gothic-fantasy
Latest
Blade & Soul on track to launch in Korea this July
If all goes well, NCsoft's Blade & Soul will be making its public debut in July. That's the good news; the bad news is that the launch will be confined to Korea for the time being. The company recently announced in an earnings call that the title is on track to go into open beta testing by June and then launch this July. There's some hope at NCsoft that the release of Diablo III will grow the potential gamer audience in the country, an audience that could be attracted to Blade & Soul come this summer. Currently the game is in closed beta, with the next round of testing commencing on May 22nd. ThisIsGame reports that Blade & Soul has stirred up controversy with testers due to a vitality system that limits how fast a player can advance his or her character.
Diablo III launch day roundup
It's been a decade in the making, but today Diablo III finally arrived. The past few months have been filled with Diablo III news and more data than you can imagine, from speculation on the release date to details of gameplay and the different difficulty modes available. We've seen five epic class reveals on the Darkness Falls, Heroes Rise launch site and a series of unlocks that ended with the awesome animated Wrath of Angels short. In this launch article, we pull together some of the top Diablo III news from the past few months. If you're playing the game today (or not!), be sure to check out our top five tips for making the most of your first few days in Diablo III.
Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay
Massively's sister site WoW Insider brings us this special bonus article tonight on the basics of Diablo III for folks who normally play MMOs like World of Warcraft. Enjoy the rest of Joystiq's WoW team's Diablo coverage over on WoW Insider, and stay tuned for our own Diablo III launch roundups tomorrow morning! Since Diablo II was released 12 years ago, it's safe to say that Diablo III will be the first Diablo title many people will have ever played. It's one of the most anticipated titles of the season and is attracting countless new players to the genre. We've received a number of questions asking how this game is even played -- and if it has anything in common with your favorite MMOs. We have you covered. The core of Diablo gameplay is the mouse click. You do everything from combat to looting to movement with your mouse, and your interactions with your keyboard are extremely minimal overall. On Twitter recently, many Diablo diehards have mentioned they were buying a new mouse specifically to use with Diablo III -- and that's not a bad idea. No, we're not talking a brand-new $80 Razer Naga; we're talking some $10 to $15 thing you can pick up off of a department store shelf. You want a mouse that you're not going to mourn when your buttons inevitably give out from the mountain of abuse you're about to unleash upon them. Grab something cheap and disposable so that when it dies, you will consider it a victory -- just another technological corpse for the bone pile.
Diablo III Starter Edition lets you play for free
Not sure if you're ready to take the plunge on Diablo III just yet? Not to worry, as Blizzard has announced a trial of sorts for its highly anticipated dungeon crawler. The Diablo III Starter Edition will let you access the first chapter of the game (up to the Skeleton King) for free. You're limited to level 13, though, and matchmaker results are also limited to your fellow tirekickers. Where can I get my hands on this fine Starter Edition, you ask? You'll need a friend who has bought the full game. Said friend will also need to fork over her Diablo III Guest Pass. If you're fresh out of friends, you'll just have to wait 30 days from the game's release (tomorrow), at which point the Starter Edition will be made available to everyone.
Diablo III is Amazon's most pre-ordered PC title ever
Raise your hand if you think Diablo III isn't going to sell a bajillion copies. Yeah, we don't see a lot of hands there, despite plenty of pre-launch controversies like the real-money auction house, PvP, and developer faux pas. Blizzard could probably sell cow chips if it branded them with the D3 logo, and the latest evidence of the rabid fan anticipation comes courtesy of Amazon. You see, Diablo III is now the most pre-ordered PC title in the history of the online retailer, according to our bros at Joystiq and a company spokesman. "Today, [Diablo III] became the most pre-ordered PC game of all-time on Amazon.com –- even exceeding pre-orders for Blizzard's own StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm," the spokesman said.
World of Warcraft holding steady at 10.2 million subscribers
World of Warcraft's subscriber numbers had been falling at the end of last year, but they appear to have stabilized once again. According to president Michael Morhaime, the game continues to remain steady at 10.2 million subscribers through the end of March, the same as the number seen in February during the previous conference call for Activision Blizzard. Morhaime went on to confirm that the agreement with NetEase regarding World of Warcraft in China has been renewed, with the companies planning to continue their agreement for another three years at least. The studio is also seeing definite success with Diablo III; although the game has yet to release, it's currently surpassed all of the studio's previous high-water marks regarding pre-orders. This includes units sold as part of the Annual Pass promotion, which saw 1.2 million copies purchased in total. While WoW may not have reached its previous peak, it's certainly holding on to a stalwart base for the time being.
Diablo III shows off the wrath of angels
Diablo III is fast approaching release in a week, but even now it's important to remember the roots of the series. The game's lore has always been based on the conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, and rather than simply create a trailer narrating that fact, Blizzard chose a more unique route. The new video available is simply titled Wrath, but it contains some important information about the lore at a pivotal moment in the war between angels and demons. Animated by Titmouse and directed by Peter Chung (best known for Æon Flux), the six-minute video is brief, but it should leave a last impression regarding the nature of the game's conflict and the stakes involved. Even if you're not planning on grabbing the game on launch in a week, it's well worth watching just for the animation alone, and if you are grabbing the game, it jumps right up to being a must-see.
