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BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III Hands-On

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:00:07 +0900

We spend some quality time with a demo version of Blizzard's upcoming action RPG.

ANAHEIM, California--There are long queues for everything, merchandise is pricey, and the exclusive in-game mounts for World of Warcraft that were included in the price of admission can't be claimed yet. The trip to this year's Blizz-Con event has definitely been worthwhile though, because Diablo III is playable here for the first time anywhere outside of Blizzard's office.

The demo station that we were allocated on this occasion was set up for us to play as a barbarian so, while we fully intend to check out the witch doctor and the newly announced wizard classes before this show is over, that was who we played as. The level that we played through was set in the catacombs of a cathedral where, after jumping through a few hoops to fulfill quest objectives along the way, our ultimate goal was to defeat a large boss by the name of Skeleton King.

En route to the King's tomb, we had to do battle with countless skeletons and other enemies who, unlike their counterparts in previous games, attacked us using a variety of different tactics. The skeleton shieldbearers, for example, behaved almost like MMO players in a tanking role; stepping up to the front line and soaking up damage to protect other enemies with ranged attacks who were positioned behind them. Skeleton summoners also made for some memorable encounters. These puny enemies are extremely easy to kill, but you have to get to them first, and that's not always easy when there are a dozen or so skeletons doing their best to stand between you. You can kill the skeletons, of course, but the summoners can replace them almost as quickly as you can kill them, so you really have to find a way to either create a path through the skeletons or to lead them away from the summoners that they're protecting.

Playing as a level 10 barbarian the skills at our disposal included a few different melee attacks and a couple of buffs that could be activated anytime we amassed enough rage. One of the melee attacks was mapped to the left mouse button, which is used for movement anytime your cursor isn't hovering over an enemy. The remaining two mele attacks were mapped to the right button, and could be switched between either using the Tab key or the mouse wheel. Furthermore, keys 1 through 4 can have abilities mapped to them, and keys 5 and 6 are used for potions. It's certainly a more complex system than anything that was used in previous Diablo games, but it still looks very accessible by today's standards.

As we explored the labyrinthine catacombs, we were please to find that there were lots of environmental objects that we could interact with. Lose floor stones invariably had coins hidden under them, bookshelves could be searched for scrolls, locked doors could be smashed, and inconspicuous switched triggered traps such as falling chandeliers. There were also plenty of treasure chests to find, of course, though the severely limited bag space afforded to us in the demo (not to mention the limited time that we had with the game) meant that we weren't able to pick up and examine everything that we found. Discarding items is as easy as dragging them out of the bag, but when you're playing Diablo III for the first time ever, item storage isn't really what you want to be concerning yourself with.

One of the high points of the demo was undoubtedly the soundtrack, which was suitably creepy and, although at times it seemed to get quite loud, it never interfered with the satisfying sounds of our mace crushing bones or our barbarian speaking up to let us know that her backpack was full. Diablo III's visuals also impressed, though the fixed camera angle didn't always afford us a great view of the action and, on one occasion, the lighting in a corridor was so dark that we couldn't make out a giant door at one end of it until we were almost stood right next to it.

We were told during one of today's Diablo III panels that the Blizz-Con demo of the game is different every time you play it. We'll let you know if that's true once we've had a chance to check it out as both the witch doctor and the wizard tomorrow.

출처 : 게임스팟

BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III's wizard explained

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:57:21 +0900

In its first panel, Blizzard explores in depth the newest class as well as the top-level skill system for third installment of seminal dungeon crawler.

ANAHEIM, California--Blizzard president Mike Morhaime didn't have much to reveal during his opening remarks this morning. However, what news he did have to offer pertained primarily to Blizzard's newest game, Diablo III. Of note, the developer took the lid off of the third of five classes that will appear in the final version of the game: the wizard.

As shown during the brief trailer for the class earlier this morning, the wizard will resemble in large part the sorceress from Diablo II. Area-of-effect magic that damages multiple enemies at a time appears as if it will be the wizard's specialty, and the teaser cinematic highlighted damage spells that radiate out from the player as well as ones that jump from one monster to the next.

Not skipping a beat, Blizzard returned to the stage in Hall A of the Anaheim Convention Center to give eager attendees a look at Diablo III's class design. The session offered deeper looks at the newly unveiled wizard, as well as the previously announced barbarian and witch doctor. Lead designer Jay Wilson, lead technical artist Julian Love, and technical game designer Wyatt Cheng began with what everyone wanted to know: Who is the wizard?

In short, the wizard class is an iteration on the sorceresses from Diablo II, according to Cheng, who said that her specialty lies in channeling the powers of the universe to wreck destruction from afar. One of Blizzard's primary challenges in creating this class, noted Cheng, was creating a class that was familiar to those who enjoy playing the role of "blaster cannon," but also bringing some innovation to the ranged-damage class. Blizzard's answer here was to invoke a caster class that was rooted in pen-and-paper-style wizards, one that draws power from the universe, as opposed to aligning with good or evil, summoning, or pure elementalism.

Cheng also expounded on the wizard's character philosophy. "She's super ambitious, smart, and powerful," said Cheng. "She's the kind of person that would drop out of college to start a dot com."

The first of the wizard's spells shown was one that Dungeon & Dragons acolytes will know well: the magic missile. Functionally, it acts similarly to the firebolt in Diablo II. However, Cheng noted that giving players a raw-power spell as their first introduction to the wizard sets the tone of universal power. The technical designer then explained electrocute, which is an elemental spell in the vein of chain lightning.

Next up was slow time, which Cheng said would be a component of the reality-control kit. Slow time presented numerous challenges to Diablo III's design, he said, noting that it could really wreck multiplayer matches. The solution, then, became to implement the spell as a bubble effect emanating outward from the wizard.

