Diablo 3
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Watch Blizzard's Gamescom 2013 Diablo 3 presentation
Recorded by someone up nice and close to the stage at Gamescom 2013, you can watch the entirety of Blizzard's Diablo 3 presentation on YouTube. This is not an official Blizzard video, so there's a chance it'll be taken down (although this isn't an official Blizzard event either, so who knows -- either way watch I'd watch it soon). One of the big things that stood out for me was when they were talking about the end-game; Blizzard wants there to be something for everyone in the end-game of Diablo 3, not just for the hard core players. This feels like a departure, somewhat, from previous paradigms; and is certainly an echo of what WoW's end-game has become. You can watch the trailer for Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls over yonder, and also read up about what we heard will be coming in a pre-expansion patch to Diablo 3.
Diablo 3 to get new features, for free, in pre-expansion patch
Following in the footsteps of WoW's pre-expansion patch, Diablo 3 will give the community quite a bit of stuff for free. Blizzard Community Manager Grimiku explains: Grimuku We want to implement a lot of the new systems and features in a pre-expansion patch for free. That should include Paragon 2.0, Loot 2.0, Loot Runs, and Nephalem Trials. For now, you'll need to purchase the expansion to play as the Crusader, explore Act V, unlock the Mystic, and level up to 70. These details may change as development moves along, but we want some of the core gameplay improvements to be available for everyone. source The new Paragon system will remove the Paragon level cap (meaning you'll be able to, well, infinitely level your toon), which is good news for the few and proud that have reached the max paragon level. There'll also be other changes Paragon 2.0 will bring, and we'll get those then too. The Loot 2.0 vision for Diablo 3 will be especially important for those that want to get characters ready for the expansion. Loot 2.0 means that the gear drops you get will be more focused on your current character, which means that in general, gearing up should be easier; and that there should be more 'reward' for playing the game. The other features Grimuku talks about, the Loot Runs and the Nephalem Trials, are end-game modes/activities. Blizzard seems to be taking a new direction with Diablo 3, addressing some of the fan complaints. No matter what your feelings on Diablo 3 are, this will certainly be interesting to watch.
Diablo III PvP mode a 'tricky question' for Blizzard
Diablo III's long-awaited PvP mode might require a great deal more patience on behalf of the playerbase -- perhaps eternal patience. At Gamescom, Game Director Josh Mosqueira was cagey about the mode ever seeing the light of day: "That's a really tricky question to answer. It's got to be Blizzard quality." Late last year, Blizzard scrapped its current plans for a PvP mode in favor of starting over. Mosqueira said this week that the team is still struggling to overcome several obstacles in creating a new PvP mode, including a limited number of team members for the project, a desire to see PvP at all levels, and a problem with converting the existing PvE gameplay to work for PvP. "In Diablo, the core mechanics are really built around one character fighting scores of monsters, right?" Mosqueira said. "There's a lot of control, a lot of AOE, and some of that stuff starts to not necessarily break down, but it starts to fray at the edges when you're actually now focused on two people, or four people."
Blizzard debuts Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls opening cinematic
Here's what will likely be the opening to Diablo 3's "Reaper of Souls" expansion, announced today at Gamescom. Also, we hate to be that website, but Bill and Ted have foiled Death most excellently.
