Diablo 4?

[Turaska]

Interesting article I guess, that's all it is for now, an article. Some of the points did make sense though.

Personally I don't think it's Diablo 4, I actually expect it to be a Diablo MMO (that's just me though)

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/04/dia...o-3-expansion/ (worth not it is old-ish)

"Last year there were rumors that Blizzard could be working on a new Diablo 3 expansion following the Reaper of Souls expansion. It was also rumored to debut at BlizzCon 2015 but obviously that did not happen. In fact we weren’t even treated to anything Diablo 3 related at the event, and now maybe we might know why.
According to a report from BlizzPro, it seems that Diablo 3’s rumored expansion has been “replaced” by Diablo 4. Yup, it sounds like Blizzard is more keen on launching an entirely brand new Diablo game instead of working on an expansion for the current game. How did they arrive at this conclusion?
For starters there are job listings on Blizzard’s career page for Team 3, which is the Diablo team. The listings are also calling for Senior Concept Artists, Senior Character Designer, and Senior VFX Artist which hints that Blizzard is still in the early stages of planning the game. The report also points out how various key team members of Diablo 3 have left the company.
For example Leonard Boyarsky, the Lead World Designer for Diablo 3 has left, while other members such as John Yang and Don Vu have been taken off the team and are now working with the World of Warcraft team in preparation for the upcoming Legion expansion. With a skeletal crew remaining, it has been speculated that the remaining members will focus on patch-related material rather than a new game/expansion.
Of course this is just speculation and given how popular the Diablo franchise is, we doubt Blizzard will be letting it die anytime soon. However with Legion pegged for a release later this year and Overwatch next month, we reckon that Blizzard is probably trying to focus on those games, but what do you guys think? Would you prefer a new Diablo 3 expansion or would a Diablo 4 be of more interest to you?"

[Thelxi]

I think it's a good idea. D3 didn't launch well, and even though it's in a great state now not a lot of people are interested in it. Perhaps a new game would give the franchise new life. Cause boy is it dead.

[Turaska]

Indeed, despite picking up over the last few patches the launch alone for Diablo III left lasting impressions and lasting impressions really matter, would make sense that Blizzard would want to 'brush it under the carpet' and start fresh.

[Kokolums]

D3 feels like its in a better state than at launch, but not in a good state overall. It currently feels like a minigame. You can skip all of the content and jump right into random bounties, rifts, and grifts. Those things feel ok but it doesn't feel like a complete game.

Someone even made a Kadala simulator which feels kinda like most of the real game.
http://fightingdragonswithtaylorswift.com/kadala/

[Kokolums]

D2 had varied gameplay which was helped make it very interesting:

1. Race to level 90+ and farm hell bosses for loot.
2. Make new characters and level them up to hell hellforge to work on runewords.
3. Farm gold at hell travincal to gamble.
4. Do lower kurast chest runs to rune farm.
5. Make an enchantress and create public enchant games to boost other players just starting out.
6. Make "free" games to give away loot to other players.
7. Dueling
8. Rush other players in rush games in exchange for their hell hellforge.
9. Try to get as high on the ladder as you can.
10. collect keys and do uber tristram runs for a torch
11. try to get dclone to spawn for an annihilus
12. collect gems and reroll a grand charm (that you found in nightmare flayer jungle) to try to get skiller charms.
13. work on crafted gear

D3 by comparison is mostly bounties rifts and grifts and bloodshard gambling. D3 doesn't feel complete. Bounties, rifts, and grifts feel ok, but its gets boring and once I'm bored there's nothing to switch to. If I get bored farming loot in D2, I can go play my enchantress and help other players for a bit.

[Drungan]

Would personally be into D4 ... still plays D3 well i do 2-3 weeks after a new season like most others that plays it i guess ......

[RH92]

I definitely would welcome a new game rather than expansion for existing one.

