People should know this by now. According to the Rob Pardo IGN interview, Diablo III has been in development since the existence of Blizzard North. Blizzard North was created in 1996 when Blizzard purchased the independent company renaming it Blizzard North. In 2003, many members of the production team left for various reasons, forcing the cancellation of whatever they may have been working on. In 2005, Blizzard North closed down for good. A few of the staff members worked on World of Warcraft's "The Burning Crusade" expansion.
Now that all of that is out of the way, Rob says in the interview and I quote "Initially the game's visual design was closer to the older games than what we saw in the gameplay demonstration. We probably did three revisions on the visual direction until we got to this and now we're really happy with it."
Not knowing the exact time line of the development, the visual changes could have taken place back in 2003-2005 with the North team or more recently. Either way, if the game was truly worked on back when North was still alive, it is probably too far in development to simply "make it darker." Logically, graphics are much more developed now than they were back in 2000. The popular picture floating around claiming its too "cartoon-y" and expressing how it should look by going into photoshop and adding "grain" to the screenshots is more than likely not even possible. If you want a graphical replica of Diablo II, than I suggest you adjust the video settings when the game is released. The times have changed too much for them to shoot themselves in the foot on probably the most anticipated game of our time.
To all you self-righteous pricks telling "suggesting" to people who really care about the this game that they ignore a HUGE issue, I suggest that you can suck our collective you-know-whats.
There could be other reasons that the style that the game had could have been discarded. They are obviously drawing alot of inspiration from the success of WoW, which I hope doesn't eliminate their separate IPs. But Blizzard North could have also demanded to keep their artwork and previous development as part of the negotiations to let Blizzard proper keep the Diablo franchise as theirs. They could have simply also not had the available art talent to continue in the Gothic style after the artists working for the North left.
And hopefully, Rob Pardo will be very open to the outcry from the community.
Instead of complaining about everything people should be happy there is even a Diablo 3 for you to choose to play in the future. I guarantee when D3 comes out all you criers will all be playing and happy. Take what you can get and be happy with it. The internet is becoming more flooded every day with whiners and complainers - grow up and act your age.
I want to see what Blizzard want's to do with the new art style. If I don't like it when it's closer to release.. Oh well, this game still incredibly dark. The artwork (the actual artwork) is dark, and the story is dark. I don't think I'll be disappointed in the "gothic" feel of it. How do we know that the "Hell" levels won't be dark. Also, people said the same thing about Diablo 2. Diablo 1 was several fold darker and more gothic than Diablo 2, yet people still call Diablo 2 dark. I don't call Diablo 2 dark.
Instead of complaining about everything people should be happy there is even a Diablo 3 for you to choose to play in the future. I guarantee when D3 comes out all you criers will all be playing and happy. Take what you can get and be happy with it. The internet is becoming more flooded every day with whiners and complainers - grow up and act your age.
That's got to the be reason they wait SOOO many years before even announcing a game when back in the day they would announce in a year or so into development. Not 3 or 4 years...
The Internet has become flooded with morons and idiots who think they are being profound in accepting less than the very best for a game THAT WE ULTIMATELY PAY FOR.
Instead of complaining about everything people should be happy there is even a Diablo 3 for you to choose to play in the future. I guarantee when D3 comes out all you criers will all be playing and happy. Take what you can get and be happy with it. The internet is becoming more flooded every day with whiners and complainers - grow up and act your age.
Agreed, too much bitching about a game people haven't even played.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My goodness, and my fortress, my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust…
They are obviously drawing alot of inspiration from the success of WoW
And hopefully, Rob Pardo will be very open to the outcry from the community.
Rob Pardo isn't the lead designer of Diablo III. Jay Wilson is. Jay was the lead designer of Dawn of War. I'll at least admit inspiration from that game.
That's got to the be reason they wait SOOO many years before even announcing a game when back in the day they would announce in a year or so into development. Not 3 or 4 years...
New to Blizzard are we? You should know what happens when they announce games early. Starcraft: GHOST anyone?
Just be patient guys - we will get what we've been waiting for and then some. Enjoy the excitement and have more faith in our Blizzard boys. I'm sure you guys remember seeing the early screenshots of Diablo 2 in the PC magazines when you were younger before it was released. Didn't look anything like the finished product, and even if this is closer to the finished product I'm very happy with it.
To all you self-righteous pricks telling "suggesting" to people who really care about the this game that they ignore a HUGE issue, I suggest that you can suck our collective you-know-whats.
There could be other reasons that the style that the game had could have been discarded. They are obviously drawing alot of inspiration from the success of WoW, which I hope doesn't eliminate their separate IPs. But Blizzard North could have also demanded to keep their artwork and previous development as part of the negotiations to let Blizzard proper keep the Diablo franchise as theirs. They could have simply also not had the available art talent to continue in the Gothic style after the artists working for the North left.
And hopefully, Rob Pardo will be very open to the outcry from the community.
I'm sure he will listen to our complaints, there are so many people unhappy with the graphical direction of D3. Simply "adjusting our monitors" wont change the clunky WoWtoony look of the character renders.
New to Blizzard are we? You should know what happens when they announce games early. Starcraft: GHOST anyone?
I've been with Blizzard since WarCraft 1. You are INCREDIBLY ignorant. Those games were announced much earlier than StarCraft 2 and Diablo III as far as development time and time ratio. Announcing Ghost early has nothing to do with it, it was a console game (instant fail), and the development cycle is much longer than a console's life span.. Please, stfu.
I'm sure he will listen to our complaints, there are so many people unhappy with the graphical direction of D3. Simply "adjusting our monitors" wont change the clunky WoWtoony look of the character renders.