Cheng then introduced the disintegrate spell, which he described as "a real face-melter." Again a callback to pen-and-paper forerunners, the disintegrate spell was actually a failed experiment with the barbarian class. It uses a charge mechanic in which players hold down a button and then sweep their mouse across the screen to aim the ray of power. The longer an enemy is targeted by the spell, he said, the more damage it will do.

Cheng then handed the presentation over to Jay Wilson, who spoke at length about Diablo III's skill system. Wilson began by explaining Blizzard's process in arriving at the skill system as it is in its current state. That process involved analyzing what worked in the original Diablo and Diablo II, as well as World of Warcraft. From Diablo, Wilson noted that skills were obtained from books, and though that system was exciting, it presented a number of challenges, including low class differentiation and character customization.

Moving on to Diablo II's skill tree, Wilson said that though it resolved the problem of class differentiation, it forced players to focus on only a few skills that were often unimportant. He also bemoaned the lack of a re-spec option, which would let players easily reset how they had divvied up their skill points. As for World of Warcraft's system, itself an evolution of Diablo II's skill tree, it didn't create the immediate impact on a character that Blizzard sought for DIII, among other detriments.

So as for what Blizzard sought to do with Diablo III, Wilson said that such a system must be simple to understand, compelling for both the early game and when players move on to hard difficulty modes, allow for a large variety of character-build options, and support six active skills. Those being the top-level goals, Wilson then regaled the audience with failed ideas, ranging from skill rings, to radial beads, to a skill wheel, to the Horadric skill cube.

"A lot of these turned out to be different ways to do the same thing," Wilson noted. "Different, but worse isn't better; better is better." From these experimentations, Wilson said that the folks at Blizzard arrived on two ideas they liked: randomly dropped skills, and modifying skills through item drops.

As it stands today--and to be clear, Wilson noted that this system is far from final--Blizzard is currently leaning toward a skill system that is an evolution from Diablo II that incorporates active and passive skills, synergies, skill runes, and the ability to re-spec a character. This system has several issues that have yet to be resolved, he said, bringing up such challenges as the intimidating number of choices and skills. Likewise, assigning skills is still unintuitive, and there is no way to enhance skills beyond their initial power level.

Returning to the idea of modifying skills through item drops, Wilson unveiled the rune system. This will represent a deviation from how runes worked in Diablo II; randomly dropped runes will enhance spells in Diablo III. As one example, Wilson said that the witch doctor's base skull of flame spell lets players toss a flaming head at enemies. With a rune of multistrike, the skull will bounce instead of explode on impact, hitting more foes. If you add a power rune, the skull explodes and leaves a burning flame pit on the ground to do additional damage.

Finally, Julian Love described how special effects will factor into character skills. From an art perspective, the formula is divided into two components: "stuff you do, and then what monsters do as a result." In the case of the wizard, they wanted the class to be a light show in which all of her abilities create screen-illuminating effects. As for how monsters react to these skills, Love said that monsters can die in several different ways, and those include being eaten alive by the witch doctors' swarm or exploding after what he called a "critical death." Diablo III will also feature hand-crafted deaths along the lines of what was seen in Diablo II.

출처 : 게임스팟

BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard greets its horde

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:56:06 +0900

World of Warcraft maker delivers opening remarks at annual convention, unveils wizard class in Diablo III and talks up first-ever Starcraft II tourney.

ANAHEIM, California--It isn't at all out of the ordinary to see a line at nearby Disneyland. However, unlike the throngs of screaming children bent on seeing Walt's iconic rodent, the crowds that descended upon the Anaheim Convention Center last night and into this morning were reminiscent of a Zergling rush, eager to pay homage to a prince of darkness, a Lich King, and all else that is Blizzard Entertainment. Their goal? That would be an entry badge to this year's show and the coveted BlizzCon swag bag, the contents of which are now conveniently listed on your local eBay.

For the fortunate few who managed to secure a ticket to Blizzard's annual exhibition, the show will feature two days of tournaments, developer panels, and guild meetings. Many will also have an opportunity to see firsthand Blizzard's slate of highly anticipated upcoming titles, including Starcraft II, Diablo III, and World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King.

The exhibition and gaming halls opened their doors to bleary-eyed gamers at a (relatively) early 10 a.m. on this overcast day in Anaheim. However, the show doesn't really begin until Blizzard brass take to the stage to deliver the gamemaker's annual opening ceremonies address. That event begins in a matter of minutes.

At last year's show, Blizzard used its opening remarks to reveal Wrath of the Lich King. That announcement was flanked by Starcraft II, which was revealed at the 2007 Worldwide Invitational in Korea, and Diablo III, a game Blizzard sprung at its first European Worldwide Invitational in June. It seems unlikely, but will Blizzard go for a four-peat of game announcements? There is always that unannounced massively multiplayer online game that isn't WOW. And whatever happened to that Starcraft: Ghost, anyway? World of Guitar Hero, anyone? Blizzard holds forth.

[11:01] The Anaheim Convention Hall A is cavernous, and Blizzard's faithful are having no problems filling it..and then some.

[11:02] Gary Platner takes the stage, pumping up the crowd

[11:03] Mike Morhaime takes the stage to raucous applause.

[11:03] The crowd shouts something...cheers ensue.

[11:04] "Hello everyone. Welcome to our third BlizzCon!" More cheers.

[11:04] "We've got a great show, and we better, after what you all had to go through to get tickets."

[11:05] The crowd appears to be jeering the massively wealthy Blizzard CEO, all in good fun. Morhaime talks up sharing "prerelease versions of our games" with the company's most passioniate and dedicated gamers.

[11:06] Morhaime reminisces about the first BlizzCon. He said it took three weeks to sell out the first year. This year, it was all gone within 15 minutes, and they sold 15,000 tickets.

[11:06] If World of Warcraft were a country, he said it would be the 75th most populated country in the world.

[11:07] Morhaime talks about having all three major franchises from Blizzard for the first time at a BlizzCon. Diablo III will be shown on the floor.

