Diablo 3
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Diablo III's 2.0.4 patch makes resplendent treasure feel more resplendent
Blizzard has patched Diablo III to version 2.0.4 in the Americas. There are a decent number of class tweaks in the patch as well as an adjustment to the drop of unique legendary crafting materials. They've been "significantly increased," if you're wondering. There are a few itemization changes, too, including an adjustment to to treasure drops from resplendent chests. "The treasure from Resplendent Chests has been improved to feel more resplendent," Blizzard says.
Diablo III - Hardcore Crusaders absolutely should not use Shattering Throw or they will die
This isn't me being all hyperbolic. This is actually what will happen to you if you use the combination Blessed Shield and Shattering Throw. Your character will die, and for hardcore players, that means your character will be dead forever. Grimiku - PSA: Avoid Blessed Shield - Shattering Throw Hello, Crusaders I wanted to help spread the word that there is currently a very ugly bug with Blessed Shield - Shattering Throw that will result in your Crusader instantly dying if you use this skill. Hardcore players should avoid using this skill for now! We're working on a hotfix for this issue and we'll update the Patch 2.0.4 Hotfix thread once that happens. Thank you all for your patience and understanding while we work on fixing this as soon as possible! source As my Crusader has both of these and likely would have blown himself up (a mere annoyance for me, but the end of that character if you play on Hardcore) I thought you all should know.
Joystiq Weekly: Amazon Fire TV, Reaper of Souls review, Mario Kart 8 video preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With this week's announcement and release of the gaming-capable Amazon Fire TV, we're starting to think we'll need a spreadhseet to keep track of all the gaming platforms that aren't from Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft. Want to check Instagram after a round of Super Hexagon on your TV? Okay, there's Mad Catz's MOJO for that. Want something a little beefier that you can take on the go? Alright, Nvidia's Shield might be your thing. Spreadsheets are boring though - maybe a mock Pokedex would work better? Come on, it'd be fun! We could assign attributes, treat future improvements as evolutions and pit them against each other in battles! There could a category for dual-type devices like the Ouya, a console that's both its own thing and associated with a storefront on other platforms. We'd even have ghost-type entries, for efforts that have returned from the grave. We'll let this idea stew for a bit longer, but you can read this week's bulletpoints of news, previews and original content right now! Amy Hennig is now serving as creative director of a Star Wars game, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls has been properly reviewed and we've got glimpses of Mario Kart 8 and Soma to share, too. It's all waiting for you with more stories after the break!
Stop the Reaper of Souls with 50% bonus XP weekend in Diablo 3
Need a little help carving through the Angel of Death's armies? Blizzard is offering 50 percent bonus XP this weekend for it's gothic clicking simulator, Diablo 3. You'll have until 5 a.m. PST, April 7 to reap the bonuses from Blizzard's offer, which the company noted on a blog post is intended to celebrate the achievement of more than 1.5 million players completing Act 5. Blizzard held another 50 percent bonus XP event last month, though that was intended to brace the world for Death's coming. Now that we've had bonus XP to prepare for his arrival and celebrate his defeat, it'll be interesting to see what justification Blizzard gives should another weekend of bonus XP occur - Death's sister's boyfriend's aunt celebrating a half-birthday, perhaps? Unfortunately, only nephalem with access to a computer of either the Mac or PC variety can partake. Sorry, console-bound adventurers. [Image: Blizzard]
Earn 50% bonus XP in Diablo 3 this weekend
The fires of hell have opened up (unless you live in Minnesota, where you just got slammed with another Blizzard) and Diablo 3 is offering another weekend of increased XP gain for all characters. Personally I'm having a blast in Diablo right now. Reaper of Souls' adventure mode is holding my attnetion like nothing else has in a very long time. Plowing through packs of enemies on Torment 1 or 2 and getting gear that actually matters is an amazing experience. Plus, the legendary gear has interesting bonuses on it that make the gameplay that much more fun. If you haven't picked RoS up yet, do so now. You won't regret it. Lylirra Over 1.5 million players around the world have stopped Death since Reaper of Souls™ launched last Tuesday, March 25. To celebrate this achievement and help support your ongoing crusade against the forces of evil, all nephalem who log into Diablo III this weekend will receive a +50% bonus to XP! This bonus XP period begins in the European region tonight, April 4 at 17:00 p.m. CEST and ends on Monday, April 7 at 5:00 a.m. CEST. Thank you so much for being a hero of Sanctuary. We hope you have fun this weekend, and we'll see you in Westmarch! source
Diablo III's expansion moves 2.7 million first week copies
Reaper of Souls is popular, but is it as popular as Blizzard would like? Diablo III's expansion pack moved 2.7 million copies combined in retail and digital markets, which is well short of the 6.3 million units sold at DIII's 2012 original release. The expansion adds a new story act, a new class, a new game mode, and an increased level cap.
