DiabloIII posts

An anonymous source close to Vivendi Games has told videogames247 that "Blizzard will face immense pressure to produce a console version of Diablo III" due to the impending Activision-Blizzard merger.

"If [Activision CEO Bobby] Kotick says, 'We can sell 10 million units of a console version' - and he will, because they can - it's an obvious situation," the source said. "Money talks. You could be looking at nearly half a billion dollars in revenue."

Of course, not every developer wields Blizzard Entertainment's deserved control over their intellectual properties. "[Blizzard is] in a unique position," admitted VG247's anonymous source. "Very few people have any sway over them at all."

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter agreed, stating that Blizzard would probably retain its authoritative status after the merger. "If they [Blizzard] disagree, I think Activision will defer to their judgment. However, I do expect the companies to engage in friendly dialogue on matters such as these, because all have the same goals."

Though the entire PC gaming world seems to be in a state of exultation due to Blizzard's Diablo III announcement, some are disappointed that the anticipated sequel is sticking a bit too close to the series' tried-and-true mechanics.

"I must say I am disappointed that Blizzard has stayed on the conservative side in terms of design with their updates to Diablo and Starcraft," said Fallout 3 producer Ashley Chung. Chung does make an excellent point: while Diablo III's gameplay does look exciting, Blizzard's conservative strategy of refinement over innovation is also readily apparent during the 20-minute gameplay trailer released this past Saturday along with the game's formal announcement.

Even so, Chung goes on to state what many similarly disappointed gamers have admitted: the game may not stray too far from home, but it looks fantastic nonetheless. "I have no doubt, however, that they will be incredibly fun, addictive and polished games," said Chung. "Blizzard is the top of the class when it comes to game development - nobody does it better."

Paris is a long trip, so long that most of us won't be able to make the journey overseas to the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, which kicks off tomorrow and ends on Sunday. Fear not -- WoW Insider's got you covered. The WoW-centric site will be providing live updates from the show, including coverage of the anticipated Blizzard announcement that has caused speculation throughout the week.

Whether the announcement ends up being Diablo III, solid info on Wrath of the Lich King, or something else entirely, tune in to WoW Insider for updates as they occur.

Hey, don't feel bad that you won't be there live to witness the excitement, the games, the cosplay -- we can't go, either.

A Battle.net spelunker no doubt looking for dirt regarding tomorrow's Blizzard announcement stumbled across quite a find: A Diablo III general discussion forum. Click the pic to be taken directly to the source, but don't be surprised if Blizzard /squelch's the link sooner rather than later.