Rumours fly as Gamasutra interviews J. Allen Brack about Blizzard's thoughts on Consoles vs PC's, and it seems that a console game may not be too far off for the PC Juggernaut.
Official Blizzard Quote:
"We just want to make the right game for the right platform."
"Think about StarCraft II. Some real-time strategy games have tried to happen on the console. Some of those have been successful, but overall, our experience is that it's going to be a better game on the PC, ergo it's developed on the PC."
"But we're a company of gamers. I have two consoles at home. Sam has consoles. We're a culture of gamers. We will definitely work on a console game at some point. I have no doubt about that. It's just [a matter of] what game. What makes the most sense?"
Now, Blizzard has tried in the past to make console games, such as Starcraft 64 (for the Nintendo 64), or Diablo I (for the Sony Playstation). Having played both, I can say with certainty that they were immensely fun for gaming nights, but both were dwarfed by the PC version, complete with a LAN party.
These days however, it seems that LAN parties are becoming a thing of the past. Sure, pockets of resistance still exist. But for the most part, those gaming nights are moving towards multiple consoles in the same house. If Blizzard wishes to take advantage of the changing demographics of the gamer culture, then they may have to release games on consoles once more.
Of their current franchises, Warcraft is the only that has not had a console treatment. Keep in mind that both Diablo and Starcraft 64 were relatively unsuccessful on the consoles. For WoW, which is similar to Diablo, this means bad news. For Warcraft (the RTS version), this also means bad news, since it is similar to Starcraft.
With this in mind, it means that Blizzard may not be using Warcraft as their next console game.
However, this leaves the door open for a new franchise to step up to the plate, and dominate the console world. It's already been confirmed that Blizzard has a new franchise in the works, in the form of an MMO, so it's clear that they are expanding their line.
Whether this means a new franchise will also be made for consoles though, is yet to be seen.
1. Some side buttom would work like our "alt", you click and all the item names appear on the screen. The item that are more close to your charcter appear slighty colored box (like a transparent blue) instead of the common transparent box. By using another key you pick up this item. If you want to pick another you can change the "targeted" item with another key while holding the buttom that works like alt and then your character move to that location and grab what you selected.
2. You would move directly instead of using a cursor, like any third person with fixed camera.
Targeting would be surely more complicated then that. Depending on the skill a new kind of target would appear in the screen. Bolt-like skill would show a line in front of your character and then you can aim. Melee attacks and nova-like atacks would not require aiming. AoE skills like blizzard you would move the area like controlling your character (this would require some decent coordination but would work).
Anyway, the console controllers would loose alot in targeting and aiming, sure. But they would win in character movimentation: You would use just your finger instead of your whole arm+shoulder wich means you would loose precision but gain speed. Since you don't need a shooter-like precision in diablo have more speed is more confortable and nice.
Also the console wins in skill activation, since it will require much less coordination because wouldn't use 3+ fingers of the same hand and 3 is the exect break point of easy coordination to a avarage one.
Yes the gameplay would feels a little different, but it's 100% viable. In the worst case you can buy a keybord and mouse to your console...Not all console games are made to be played in console controllers (Grand Turismo, Street Fighter, Teken, etc...).
I am a dedicated console player. When Diablo first came onto the gaming scene, the very concept of the game struck something deep inside of me and ever since, I have become an avid Diablo fan. However, I realized that Diablo was mainly a PC game and accepted that many of its fans were in the grouping of the multi-player aspect. I enjoyed my single player and my few experiences on-line were very discouraging.
a) Getting killed in town by people who hacked.
Hackers, in general, ruining the true taste and core aspects of the game.
c) People exploiting certain things in the game so as to make their experiences better.
The list goes on, but those three things were enough to turn me off of on-line Diablo. And, so long as stories of TPPK and duping are prevelant, I will continue to avoid the on-line aspect of the game. However, while I dislike that, I do not allow myself to just focus on that negativity. I put myself in others shoes for a moment and try to see what they value in their experiences of on-line play and I take that into account with my own thoughts and experiences. Now, given all of this, I also realize that some people will always continue to try, and many times succeed in, cheating and exploiting gaming loopholes, irregardless if it's console or PC.
Recently, though, Xbox Live has demonstrated their lack of tolerance for cheating and modding by giving out permabans to people they catch who own consoles that are modded. That gave me a huge smile that day when I learned of that. I have no desire to cheat or modify my gaming console to enjoy myself in any game. Hence my preference towards console gaming - somewhat harder to cheat and not be caught IF you're planning to cheat, and, if you do, the penalty is severe. I haven't seen anything like that for PC gaming and I hope it does, sooner or later. If it has already happened, please feel free to tell me so or send a link my way.
As far as the gaming community for Diablo goes, I say this:
I would love to see it expand to levels unheard of in gaming history. I believe it has the right tools to become a huge console MMORPG if implemented correctly and to have enough playability as to entice ALL gamers. I wouldn't mind it on PC either, as that has been the way it has traditionally been done, but I love the idea that if it can be pulled off on console, I wouldn't mind spending my paycheck on something that has the potential to create a gaming experience so huge, it eclipses all other games ever made before it.
