Diablo III Pushed Back to 2012
PC Phenomenon Still in Beta
The hugely-anticipated game Diablo III has finally gotten a general release window and, sadly, it doesn't involve the 2011 holiday season. Still, Blizzard Entertainment's note that Diablo III should be released in "early 2012" gives gamers hope that the title will be available before snow melts in the Northeast.
It's been more than a decade since the last Diablo game was released and about fourteen years since the franchise was first unveiled. Gameplay is relatively straightforward: you hack, slash and spell your way through dozens of jungles and dungeons, all with the click of a mouse button. However, the amount of customization offered by the game (players can find and equip literally thousands of different weapons and armor sets) make for immense re-playability. Also, gamers can gather groups online for a more social dungeon crawl.
In the end, Diablo and Diablo II should be considered two of the most popular PC games ever released. It's no surprise, then, that people can't wait to get their hands on Diablo III, which has been in development for several years now.
For those getting frustrated, it's worth noting that Blizzard Entertainment has been working on several other massive projects these past few years, including World of Warcraft expansion packs (like Cataclysm) and Starcraft II.
For their part, many video game experts aren't surprised with the delay. After all, Blizzard has long been known for its "when it's done" release policy.
"I don't think anyone realistically expected Diablo III to arrive before the end of the year," said Patrick Klepek of Giant Bomb, a major online gaming publication.
Blizzard stands by its policy to release a game when it's really, truly ready. It's hard to blame them for that; after all, premium quality is one of the reasons people buy Blizzard games so frequently.
"With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible," said Blizzard CEO, Mike Morhaime. "However, we didn't put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready."
Right now Blizzard is running a beta program for Diablo III, which it says will be extended for an undetermined amount of time.
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