We want to thank everyone who came to the site to get these updates and the 3,500 live viewers who listened to the podcast today. You can expect a lot more updates in the next coming months and plenty of beta coverage here at DiabloFans and through Force Strategy Gaming. There will be a recorded version of the live podcast later today for those of you who missed it. In the mean time, you can check out the slideshow presentation they gave, and if you're actually interested, you can take a look at this quarters' numbers. If you weren't able to listen into the live DiabloCast, you can listen to the recorded version now.
As I am sure most of you know by now, today @ 1:30 PST is the day of the Activision/Blizzard financial conference call. Now, normally there is not a lot of interesting information during these calls for us DIabloFans, however, todays may be the exception. During the last conference call, Mike Morhaime said there would be news regarding the beta during this call.
Official Blizzard Quote:
As for Diablo III, development continues to go well, and we’re very excited about the game. Our most recent public showcase for Diablo III was at the G-Star show in Korea, where demo stations attracted huge lines of players. I’m looking forward to sharing some more news about the game and our upcoming beta on the next call
First, the actual link to the conference call for those of you who want their info direct from the source. Keep in mind, this is a conference call for investors. This is not a conference call for Blizzard or Diablo. Most of the call is business jargon for investors of Activision and Blizzard. Unless you are into that sort of stuff, you probably should avoid the call itself.
http://investor.acti...m?eventid=96008
The second way to get your information from the call is through the Live DiabloCast. Sixen, Force, and ScyberDragon (myself) will be having a live broadcast of the podcast we normally do. We will be discussing Diablo 3 in general, answering questions from you guys (that you can submit on Force's Facebook page), and announcing any Diablo news given during this call.
http://www.youtube.c...s/0/OzJQX1Pt3ZQ
Finally, for those of you who would just like your news right here on DiabloFans, I will be giving up to the minute updates on any news given during the call right here. The Front Page, and more specifically this post, will be used to relay any news we hear during the conference call. You can also check out our IRC to chat with other DiabloFans about any of the news given.
http://www.diablofans.com
Well if they're on schedule the beta will already have been underway by Blizzcon.
LOL wow *is* a cash cow. This is a company first and foremost and a publicly traded one at that. Don't let all this talk about quality and making sure it's right get you thinking it's just for us. Don't let it fool you. They want quality products so that they can make more money. The balance sheet is what matters most before anything else.
I don't mean to put that in a negative context either. That is what companies are for and I'm more then happy to let them make the most of their own hard work because, at the end of the day, it's still a job for these people. I work for the paycheck before anything else, that's for sure.
I know it wasn't I was there; my theory is that they will present the Beta product as a demo at Blizzcon 2011 to assist in gathering more data.
This.
Pretty much, by Blizzard saying, "We're aiming for a 2011 release." this means they want to get the game out asap. This is true I'm sure, does this mean they think they'll make it? HELL NO! Now, everyone step back from your hopes and dreams of playing D3 this year and look at Blizzard's track record, AND their task at hand. I'll reiterate from my last post, since I typed that out thinking that thread would be where most people where discussing.
Here we go again, not hours from this latest bit of "news." Assuming Beta will start in July, assuming seeing the game around Christmas time "in all probability."
What probability is it you're basing this on? Even while the conf call was still going on, Bashiok was quick to point out that this was a rough estimate, depending on how development goes.
Nuff said? Really? Wait so during a conference call they didn't drop a bomb by saying that 2011 is now unlikely, even though everyone knows that? You can take that as confirmation of a 2011 release, but we all know they purposefully said nothing. D3 got 3 bullets and 0 questions, a total of not more than 1 minute in the call.
Let me say this as clearly as I can: That was not a Beta announcement. That was an announcement that Alpha has started, and the game is "looking good." They gave a 3 month margin of error for Beta start, and even THAT is subject to the bombshell caveat "unless things change." It was barely even a timetable.
I'm not saying this as a QQ gamer with no life. I'm saying this as an investor and a professional software engineer.
Just when I thought the thread was getting less delusional...
If you are an investor, then you should know why D3 got so little attention. For Activision/Blizzard, D3 is hardly a huge money maker for them compared to other games. It has nothing to do with its development. I don't know what you being a software engineer has to do with anything though. As for a beta announcement, if that's not enough for you then:
Bashiok:
Official Blizzard Quote:
The 3rd quarter reference in the earning's call today was a calendar quarter, meaning that we're aiming to launch the Diablo III beta between July 1st and September 30th. Keep in mind that it's our current goal, and of course that can change as development continues.
This is a beta announcement. Yes it can still be changed but so can any date for any product. The fact is that we are getting close to those dates regardless so if that is what they are shooting for and it is only months away then there is a good chance it will happen.