I think there were several issues with foundations. Although you can remove the rust and fix the cracks, you are still limited by flaws in initial design. Them realizing it, is good for the future. I really hope they fix classes and the actual world (And story of course!).

[Phantombeard]

IMO Diablo 3 was a huge disappointment. Maybe I expected to much after years of Diablo 2. I think a smart move would be to scrap all future D3 exp. and go straight for a D4. On the subject of a Diablo MMO, it sounds good but I don't think they should move Diablo into the MMO realm until WOW is over. They don't need to worry about taking players away from wow to fuel Diablo (A kingdom divided type of thing). Well that said, Diablo 4, where ya at ? I'm waiting.

[r3gul8r]

Would love to see a Diablo MMO. I've been saying that back in the early WoW days.

[Morbownz]

I think it's a good idea. D3 didn't launch well, and even though it's in a great state now not a lot of people are interested in it. Perhaps a new game would give the franchise new life. Cause boy is it dead.

I don't think it is in a good state. I get to the same point every time in a season, confined to farming crafting mats/shards to re-roll junk or buy things that wont drop. I don't enjoy playing the game like this. I understand that because there's a consistent feeling of progression it works great with GRs and Ladders, but I always quit out of boredom.

[Reclaimer]

I don't know where people are getting this " Diablo 4 " from, because the plan from the start is to keep adding on to Diablo 3 ( Just like warcraft ) which i think is amazing.
I'll give you guys a tester. The new class in the next expansion is making use of 2 weapon types in they game that are consired " useless ".

[Cracked]

There can be no discussion that Diablo 4 would be much less of a financial risk than an MMO... Do you even know how much time and money it costs to develop a modern MMO? Incomparable. Diablo 4 would be basically safe quick buck for blizzard. MMO, not even in the slightest.

[Notshauna]

I don't buy the Diablo 4 rumors, the sheer cost of it versus an expansion is massive. And I don't buy in the belief that it'd sell much more than a Diablo 3 expansion. I doubt they would go to such strides fixing Diablo 3 just to throw it out so soon after.

[Adam Jensen]

They definitely need to do something with D3 to make it more than GR progression. I mean, at Torment X, my wizard destroys Diablo and Maelthal in under 20 seconds while yawning and these are some of the two most powerful beings in that universe. And there's no way, aside from downgrading my armor, of making them hard again. The only difficulty now is trying to push GR as regular rifts and bounties are so absurd I can do them with my eyes closed. Yet, I must do them for crafting mats and keystones to upgrade gear and enter GRs.

I would hope an expansion addresses that and adds more content and difficulty to the game.

That, or starting over in D4 would be cool. I'd buy the game, being the Bliztard fanboi I am.

[announced]

d3 is interesting right now, its not really addictive but its occasionally interesting like for a few weeks atleast. whenever a new season comes out i enjoy going through the journey and finishing it for my stash tab, but something more like a new game would be great.

[Coldkil]

If i have to be honest, i think it's complete nonsense - but i can also be wrong.

With this i'm not saying that D3 is fine. While i'm not this pessimistic, i agree that while dev can make any effort to fix stuff around, but something at its core is completely going against any concrete solution (itemization system, sets/build design, current Paragon system, lack of progression outside GR pushing which appeals only a small % of players).

There are things that can be made better (Paragon, other content to run outside GRs) and can be "solved" with an expansion. Other things are broken and either you make them no more relevant or you're forced in dragging them with you. Which limits a lot dev "movement".

Blizz 2015? With Legion, the movie and Overwatch? yeah we knew pretty much beforehand there would have been no space for anything else. Still sucks literally zero things for D3.

D4? Hell no, at least for now. It would be a PR disaster (Blizz admitting "they did wrong and want to kill the game") and it would take a very long time to complete.

For sure it's a game going in development. But it's going to be done during D3 lifespan.


