical to believe them on this. They want more money, they've casualized D3 to hell (heyooo) already, porting the game to consoles is a sure thing if there ever was one.

They've casualized it? Please tell me how they have casualized it, I am genuinely interested in how you think they've made it more casual.

I'd like to know also. One pointless hater again, i'm quessing.

 

[John Funk]

There really isn't any question as to whether or not it will work. It does work and it has worked in the past for both the Diablo series as well as similar games. The real question is how much control they'll be able to have and how an included cash market would function.

Honestly, I'd say it's an inevitability though it may not end up being a direct port.

Another thing to bear in mind is that they don't want to spoil sales of Diablo 3 on PC. It's no coincidence that this news comes out as D3 launches as there likely are those who would hold off on buying the game on PC if they knew for a fact that a console version was just around the corner.

Not going to argue the first point since I think the amount of control they'd want to have as opposed to MS/Sony is probably an issue, but the second is off. This was one question at the end of a long interview, and the interviewer asked it. This wasn't Jay Wilson just coming out and saying it, he was answering a question

 

[Torrasque]

I'm way too cynical to believe them on this. They want more money, they've casualized D3 to hell (heyooo) already, porting the game to consoles is a sure thing if there ever was one.

They've casualized it? Please tell me how they have casualized it, I am genuinely interested in how you think they've made it more casual.

By putting arbitrary/pointless restrictions everywhere and holding the player's hand way too much. I'm not going to get deep into it right now, literally just got the game. Keep your eyes peeled for a poorly worded deconstruction a couple of days later if you are actually genuinely interested. I can even PM you.

I'd like to know also. One pointless hater again, i'm quessing.

Hey, I'm not a hater. Why you gotta be like that.

Including a tutorial does not casualify a game. I'd much rather a game tell me way too much about how to play it, than tell me nothing at all and I have to figure it out. Half the difficulty in older games was the overall lack of information that they gave you. Newer games that tell you everything, are not casualified, they are just made better.

I'm interested in what arbitrary/pointless restrictions you are talking about. If it is the DRM, I'll contest that I had more fun playing D2 with a party, than by myself.

 

[StriderShinryu]

There really isn't any question as to whether or not it will work. It does work and it has worked in the past for both the Diablo series as well as similar games. The real question is how much control they'll be able to have and how an included cash market would function.

Honestly, I'd say it's an inevitability though it may not end up being a direct port.

Another thing to bear in mind is that they don't want to spoil sales of Diablo 3 on PC. It's no coincidence that this news comes out as D3 launches as there likely are those who would hold off on buying the game on PC if they knew for a fact that a console version was just around the corner.

Not going to argue the first point since I think the amount of control they'd want to have as opposed to MS/Sony is probably an issue, but the second is off. This was one question at the end of a long interview, and the interviewer asked it. This wasn't Jay Wilson just coming out and saying it, he was answering a question

True enough, but you still have to consider when the question was asked and answered. All the time prior it's been more along the lines of "we're looking into it" or "it's possible." Now with D3 just hitting store shelves, however, that's suddenly become "Well, we're not even sure it could work and we're maybe just kinda hiring people too see if maybe it could kinda work." As I'm sure you know even better than I do given your profession, Activision/Blizzard are not lacking in media savvy.

 

[Inkidu]

Please, please don't do it Blizzard. There's no way for you to force an always-online requirement. Then you can't enforce your real-money auction house. I mean, are you really going to let a bunch of people play a game where you couldn't potentially be making fifteen percent on any potential transactions.

It's just not greedy enough for them to release on consoles. Just not greedy enough.

 

[Torrasque]

Including a tutorial does not casualify a game. I'd much rather a game tell me way too much about how to play it, than tell me nothing at all and I have to figure it out. Half the difficulty in older games was the overall lack of information that they gave you. Newer games that tell you everything, are not casualified, they are just made better.

I'm interested in what arbitrary/pointless restrictions you are talking about. If it is the DRM, I'll contest that I had more fun playing D2 with a party, than by myself.

Talking more about the fact that you don't get to choose the way your character progresses, or that you can only have 4 non-mouse skills available to use with no possibility of any sort of switching, or the annoying fact that the ability slots are locked away for a while, those sorts of things.

Really though, time for me to play through the bastard. See you after.

I'll let you play it for a while before getting my rebuttal in
Feel free to hit me up in a while after you have played it for a while and experienced it. It would be unfair to take advantage of your ignorance. I don't mean this as an insult, I mean it it in the literal sense, since you don't know quite how the game works. Hopefully playing it for a while will shed some light on these concerns of yours.

 

[archvile93]

I doubt it will come out for consoles. They would have a much harder time forcing their always online DRM down console players throats. It's probably not impossible though. so we'll see.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Blizzard doesn´t need the consoles to make money. On the other side i´m not sure if i need to play Diablo3. The first one i played is old now and i never took interest in Diablo2. They can keep their always online game if they want to and if not i´ll take a look when the ps3 version is out.
The whole thing is suspicious anyway with the old news of hiring extra programmers and the talk about console versions.

Edit: Blizzard is at the upcomming gamescom maybe this will bring some info about a possible console release.