[11:08] The crowd erupts at that last bit, eagerly awaiting delving into the infernal dungeons.

[11:08] Morhaime calls for a trailer to run from the European event where Diablo III was announced.

[11:09] The trailer, backed by Blizzard's brand of epic music, shows the teams that competed, the cosplayers that attended, and the unveiling of Diablo III.

[11:09] Here the crowd erupts, as it did when the game was first announced, and then we see some more...cosplay! Yay.

[11:11] The Euro Invitational trailer is still running. Enough of "then," lets get some of the "now"...

[11:12] And the trailer wraps. The eager crowd cheers again.

[11:12] Morhaime is back, thanking the crowd for its support over the years.

[11:13] The world's very first Starcraft II tournament will headline this BlizzCon's tournament scene.

[11:13] The total prize package at this year's BlizzCon is 0K, not a bad chunk of change.

[11:14] "I know many of you came here to get updates on some of your favorite games..."

[11:14] On November 13, Northrend will be open, and "Arthas will be waiting," Morhaime says.

[11:15] Thousands of stores are going to be hosting midnight launches, with developers heading to these launches over the world.

[11:15] The Lich King beta is going well, he says.

[11:16] "Two years ago, at Leipzig, we unveiled the intro cinematic," Morhaime says before rolling that same cinematic up on the big screens.

[11:17] The crowd stares transfixed at the trailer, seeing it again seemingly for the first time.

[11:18] The trailer concludes, and on cue, the crowd goes wild.

[11:18] "We also have news to share about Starcraft II!"

[11:19] "We aren't ready for beta testing yet, but when we are you all will have access."

[11:19] The beta key was apparently included in the goodie bag, along with the polar bear mount.

[11:19] Morhaime promises more info on the game's single-player later today.

[11:20] "Do we have any Diablo players here?" The crowd responds with a resounding yes.

[11:20] Diablo III will let you play as the witch doctor and barbarian...and a new playable class, the wizard.

[11:21] A trailer rolls for Diablo III, with a bit more to see of this wizard.

[11:21] A female wizard enters a mausoleum, much like the one seen in the barbarian demo from earlier this year.

[11:22] She holds an orb of power in her hand; it looks a bit like a static electricity bauble.

[11:22] The wizard appears to be of Asian descent. Gameplay footage rolls, showing she has a lot of area of effect spells, blowing up enemies in large groups.

[11:23] More gameplay footage, more skeletons turned to dust, and the trailer wraps.

[11:23] Looks like that will be the big announcement during this keynote. No new games, sorry folks.

[11:24] Morhaime outlines the remainder of the show. Apparently Jay Mohr and Patton Oswald will be here.

[11:24] And it looks like we're done!

[11:25] Check back later today for more from BlizzCon, including GameSpot's impressions of Starcraft II, Diablo III, and Wrath of the Lich King.

출처 : 게임스팟

Blizzard hiring new Diablo III art chief

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:54:29 +0900

Developer confirms current visual director of demonic dungeon crawler has resigned, but new hire will "maintain the art style moving forward."

At its Worldwide Invitational in June, Blizzard gave eager fans of its acclaimed infernal dungeon crawler franchise the news they'd waited eight years to hear, officially announcing Diablo III for the PC and Mac. While the news was greeted with unbridled enthusiasm by legions of Diablo fans, the sentiment was anything but universal, and more than 50,000 irate individuals took to the Internet to sign a petition bemoaning the current art direction and its apparent abundance of vibrant colors, verdant forests, and most egregious of all, rainbows.

As first revealed through a job listing posted to the developer's Web site, Blizzard has confirmed that it will be parting ways with current Diablo III art director Brian Morrisroe. However, though the Irvine, California-based developer is searching for a new art director for Diablo III, Blizzard has no intention of changing the current controversial visual aesthetic.

"Regarding Brian, he recently resigned to form a startup technology company (outside the game industry), which is why we've posted about the open position," a Blizzard representative told GameSpot. "This change won't impact the game...we're really pleased with the look and feel that Brian helped create for Diablo III, and the new person we bring on board will work with the other artists on the team to maintain the art style moving forward."

Speaking with MTV Multiplayer last week, Blizzard designer Jay Wilson addressed the unanticipated furor stemming from Diablo III's "cartoonish" art style, saying the entire team was happy with the appearance of the game and that, "There's no going back now." In a follow-up interview, Wilson critiqued the fan-altered screenshots, concluding that the darker color spectrum greatly hindered variety and replayability.

출처 : 게임스팟

Blizzard on Battle.net Subscription, Diablo 3 Modding

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:50:38 +0900

Diablo III director Jay Wilson said today that the company does not have a great desire to charge a subscription fee for the upcoming revision of its multiplayer client Battle.net. However, the developer did note that Blizzard will likely monetize unknown features of the game.

"We are going to monetize features so that we get to make them," said Wilson. "We kind of have to."

Wilson noted that whatever the content would be, it would have an appropriate value to users. Fans of map hacking and other Diablo II modifications have little to look forward to with the sequel, as Wilson shot down any talk of mod support.

"We don't have a lot of plans to do that. It would make our lives so much harder" he said, adding that despite the fact that he and many other designers got their start in modding, the team takes a strong stance on what they call the "hacking" of their games.

Wilson also used the panel to reemphasize the trading aspect of Diablo III, saying that no items outside of specific quest rewards will be bound to players.

출처 : http://www.shacknews.com

Blizzcon - long lines, drooling fans and Diablo 3 playable demo

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:49:03 +0900

Blizzcon runs from Friday October 10th til Saturday October 11th. Blizzard’s president and co-founder Mike Morhaime gave the opening keynote and immediately apologized for the hassle people went through to get their tickets. When Blizzard first started selling Blizzcon tickets, the online servers repeatedly crashed from the flood of traffic. After the problems were finally sorted, 15000 tickets were sold in 15 minutes.

