Blizzard: Diablo Would Be "Easiest" Port To Consoles

[Tom Goldman]

Blizzard: Diablo Would Be "Easiest" Port To Consoles

Blizzard isn't officially working on a console title, but Diablo III is a likely candidate if it does in the future.

This generation's consoles have had big sales and are the current focus of many developers and publishers above the PC. Blizzard Entertainment is one of the world's most prominent exceptions to that rule thanks to its huge success with PC-exclusives like StarCraft II [http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Battle-Chest-Mac/dp/B000H96C9M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1282408737&sr=8-2]. However, if Blizzard were to step into the console realm, it already has a game that it thinks would be the best fit.

Blizzard's Jay Wilson told Diablo [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=260936] would be the easiest to bring over - mainly because of the controls."

Blizzard Entertainment hasn't released a game on a console since the '90s, when it did titles such as The Lost Vikings and Blackthorne on the Super Nintendo (EDIT: Whoops, Diablo and Warcraft II were released on the PlayStation, though they weren't published by Blizzard. StarCraft was released for the N64, but also not handled by Blizzard). StarCraft: Ghost was the studio's last planned console game but it never made it to a retail release.

A version of Diablo on consoles would certainly fit, as we've already seen similar titles like Sacred 2 [http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-2-Fallen-Angel-Pc/dp/B001E2I4H4] on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Gamecube. Diablo is the most popular of the hack-and-loot genre, so it seems it would not only work well on a console, but also sell a copy or two.

Unfortunately, Wilson also reiterated that Blizzard has no plans to port Diablo yet, but that doesn't mean the topic hasn't come up. "I'd be lying if I said we never talk about it," he said. "But it's not something we're pursuing right now."

Even though Wilson says Diablo's controls are most suited out of all of its series for a console port, the mouse-and-keyboard is still superior as I see it, so maybe this is why Blizzard chooses to focus on making the best PC experience possible. Adapting a PC-oriented control scheme to a gamepad never seems to feel right, and Blizzard sells plenty of games on the PC, so why bother watering it down?

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=260936]

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[Quiet Stranger]

well we already have Diablo 1 on the Playstation so I would love to see Diablo 3 on consoles

 

[gmacarthur81]

StarCraft: Ghost was the studio's last planned console game but it never made it to a retail release.

And there was much lamentation.

=(

 

[Uber Waddles]

Erm, fact check. There was StarCraft for the N64, released in the year 2000. That was their most recent title to hit the consoles.

And Diablo on the consoles would be cool if Blizzard could pull it off. Although converting the controls into something console gamers could use would be hard to say the least. But do-able. Just dont trim too much corners.

 

[icyneesan]

Awesome if it happens, they only really need 3 buttons if they do it too. Move, loot, and kill

 

[Ewoc]

You know.. I really hope it doesn't because of the fact that it's going to take longer for it to come out!! Plus if this is the BIG news that they are going to be giving at Blizzcon this year, I will be disappointed. I'm hopping for a release date myself or beta key.

 

[Ralphfromdk]

i would like it on my 360, so i don't have to depend on my poor dying laptop
so here is my point as to why they should do it:

Think about all the money you could make Blizzard

All the money

The money... so much money

 

[Autofaux]

It's less about watering down and more about cash money. If it can be done, why the hell wouldn't it? However, chances are I'd get Diablo III on PC anyway. I'd buy a new gaming PC just for that, I reckon.

 

[Wolf Devastator]

You know.. I really hope it doesn't because of the fact that it's going to take longer for it to come out!! Plus if this is the BIG news that they are going to be giving at Blizzcon this year, I will be disappointed. I'm hopping for a release date myself or beta key.

Yea, hopefully it's something they work on after it comes out...

 

[RowdyRodimus]

Erm, fact check. There was StarCraft for the N64, released in the year 2000. That was their most recent title to hit the consoles.

And Diablo on the consoles would be cool if Blizzard could pull it off. Although converting the controls into something console gamers could use would be hard to say the least. But do-able. Just dont trim too much corners.

It could count but I think since the N64 version was ported by Mass Media Interactive and published by Nintendo it's a bit iffy.

 

[Reveras]

I'm pretty sure they'd would need a pretty big ass controller. I played Torchlight (eagerly awaiting Torchlight 2) and it was awesooooooooome, but not for a console port.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

You know.. I really hope it doesn't because of the fact that it's going to take longer for it to come out!! Plus if this is the BIG news that they are going to be giving at Blizzcon this year, I will be disappointed. I'm hopping for a release date myself or beta key.

Yea, hopefully it's something they work on after it comes out...

I'm not a PC gamer and excited for Diablo 3 to maybe appear on a console, but I hope they not only finish the PC version and ship it before they do a console version (if at all) just because you need to satisfy those that brought you to the dance first and then worry about dancing with others.

That's not to say that if they released a console version and it outsold the PC version by a large margin that the next one could be primarily for consoles, but as it stands, the PC is where they made their name and got their fans, so the PC crowd deserves it as of now.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

Actually, plenty of Blizzard titles saw a console release. WarCraft II and Diablo were released for the PlayStation and StarCraft saw a Nintendo 64 release. There was even a commercial:


Of course, there was one slight problem....all of them were terrible. Nowadays, Blizzard acts like these ports never existed and for good reason. They are much better off focusing on developing for the PC.

Besides, Blizzard's method of development makes it really hard for them to work with consoles, given their limited life cycle. Let me just put it this way....both StarCraft II and Diablo III began development in the middle of the previous generation of consoles. I rest my case.

StarCraft: Ghost was the studio's last planned console game but it never made it to a retail release.

And there was much lamentation.

=(

Honestly, it was a wise decision by Blizzard to canc....oh, sorry, "indefinitely postpone" StarCraft: Ghost. While the game looked like it might not have been bad, it wasn't really anything special. By the time it was cancelled, the consoles have seen a whole slew of third-person shooters and some of them were also stealth-based (the Splinter Cell series being the most prominent example). Not only that, Blizzard has little recognition with modern console gamers. So overall, Ghost would probably have been a failure.

The fact that they were developing the game for a passing generation of consoles didn't help either.

i would like it on my 360, so i don't have to depend on my poor dying laptop
so here is my point as to why they should do it:

Think about all the money you could make Blizzard

All the money

The money... so much money

Blizzard makes more than enough money developing games for the PC. Plus, their console ports have ended up being disasters, simply beacuse the kind of games they develop are much better suited for a mouse and keyboard control scheme. Yes, you could theoretically plug in a mouse and keyboard with an Xbox....but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of playing on a console in the first place and it wouldn't resonate well with most console gamers.

Overall, rather than hope for a poor console port on Blizzard's part, you are better off just buying a new laptop. Afterall, a Blizzard game is as good of a reason as any to upgrade. XD Besides, the amount of scalability that Blizzard provides ensures that a wide range of computers can play their games, so you don't have to spend much.

 

[Im Nightmare]

I they did port it to console I would own 2 copies of Diablo 3.
But seriously quite teasing me I want the game Nao!

 

[Dana22]

Of course, there was one slight problem....all of them were terrible.

No. I had much fun with Warcraft and Diablo on me psx.

 

[TWEWER]

Of course it would be the easiest. All you need is a D-pad and one button. Walk around, hit monsters.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

sure why not?

id get it on pc if im going to get it anyways, but why not share some fun?

inb4 pc elitist raggeee on the subject of anything going to the consoles

 

[jamesworkshop]

If you are you had better hurray up at this rate PS10 will be out by then