View Full Version : Release date: December 31, 2008 ?!?!
etslayer
30-06-2008, 22:17
According to gamespot, Diablo 3 will be released at this end of this year. Follow this link and scroll to the bottom:
http://www.gamespot.com/
Frankley, I don't believe it.
I wouldn't take their word for it on the EXACT date, but I've been saying this since D3's announcement. I don't know why so many people think it'll come out in 2012, or even 2010. The game looks nearly complete; they have the engine complete and the gist of the art theme is established. My two predictions have always been Christmas of 2008 or sometime during the early half of 2009, possibly summer '09 being the latest.
hmm, it does actually say that. Did gamespot have a exclusive deal with Blizzard on D3 like PCgamer? Cause if it's a leak or accident by gamespot, they have to have gotten that date from Blizzard. I doubt it's accurate though, but one can only hope. Atleast if this is the expected release date. But it's not even in beta so again, I doubt it
I wouldn't take their word for it on the EXACT date, but I've been saying this since D3's announcement. I don't know why so many people think it'll come out in 2012, or even 2010. The game looks nearly complete; they have the engine complete and the gist of the art theme is established. My two predictions have always been Christmas of 2008 or sometime during the early half of 2009, possibly summer '09 being the latest.
Yep, that's true, and this is why I hope it won't be to long either. But according to the developers, they still have alot of content left, but the "hard/time-consuming" part of the game is completed. My guess is summer 09.
The classes also were playable according to the devs. but they hadn't arranged the skill trees and whatnot
Biscuits For Smut
30-06-2008, 22:33
Frankley, I don't believe it.
Me either. One year from now could be a decent release date. At least imo.
It is unlikely that they will release SC2 and D3 around the same time, and SC2 will probably be first. D2 was released in summer (of '00), so next summer sounds realistic to me. Long time, and I really wish I could play tomorrow. Well, I guess it's some time for D2 again. :)
No company would release a game a few days after Christmas. As it's the last day of the year, it's obviously a placeholder date. This will happen dozens of times in other places.
I also believe people miscalculate the time it will take to finalize the game. They have the core parts done and what is left is the content of which they have quite much done too from what i've heard.
According to the press conference video on the main page, they say they're aiming for a game world about as big as D2 was, so it's not exactly a WoW world they're gonna come up with.
I wouldn't take their word for it on the EXACT date, but I've been saying this since D3's announcement. I don't know why so many people think it'll come out in 2012, or even 2010. The game looks nearly complete; they have the engine complete and the gist of the art theme is established. My two predictions have always been Christmas of 2008 or sometime during the early half of 2009, possibly summer '09 being the latest.
How can you say that it looks nearly complete? You've seen 20 minutes of gameplay that's been selectively chosen. For all you know that could be the only two levels they have. You have absolutely no clue on how far along they are content wise, and you have no idea how long it'll take them to finish their content and designs. They're perfectionists
Both WC3 and WoW weren't released until 3 years after their respective announcements. SC2 is 13 months and there's no release date in sight (it's not coming out this year that's for sure, this year is WolTK's year).
It's about strategy, too. They have SC2 in the pipeline and the second WoW expansion, both of which have been announced quite some time ago. WoW is their cash cow,and I'm pretty sure we won't see D3 before the WoW expansion has been released and sales decline. D3 would fit well inbetween two WoW expansions (the second and the thrid). I'd be very surprised if we saw it before next summer.
Rob Pardo has said that SC2 will not be landing this year, and you can bet your *** D3 will not be out until after SC2.
and why is that? the two project teams are different... and the audience for SC and D3 are different too.... we shall have to see.
If you believe any release date outside Blizzard, you're a complete fool and gullible.
They have tons of stuff not designed yet that were talked about in the panels, still 1 year + for sure.
Zarniwoop
30-06-2008, 23:32
Summer 2010 at the earliest.
etslayer
30-06-2008, 23:33
It's about strategy, too. They have SC2 in the pipeline and the second WoW expansion, both of which have been announced quite some time ago. WoW is their cash cow,and I'm pretty sure we won't see D3 before the WoW expansion has been released and sales decline. D3 would fit well inbetween two WoW expansions (the second and the thrid). I'd be very surprised if we saw it before next summer.
Actually when D3 comes out it will be Blizzards new cash cow. But I agree that they are probably not in a huge hurry to release D3, because nobody is expecting it to be released soon.
mjharper
30-06-2008, 23:38
Well, after clicking about 450 times on the 'Continue to Gamespot' link I'm still seeing the same ******* advertisement, so I can't verify the initial claim.