Blizzard rings in April Fool's with faux fisticuffs, Flappy Bird spoof
Blizzard Entertainment has long had a reputation for its meticulously crafted April Fools' Day gags, and this year, instead of a sole punchline, the company is offering the willingly gullible a trio of faux announcements. For instance, it has been revealed that the next segment of the StarCraft 2 trilogy will be titled StarCraft 2: Herald of the Stars. In lieu of focusing entirely on strategic warfare, the real-time strategy game will instead explore the history and heartwarming minutiae surrounding the alien Protoss race. You'd expect new weapons and units, but the game will also offer new hairstyles, a dance editor and built-in Twitch audience interaction. Blizzard senior game producer Hony Tsu describes StarCraft 2: Herald of the Stars as "a hug for the soul." Hoping to make Diablo 3 more palatable to the average person, Blizzard is swiping a page from the Flappy Bird playbook to make Happy Reaper. "With a series of well-timed mouse clicks or finger taps, skillfully guide Malthael through a network of ancient Pandemonium ruins to collect human souls and obliterate all puny nephalem with your trusty Death Laser of Doom," reads Blizzard's official description. Rounding out today's gags is Blizzard Outcasts: Vengeance of the Vanquished, a fighting game starring the developer's most famous characters. While it won't be coming to consoles, the game will be available on PC, Mac and expensive, custom arcade cabinets. We urge you all to read Blizzard's full description, but if you've only got 47 seconds available, watch the above teaser. It tells you pretty much everything you'll need to know about this fake game. [Image: Blizzard]
The best Diablo III article you will read all week
Seriously, there's a lot of press out there about Diablo III. We've even done some here. But no one is going to top this piece over at Games.on.net, I promise you that. It simply cannot be done. How amazing is this piece, ostensibly about Reaper of Souls, that brought together interviewer Tim Colwill, senior character designer Paul Warzecha, and some pencils and paper to absolutely rethink some classic Diablo characters (and also a clown)? It's this amazing. Paul: You know what – let's go ahead and... I don't think he needs a shirt. Does he need a shirt? GON: Whenever I picture a clown, I always take their shirt off. Paul: Yeah? GON: We've all been there. Paul: Well we're going there today, anyway. And I like these pants but I would... he needs some mobility. I would go full-on hammer pants. Remember in the 80's when they used to wear potato-sack pants? Remember those? With the things? I don't see how I could add anything that would better encapsulate the brilliance of this article. Never before have I laughed quite this much at the notion of screaming decapitated heads being hurled at enemies by an evil clown with a lacrosse net, and I doubt I'll ever laugh that much at it again. This is, simply put, the best press you're going to see for Reaper of Souls or any Blizzard game this year, and I take the hat I don't have (probably made of snakes) off to you, Tim Colwill. I now desperately want to see this happen for the Warcraft setting. I wonder what the clowns of Azeroth would look like. They'd probably have much bigger shoulders.