They definately will. They did so with StarCraft 2, for the most part.
I've been with Blizzard since WarCraft 1. You are INCREDIBLY ignorant. Those games were announced much earlier than StarCraft 2 and Diablo III as far as development time and time ratio. Announcing Ghost early has nothing to do with it, it was a console game (instant fail), and the development cycle is much longer than a console's life span.. Please, stfu.
Sources please if you feel like throwing out insults internet champ.
I'm sure he will listen to our complaints, there are so many people unhappy with the graphical direction of D3. Simply "adjusting our monitors" wont change the clunky WoWtoony look of the character renders.
Call me crazy, but I don't think the characters looks reminiscent of WoW at all. Personally I think a lot of you are trying to find problems with the game so you don't have to call it good. I will give you the fact that the textures need to be changed to give more of a gothic feeling, but the atmosphere itself feels fine to me.
The Internet has become flooded with morons and idiots who think they are being profound in accepting less than the very best for a game THAT WE ULTIMATELY PAY FOR.
agree.
If you like cartoony graphics, make a thread on how you like cartoony graphics.
If you like realistic graphics, make a thread on it.
That's the point of the forums.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
~
"[Diablo1+2] obviously had the gothic look to it, but, you they weren't, they weren't very uh, very colorful games."
"We want to take dark as an emotion, rather than an actual color art choice." -Rob Pardo
"Why the hell shouldn't it be for 'kiddies', it's a goddamn game afterall." -lethlan
I've waited for the better part of a decade for this game, they need to make it appeal to masses of loyal Diablo fans...that should be the only thing they focus on, not the largest possible income.
On what planet do you live.
They will do what they want, it's their game. They have arguably the most talented and capable art department in the industry and they will do what is best for the game and their own interests. Do you think there won't be dark, claustrophobic, ashen, gothic locales in this game? Do you think they just plum didn't consider how to convey the tone of the game in the visuals? Get this novel thought - maybe there's variety. Maybe there are more than two environments in the final game. Maybe you'll have to get used to the idea that Diablo 3 isn't being made just for you.
It's called business.
Snap.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Now that all of that is out of the way, Rob says in the interview and I quote "Initially the game's visual design was closer to the older games than what we saw in the gameplay demonstration. We probably did three revisions on the visual direction until we got to this and now we're really happy with it."
Not knowing the exact time line of the development, the visual changes could have taken place back in 2003-2005 with the North team or more recently. Either way, if the game was truly worked on back when North was still alive, it is probably too far in development to simply "make it darker." Logically, graphics are much more developed now than they were back in 2000. The popular picture floating around claiming its too "cartoon-y" and expressing how it should look by going into photoshop and adding "grain" to the screenshots is more than likely not even possible. If you want a graphical replica of Diablo II, than I suggest you adjust the video settings when the game is released. The times have changed too much for them to shoot themselves in the foot on probably the most anticipated game of our time.
*EDIT* Pardo Interview source: http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/885/885139p1.html
There could be other reasons that the style that the game had could have been discarded. They are obviously drawing alot of inspiration from the success of WoW, which I hope doesn't eliminate their separate IPs. But Blizzard North could have also demanded to keep their artwork and previous development as part of the negotiations to let Blizzard proper keep the Diablo franchise as theirs. They could have simply also not had the available art talent to continue in the Gothic style after the artists working for the North left.
And hopefully, Rob Pardo will be very open to the outcry from the community.
That's got to the be reason they wait SOOO many years before even announcing a game when back in the day they would announce in a year or so into development. Not 3 or 4 years...
Agreed, too much bitching about a game people haven't even played.
6/29/08 - A date you will remember forever.
Rob Pardo isn't the lead designer of Diablo III. Jay Wilson is. Jay was the lead designer of Dawn of War. I'll at least admit inspiration from that game.
New to Blizzard are we? You should know what happens when they announce games early. Starcraft: GHOST anyone?
I've been with Blizzard since WarCraft 1. You are INCREDIBLY ignorant. Those games were announced much earlier than StarCraft 2 and Diablo III as far as development time and time ratio. Announcing Ghost early has nothing to do with it, it was a console game (instant fail), and the development cycle is much longer than a console's life span.. Please, stfu.
They definately will. They did so with StarCraft 2, for the most part.
Sources please if you feel like throwing out insults internet champ.
Call me crazy, but I don't think the characters looks reminiscent of WoW at all. Personally I think a lot of you are trying to find problems with the game so you don't have to call it good. I will give you the fact that the textures need to be changed to give more of a gothic feeling, but the atmosphere itself feels fine to me.
Diablo walks the earth.
You know what I thought when I first played Diablo 2?
*This does not feel like Diablo... It's better...*
agree.
If you like cartoony graphics, make a thread on how you like cartoony graphics.
If you like realistic graphics, make a thread on it.
That's the point of the forums.
"[Diablo1+2] obviously had the gothic look to it, but, you they weren't, they weren't very uh, very colorful games."
"We want to take dark as an emotion, rather than an actual color art choice." -Rob Pardo
"Why the hell shouldn't it be for 'kiddies', it's a goddamn game afterall." -lethlan
They will do what they want, it's their game. They have arguably the most talented and capable art department in the industry and they will do what is best for the game and their own interests. Do you think there won't be dark, claustrophobic, ashen, gothic locales in this game? Do you think they just plum didn't consider how to convey the tone of the game in the visuals? Get this novel thought - maybe there's variety. Maybe there are more than two environments in the final game. Maybe you'll have to get used to the idea that Diablo 3 isn't being made just for you.
It's called business.
Snap.