Gamescom 2013: Diablo III unveils its first expansion, Reaper of Souls
What happens when an angel gets ahold of a demon's soulstone in Diablo III? You probably don't want to know; it's not going to be pretty. The game's first expansion, Reaper of Souls, was announced today at Gamescom, and the fact that Malthael the angel possesses the soulstone harboring Diablo himself is all the justification you need for fighting him. This is a very bad thing. All right, the mechanical side of things does come into play. Even if you don't care about the lore or about fighting off fallen angels, you can still care about features like a refined loot system that focuses on providing less loot that's more likely to be useful instead of quite so much garbage. There's also a new class being added, the Crusader, who looks similar at a glance to Diablo II's Paladin. Add in a new NPC who can reallocate stats on gear and you've probably got all of the incentive you need to look forward to the expansion.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion and cinematic
It looks like Leah is coming back and is gonna cause some trouble. Today at Gamescom Blizzard announced the Diablo III expansion, Reaper of Souls. The first expansion to the game will focus on Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, and his possession of the Black Soulstone, which contains the remaining essence of Leah (Diablo). Notable expansion features include: A new Crusader class, wears heavy armor as a tank, buffs/debuffs friends and enemies, not unlike Diablo II's Paladin Reaper of Souls will officially by Act V of Diablo III Level cap raised to 70 Paragon level cap removed All classes will get new spells as they progress to level 70 Something called a "multilevel Legendary item" Substantial updates to the loot experience, "Loot 2.0" as named by Blizzard -- you're more likely to pick up items tailored to your current class Overall loot reduced, not picking up as many items not needed by your current class New Crafter: Mystic -- re-roll stats on items, gives chance to create better gear Two new endgame modes/activities: loot runs and Nephalem Trials Check out the cinematic above for some Diablo goodness. More information is available over at our sister site Joystiq.
Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls expansion revealed
Today at a Gamescom press conference, Blizzard announced the "Reaper of Souls" expansion pack for Diablo 3. Game Director Josh Mosquiera took the stage to reveal a new class, the Crusader, a burly and heavily armored character. Reaper of Souls will feature a new act, a higher level cap, new endgame options and, of course, more loot. Reaper of Souls centers around Malthael, the angel of death, who has seized control of the black soulstone, which houses the soul of Diablo himself. Blizzard promises a "darker" game this time a round, and Malthael is certainly dark, able to siphon souls from the people of Sanctuary, even allowing him to turn citizens into his minions. Of course, Reaper of Souls will include new monsters, including fallen angels.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls?
After yesterday's furore over the rumored Blizzard trademark, "The Dark Below", with every man and his dog confidently asserting that this was the name of the next Diablo III expansion, Blizzard has played a decisive card. A new subcategory of the Diablo III website was added very early this morning, titled Reaper of Souls. The above image is all the site holds for now, and if you're unable to read the writing it is ostensibly a quote from the Book of Tyrael, saying "Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all". Now, while this is by no means a complete, firm confirmation that Reaper of Souls is the title of the next expansion, it's certainly looking that way. So that leaves the question of The Dark Below -- what could it be, if it is even a trademark? It did show up eventually on the US trademark registration site, but it's certainly not conclusive. So that adds to the recently registered "Cute But Deadly" trademark in the list of marks of mystery. What's your take?
Diablo III teaser suggests expansion name is Reaper of Souls [Updated]
Yesterday we speculated where Blizzard's recently trademarked name The Dark Below would go -- to a new game or an expansion for Diablo III or World of Warcraft? Well Diablo III appears to be out of the running; according to a teaser page found on the official site, the new title for that expansion is Reaper of Souls. And we already know that Blizzard planned on showing off a new cinematic at Gamescom, so we'll probably have an official reveal of the expansion next week. Of course, with Diablo III's expansion named, that leaves The Dark Below still open for other use. Will it belong to WoW, or something new entirely? Only time will tell. Our sister site WoW Insider now believes the registration of The Dark Below was a hoax. [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip.]
Diablo 3 teaser site hints at possible Reaper of Souls expansion
A new teaser page on the official Diablo 3 site looks to point towards an expansion called 'Reaper of Souls.' The page shows an image of a looming, shadowy entrance, along with a quote from the Book of Tyrael, which reads "Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all." The page itself is titled Reaper of Souls, and text at the bottom of it indicates Blizzard trademarked that term, something TMView confirms happened just yesterday. Also, the image has the filename "d3x_teaser_en_us.jpg," the 'x' there suggestive on its own. We know a Diablo 3 expansion has been planned for some time, but this teaser page adds to suspicions that more info will be forthcoming soon, most likely at Gamescom later this month. In a recent earnings call, Blizzard President Michael Morhaime said the company would share "Diablo-related news" at the event, while invites for its press conference there teased a "special announcement." Blizzard also trademarked 'The Dark Below' recently; that now seems likelier to be related to World of Warcraft or something else entirely. It's worth noting the teaser page quotes Tyrael's companion book for the game, which is due to be released on October 1 and promises "never-before-known secrets" about the Diablo universe. The teaser also comes just ahead of the action-RPG's arrival on PS3 and Xbox 360, set for September 3, while the PS4 receives the game sometime next year.
