OK, this is not the normal article that I post here, but it is very exciting news in the PC computer gaming world. There is still only limited information on Blizzard’s Website but it looks like Diablo3 carries on where Diablo2 left off, with extra character classes.
Needless to say, the official page on the Blizzard site is struggling under extremely high levels of traffic on the server. So, why am I blogging Diablo3 here?
Firstly, Diablo2 was the first game that I played on my first PC. I bought my first computer in 2001, several years after leaving University. I had already started working, and bought my first flat by this time. What made Diablo2 so great, and so memorable, was that it was by far the most exciting online game available at the time.
Although Blizzard’s Starcraft was, and still is, very popular, Diablo2 allowed up to 8 players to adventure together. The characters were very well balanced, and the quests throughout the 5 Acts were very challenging. Diablo2 was incredibly addictive.
Secondly, Diablo3, being a PC game, will probably lead to an increase in sales for games computers. Computer games push a PC to its limits. No other software requires the most advanced CPU’s, RAM, Graphics cards and fast hard drives like the latest computer game.
When I played Diablo2, I was playing on my Athlon 1Ghz pc, with 256Mb RAM, and a Geforce2 AGP graphics card. I am still using this PC for web surfing and various other web admin tasks, however it does not stand up to any of the latest PC games. Even my P4 2.66Ghz, with 2Gb RAM and a Geforce 6600 AGP graphics card is too slow for most of the latest games.
When it comes to PC benchmarking, few tests are as intensive as playing the latest PC games with the graphics set to maximum quality to really push the latest PCIe graphics cards and CPUs to their limits. I am already planning my PC upgrade in readiness for the release of Diablo3 (although the Diablo3 release date is currently unknown, but likely to be 2nd quarter of 2009).
However, it is unlikely that Diablo3 will require the most powerful machines, as Blizzard’s Diablo series, like the Starcraft game, is more about game-play and player interaction than visually stunning graphics. However, this may all change in D3.
Watch the Diablo3 Trailer
So, what do we know about Diablo 3?
There will be two new character classes to add to the Amazon, Paladin, Barbarian, Sorceress, Necromancer, Druid and Assasin – the Witch Doctor and the new Barbarian. Judging from the demos and character details on Blizzard.com the characters look much more like those from Blizzards Award Winning MMORP World of Warcraft. The Witch Doctor looks much like a Horde Undead character.
From Blizzard’s website:
“Twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic events of Diablo® II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram…. Following the unveiling of Diablo III today at the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, we’ve launched the game’s official website, with information about the places, characters, monsters, and adventures awaiting you upon your return to the world of Sanctuary. Some of the site’s highlights include:
- The cinematic teaser trailer shown at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational
- A 20-minute gameplay demo video
- More than 60 screenshots and pieces of concept art
- Deckard Cain’s journal, narrated by Deckard Cain himself — stay a while and listen!
- And much, much more
Visit the new Diablo III website now to learn more about the game, and make sure to check out the official FAQ and the announcement press release.”
Diablo3 wil be available on pre-order for UK customers at the GBP Shop in 2009.