Attendees were allowed to pick up their tickets the day before the event and some people reported waiting for one to two hours. This actually worked out well because the ticket lines on opening day looked quite managable. Competitive gaming is a big deal at Blizzcon and Morhaime told the audience that $200,000 in gaming prize money was going to be awarded. The show will also have the first ever Starcraft II competition, something which will give competitors a leg up on other gamers when the game finally launches.

Speaking of Starcraft II, Morhaime didn’t give a specific launch date yet, but he did say that development was progressing well. Another Blizzard favorite, Diablo 3 was in playable format at the show and even better multiplayer cooperative mode has now been enabled. Blizzard staff has been very helpful and the press room is equipped with 12 demo machines - 4 for Starcraft II, Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King. Hah, no waiting in line for us - well we do have to fight other press for time. We’ll be bringing you more information at Blizzcon and stay tuned for more excellent pictures (costumes are great here) and articles.

출처 : http://www.tgdaily.com

BlizzCon Diablo 3 Skill Development Panel

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:46:31 +0900

A popular saying around Blizzard is "different but worse isn't better, better is better." So when the team set out to create the skill development system in Diablo 3, they knew that they had to create a system that was a true improvement upon their previous games, and not just different for the sake of being different.

Despite crafting several critically acclaimed games, the team at Blizzard had its fair share of errors in the trial and error process. While the original Diablo system allowed for an incredible array of character customization due to the fact that spells were learned by randomly dropped items, it also made classes hard to distinguish created balance problems, since any spell could be learned no matter what class you were creating. Diablo II changed this by using skill trees that forced players to specialize, but there were still too many skills, and players often ended up just using all their points to specialize in a few key skills. Most importantly, neither game allowed the player to respec -- to redo their characters skills if they later learned they had mistakenly allotted their skill points.

With Diablo III, the team at Blizzard is determined to properly evolve skill trees. If you're worried about diversity, don't be, as classes will now be differentiated thanks to a Rune system. Runes will allow players to modify spells, making a spell do additional damage or perhaps have any number of side effects. To discover the effects of specific runes on spells, players will have to experiment. Thankfully, experimentation is encouraged and easy, as Runes can be swiftly added and removed to spells at the player's whim.

The most important feature that I saw was easily a respec system. The team doesn't have it completely figured out, but they have guaranteed that players will have the ability to redo their character's skill points, eliminating all the pain and frustration that Diablo II caused when a player put points into the wrong skills.

More details on the skill system are sure to emerge as the game continues in development, and possibly during the course of Blizzcon. Stay tuned to 1UP for all the breaking news coming out of this year's show.

출처 : http://www.1up.com

BlizzCon Begins With Wizard Class Announced For Diablo 3

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:44:19 +0900

As the curtain closes on the opening ceremonies at BlizzCon 2008, it's already been a crazy day -- throngs of World of WarCraft cosplayers (from the awesome to the awful) stalk the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center, grungy geeks duel with inflatable swords gleaned from this year's attendee goodie bag, and we even caught a glimpse of The Guild's Felicia Day scouting out the action.

The ceremony itself kicked off with a few grateful words for Blizzard's dedicated player base from the company's president and co-founder Mike Morhaime, who pointed out that the first BlizzCon (in 2005) took three weeks to sell out -- while this year's event took mere hours. Morhaime reminded fans that games from all three of Blizzard's universes -- WarCraft, StarCraft, and Diablo -- would be playable during the convention; after a brief highlight reel from the Paris Invitational that took place earlier this year, he announced tournaments for WarCraft 3 scenario Defense of the Ancients and (more importantly) StarCraft 2.

A brief reminder of Wrath of the Lich King's November 13 release followed, as well as a hi-def presentation of the game's latest cinematic trailer. Morhaime's next announcements concerned the upcoming StarCraft II beta (attendees received beta keys in the aforementioned goodie bag), as well as a new video revealing the also-playable-at-BlizzCon Wizard class from Diablo 3. A few teases of upcoming contests wrapped things up, and Morhaime urged everyone to get out there and enjoy BlizzCon.

This is just the first hour -- with plenty more to come. Keep your eyes peeled for our liveblog of the 1:30 p.m. World of WarCraft class discussion panel, interviews with numerous Blizzard developers, and an all-new Legendary Thread podcast.

출처 : http://www.1up.com

디아블로3, 블리즈컨2008서 세계 최초 체험 공개

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:32:15 +0900

(사진출처 : 게임샷)

블리자드 양대 게임축제 중 하나인 블리즈컨이 11일(한국시간) 새벽 미국 캘리포니아 애너하임 컨벤션센서 1만 5천명의 팬들의 열렬한 호응속에 세번째 성대한 막을 올렸다. 이번 블리즈컨 2008서는 지난 6월 WWI서 발표한 "디아블로 Ⅲ"의 체험판이 그 모습을 드러냈다. 블리즈컨 참가자들은 차기 기대작 중 하나인 디아블로 3를 세계 최초로 체험하는 행운도 함께 누렸다. 블리즈컨 2008은 행사 시작전 100불의 입장권 1만5천장이 웹사이트 예매시작 15분만에 판매가 완료되며 e스포츠 선두 기업인 블리자드를 향한 팬들의 뜨거운 관심이 입증됐다.

27개국에서 모인 e스포츠 팬들과 관계자 앞에서 블리자드 마이크 모하임 대표는 "이곳 애너하임서 앞으로 이틀 간 블리자드와 멋진 시간을 함께 하기 위해 와주신 팬들께 감사드린다"면서 "이번 블리즈컨은 15분만에 입장권이 매진됐다. 이제까지 대회 중 가장 화려한 행사가 될 것이다. 참석자 수도 15,000명 이상으로 사상 최대이고, 디아블로 3를 포함해 여러분들은 세계 최초로 블리자드 3개의 타이틀을 모두 체험할 수 있다"고 인사말을 전했다. 이번 블리즈컨의 최대 하이라이트는 디아블로3의 체험 이벤트. 새로운 직업인 마법사(위저드)를 추가해 세계 최초로 디아블로3의 체험이 가능하게 됐다.