Diablo III's Wizard rebels against the system
The cracking you hear is the sound of thousands of index fingers flexing and twitching in anticipation for Diablo III's release. It's... kind of disturbing to behold, actually. To take our mind off the wait (or perhaps to exacerbate it), Blizzard has released the final class spotlight, this time featuring the Wizard. Diablo III's Wizards are described as "brilliant practitioners of the arcane arts who deftly wield the energies of fire, ice, lightning, and even time itself in the pursuit of their enigmatic goals." These Wizards are part of an underground rebellion that is seeking great power, and they are scorned by the mages in charge, yet they may be the only ones to save the world from the great new threat that's arisen. Check out the fire-and-brimstone action of the Wizard after the jump!
Diablo III offers global play, provides a guide to the auction house
As Diablo III gets ever closer to release, you've probably moved on from the question of what you're going to play and on to the question of who you're going to play with. If your friends live across the planet, that's going to make things a little more difficult, but with the new Global Play feature, not impossible. Players will be able to play in any region, although the real-money auction house will only be accessible in your home region and your characters from the home region won't transfer to the global service. You hadn't forgotten the real-money auction house, had you? Just in case you had, a new official guide is available detailing how the service will work, what regions can use what money, and of course the actual mechanics of buying and selling. Players using the global play feature will not have access to the real money house of other regions, but will have access to the regular auction house, so even if you're planning on a global jaunt, it's worth examining the particulars.
Watch the new Diablo III TV commercial
"Evil is back," the screen proclaims -- and who are we to argue? Blizzard has released a brand-new 30-second spot for television to promote Diablo III's May 15th release, and it's a tight little package of demons, explosions, fire, and one properly terrified girl. Blizzard's been ramping up the hype as its hack-and-slash RPG nears launch. It's released class spotlight videos on the classes of the game, including the Demon Hunter, the Barbarian, the Monk, and the Witch Doctor. Check out the new TV spot after the break and let us know what you think!
Diablo III cooks up a reveal for the Witch Doctor
As the release grows closer, Diablo III continues to serve up new reveals for the game's classes. But the latest revelation is still bringing a lot of secrets along with it. After all, would you really expect the Witch Doctor not to have a few more tricks up his sleeve? Like previous classes, the good doctor gets a video showing off the class style as well as a short story and a more specific class overview. While he's fully capable of dealing straight damage, the Witch Doctor's true talents lie in subtlety and misdirection via curses, confusion, and fear. He also possesses the ability to summon creatures to act as ersatz allies, with giant toads and swarms of flaming bats compensating for his own lack of physical might. If all of this sounds like just your style, you might want to take a look at the video... but even if that's not the case, all Diablo III fans will want to take note of the first announced launch event for the game, with more to follow.
Drakensang Online compares itself to Diablo III and Torchlight II
Bigpoint Games is painting Drakensang Online as the Rocky Balboa of isometric hack-'n'-slash MMOs, and it's stepping into the ring with the upcoming title contenders and swinging away. The company released a comparison chart to show how its scrappy underdog is actually head and shoulders above the developing competition. According to the comparison chart, Drakensang takes the lead by offering all that its competition has and more. When you've got a game that was developed in less than two years, is free-to-play, and is a full-fledged MMO, why would you ever want to sample the fruits of Blizzard's and Runic Games' trees? Will Drakensang nip hard enough at Diablo III's heels to hobble the mighty demon as it releases next month? Time will tell, but you can check out our impressions of Drakensang when Mike plays it for you live on Massively TV this Wednesday evening! [Source: Bigpoint Games press release]
Diablo III roars into an open beta weekend
Flex those mouse-clicking fingers, compadres -- it's demon-hunting time! This weekend, Blizzard is blowing the doors off Diablo III's beta, allowing any and all (well, those with a Battle.net account, that is) to come try out this upcoming action RPG. The open beta weekend begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT today and lasts until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 23rd. During the beta, all five classes will be available, but players will be limited to a level 13 cap as they give the game a whirl. To access the Diablo III open beta, you'll need a valid Battle.net account and a BattleTag. Despite playing in the open beta, participants won't be able to post in the beta forums and won't receive Beta Bucks to spend. Asian players in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau will be part of not this stress test but rather a separate invitation-only closed beta test starting on April 23rd.
Diablo III punches things up with a new Monk video and the end of beta
Diablo III is still putting together more previews as the game ramps up for its launch on May 15th. The latest reveal is for the Monk, a melee class that takes a very different approach from the already revealed Barbarian. Rather than attacking with massive weapons and overpowering rage, the Monk uses careful combo attacks, swift movements, and inner energy. Unleashing a Monk's spiritual power after a long chain of melee attacks can produce all sorts of effects, from area damage to dashing out of combat quickly. This reveal coincides with the announcement that the Diablo III beta will be coming to a close on Tuesday, May 1st. Character information will be wiped at that time, and players will be able to post on the official forums only in the event that they have pre-purchased the game or they have an active account for another Blizzard game. If the Monk reveal makes you anxious to play one and you're in the beta, you'd better get on that quickly or be prepared to wait for launch.
