Blue Posts
Official Blizzard Quote:
Unattuned Runestones System
Currently, Blizzard is leaning towards the 'uttatuned' rune system discussed ad nauseum on the forums.
We actually have moved on from the previously discussed unattuned system. We've been trying many different ideas out, but we're not quite comfortable enough with any of them yet to invite you in and see what you think.
Let me also say that the old system wasn't broken, per-se, it just had a few issues we thought we could resolve. Runestones are a huge part of Diablo III, and we think it's worth trying out some alternatives and see if we can't improve it. But if all of our experiments fail we can easily go back to the original system, and it will still be totally awesome. (Source - Blue Tracker)
Last Facebook Beta Keys Drawing
The last drawing occurs on Monday, December 12. (Source - Blue Tracker)
Error 3003 on login
3003 means Battle.net is down. (Source - Blue Tracker)
Error Code 24000 on Beta
It looks like this has not been fixed yet (as I predicted earlier this morning). For now, I would say do not use Public Games.
[...] My message was for people who can still play, I'm sorry if that wasn't clear. (Source - Blue Tracker)
...mmm...moved on...
Don't know if I should be happy since it COULD mean release is close or unhappy because I've even less chances to be in.
Diablo 3 has been in development for ten years. We are told that the reason for the lengthy development is so that they can “get it right”. I have no doubt that all Diablo fans appreciate the time and meticulous effort that goes into Diablo games, that is what made us fans in the first place. Too many developers rush games out in order to make a quick buck and I know that I speak for all serious gamers when I say that an unfinished, rushed, money-spinning title is one of the things we hate most. For this very reason I am overjoyed whenever I hear a developer is taking its time to properly manufacture a product that will be of value to gamers. Blizzard is one of those developers. To their credit.
However, the boundaries of reasonability are now becoming ever more extended. Ten years is a long time to wage a war not to mention develop a game. If I had an employee who showed the same productivity as Blizzard, that person would no longer be working for me. It’s as if these people have no bosses or directors or shareholders or any form of accountability. Imagine for a moment that Diablo 3 was the first and only game Blizzard was developing, it becomes clear that ten years is just not a feasible amount of time to be spending on a single game. This fictional company would never survive it. Is Blizzard a communist company where you get paid regardless of the level of your productivity? (A bit strong, I know) The reality is Blizzard find themselves in the comfortable position of having the number one online game in the world as well as having a parent company which produces some of the money spinning games I mentioned earlier. As a result their revenue stream isn’t dependant on releasing new games. I don’t know about the rest of you but that seems like a recipe for complacency to me. The message the fans get is: We’ll take as long as we want because we don’t need your money. Yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Blizzard is the leading developer in the gaming industry. Their games are of the highest quality and provide loads of content to keep gamers occupied for countless hours. I would hate to see that quality be diminished in any way. Even so, I believe their production philosophy is fundamentally flawed and what is more, that philosophy is supported by circumstances which do not encourage efficiency. Surely there is a saturation point when it comes to the quality of a game. Can you honestly say that the game gets significantly better after postulating a game element for the four hundredth time? What if the second iteration was the best option, now you’ve wasted an inordinate amount of time for something which should have taken a minute?
The problem begins and ends with Blizzard’s philosophy that the game is ready when it’s ready. How can you start a project without any form of a deadline? Blizzard has to be the only company of its size which functions in this way. I agree, get the game out when it’s ready but work more productively and effectively towards that goal. If I had said I would only wander into the Butchers Lair when I was “ready” I would still be talking to Griswold in Tristram. Instead I took my ill-prepared Warrior and made the terrifying journey into the dungeon to attempt to slay this most horrifying of beasts. I died about a thousand times but eventually I killed the sadistic bastard. If gamers followed Blizzard’s example would any of us have finished their games?
So Blizzard here’s the bottom line: Grow a pair, set a deadline, meet it. We’re sick of waiting.
And actually, when i look at those screenshots again they dont look so bad. And no Diablo 3 is not in development for 10 years thats bullshit.
The screenshots are not too bad. they could be old or they could be with the graphics are tuned down.