블리즈컨 2008 참가자들은 새롭게 추가된 마법사와 함께 기존에 공개된 야만용사(바바리안), 의술사(위치닥터) 중 하나를 선택해, 혼자 전투를 하거나 다른 플레이어 세 명과 함께 트리스트람 대성당 밑에 있는 지하 묘지에서 해골 왕과 최후의 전투를 벌일 수 있는 기회를 가졌다. 디아블로2 이야기에서 20년후부터 디아블로 3는 시작된다. 성역의 주민을 보호해왔던 세계석이 파괴되면서 악의 세력이 다시 등장하고 다섯명의 영웅이 성역을 돌아다니면서 악의 세력과 싸운다는 것이 큰 줄거리이다.

출처 : 쿠키뉴스

디아블로3, 마법사 위자드 첫 공개… 스타크레프트2, 3부작 나눠 출시

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:30:06 +0900

'디아블로3', '스타크레프트2' 등 대작게임 제작사인 블리자드가 '디아블로3'의 새로운 캐릭터 '마법사'(위자드)를 전격 공개했다. 블리자드는 10일 오전 (현지시간) 미국 애너하임 컨벤션센터에서 열린 블리즈컨 2008에서 일반인 대상으로 '디아블로3' 시연대를 처음으로 공개했다. 이날 '디아블로3 시연대'에서는 원소 계열 마법과 시간을 조작할 수 있는 마법사를 선보여 게임팬들의 마음을 사로잡았다.

얼음, 불, 번개 등 원소 계열 마법을 사용하며 시간을 조작할 수 있는 마법사는 주변 환경을 파괴하는 번개 화살 스킬을 소유하고 있고 폭발성 비전 에너지를 운용을 하며 공간 주머니를 창조하여 일반적인 시간의 흐름 밖으로 이동할 수 있는 기술을 보유했다. 또한, '디아블로3' 시연대에서는 마법사 외에도 이미 공개됐던 야만용사(바바리안)와 의술사 중 하나를 선택하여, 혼자 전투를 하거나 다른 플레이어 세 명과 함께 트리스트람 대성당 밑에 있는 지하 묘지에서 해골 왕과 최후의 전투를 벌이는 등 게임팬들이 직접 게임 플레이에 참여하는 기회도 마련했다.

지난 6월 2008 블리자드 월드와이드 인비테이셔널에서 처음으로 공개된 '디아블로 3'는 파괴의 군주 '바알'이 죽은 후 악의 세력이 필멸의 왕국으로 돌아올 것이라 예견되었던 시점에서 20년 후의 이야기를 다루고 있다. 플레이어는 다섯 명의 캐릭터 중 하나를 선택해 강력한 마법과 기술, 아이템을 모아 뒤틀린 악마들을 무찌르는 대모험을 펼친다.

'디아블로3'는 배틀넷 게임 서비스를 통해 무작위적이고 독특한 지문 형식의 퀘스트와 파괴 가능한 환경, 그리고 협동과 경쟁이 어우러진 온라인 게임 진행을 선보일 예정이다.

한편, 블라자드는 지난해에 첫 공개한 '스타크레프트2'를 3종족 별로 3가지 작품으로 나눠 발매한다는 사실이 알려져 화제를 모으고 있다. '스타크레프트2'의 3부작은 각각 '자유의 날개'(Wings of Liberty, 테란) '군단의 심장'(Heart of The Swarm, 저그), '공허의 유산'(Legacy of The Void, 프로토스)의 이름으로 발매된다.

출처 : 한국재경신문

블리즈컨, 스타2 3개 패키지와 디아블로3 신종족 공개

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:15:11 +0900

애너하임에 위치한 애너하임 컨벤션 센터에서 개최된 블리자드 엔터테인먼트의 게임 축제 '제3회 블리즈컨(BlizzCon) 2008'이 1만5천명 이상의 게이머들이 현장을 가득 메운 가운데 성대한 막을 올렸다. 블리자드의 마이크 모하임 대표는 개회사를 통해 "올해는 1만5천장 이상의 티켓이 15분도 되지 않아 매진될 정도로 이번 블리즈컨 2008은 게이머들이 뜨거운 열기를 보여줬다"며 "스타크래프트2, 디아블로3, 월드 오브 워크래프트 - 리치왕의 분노를 모두 시연할 수 있으니 게이머들이 마음껏 즐겨주었으면 한다"고 이야기했다. 이번 블리즈컨 2008의 최고의 화제는 스타크래프트2가 3개의 캠페인으로 나뉘어 발매된다는 소식과 디아블로3의 신종족, '마법사(위저드)'가 공개된 것이다.

스타크래프트2의 총괄 프로듀서 더스틴 브루더는 "게임을 제작하다보니 스케일이 커지고 내용도 방대해졌다. 그래서 결국 테란, 저그, 프로토스를 각각 별도의 게임으로 제작하기로 결정했다. 모든 게임을 한번에 출시하게 되면 너무 오랜 시간이 걸리기 때문에 순차적으로 공개할 예정이다"라고 설명했다. 또한 "비록 별도의 게임으로 판매되지만 배틀넷은 모든 종족으로 즐길 수 있다. 이후 캠페인이 새롭게 등장할 때마다 새로운 유닛이 추가되거나 밸런스 조정 등이 진행될 예정이다"라고 덧붙였다.