Blizzard highlights the Barbarian in Diablo III's newest video
There are some classes in every game meant to explore arcane mysteries, to sneak through trials with subtlety and focus upon finesse and careful action. The Barbarian of Diablo III is not one of those classes. No, the Barbarian is the class for when you want to just smash everything until it stands no taller than dust, and then smash yourself some dust for good measure. It's the latest reveal for the game, and as expected, it comes with an accompanying video. In lore terms, as a Barbarian you play one of the last members of a proud nomadic people whose tireless defense of Mount Arreat ultimately failed, leaving the Barbarians to wander disillusioned and hopeless. Meanwhile, in game terms, you'll focus on savage melee attacks, thundering war shouts, and a variety of extremely powerful weapons and armor. So go ahead and pound on your mouse until you get past the break to view the Barbarian in all his bloody, savage, not-quite-housebroken glory.
New Diablo III launch site collapses under the weight of fans
With just over a month left until Diablo III is released, Blizzard launched its new Darkness Falls, Heroes Rise minisite to get people excited. Fans can enter an art contest with some big prizes or create a banner to unlock an exclusive in-game banner sigil that will never be given away outside this event. The site is one big social media campaign, with exclusive content that unlocks when players share enough contest entries on Facebook and Twitter. Fansite DiabloFans revealed that the unlocks will include developer diaries, wallpapers and more. Once the share meter reaches 100%, a final epic unveiling will occur that Blizzard's Bashiok says "is going to melt people's brain meats." When the site first launched, fans reported everything from PHP errors to lost connections and 404 pages. The site has since been stabilised but doesn't appear to be working as intended. The galleries are no longer updating, confirmation emails are not being sent for entries, and the unlock level hasn't budged from 0%. As we'll need just under 3% per day to meet the 100% goal, players are concerned that if the meter isn't broken, then expectations may have been set too high.
Be vewy vewy quiet; we're hunting demons: A look at Diablo III's Demon Hunter
The world of Diablo III is a dark and dismal one indeed. Between the whole hell-leaking-into-earth thing and the utterly ludicrous number of undead monstrosities roaming the land, the denizens of Sanctuary have it rough. Thankfully, a number of survivors have risen up and established themselves as Demon Hunters who utilize grace, agility, and lots of explosives to rid the world of its demonic taint. For players planning to join the ranks of these Demon Hunters, Blizzard has released a brand-new video highlighting the many skills available to the class. If flurries of crossbow bolts, flaming shuriken boomerangs, and the dexterity of a lynx on crack appeal to you at all, then the Demon Hunter is probably right up your alley. But hey, you don't have to take our word for it; go check out the full video and decide for yourselves.
Diablo III launches May 15th [Updated]
At long last we have a release date for the third entry in Blizzard's unholy trinity. Yes, kids, Diablo III will be yours on May 15th, and even though there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the title of late, we're pretty sure that it's still going to sell like hotcakes. According to our fine friends at Joystiq, you can pre-purchase the game immediately via Battle.net, and doing so will ensure that you're "ready to play the minute the servers go live." Blizzard would also like to bribe remind its fans that Diablo III can be had for free by signing up for an annual World of Warcraft pass (and that deal lasts through May 1st). [Update: On this news, analysts are now predicting that the game will sell 5 million units in its first year.]
Diablo III shelves PvP to make launch
When a release date is nearing and a crucial game feature is falling behind, what is a studio to do? If you're Blizzard and you're looking at the fate of one of the biggest titles of the year, you yank the offending feature from the game so as to not delay the entire product. Blizzard announced today that Diablo III's PvP is not living up to the studio's standards and that it will be removing it for now in order to keep the game on track for launch. So why not just hold back the game until it's completely ready? In the words of the studio, "We ultimately felt that delaying the whole game purely for PvP would just be punishing to everyone who's waiting to enjoy the campaign and core solo/co-op content, all of which is just about complete." Diablo III's PvP functionality will be restored at an unspecified later date with multiple Arena maps, achievements, personal progression, and a matchmaking system. [Thanks to Marc for the tip!]
Rumor: Diablo III releasing April 17th
The rumor mill is churning fast and furious today as heavy speculation is swirling about a possible release date for Diablo III: April 17th. This comes from Italian website mmorpgitalia, which reports that retailers are clearing space for their shelves on the 17th after a tip from Activision Italy. Blizzard, of course, is declining to comment on the rumor, although Game Director Jay Wilson says that an "all-important announcement" -- most likely the release date -- is imminent. When asked on Twitter how soon the announcement would arrive (on a scale of 1-10), Wilson replied with a simple "9." Tomorrow begins the CeBIT 2012 trade show in Europe, and Blizzard will be present to show off the Diablo III beta. If an announcement is to be made, this event might make a good a platform as any from which to tell the gaming world which day it's going to need to take off from work.