I don't particularly hate Nintendo, as it was the first gaming system I owned, but I greatly dislike the way they have been marketing their old characters and have not been able to come up with anything more than a creatively gaming way to get fit and to destroy very expensive television sets in a sublimly idiotic fashion.
Besides, hate is a strong word to me. To me, hate = something I cannot live with and must destroy or kill. I do not hate anything or anyone. I learned from Alucard in Castlevania: Symphony of Destruction...
"If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm. For theirs is a hard lot."
I don't allow myself to hate. I leave that to religion and politics.
You point and click, A button is LEFT skill, B button is RIGHT skill, directional pad (4 directions ) opens menus, like: UP Skilltree, DOWN Inventory, LEFT Map, Right Character Attributes, the + and - could open OPTIONS MENU or Pause, 1 and 2 could toggle things like RUN/WALK, and SHIFT key ( cast without targets ).
Wii has support to 4 players on the same console ( seems same number that Diablo 3 will have )
Also Wii with its WI-FI can be used to play Multiplayers, connect to Battle.net 2.0 and on.
For a last contribution, Wii has 2 USB ports that can be used to Connect a mouse + Keyboard, making gameplay same as PC !
Dont make bad of nintendo, WII is a great console lol
all it needs is MORE mature games ;D
Its not that the game wouldn't work on wii, its just that that the wii promotes family games and in terms of profit off the game alone idk if it would be the most sound choice but diablo 3 would definatly generate sales of the console thats for sure so idk it could go either way
The reasons I mentioned Xbox and Playstation are as follows:
a) The on-line gaming capabilities of both consoles are not only the most popular, but are also the most capable of reaching the kind of gamers who would like, if they are not already followers of, the Diablo franchise. From what I have heard from friends and what I've read on the internet, the Wii's on-line capabilities are mediocre at best and still need adjusting.
As far as the Xbox is concerned, if anyone is caught cheating and/or modding they will be punished according to Microsoft's rules of conduct. If Playstation has made similar advances in this subject area, then that applies here as well.
c) For marketing purposes, it is my belief that Blizzard would have a better opportunity to make better bargains with Microsoft or Sony than Nintendo. This is not to say that they wouldn't be able to make bargains with Nintendo, just that I think that there is more of an opportunity with their competitors.
Besides, as it was already stated, the Wii is more of a family gaming console. Though I have seen entire families play WoW (and that's for PCs, mind you), I am unsure that the same could be achieved for Diablo either on PC or console. I also doubt that Nintendo would allow a game like Diablo to be created for the Wii because of the Wii's intended audience, even though they allowed Mad World on there for some reason...
lucky i can attach a mouse and keyboard to my ps3! =D
thats another great element that i simply forgot! if you are not willing to take up the challenge of diablo3 on a controller simply plug in a mouse and key board.
OP might say well hey why dont you just use your computer. well in my special case I have 2 computers 1 for work and 1 for leisure as well as a console but if i didnt have a second computer i might not be playing any PC games and therefore only use my console as my only form of entertainment.
As for Nintendo(R) vs Microsoft(R), Nintendo(R) has the capability to go online and log into Battle.net, allowing players to play with other people who may be on a Wii or a PC. Microsoft(R) has there own Microsoft(R) Live(R) network. I'm not entirely sure if you can access the Internet Proper via the Xbox 360, but I don't believe you can.
Personally, I see the family playing Wii Bowling during the day, then in the evening when the little kiddies are off to bed, Daddy can go and slay Diablo on the very same console. It would A) give Nintendo(R) the Mature view it needs and give Blizzard(R) many more sales, especially to those who don't play computer games or even own a computer.
Personally, it just makes sense to me. :/
:/ That was what my original post was saying. None of the current franchises really would work with normal console controllers.
we still have a year to go for game development so i think ill wait for a secure yes or no in a press release before i start making anymore assumptions
It just seems that it's becoming more and more likely that they will, it would be a very good move if they could rape both the PC, and console markets.
Thus far, it's the only genre they haven't explored (I think so, at least), so it would make sense to claim new ground, with a new franchise, and genre.
I realize it is not definite. It is a "what if".
I look at it this way - IF Blizzard was to introduce Diablo again to consoles, they would have to consider some of the positives. As I have stated before, I am rather partial to console gaming and so I tend to focus on the positives of bringing Diablo to the console.
Let me use Fallout 3 as an example. I would argue that many people felt that that game should have remained exclusively for PC. However, since it's on consoles, I would now argue that Fallout 3 has made its creators even more rich by reaching out to these gamers and making their product marketable in this fashion.
I think the very idea that IF Blizzard ever chooses to try and create a Diablo MMORPG and successfully implement it on a console, they could profit so much from it. IF Blizzard did manage to make the game for whatever console they wanted to and IF they successfully market it and advertise the proverbial hell out of it, I believe they would wind up better for it.
As it is, it will come out on PC and I will end up buying it at one point. However, IF it should come out for any console, you can bet I'll buy that version quicker than I will buy the PC version.
For Consoles !
/wave EA
but i still think that a port would be beast :D!
Hmm....Diablo: Origins... When Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto were first kicked out of Hell... Hehehe... I'd enjoy that...
I didn't check the whole forum if some one already posted this but I just had to say it for all those who play first person shooters on Xbox and have to deal with duel analog when your a surgeon on a pc wit your mouse!