Heroes of the Storm shows off Tyrael
You remember Tyrael, right? Tall guy? He was in your class in high school? Glowing wings coming out of his back, divine embodiment of justice, enjoyed smiting evil? He was in Diablo III, remember? Anyway, he's got a new gig; he's showing up in Heroes of the Storm now. Yeah, still doing what he loves, slicing up demons. You do what you're good at, right? The trailer showing off Tyrael doesn't offer a picture of how he'll play but does serve as a nifty little glimpse into how the game will both look and feel. You can check the trailer out just past the cut if you haven't gotten enough Diablo III action already with the expansion release.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls launch day roundup
Did you stay up late last night to watch the official kick-off stream for Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion? Did you wait in long lines at a brick-and-mortar store to buy your copy of the game? No, of course not. You already had it digitally pre-loaded and were playing while those other suckers were out in the cold. Yes, as of 12:00 a.m. EDT this morning, the Reaper of Souls expansion, complete with its new locations and bosses and class and loot, was officially live. Enjoy our roundup of coverage leading up to the launch, and let us know what you think about the upgrade!
A new Blizzard parody from CarBot Animation
CarBot Animation has done some fun and adorable Blizzard parodies in the past, and today their up to their usual tricks with a new parody of the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls trailer. Diablo isn't generally an IP we see a lot of blatant funny stuff about, considering the source material is easily the darkest of Blizzard's franchises. This adorable animation hits all the right comedic notes, from Tyrael casually eating a sandwich while the Horadrim handle the Black Soulstone to Malthael's owl-like head twist before he sends the guards to their humiliating end. The ending is easily the best bit, but I won't spoil that for you, you'll have to watch it for yourself!
Blizzard: Diablo 3 in development for Xbox One, release not finalized
Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is up and running on the Xbox One, though its release is not yet certain, Diablo 3 lead producer Alex Mayberry told Videogamer this morning. "I don't know where we are with Microsoft right now so I can't really comment on what that contract looks like," Mayberry said. "The point is we are developing for Xbox [One] and PS4 simultaneously. We hit those major platforms and then our goal as a development team is to make them run." Diablo 3's upgraded Ultimate Evil Edition was previously announced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. Blizzard notes that the upcoming port will feature content from this week's forthcoming "Reaper of Souls" PC expansion, along with expanded social features and a redesigned interface suited for consoles. Mayberry explains that cross-platform development is standard practice for Blizzard's console ports. "We have that pipeline worked out," he told Videogamer. "We've already done it with the 360 and PS3, so that team knows how to develop at the same time for both of those platforms. That's just what we do. And then Blizzard and Microsoft can work out whatever they work out." [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls trailer is become death, destroyer of worlds
A new trailer for Diablo 3 expansion Reaper of Souls is here to prepare would-be adventurers for their journey to defeat Death himself. As the old saying goes, "Nothing in the world is certain, save for Death and some badass adventurers kicking his high angel butt." [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3 shares a first look at Pandemonium
In anticipation of Diablo III's release next Tuesday, Blizzard has posted an in-depth look at the final level of the first expansion for the game. Pandemonium was once the center of the Eternal Conflict between angels and demons, home to the Worldstone before it was stolen away by Inarius and Lilith, who then created the world known as Sanctuary. After the Worldstone was removed, the battles that raged across Pandemonium slowly came to a halt. Although the Pandemonium Fortress appeared as the base of operations back in Diablo II, players never really got to experience the depths of what Pandemonium had to offer. Now home to Malthael, the main villain of Reaper of Souls, players will be able to experience the zone like never before. Check out the official site for more lore surrounding the final level of Reaper of Souls, as well as a glimpse into the design behind it. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls arrives next Tuesday, March 25.
Diablo 3 offering 100% XP boost this weekend only
This weekend, all bets are off in Diablo III. In anticipation of the launch of Reaper of Souls next week, Blizzard is offering a 100% XP bonus to all players this weekend only. The XP bonus ends at 12:01am Pacific Time Monday, March 24 -- so you might want to cancel your weekend plans and get in those last few Paragon Levels before the new expansion goes live March 25. This buff is already live on all servers, meaning you've got another option for tonight's activities as well. As with the 50% bonus XP offer, you do not need to have pre-ordered Reaper of Souls to benefit from the experience boost -- all active Diablo III accounts have access to the bonus experience, as well as all new systems introduced in patch 2.0.1. With the new Paragon Leveling system, all characters share and contribute to a single, account-wide Paragon level -- so why not take advantage and get in some extra levels while you can?
