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Blizzcon 2013: Diablo III Reaper of Souls class and systems panel
On the second day of BlizzCon 2013, the Diablo 3 team hosted a gameplay systems panel in which they covered some of the new systems coming to the Reaper of Souls expansion, including not only the Crusader class, but information on changes for the existing classes and some of the new itemization tweaks we can expect to see in Loot 2.0. Crusading for a new class The first section of the panel introduced the new class, the Crusader. Designing a new class is one of the most complex tasks in an RPG, but it starts with a simple concept. In this case, the team wanted a righteous paladin type, which would work as a good answer to Malthael, the angel of death and main villain of Reaper of Souls. The idea came together of having a dark paladin, full of righteous wrath, a "knight in battle-scarred armor" to stand for humanity in its darkest hour. This lead to concept art. They knew they wanted the Crusader to be bulky and blocky, but it took many weeks of reiterations before they settled on the look of today, with the shield, the flail, and the tabard.
Diablo 3 PS4 won't feature Remote Play (but may in the future) [Update]
Though Blizzard would like to allow players to enjoy the upcoming PlayStation 4 version of Diablo 3 on their Sony-branded handhelds, the House That Warcraft Built sees the Vita's screen itself as reason to nix Remote Play functionality. At this weekend's Blizzcon event, Gamespot asked senior level designer Matthew Berger about the possibility of Remote Play, and were immediately shot down. "The Vita is an amazing piece of kit, but the screen is still smaller," stated Berger. "And when you look at - and also it has its own aspect ratio - and when you look at Diablo 3, there's a lot happening on-screen already. You get surrounded by your enemies, lots of effects flying off in every direction. The inventory can be pretty complicated to navigate sometimes when you have lots of items." Despite this, Berger says Blizzard is still considering the feature. "[Remote Play] would be a little bit more of stretch. It's kind of percolating in the back of our mind, but we don't really have any plans right now," he said. Corroborating the eventual possibility of Remote Play is senior console producer Julie Humpreys. "[Remote Play] is something we are looking into," Humphreys told CVG. "I would say we are in the earliest stages of looking at that. We want to make sure that it is readable and is a good user experience." Diablo 3 makes its PlayStation 4 debut at some point during 2014. Update: Earlier today, Gamespot again asked Berger about Remote Play, and were met with a decidedly different response. "As long as PS4 supports Remote Play, [Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls] will support it," Berger said. Update 2: Blizzard moved in to clear up confusion. The official Diablo Twitter account tweeted, ""Will Remote Play on the PS Vita be available for Diablo 3 Ultimate Edition on PS4?" The answer is yes, and it's awesome!" along with a photo of it in action.
Take a look at Diablo III running on the PlayStation 4
Have you enjoyed being able to play Diablo III on a console? Do you want to be able to get even more monster-stomping fun on what amounts to even more console? Are you ready to take to the comments to explain that a next-gen console is not, strictly speaking, more console? Do you just like watching footage of heavily armored knights making monsters explode? If any of the above applies to you, then yes, we've got the video for you past the cut. So what's the video? Diablo III's expansion running on the PlayStation 4 -- specifically, the Crusader class wading through monsters the way one might normally wade through knee-high mud and making various demons explode into bloody body parts. So pretty much exactly what you'd expect, only more so. If you don't fall into any of the categories listed above but still want to see that, well, good news; The break's right down there.
BlizzCon 2013 in photographs
BlizzCon might be over, but pictures last forever, or at least until something happens to our data center. Don't get any ideas. Hey, where are you going with that tornado?! Enjoy our view of the con! Massively's on the ground in Anaheim during the weekend of November 8th, bringing you all the best news from BlizzCon 2013. Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's and Diablo III's next expansions or reveals from Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
BlizzCon 2013: Diablo Lore and Story Q&A
The universe of Diablo has a surprisingly rich backstory, and on the first day of BlizzCon, some of the writing team for the new Reaper of Souls expansion sat down on the panel stage to answer attendee questions. Many of the questions dealt with those little minutae and side characters of the world lore nerds (such as myself) love so much, but there were also fun and interesting insights into Reaper of Souls and future stories in the Diablo world. Q: Could we have a failure cinematic if we die to Malthael? It would be too expensive and time consuming, and would require dropping other features. That said, the team is considering special events if you die or fail, but can't promise or reveal anything on that front yet. Q: While Bul'kathos appears to be the main Barbarian hero, the Immortal King set refers to someone called Worusk. Who is the true supreme Barbarian and who is Worusk?