But it would be surreal if D3 came out before SC2, having been announced a year later. I would love to play it tomorrow, but I'd be really surprised if they didn't get the entire SC2 cycle (game+expansion) out of the way first.
Oh, now I made myself sad.
Autumn 09, my guess. That gives us 3 years to play it before the world ends in 2012.
Blizzard has a bunch of huge cash cows, I still can't believe with WoW still so massive they've announced D3 at all.
Dark_Times
30-06-2008, 23:57
Blizzard has said that they always try to release their games 1-1.5 years after the announcement.
They said it at some d3 panel I think, can't remember which.
Autumn 09, my guess. That gives us 3 years to play it before the world ends in 2012.
Zombie apocalypse ftw!
I'm sure this is wrong and as far as speculation goes, it's pretty useless. We really have little to no information on how far along they are. What we saw could be all they have done, or there could be plenty more they chose not to shows us yet. I'd love to see it come out by December, fact is, it just won't. That's simply way to early after an announcement to see the game come out. Then again I had my doubts Blizzard would even announce D3, so who knows.
SC2 comes first. There were numerous comments at the panels (transcripts coming soon) about new battle.net features D3 would be using, that we'd get a preview of with SC2.
There were even more comments at the panels, yesterday and the day before, that there was no release date, that it would be out when it was ready, that they had a lot of work yet to do, that they hadn't decided on numerous features, etc. Does anyone seriously think that all changed since yesterday, and they've now got a release date, in six months, w/o even having started the beta, which they made public through a non-headline announcement on Gamespot?
Not to mention they have a release date for Starcraft 2 as well at the bottom. If you click on either of these games though, their main page has TBA for the release date.
Apocalypse
01-07-2008, 00:17
i look forward to going through this topic again next year
Artimedes
01-07-2008, 00:32
Holidays 2009 at the earliest, summer 2011 at the latest. Id put my money on june/july 2010. When has blizzard EVER released a game the year of or the year after the initial announcement (expansion packs aside).
" Does anyone seriously think that all changed since yesterday, and they've now got a release date, in six months, w/o even having started the beta"
Exactly. Thats how I know I wont even be playin SC2 til next summer.
It's just hard to accept that it may take a year or two before I can play the one game I have been really wishing for. :) Then again, in 1-2 years it will also be a good time to buy a new computer at. (Bought a 8800GTS last year.)
Rashiminos
01-07-2008, 02:27
Dec. 31 is also a silly date...
If you're releasing a game around Christmas, it comes BEFORE Christmas, not after. Common sense business decision in any place where winter solstice Holidays are celebrated...
ThulRasha
01-07-2008, 10:11
I wouldn't take their word for it on the EXACT date, but I've been saying this since D3's announcement. I don't know why so many people think it'll come out in 2012, or even 2010. The game looks nearly complete; they have the engine complete and the gist of the art theme is established. My two predictions have always been Christmas of 2008 or sometime during the early half of 2009, possibly summer '09 being the latest.
This is from the video interview with Rob Pardo:
Only the first act is playable. And at least 1 character class is not playable yet. (his exact quote is that almost all classes are playable).
Playable is not the same as finished. And even if it was, then there are still the other acts to fill with content and cutscenes.
Rob also said that ideally a game is announced 1-1.5 years before it is released, and then 3 years later.... Even if it is 1 year, then 2008 or early 2009 is not possible anymore.
The game only looks complete to you, because Blizzard would not want to show a gamplay movie with incomplete things in it.
While I will be thrilled to see it in 2008, it is beyond being overly optimistic. Somewhere in 2009 would be an optimistic view. And 2010 will be a more realistic guess.
Both WC3 and WoW weren't released until 3 years after their respective announcements.
WC3 was announced in 2000 september and released 2002 july(22 months)
mouseman
01-07-2008, 10:29
Many people just seem to forget the fact that they've already done over three and a half years work with the current team and ideas are coming from the year 2000. The process of making the game speeds up to the end, when the core of the game is done and they have multiple people adding the content and balancing the game. The last months are most important to the gameplay.
The fact that they didn't announce it doesn't mean that they haven't been developing it. Even if it's new to you, it doesn't mean there should be a certain amount of time before it can become reality.
By the looks of things, I'm betting money on summer 2009, and I think I'm being a little on the pessimistic side. I just think they know gamers are sick and tired of promises so they won't promise anything and just deliver things like new information, beta testing, and release date really close to the actual event.
bovineman
01-07-2008, 11:21
There's something about the timing of this release for this game at this moment, that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it's coming sooner than the pessimistic 2010 views would have you believe.