Having trouble pre-ordering Reaper of Souls? You're not alone
If you're trying to pick up your own copy of Diablo 3's soon-to-be-released Reaper of Souls expansion from Blizzard, you may have run head-first into a "500: Internal Server Error" message. The big downside to this error -- beyond your inability to buy the expansion -- is that though you don't get anything, you may still see the charge pending on your credit card. According to Blizzard support, because the charge didn't successfully go through, it should vanish within a few days. However, it doesn't leave us inclined to, as the error suggests, try again later. Fortunately, Blizzard is on the case: We're experiencing difficulties with pre-orders for Reaper of Souls. These issues will be resolved ASAP. Thanks very much for your patience! - BlizzardCS (@BlizzardCS) March 21, 2014 Hopefully we'll see a resolution sooner rather than later -- with Reaper of Souls due out on the 25th, there's not much time left to buy for release-day gameplay. In the meantime, we're holding off on clicking "buy" until @BlizzardCS gives us the all clear.
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls offering Hearthstone expert card packs
Are you planning on picking up Diablo III: Reaper of Souls on March 25? While you're waiting, you may want to check out Hearthstone, Blizzard's latest game release. Players that have pre-ordered Reaper of Souls will find a treat waiting for them -- Expert Card Packs waiting to be opened and played. Both the Digital and Retail Standard editions will get you one free Expert Card Pack, while Digital Deluxe and Retail Collector's Editions offer three Expert Card Packs. If you have yet to pre-order Reaper of Souls, the offer will be available to those who purchase the game after its launch as well. The card packs require a Battle.net account to be redeemed, and there is a limit of five Expert Card Packs per Battle.net account. Players who have pre-ordered either the Digital or Digital Deluxe editions of the game should have their cards available immediately -- if you are waiting for the retail version, you'll find codes in the box to redeem in exchange for your cards. Check out the official post for more information about the offer, the rewards, and how to get started with Hearthstone, if you haven't already tried it out for yourself.
Here are five videos for Diablo III's new level 61 skills
Blizzard has released a quintet of post-60 skill videos for its forthcoming Diablo III expansion. Reaper of Souls, which launches on March 25th, grants each class a new skill at level 61. These skills are Avalanche (for Barbarians), Vengeance (for Demon Hunters), Epiphany (for Monks), Piranhas (for Witch Doctors), and Black Hole (for Wizards). Click past the cut to see all five vids.
Diablo III shows off expansion gameplay as the auction house closes
Are you ready to continue the adventures of John Diablo as he fights the nefarious forces of Reaper McSoul? Probably not, as that's not even close to the plot of the Diablo III expansion Reaper of Souls. A new gameplay trailer for the expansion has just been released and is available past the break, showing off the new regions, new abilities, and the new class. The expansion launches next week, so you don't have to wait long to try all of this out for yourself. The game's real-money auction house has also finally breathed its last today, with the service currently shut down in the Americas. This goes hand-in-hand with the features of Reaper of Souls that are designed to keep loot drops more relevant and interesting for players. If the trailer is any indication, there are still plenty of demons to be slain -- you just won't be dropping real money to do any of that.
Blizzard is going on a PAX East road trip
Blizzard is refueling the company RV and making a mix tape of John Denver and Megadeth for its upcoming cross-country trip to PAX East. The studio announced today that it will have a presence at the convention to show off Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. Blizzard will be at booth #848 from April 11th through the 13th. Hearthstone will be available to play not only on demo stations but on the iPad as well. Fans can also check out a hands-on demos of Warlords of Draenor, Diablo III for PS4, and Heroes of the Storm with new heroes. The studio won't just be confined to its booth for the duration of the weekend, as it's planning a presentation on April 11th at 10:30 a.m. EDT about Heroes of the Storm. This presentation will be livestreamed for those who can't make it.