디아블로3의 신종족 마법사는 디아블로2의 소서리스의 느낌을 가진 캐릭터로, 원소계열의 마법을 사용하며 공격 마법으로는 번개화살 및 화염 마법을 사용한다. 또한 시간을 조절하는 스킬을 가지고 있어, 일정 공간에 배리어를 만들면 내부에는 시간의 흐름이 느려져 공격과 방어를 효과적으로 할 수 있다. 또한 디아블로3에 새롭게 추가된 룬 시스템이 공개됐다. 디아블로3의 프로덕션 기렉터 레이 그레스코는 "룬 시스템은 종족보다 스킬에 비중이 맞춰져 있으며 각각의 스킬별로 어떤 룬을 사용하느냐에 따라서 다양한 형태로 발전이 가능하다"며 "보다 공격적이고 빠른 플레이를 위해 물약이 아닌 적을 공격했을 때 얻을 수 있는 구슬로 마나와 생명에너지를 채우면서 게임을 진행하게 되 것이다"라고 설명했다.

이외에도 행사장에서는 블리자드 과년 상품을 판매하는 게임샵이 운영되며, 국내 및 해외의 프로게이머들이 참여하는 '블리즈컨 2008 토너먼트', 블리자드 게이머들이 다양한 캐릭터 복장을 만들어 입고 참여하는 콘테스트가 진행됐다. 블리즈컨 2008은 금일(10일) 행사를 시작으로 11일까지 진행되며, 폐막 행사로는 비디오게임 라이브와 80레벨 정예 타우렌 족장 콘서트가 펼쳐질 예정이다.

출처 : 게임동아

사진으로 보는 블리즈컨2008

다크마검성 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:10:34 +0900

10일(현지 시간) 미국 애너하임 컨번센 센터에서 개최 중인 '블리즈컨2008'이 전 세계 게임 마니아들의 이목을 집중시키고 있다. '블리즈컨2008'은 오는 13일 북미 지역을 시작으로 본격적으로 선보이는 '월드오브워크래프트 확장팩: 리치 왕의 분노' 발매에 앞서 마지막 일반 공개와 더불어 '스타크래프트2', '디아블로3' 등 블리자드의 굵직한 신작 게임 타이틀의 최신 화면을 확인할 수 있는 자리라는 점에서 행사 전부터 많은 관심을 모았다. 행사 입장권 예매 시작 15분 만에 매진되었을 정도로 폭발적인 인기를 모은 '블리즈컨2008'의 현장을 사진을 옮겨본다.

출처 : 베타뉴스

블리자드, WoW 오토프로그램 제작업체에 승소

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:22:18 +0900

블리자드가 온라인게임 '월드오브워크래프트' 내에서 활용되는 불법 자동사냥 프로그램을 제작, 배포해 수익을 올려온 개발사와의 법정분쟁에서 승리를 거뒀다. 게임사의 약관이 존중돼야 한다는 취지의 판결이 내려진 것. 최근 미국내에서 아이템 현금거래 및 불법 프로그램 판매로 인한 법정 송사가 본격적으로 벌어지고 있는 시점에서 내려진 판결이라는 점에서 시사하는 바가 적지 않다.

미국 애리조나 지방법원의 판사 데이비드 캠벨이 최근, 'MMO글라이더'라는 불법 프로그램을 제작한 소프트웨어 개발업체 MDY에게 600만 달러의 배상금을 지불하라고 선고한 것. 데이비드 캠벨은 "'MMO글라이더'가 '월드오브워크래프트'의 약관을 어겼으며 MDY는 그로 인해 블리자드가 입은 손해를 배상할 필요가 있다"고 선고했다. 마이클 도넬리가 설립 한 MDY가 제작한 '글라이더' 프로그램은 약 25달러에 판매 되고 있으며, 적어도 10만장 이상 판매 되었을 것으로 집계되고 있다.

이용자가 직접 캐릭터의 움직임을 수작업으로 조정하지 않고도 자동으로 사냥 등의 게임 플레이를 가능케 해 경험치나 아이템을 획득, 쉽고 빠른 레벨업이 가능하게 하는 프로그램이다. 이는 블리자드 뿐 아니라 전 세계 게임사들이 약관을 통해 금지하고 있는 것이다. 관련한 사안은 지난 7월부터 법정소송에 돌입했고 MDY는 이번 판결로 인해 막대한 액수의 배상금을 물게 돼 회생 여부가 불투명하게 된 상황이다.

출처 : 아이뉴스24

세계적 게임개발사 크라이텍 한국 진출

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:21:11 +0900

1인칭슈팅(FPS)게임 '크라이시스'로 세계적 화제를 모은 독일 게임개발사 크라이텍(Crytek)이 한국 지사를 세우고 국내 시장에 진출한다. 9일 관련 업계에 따르면 크라이텍은 최근 한국 법인 등록을 마치고 대표로 박영목 전 블리자드엔터테인먼트코리아 상무를 내정했다. 또한 크라이텍은 개발과 마케팅 등 전분야에 걸쳐 인력 채용에 나서는 등 본격적인 사업을 준비중이다. 아울러 서울 강남권 일대에 사무실을 물색중이며, 내달께 구체적인 사업 계획 및 비전을 발표할 예정이다.

국내 사업으로는 자체 개발한 게임엔진 '크라이엔진' 시리즈 판매와 온라인게임 개발 등을 진행할 예정으로, 국내 업체와의 다양한 분야 제휴도 검토하고 있다. 게임 타이틀 등 개발 사업의 세부 사항은 아직 확정되지 않았다. 1999년 독일 프랑크푸르트에서 설립된 크라이텍은 FPS게임 '파 크라이'와 '크라이시스' 등을 잇달아 히트시켰으며 '크라이엔진' 시리즈로 핵심 개발력을 인정받고 있다. 국내에서도 엔씨소프트 등 다수 업체가 '크라이엔진' 시리즈로 신작을 개발중이다.