PSN Tuesday: Payday 2, Ducktales, Diablo 3 pre-orders
Today's PSN update stocks the store with Overkill's heist-em-up, Payday 2, and WayForward's Ducktales Remastered, a remake of the classic NES platformer. Pre-orders are also now open for Diablo 3, FIFA 14, Lost Planet 3 and Final Fantasy XIV. PlayStation Plus subscribers can snag their free copy of Runner 2 today and grab its Good Friends DLC at a slight discount. Meanwhile, the PS Vita gets Fruit Ninja, Open Me!, A-Men and Breakquest: Extra Evolution. The full list of this week's content is available on the PlayStation Blog.
Blizzard trademark hints at next WoW or Diablo III expansion [Updated]
According to the ever-churning rumor mill, Blizzard Entertainment may be on the cusp of announcing a new expansion to World of Warcraft or Diablo III. The studio has just snagged a new trademark for The Dark Below and identified that trademark as "computer game software" and "downloadable electronic game." The trademark could be for a new game or unannounced IP, but it's more likely the title of an upcoming expansion to one of Blizzard's big existing titles. Smart money is on Diablo III, since Blizz did tease its August 21st Gamescom press conference by saying it would, "capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells, and all the shadowed places that lie between." We also know that Blizzard plans to show off a brand new cinematic at Gamescom -- cinematics tend to come with either new games or new expansions. Any guesses on what The Dark Below might be? [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip!] [Update: Our sister site WoW Insider argues convincingly that this particular registration was merely a hoax.]
The Queue: BlizzCon, daily quests, gnome heads, and more
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Let's go right to the questions! mikkelsdk asked: Considering Blizzard has a lot of things on the table currently (Heartstone, Blizzard All-Stars, Titan, Next WoW Expansion, Diablo 3 xpac and probably SC2 xpac) which of these aren't we going to hear about at Blizzcon? Titan is a given but have Blizzard talking about Heartstone, All-stars, WoW xpac, Diablo 3 xpac and SC2 xpac is kinda of a long shot.
Blizzard press conference scheduled for Gamescom 2013
While we knew Blizzard would have a presence and playable games at Gamescom 2013, held in Cologne, Germany from August 21-25, Polygon is reporting that there will be a press conference held by Blizzard as well. According to Polygon, Blizzard is saving a special announcement for Gamescom at a press conference that will be held on the first day of the convention. Polygon reports that the special invitation they received stated "We're making a special announcement that's sure to capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells and all the shadowed places that lie between." While this may just be more information about the upcoming console ports for Diablo 3, one has to wonder if perhaps this is something more -- perhaps the first mention of a Diablo 3 expansion? It's certainly about time we heard of such things, but of course, we won't really know for certain what the special announcement is all about until Gamescom opens in August. Be sure to head over to Polygon for more details regarding the upcoming press conference. For more information on Blizzard's presence at Gamescom, be sure to check out their official dedicated website for the event. And if you're planning on attending, you still have a little time to sign up for the Blizzard costume contest as well!