Like someone said, development was started in 2000. Even granting halts and restarts, reconstruction of things after Blizzard North is gone, and all that, you have 8 years of thought into this game already.
If I were a betting man, and I am for a living, I'd bet on next summer or sooner.
I would *not* be surprised if we got a beta or demo at Christmas.
They've been hiring like MAD and are still hiring. They've been prepping for this release for so long that you have to be a little optimistic. ;)
I, for one, can't wait, even if it is next summer. :b
Imagine if release is delayed due to working out the new Battle.net system rather than the actual gameplay?
Diablo 3 is more complex than Diablo 2 thats for sure, however I don't expect to see a WoW timeframe (its not a MMO persistent world after all).
They say they've worked on it for about 3,5-4 years by now, so I mean they should have the majority of things done.
Morannon
01-07-2008, 11:46
On D3s dedicated page at gamespot you will find it's true release date: TBA
If you listen to one of the interviews.. he says you will be able to see all the new features of battle.net in starcraft 2 which should give the players a hands on feel to what battle.net with diablo 3 will be like.
TraderScope
01-07-2008, 12:12
As I have seen how complete the game looks and feels, my estimation has been Christmas/early 2009 since the announcement. :coffee:
AbrielNei
01-07-2008, 13:01
No way it will come in 2008 (sadly).
As already stated - it has been said that SC2 will show us the new Battle.net and we already know that SC2 is not coming this year!
Also if you consider how complete SC2 seemed when it was announced (on 19 May 2007) and compare it to D3 I think you will see that they are similar (in terms of completeness). And 13 months later, we still don't even have a release date for SC2 - not coming this year means at least 19 months since announcement.
So I don't think that D3 is as finished as some of you want to believe. I think it will take a similar amout of time like SC2 - around 20 months from now.
If you look at Wiki Blizzard page (Blizzard Entertainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment)) you can see that from 1998 when both Starcraft and Brood Wars were released, there are no releases in the same year. Granted, this is not really a very solid argument, just something to consider.
So I would set D3 release around 29 Jun 2010 (which is also a 10th anniversary of D2 release)
(SC2 - middle of 2009)
(Wrath of the Lich King - end of 2008)
psykeman420
01-07-2008, 13:16
I am guessing no sooner than Summer or Holiday 2010
EDIT: forgot what damn year it was
HallofFamer
01-07-2008, 23:01
This article (http://www.neoseeker.com/news/8334-an-interview-with-diablo-iiis-lead-world-designer/) says it will be out around holiday season 2009!
Dorfoumous
01-07-2008, 23:17
Not with people whining about it. It will never come out.
DerekJCEX
02-07-2008, 06:37
This article (http://www.neoseeker.com/news/8334-an-interview-with-diablo-iiis-lead-world-designer/) says it will be out around holiday season 2009!
ummm where?
I watched an inverview with Rob Pardo, it's on Gamespot, IIRC. He said:
1. "All classes are playable."
2. "Act One is almost done."
They said that they aim for the same amount of content as in D2, so they still have to make THREE ACTS to get even to ALPHA. Three acts is a lot, especially that modern games require more time to develop content.
Considering Blizzard's quality standards, I would estimate, that we will have to wait from two to three years from now.
If I were blizzard I would send out a notice that Diablo 3 has been cancelled due to all the fan outcry. They will consider coming back to it in a couple of years just to see if everyone will stop whining about it and tell them "please please just finish the game". Man, I hate all the whining, just let the game come out so we can play!
ColtFourFive
02-07-2008, 19:57
Agreed. Remember the initial speculation for starcraft 2's release date? Yeah, and its still not out yet, it could be next summer for all we know.
Prediction: 2 years minimum, 2.75 years estimated, 3-4 years maximum
the only thing i really found at that page that is confirmed was this:
On the other hand, we can confirm the game's release date; it's the same date as for all Blizzard-developed titles: "When it's ready." Until that time--however far in the future it may be--we'll be sure to bring you the latest coverage of the game, including more coverage from this weekend's 2008 Blizzard Invitational, so stay tuned.
Dorfoumous
02-07-2008, 21:18
I'm thinking of a big announcment on E3.
Xplay, on G4, mention that it would be released "Soon".
I'm really thinking that there is more done to the game that they are showing.
There is certainly more done to the game then they've shown, they've said so. Two other classes are playable, and Act 1 is almost finished. What does this translate into in terms of how much is done in the grand scheme of things? Who knows.
Dorfoumous
02-07-2008, 21:57
Ok, this may be a stretch..
but when is Mythos being released?
:devil:
Perhaps a Diablo 3 release close to when Mythos gets released?? :scratchchin:
:wave:
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