BlizzCon 2013: Diablo III's adventure mode, avenger kills detailed
At this year's BlizzCon, eager attendees learned that Blizzard is adding myriad new features to Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion; specifically, the PlayStation 4 version of Reaper of Souls will enable legendary item gifting. "Even though you and I are not adventuring together," explained level designer Matthew Berger to Polygon, "I can give you something and still make it feel like we're playing together." Reaper of Souls also features a new mechanic called Avenger Kills. In a nutshell, it allows for monsters who kill one player to teleport into the game of a player on the deceased's friends list. Whenever player two comes online, the NPC will appear via a special event. If the monster kills player two as well, the cycle continues. Whenever a player manages to slay the creature, the victor and the friend who spawned will get a piece of loot. Also at the con, Blizzard released more information about the game's adventure mode, and our sister site WoW Insider has a special look at the Reaper of Souls BlizzCon preview panel, at which the team addressed concerns over the post-Auction House economy, lag spikes, and the possibility of an offline mode. Massively's on the ground in Anaheim during the weekend of November 8th, bringing you all the best news from BlizzCon 2013. Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's and Diablo III's next expansions or reveals from Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
Massively's BlizzCon 2013 liveblog: Opening ceremony and WoW presentation
BlizzCon 2013 is now underway, and we're expecting big news from the folks at Blizzard, like more details on the Diablo III Reaper of Souls expansion. There's also the first ever Innkeeper's Invitational for Hearthstone, the white-knuckle gameplay of the StarCraft 2 tournaments, and the Hollywood insanity of the upcoming World of Warcraft movie. Most MMO gamers, however, are anxiously waiting to hear about World of Warcraft's fifth expansion. Is it happening? Whom are we fighting? Where are we going? Are there any new classes and races? If you want to be among the first to know but didn't snag a ticket, real or virtual, then join us in the comments below as we blog about all the juiciest news -- live! And don't forget that the opening ceremonies are being streamed for free!
Leaked Reaper of Souls trailer sums up Diablo 3 expansion
A leaked trailer for Diablo 3's expansion, Reaper of Souls, shows some of Adventure mode, which allows players to take on bounties in the action RPG for gold and XP prizes. We also see Nephalem Rifts will give players access to special survival events, where the goal is to hold out until a "Nephalem Rift Guardian" appears - a big monster lugging a lot of gold and XP. We also get a glimpse at The Mystic, an individual who can enchant and transmogrify items. The Paragon system - Diablo 3's version of character progression - gets an overhaul too, though Blizzard has already gone into detail about the changes. Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls is due sometime in 2014, and will be available on the PC, Mac and PS4.
Diablo III tops 14 million sales across all platforms
Between the PC, the XBox 360, and the PlayStation 3 versions, in excess of 14 million copies of Diablo III have been sold since the game launched last year. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime announced the figure during an inventor call last night. He added that recent praise about the action RPG is centered on changes to the loot system and the fact that the auction house was ditched on consoles. Morheim continued, "Players and critics alike have noted that these changes have resulted in a more fun and satisfying game experience. That reaction factored in our decision to remove the auction houses from the PC version of Diablo 3 effective next March, which players have also responded very positively to."
Diablo 3 levels up to 14 million copies sold
Activision-Blizzard revealed Diablo 3 sales are now at 14 million, meaning a further 4 million heroes ventured into Sanctuary in the last 12 months. Speaking during yesterday's investors' call, Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime said his company is "pleased" with the RPG's commercial performance on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Morhaime didn't specify how many sales came directly from the console ports, which were released two months ago. Blizzard must be hopeful there are even more sales to come. The action-RPG is due on the PS4 next year, as is the game's first expansion, Reaper of Souls.
Diablo III introduces you to the Reaper of Souls monster mob
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to meet your Reaper of Souls loot piñatas -- otherwise known as monsters. Blizzard gave its fans a first look at the creatures that will be giving players what for in Diablo III's upcoming expansion. The 10 creatures in the first look bestiary range from scary to faces only a mother could love. There's the eerie Death Maiden, the Predator-esque Executioner, the chunky Ghastly Seraph, and plenty more creations that crawled out of a few twisted devs' nightmares. These monsters will be inhabiting the expansion's main town of Westmarch, whether or not you decide to turn down any dark alleyways.