출처 : 매일경제

한빛소프트 `헬게이트런던` 지적재산권 획득

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:20:04 +0900

게임엔진·소스코드 등 모든 IP 확보

개발사가 폐쇄돼 오갈 때 없게됐던 온라인게임 `헬게이트런던`의 지적재산권(IP)이 결국 서비스업체인 한빛소프트에게로 돌아왔다. 한빛소프트는 온라인게임 `헬게이트 런던`의 엔진과 소스 코드 등 모든 지적재산권(IP)을 개발사인 플래그십 스튜디오의 채권 은행으로부터 획득했다고 6일 밝혔다. `헬게이트 런던`은 지난 7월 개발사인 플래그십 스튜디오가 폐쇄되면서 지적재산권이 채권은행에 넘어갔다. 그동안 한빛소프트는 헬게이트 런던의 안정적인 서비스와 지속적인 개발을 위한 IP 획득에 노력을 기울여 왔다.

한빛소프트는 최근 이와 관련된 모든 사안들이 해결됨으로써 헬게이트 런던 개발에 필요한 엔진과 소스 코드, 개발 툴 등 모든 IP를 가져오게 됐다. 또한 이 게임의 전세계 IP도 확보했다. 김기영 한빛소프트 대표는 "이제 헬게이트: 런던은 한빛소프트의 게임이 됐다"며 "국내 개발진과 함께 블리자드엔터테인먼트 출신들로 이루어진 샌프란시스코 현지 개발진이 헬게이트 런던의 개발팀을 구성, 향후 패치는 물론 대대적인 업데이트를 준비하고 있다"고 말했다.

출처 : 이데일리

`와우` 리치왕 분노 출시 앞두고 업데이트

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:18:04 +0900

블리자드 엔테테인먼트는 월드오브워크래프트(WOW)의 두번째 확장팩 리치 왕의 분노 출시에 앞서 대규모 업데이트를 10월 중에 단행할 예정이다. 이번 3.0.2 ‘파멸의 메아리’ 패치는 오는 11월 월드 오브 워크래프트: 리치 왕의 분노 정식 출시를 앞두고 노스렌드로의 첫 모험을 떠날 준비에 도움을 주기 위해 제공되는 패치이다. 월드 오브 워크래프트: 리치 왕의 분노의 시작을 준비하는 대규모 패치인 파멸의 메아리 업데이트 에서는 플레이어들 사이에서 많은 기대를 모으고 있는 대도시 내 미용실 구현, 게임 내 여러 활동들이 기록되는 업적 시스템의 도입, 새로운 전문기술인 주문각인 추가 등 다양한 콘텐트가 적용될 예정이다.

'파멸의 메아리' 패치 이후 11월 18일 출시될 월드 오브 워크래프트: 리치 왕의 분노에서 플레이어들은 노스렌드의 울부짖는 협만과 북풍의 땅에 있는 해안에서부터 얼음왕관에 있는 사악한 힘이 서린 왕좌까지 리치 왕의 언데드 군대와 전투를 벌이게 된다. 월드 오브 워크래프트: 리치 왕의 분노에서 플레이어들의 레벨 제한이 80까지 상향 되고 새로운 지역과 던전을 탐험하면서 강력하고 새로운 힘을 얻을 수 있다. 이와 함께 플레이어들은 공성 무기와 파괴 가능한 건물의 도입으로 더욱 강화된 플레이어 간 전투, 그리고 첫 영웅 직업인 죽음의 기사 등 새로운 콘텐트를 경험할 수 있다.

출처 : 조인스

월드오브워크래프트, 대규모 음성 한글화 진행 완료

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:16:30 +0900

블리자드엔테테인먼트코리아(이하 블리자드코리아)의 MMORPG 월드오브워크래프트(이하 WOW)의 두 번째 확장팩, '리치왕의 분노'가 대규모 음성 한글화 작업을 완료했다.

이번 대규모 음성 한글화는 헐리우드 영화의 더빙을 능가하는 수준으로 알려졌으며, 세부적인 내용은 <WOW> '파멸의 메아리' 콘텐츠 업데이트에서 첫 선을 보이게 된다.

지난 7월부터 진행된 <WOW:리치왕의분노> 음성 한글화 작업은 지금까지 국내에서 진행된 블록버스터 영화나 애니메이션의 참여 인원을 능가하는 약 70여 명의 국내 유명 성우들이 총출동했다.

국내에서 70여 명의 유명 성우들이 한 작품의 음성 한글화 작업에 참여하는 것은 상당히 이례적인 케이스로, 가능한 한 다양한 목소리를 기용해 110여 개에 이르는 캐릭터들의 개성을 최대한 살리는데 초점을 두었다. 이번 음성 한글화 내용은 10월 중으로 적용 예정인 '파멸의 메아리' 패치 업데이트를 통해 처음으로 공개 된다. <WOW:리치왕의분노>의 시작을 알리는 '파멸의 메아리' 대규모 콘텐츠 패치 업데이트에서는 캐릭터의 머리스타일과 장신구들을 바꿀 수 있는 미용실이 대도시에 구현되고, 게임 내 여러 가지 활동들이 기록되는 업적 시스템의 도입 된다.

이와 함께 게임 내에서 자신의 일정을 기록할 수 있는 달력 기능과 새로운 전문기술인 주문각인이 추가되는 등 다양한 콘텐츠가 적용될 예정이어서 <WOW> 유저들 사이에서 많은 기대를 모으고 있다. 블리자드코리아는 <WOW>를 출시하면서부터 완성도 높은 한글화로 게이머들 사이에서 한국 게임 보다 더 한국적이라는 호평을 받아왔다. <WOW> 개발팀의 컨셉 아티스트가 직접 한국을 방문해 영감을 얻었고, 그 결과 한복과 한국의 전통 무기가 등장하는 것은 물론 나이트엘프 종족이 사는 도시의 입구를 남대문 모양으로 만들기도 했다. <WOW> '파멸의 메아리' 패치 업데이트에 관한 더 자세한 정보는 <WOW> 공식 웹사이트(www.worldofwarcraft.co.kr)를 통해 추후에 공지될 예정이다.