You can hate D3 as much as you want, and there are valid reasons to do so. But making it last 4 years because a new game is ready is treating the franchise as CoD or any other which dashes out a new game each year. An everyone knows Blizzard doesn't do things in this way. Simple as that.

Again, i may be wrong. But i just don't see it.

[Turaska]

total off the wall speculation here, do not take any of the below seriously

Question: Why do I think it will be an MMO?
Answer: Dwindling subscription numbers for World of Warcraft, Blizzard knows there is a lot of revenue in an MMO market, that is totally based on the success of an MMO however.

Question: Why a Diablo MMO?
Answer: Well, it would make sense, we've just had the end of Starcraft and a release of Overwatch, both of which are very sci-fi, making a sci-fi MMO after that wouldn't make much sense. A new Warcraft RTS would make sense however leaving the MMO to a horror/gothic Diablo setting.

Question: How do you think it would be structured?
Answer: I think it would be a mix of Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 classes, examples:

Witch Doctor: Healer/Support
Monk: Healer/Support
Paladin/Crusader: Tank/Healer
Barbarian: Tank
Necromancer: DPS/Support
Assassin: DPS
Wizard: DPS
Demon Hunter: DPS
Amazon: DPS
Druid: Tank/Healer/Support

Something a long those lines anyway!

I'll be very very surprised if its not an MMO.

[RH92]

I sincerely doubt Diablo will ever be a MMO.

The story is just way too straightforward and there is not much room to branch it out unless you add too much extra stuff. Which, if it happened, would no longer be a Diablo as the game in essence is about Eternal Conflict. Then I would expect what happened in Classic WoW, people would complain about killing nobodies and demand fighting the Prime Evils. With the nature of Demons in Diablo, with them returning again, people would feel their actions are insignificant in grand schemes of things or make fun of "It was merely a setback!".

Itemization is another huge factor, Diablo always had huge leaps between casual and hardcore players.

I also think the combat style is impossible to recreate in MMO. Well, unless you make MMO like Lost Ark. However then again, this is no 'substitute' WoW. However, if they make Diablo 4, they can still add this MMO aspect to it with open world and continue with WoW at the same time.

[Necroofeelya]

I really do not think there will be a Diablo 4. For a long time at least. There have been some great points in this thread as to why financial and business standing wise. Also though, for now at least I cannot see where exactly they would come up with a whole other story line to support a full fledged game.
I honestly believe Diablo 3 will continue to get expansions, just like WoW. Its easier and more practical to the story and financial wise to release a expansion that can get away with a single zone and single protagonist character.
I mean maaaayyybbee after a couple expansions they can build up enough of a lore to support a legitimate reason for Diablo to come back.
Because the story so far. Diablo consumed the essence of all of the other prime evils. We then killed diablo and imprisoned the soul stone. THEN mathael got his hands on it, he consumed the essence within himself, and we killed him. But no soul stone? Just nothing. As if we killed him and all the evil absorbed within him for good. With the main reason for the prime evils being able to manifest on sanctuary only via soul stone. If there is no soul stone thennnn?
To make a diablo 4 with diablo in it right away just wouldnt make sense lore wise for his random return.

I feel like an MMO for Diablo could be possible. Not now though. Not for awhile, maybe 5 years down the road before being considered. If it does happen. They should not make diablo the end game boss for AWHILE. I am talking have the vanilla Diablo just being about lesser demons. Discovering and raiding the cathedral in Tristram. Then have an expansion for each prime evil. For Baal, Mephisto, and then Finally Diablo. The soulstones that bring them to sanctuary would play a major roll too because maybe in vanilla we could have a raid about killing diablo (Or we thought we did) and then he can come back a few expansions later.
There is alot they can do with a Diablo MMO down the road. I would just hate to see them pack most if not all of the prime evil content into the vanilla version leaving Blizzard to have to make up lore for the first expansion already.

[Kontinuum]

Quin got invited to Gamescom so there's something going on. Worst case - patch 2.5, but I think it's an expansion.