Two seemingly small details: people are basing this on...Blizzard's own estimation, and Bashiok didn't use the word 'rough', you did. Barring the requisite caveat that was offered up about not sacrificing polish to 'hit a window', this is more or less the timetable that's been hinted at for a while now, in slightly less ambiguous terms.
Blizzard has had all the chances in the world to hedge this bet far more than they have, there's no reason to think there's anything 'rough' about it. It's still an estimation, it's still a 'target', but what wouldn't be?
I really don't get all the knee-jerk reactions couched in so much cynicism and hostility.
"BLIZZARD OMFG GIVE US THE INFOZ"
Blizzard: Here is the timeline we're planning on sticking to.
"WTF U R FULL OF IT U SUCK THIS GAME WILL COME OUT ABOUT THE TIME THE SUN GOVES NOVA HAHAHA 2011ERS YOU'RE ALL MORONS"
Mmk then.
I also love how many arm-chair game developers there are on this site. Unless any of you work for Blizzard, on D3, I'm not particularly ready to buy into your 'insider' insights.
No, it is an announcement of intent to begin a beta at a period in the future, with caveats.
When Sams or Morhaime, or Wilson, or whoever tells the screaming fans "The beta starts next week!" at the closing ceremony of b'con, that will be a "beta announcement".
The difference really isn't that subtle.
Yeah.. you're one of the ones I'm talking about. You put a negative spin on everything said and act like everyone who would like to view it positively is an unrealistic idiot.
Q1 SC2 beta announced
Q2 SC2 beta happened
Q3 SC2 released
nuff said? It can happen. Don't run around foretelling things that haven't happened yet. You're not actually solving or saying anything substantial.
I said announcement, not release date of the beta. The difference really isn't that subtle.
EDIT: you realize in your own statement you said "No, it is an announcement"
Announcement that in part pertains to the beta = beta announcement
Just because it's not a precise-date announcement or a date you don't like or whatever doesn't mean it isn't what it is. We can call it 'preliminary' if it'll make everyone feel better?
Not really sure where you guys are getting this "beta announcement will not happen until Blizzcon"
That's perhaps the most unsubstantiated guesstimate of all. Neither the SC2 nor the Cata betas were announced/begun at a Blizzcon even. Both of those happened in the middle of the year, and the latter for a much larger release.
The beta will happen when it happens, let's leave the date to Blizzard.
Hm, I dunno. Maybe it's that I develop computer software for a living, and I have worked under numerous different development archetypes since starting my career in 2004, including the ones they use at Blizzard. That expertise allows me to share my insights into their process, for better or worse. I, for one, don't have a vested interest in spinning everything positive, my ad revenue doesn't depend on it.
They announced that there would be a (ed:limited) public beta more than a year ago. Let's not get pedantic, I meant a Beta START announcement. No one knows when this Beta is going to start, and they had no interest in committing to any dates, even though it's an extremely important part of quality customer experience for most software companies.
Furthermore, when following a scrum development model (which they do), the closer you get to your target, the more accurate your predictions become. The fact that we're this close to the target dates, and the predictions have such an enormous variance, is actually a sign that their process might be broken.
Look, nobody is stopping you from getting excited. I'm not trying to make anyone sad, but I'm not trying to make anyone happy. I'm just calling it like I see it.
I'm not attacking you, I just would like to shed some light on why I in particular don't believe 2011 is reasonable, no matter what Blizzard may say to understandably cover themselves.
I'll do likewise if we see it before the end of August.
Deal?
Same. I'd also like some humility if my opinions turn out to be true. Though I have a strong feeling people will take the low road and ignore I ever debated so strongly over it..
On the other hand if I'm wrong I will happily be the forum punching bag for any whom wants to shove it in my face.
My point being that even if you were CEO or head of dev at another big studio, you have literally zero extra insight over myself or anyone else on this forum (barring Bashiok's secret lurker account or something) over what -Blizzard- really has going on behind closed doors, you don't know where they honestly feel they stand any more than the rest of us.
I don't mind everyone speculating, but no one has any reasonable ground to stand on to claim that their speculation has any more credit to it than anyone else's.
The people who have been in those meetings and are attaching their names / reputations to those dates, loose as they are, have told us Q3 beta, 2011 release as the goal. Why is it unreasonable to believe them? If they said 'Q1 2012' does anyone think sales are going to be lower or something?
I don't appreciate future assumptions, so I'll clear the air now: I'm just as willing to take my forum beating if they do disappoint greatly, and I'll be first in line, albeit graciously, the flaunt my confidence if things go as planned.
We're all friends here...
Edit: And yes we've all heard the rhetoric of 'Well sure 2011 is the GOAL but they know they can't get it out by then...'; this is nonsense. If they're sticking to it even as 'a goal' they have at least a reasonable level of confidence they can do it, there's absolutely no reason they'd lay themselves that clear a trap to fall into later when they have to move the date back.