BlizzCon 2013: Voice actors to take the stage
BlizzCon will be hosting a voice actor stage with several panels over both days. Many of the voice actors from World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft will be on hand to discuss their craft as well as sign autographs. Posters will be handed out to be autographed during the sessions in between the panels. Included on the Warcraft panel Friday between 3 and 4 p.m. PST will be the voices behind Chen Stormstout, Garrosh Hellscream, Jaina Proudmore and a few others. To see the schedule and all of the voice actors appearing, go to the original post. The stage will be setup between Hall A and B and is described as being attendee-only, so those watching on the Virtual Ticket will be out of luck.
Please keep your clothes on at BlizzCon
Just something you should keep in mind. The folks at the BlizzCon Countdown podcast presented this clipping from the Orange Country Register, letting you know - public nudity is frowned upon at the convention. In shocking development @BlizzCon bans attending in the nude. See attached clipping from today's oc Register. pic.twitter.com/nL6471Phby - BlizzCon Countdown (@BlizzconCD) November 4, 2013 Since I like to be thorough, I went digging, and sure enough the OC Register has the original story. In addition to warning BlizzCon attendees not to emulate any Blink 182 videos (a sound policy) it also has a pretty rocking picture of a woman named Carissa Creveling dressed up as a Diablo 3 Barbarian. Carissa, I'm sincerely impressed by your costume. Especially that axe. So to sum up - don't be naked in public at BlizzCon, Carissa has a really cool Barbarian cosplay, and I'm going to be watching BlizzCon via the Virtual Ticket, so I'm going to be as naked as I want and y'all can just seethe knowing I'm free as a bird while you swelter. Teach you all for going to the party without me.
Blizzard unveils Diablo III's Reaper of Souls' Westmarch
Westmarch, once spoken of only in whispers, is one of the new settings of Diablo III's upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion. The city was once beautiful and vibrant, but the events of the Diablo series have left it with an unsettling aura and a dwindling population. Blizzard Entertainment today offered an up-close look at Westmarch's design and implementation on the official Diablo III blog, showing off concept maps, points of interest, and some of the city's real-life location inspirations. Westmarch pulls elements from "the fog-laden cobblestone streets of London in the 1800s" and features tightly packed buildings, winding alleyways, and grisly visual cues as to the city's failed attempts at mounting a defense. The Survivor's Enclave is the one bright spot in this dismal world, a place where Westmarch's few living inhabitants can find rest and safety from the evils of the outside world. Reaper of Souls is due in 2014, or as Blizzard likes to call it, SoonTM.
Diablo III dev diary delves into the history of Westmarch
Diablo III's upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion will take players to a number of new locales across the world of Sanctum, such as the kingdom of Westmarch, the subject of Blizzard's latest dev post on the game's official site. Long-time Diablo fans probably know Westmarch best as the home of the Knights of Westmarch, the order from which Diablo II's Paladin hails, but there is much more to the realm's deep lore. Westmarch's history is one -- as is expected in the Diablo universe -- steeped in blood and conquest. The kingdom was founded by the Zakarum zealot Rakkis after a crusade that drove him across the Twin Seas and over the bodies of legions of conquered foes, but there is a second, "secret" history to this place. Near Westmarch is a "sprawl of fetid marshes," littered with the ruins of an ancient Nephalem civilization said to hold the power to ward against angels and demons alike. It was to these ruins that the now-mortal Tyrael took the Black Soulstone, and it was there that the former archangel Malthael, at that point neither angel nor demon, stole the Black Soulstone from its hiding place. And that, of course, is where the tale of Reaper of Souls begins. If you're a lore junkie looking for all the details, check out the full post on Diablo III's official site.
