Blizzard Nearly Gave Us Diablo in Space

MikeWehner

The Dude
Aug 21, 2011
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Blizzard Nearly Gave Us Diablo in Space



Blizzard built several playable versions of an interstellar Diablo clone nicknamed Starblo which never saw the light of day.

We've already learned about the cancelled Game Boy versions of Diablo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120092-Diablo-Almost-Raided-the-Game-Boy-With-Three-Cartridges] thanks to excerpts from David Craddock's upcoming book Stay Awhile and Listen, but his latest reveal is perhaps even more intriguing: After Diablo II's release, a team within Blizzard starting working on a concept that played just like Diablo, but traded dungeons for a futuristic space setting. What's more, the company actually produced several playable versions of the title, which was subsequently nicknamed "Starblo."

"The project earned the nickname Starblo for its mix of a space setting and the action-RPG formula that made Diablo so successful," Craddock explains. "Like Diablo 2, Starblo would take place over several acts, but rather than journey across a single world, players would board their customizable spaceship and travel to new planets, killing and looting the space creatures they found there."

Given that the game never saw release, we have to assume that the playable builds weren't compelling enough to warrant further resources. Still, Craddock doesn't appear to have evidence of when - or even if - the space-themed action RPG met its ultimate demise. There's a chance that Blizzard has still not fully ruled out the possibility of such a title, and that's a pretty exciting thought.

Source: Shacknews [http://www.shacknews.com/article/76304/author-blizzard-prototyped-diablo-in-space#]

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Aeshi

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Dec 22, 2009
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They should've made that. There are boatloads of Fantasy Dungeon crawlers, but the only Sci-Fi one I can think of is Darkspore (and maybe Spiral Knights, if we're being generous with the term "Sci-Fi")
 

Smiley Face

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Jan 17, 2012
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That is perhaps the most unfortunate nickname for a project I've ever heard. Nice change of venue for a traditionally fantasy-limited structure, though.
 

Fappy

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Jan 4, 2010
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Starblo sounds like the name of a porn parody or something. I wonder what they would have called it had they developed it.
 

Skeleon

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Nov 2, 2007
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Really? Warcraft in space, then Diablo in space? It would probably have been an addictive game, but still, that's rather pathetic. Albeit not that surprising, considering Blizzard's tendency to remake and refine rather than try new things. Starcraft Ghost, Warcraft Adventure. Taking the world/setting but doing completely different gameplay. I'm sad about the games that could've been.
 

GrimGrimoire

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Aug 11, 2011
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Now, the premise of the game sounds awesome and all, but Starblo? Really?
I'm amazed that it's possible to come up with such a bad name.

But, as I said, give me a large, open RPG with a customizable spaceship any day. That is, if Spacepirate is a playable class.
 

Bolt-206

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Dec 6, 2010
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Stekepanne5 said:
Now, the premise of the game sounds awesome and all, but Starblo? Really?
I'm amazed that it's possible to come up with such a bad name.

But, as I said, give me a large, open RPG with a customizable spaceship any day. That is, if Spacepirate is a playable class.
'twas nothing but a nickname, like how blizzard's upcoming MMO is codenamed 'Titan'.
...
For some reason I can't help but think they'd of called it Spacecraft upon release.
 

IamLEAM1983

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Aug 22, 2011
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Skeleon said:
Really? Warcraft in space, then Diablo in space? It would probably have been an addictive game, but still, that's rather pathetic. Albeit not that surprising, considering Blizzard's tendency to remake and refine rather than try new things. Starcraft Ghost, Warcraft Adventure. Taking the world/setting but doing completely different gameplay. I'm sad about the games that could've been.
Could be worse. We could've gotten an isometric actioner with Diablo mechanics involving a zombie invasion.

Y'know, Zomblo.
 

Tiamat666

Level 80 Legendary Postlord
Dec 4, 2007
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That game already exists and was made a long time ago. I think it was called [a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusader_%28game_series%29"]Crusader[/a]
 

Paranoah

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Oct 23, 2012
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Im glad they didnt honestly i couldnt see diablo in space unless it was strictly gameplay and not story
 

Zenn3k

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Feb 2, 2009
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Instead, we got a terrible game they called Diablo 3.

Should have made Starblo instead.
 

-Dragmire-

King over my mind
Mar 29, 2011
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Raise your hand if you'd be really interested in this game.

*raises hand*

Starblo is a really stupid name though, I imagine it'd get a name change before it's theoretical release.
 

VoidWanderer

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Sep 17, 2011
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So it would've been a better version of Space Siege?

I would be up for that...

Unless they stick to their Ubisoft level of DRM...