Gamescom 2013: Blizzard's playable content announced
Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany, is Europe's largest gaming convention, and one of the largest int he world with 275,000 attendees in 2012, and the same set to visit in 2013. Blizzard, as you can see above, attended in 2012 with both Starcraft and Warcraft, hosting not only a huge gameplay area for the then Mists beta, but also concerts, a costume contest, live raids, and an arena tournament. Much of the same will likely feature this year, but the highlight is likely to be the playable content they're bringing, which is plentiful indeed! Blizzard In just a few short weeks, Blizzard will be at the biggest games convention in the world – gamescom in Cologne, Germany. The show runs from August 21-25, and we'll be welcoming players with all kinds of stage activities, contests and giveaways – and of course people are there to play games, too! This year our booth is bigger than ever, which means we can accommodate more gamers than ever. Attendees will be able to play: Diablo III (PC and PlayStation 3): Brave the Burning Hells and whack some demons – playable on console for the first time in Europe! Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC): Playable in public for the first time in Europe! World of Warcraft (PC): Check out what patch 5.4 has to offer! Check back for more updates in the days and weeks leading up to gamescom for details of what's in store for you at the Blizzard booth. We'll have quizzes, leveling contest, show matches, the World of Warcraft dance contest and much more – and don't forget you can still sign up for the Blizzard costume contest. Head to our newly launched dedicated website for more about Blizzard at gamescom 2013. source
Activision Blizzard goes indie after CEO Kotick buys back the company
Activision Blizzard is set to split from parent company Vivendi after a deal has been made to buy back the company for just over $8 billion. Led by CEO Bobby Kotick and Chairman Brian Kelly, the split will see 439 shares (worth $5.83 billion) bought by Activision Blizzard itself, while an investment group led by Kotick and Kelly will purchase 172 million shares (worth $2.32 billion). Vivendi will still retain 83 million shares, or about 12 percent of the company. This puts Activision Blizzard in the "independent" category, which is an interesting label for one of the largest game publishers of our day. "We should emerge even stronger -- an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value and expand our leadership position as one of the world's most important entertainment companies." Kotick said. "The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability."
Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs
Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry. One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch. The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.
The Soapbox: On your deathbed, you will not regret gaming
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster reminded us that the grim specter of death comes to us all and asserted that when your time comes, "you will not wish you had spent more time gaming." Mike took the stance that gaming provides temporary joys that can't replace real-life experiences and that it's our inherent responsibility as human beings with finite lifespans to seek out those experiences. He argued that "gaming is a hobby and not a replacement for a life well-lived" and that it's not our gaming achievements but our real life ones that we'll proudly tell our grandchildren. I think we can all agree that it's important to have offline hobbies and interests that help you keep active, but I take exception to the notion that we might regret time spent gaming on our deathbeds. Published data on the top five regrets of the dying actually seems to directly refute this idea, and my life experiences have shown the exact opposite of some of the points Mike makes. MMOs have given me some experiences that I'll probably treasure for a lifetime, and gaming as a hobby has provided me with much more than just temporary joys and escapism; it's helped me discover talents I didn't know I possessed, given me the push I needed to get a good education, led me to employment, and put me in contact with lifelong friends. On my deathbed, I'll probably wish I'd spent more time gaming rather than less. In this opinion piece, I look at evidence that suggests we won't regret gaming on our deathbeds and make the case that gaming can be just as worthwhile as offline pursuits.
Diablo 3 on PS4 in 2014
Diablo 3 will convert "click, click, click" to "mash, mash, mash" on current-gen consoles on September 3, but the PS4 won't let the evil in for another year. "The Diablo 3 team has actually just received the new console generation development kits, so the translation to those platforms is yet to be done. They really like the features on the PS4 controller and want to try and do something cool with the trackpad and share button," noted DiabloFans, following an interview with the game's developers. "Diablo 3 will not be a launch date title for the next generation consoles. It will come in 2014." Blizzard isn't looking to make a straight port of the game from PC to console platforms – something the studio expressed in detail during E3. Update: Blizzard reached out to say that any references to the next generation of consoles in the source article were referring only to the PlayStation 4. The source article has also been altered. We've updated the article accordingly and removed mention of Xbox One. %Gallery-191164%
Activision Blizzard makes up with the ESA
After taking its toys and going home in 2008, Activision Blizzard has kissed and made up with the Entertainment Software Association as announced in a press release this morning. The ESA is not only in charge of organizing E3 each year, but it's also seen as the political arm of the gaming industry. This, along with the joining of Tencent (owner of Riot Games, Epic Games, and the ZAM Network), brings the ESA's membership to 37 companies. Does this mean we'll see more of Blizzard's goodies at E3 while other large companies are skipping the industry expo? Could this be an act of desperation on the part of Activision Blizzard or the ESA? Let us know in the comments! [Source: ESA press release]