Blizzard details Myriam's Artisan abilities in Reaper of Souls
Blizzard has detailed Myriam Jahzia, a new Artisan that will help demon slayers rough up their prey in the upcoming Diablo 3 expansion, Reaper of Souls. Myriam is a Mystic, and shortly after players save her in Westmarch, she'll offer two services - the property-altering Enchanting and the appearance-oriented Transmogrification. Enchanting will allow a player to pick an unfavorable property on a Rare or Legendary item and then re-roll to potentially improve it. The post notes that "not all properties can be re-rolled," but most can, and players will be able to re-roll those as many times as they like after paying a material cost. Transmogrification will leave properties as they are and instead serve as a way to change just the appearance of armor and weapons. The Battle.net post states that "all items with a visual appearance" are planned for compatibility with the Transmogrification service, so long as the desired appearance has been unlocked. Keep in mind that item appearances unlocked in Normal mode will be separate from what you gather in Hardcore mode. Step-by-step procedures for using either option are written in full in the Battle.net post detailing the character, but the gist of it is that you'll need to visit her cart to have either service performed. You can also check out concept art of how her cart will visually progress as she levels up.
How Diablo 3 has improved transmog and why WoW should steal it
Yesterday our Adam K (who I picture as a cyborg mutant from the future) posted about Diablo 3's incoming Mystic and the services she will provide. This post isn't adding any new information, it's just making a point - everything about Diablo 3's transmogrification is better than that of the game it was stolen from, World of Warcraft. When Reaper of Souls comes out, I will be drooling in envy over how that game handles transmogrification. Why is it better, you ask? Let's compare the two games. All items including legendaries and set items are eligible for transmog in D3. In WoW, there are item restrictions that include not allowing legendaries. D3 uses item appearances - once an item's appearance is unlocked, it's bound to your account and any character on that account can use that appearance in transmogrification. So if you have two barbarians and one has Unending War, the other can use its appearance in transmog. In WoW, if you have a warrior with Ashkandi, your death knight still has to farm BWL to get it if she wants to use that item for transmog. In World of Warcraft, if you want to use an item for transmog, you have to have that item - it's in your bank or void storage tab, taking up space. In D3, once you've unlocked an item's appearance, you do not have to keep that item. You can also dye items that you've transmogged in D3, but since you can't do that at all in WoW, it's not a fair comparison. Reading over the way transmogrification will work in Reaper of Souls just makes me convinced that WoW has an archaic transmog system that needs to be revamped, and handily for Blizzard, they just developed the perfect system to replace it.
Diablo III dev blog demystifies the Mystic
Diablo III's latest dev blog unveils more tasty information about a new artisan NPC, the Mystic, coming to the game in the Reaper of Souls expansion. As many Diablo III fans are undoubtedly aware, Reaper of Souls will mark the introduction of a set of features, known colloquially as Loot 2.0, which aims to rebalance Diablo III's loot and item systems in an effort to make loot more interesting to players. The Mystic is an integral part of this effort thanks to her unique skills of enchanting and transmogrification. Through Enchantment, the Mystic is capable of rerolling a single property on a piece of equipment, making her the go-to artisan for those items that are almost-but-not-quite perfect. While you can choose only a single property to reroll on each item, that property can be rerolled as many times as you can afford. Don't worry about buyer's remorse, though; if the newly rolled property is worse than the old one, the Mystic can reverse the process. The Mystic is also the number one stylist in Sanctuary thanks to her transmogrification ability which, as World of Warcraft players know, allows players to replace an item's visual appearance with that of a different item. To get all the arcane details on Myriam the Mystic, you can check out the full post on Diablo III's official site.
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls announced for PS4, playable at BlizzCon
Blizzard announced that its upcoming Diablo 3 expansion Reaper of Souls is coming to the PlayStation 4. A playable version will be showcased at BlizzCon in November. Revealed in August, Reaper of Souls raises character level caps and introduces a new storyline act, adding new endgame content for veteran players. A port of Diablo 3 premiered for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 earlier this year. Single-player and co-op demos will be available at BlizzCon 2013, giving players an early look at how the new Crusader build pairs with existing character classes.
BlizzCon 2013 schedule is now online
One of the major annual nerd pilgrimages is less than a month away because on the 7th and 8th of November, hundreds of Blizzard fans will be flocking to Anaheim, California for BlizzCon 2013. If you're one of those lucky pilgrims and you're looking to plan out your visit to Blizzard mecca, you're in luck because the convention schedule is now online. The opening ceremonies will kick off on Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and throughout the next two days BlizzCon will be host to a slew of panels including the intriguing "World of Warcraft: What's Next," and exciting events such as the StarCraft II World Championship Series semi-finals and grand finals. For all of your scheduling needs, the list of events, locations, and a handy map await you at the BlizzCon site.
