Altitis

So the announcement and preview of Diablo III hasn’t just generated interest, it has also gotten over 53k so-called fans riled up enough to start their own online petition (blissfully unaware that these tend to be, in the grand scheme of things, the web equivalent of a fart in the middle of a trash heap). Not because nobody knows yet whether the Necromancer class will be returning, or because suddenly all classes can be played either as males or females, or to demand a release date or whatever.
Because the short gameplay trailer they have seen so far is too bright, too cartoonish, too colorful.
Oh dear.
It’s not as if (as others have pointed out already) the Jungles of Kurast or Mount Arreat had any bright colours in Diablo 2. Or as if there was an entire act with a big bright yellow desert as background. Nono, forget about all that, both Diablos were dark and brooding entirely. Nothing bright, and heaven forbid it might look even just remotely like there were some elements drawn from WoW, that other game which happens to be the industry’s most profitable game ever.

In this little specific fracas, petition proponents will pretty soon hint at the fact that Blizzard has lost most of the staff behind Diablo and Diablo 2 when Blizzard North got closed down and employees moved on to different pastures (never mind that the real exodus had taken place in 2003).

Funny thing is, part of the original Diablo team have in the meantime tried to start their own thing. Which according to all reports isn’t exactly turning out as good as the average fanboy would hope it to be.

Let’s give credit where credit is due, though. I recently picked up Hellgate: London, then waited about 2 hours until the patching brought it to a playable state, and started playing it, at least the solo campaign. And in general, it’s a rather fun game (though there’s lots of bright and coloured areas in there as well). That being said, in terms of pure gameplay, I’d be completely at a loss to cite one single innovation (aside from playing either in a isometric view or First Person) over Diablo 2 in there. There simply isn’t any, it’s reusing all the same things, under a recent graphics engine and a post-apocalyptic setting. And there starts to be just plain too much wandering around the same wrecked London Tube / Sewers decors for my taste.
On the multiplayer side, I’d be looking forward to close to a half gig of additional patching before being able to play. Not something I’ll try to inflict to myself.

Anyway, the fanboys pointing out that today’s Blizzard doesn’t know how to make a new & better Diablo because the talent behind the original one left are conveniently leaving out the fact that the same original talent has failed so far not just to produce the next evolution of the genre themselves, they also appear to seriously lack Blizzard’s knack for polish and execution.

The Internet being still neutral and free, however, nothing prevents 53k whiners to QQQry about the colours of a game at least 2 years before it gets released. And making fools of themselves writing useless petitions.

For another take on this story, the Ancient Gaming Noob also points to the counter-fools running the opposite petition, and Girls Don’t Game’s Monique reflects on the petition, fanboys and their relationship with game producers (and sanity).

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