출처 : 머드포유

BlizzCon Eve: Playable Diablo 3, Predictions, and Creep

다크마검성 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:10:46 +0900

BlizzCon has a Christmastime quality to it. 15,000 children--and child-like adults--have journeyed to Anaheim this year, passing through streets lined with lighted trees on their way in. When they arrive, the first thing they receive is a bag of gifts. And after finding out that Diablo III will be playable, excitement will undoubtedly rob many of their sleep.

Packed into this year's swag bag is a number of free Blizzard-related products. Two that caught my eye instantly are shown below: the official Diablo III stress ball--which turns red upon squeeze--and a simple film canister labeled, "Zerg Creep--DO NOT EAT."

This Creep is horrifying. I anticipated the consistency of Ghostbusters slime, but this is far worse--a chilling, wet ooze that slowly crept from jar to table. Hidden inside the muck was a small figure of a Hydralisk--no doubt a ploy to force timid fans into touching the gross stuff. It worked, but now that I have the prize, I'm nuking this junk from orbit at the next opportunity.

But what of the show? The doors open in the morning around 9:30am PST (12:30pm EST). On hand will be game demo stations, tournaments, art displays, cosplayers--and, of course, Blizzard employees themselves. For the most part, I can only guess at what's in store for each of the company's three known properties.

StarCraft II: It would be unlike Blizzard to announce a hard date for StarCraft II this far out, but we should expect a significant update on the status of the project--possibly a vague release target.

A new build of the game will be playable on the show floor. Outside of that, more information on what's in the works for both Battle.net and the single-player campaign wouldn't be far-fetched.

World of Warcraft: Lich King is mostly a known quantity at this point, so any major WoW announcements would be a surprise. Blizzard was originally shooting for an expansion a year, but it seems unlikely we'll hear anything about a new update when the Lich King hype is still in full swing. Your guess is as good as mine.

Diablo III: According to show materials, Diablo III will be playable on the floor. Yeah.

I'm also expecting the announcement of another class, as well as plenty more details on the game. And a heart attack.

Before I sign off, this is worth a shot.

To the people in the room next door: I'm sorry the weapon that just dropped only has 48 strength. And I feel your pain on the Witch Doctor replacing the Necromancer. Total crap. Totally. But look--save the yelling and screaming for tomorrow's Diablo 3 color saturation debates, okay? Some of us are at least pretending to sleep over here.

출처 : http://www.shacknews.com

A reply to DragoonWraiths Thread - Edited Pic

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:13:22 +0900

I made this in 2 hours only using the brush with blending mode set to darken with 7% opacity and an Auto Contrast button that I clicked while experimenting. This is certainly not as extreme as the other edited screenshots that were against the entire Art Direction.

I hope this is sort of what DragoonWraith was referring to as how the screen shot lacked depth and looked much like an oil painting.

A breakdown as to what I added shadows to:
Rocks(biggest focus) - Added shadows where the grass blended to smoothly with the rocks. Making so the rocks and grass aren't smooshed together. Also made some cracks darker and the shadows on them darker, and also the grass behind the rocks darker because the opaque Object A, at least how I learned it, restricted light to Object B, casting a shadow or making it darker.
Some clumps of grass, and random patches to make the grass look thicker in some areas.
Shadows under the scavengers.
Added a ditch.
Shadows under the leaves.
Shadows on the bushes.
Darkend the tree's shadow.
Drop shadow behind the text.

That's it really. I was going to add highlights too, but the Auto Contrast option pretty much did that for me and it got rid of that strange green/orange hue that bugged me. Haha

There may look like there's too much shadowing, but I just wanted to cast(pun intended) an example of what a difference it can make.

My rant, give it a read if you're bored:
This is just focusing on an important element, lighting. (which casts shadows. Which makes depth. Which in turn adds contrast. And thus making it look darker, grittier, without sacrificing the visibility of monsters. I think they stand out more now.)
I hope, if it's good enough and people like it, Blizzard can pick out things they like/what fans like, and add them into the game. Similar to how they mentioned that they would dirty up some of the dungeons and add some blood on the floors, which is cool. But when we're walking down that path after slaughtering monsters, what's better to look at than the environment surrounding us.
Oh yeah, and the shadows on the scavengers aren't accurate... I got frustrated and I forgot where my light source was coming from and how the shadow would look... so I slowly resorted to just making gray blobs and blurring them. Still looks pretty good though.

Post your thoughts here to discuss about how you like it edited, or you can discuss at DragoonWraith's thread. Thanks guys.

출처 : 배틀넷 (http://www.battle.net)

Diablo II Artist Chimes in on D3 Art Controversy

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:07:19 +0900

WarCry: I was wondering if you, Ben - as one of the people who worked on the art style for D2 - would like to weigh in on the whole controversy surrounding the Diablo 3 art?

Ben Boos: Sure! I find this whole controversy very interesting. As it happens, I was instrumental in setting the basic tone for many of the environments in D2. It just worked out this way, since I dove in and created the basic tile sets at the beginning of each act (except act 4, which was crafted masterfully by my friend Dave Glenn). I started with basic grass, trees, path, and basic natural barriers, until we could walk a character around for early testing on that patch of turf. Then, we would use this tile-set to build upon, so that walls and creatures and objects would blend nicely with their environment. We worked at this instinctively, and I don't remember the colors being too huge an issue as we progressed. Perhaps we hoped that the variety of places would offer enough changing tone to keep the game interesting. There were lush outdoor meadows, but dank caves, crypts and buildings. In the sun-bleached desert, we added dark sewers, and dim temples. There were jungles, swamps, palaces, and other places to go, as you worked toward the final descent into darkness.

When it all came together and actually worked as a game, we were elated! The colors seemed like a minor thing, compared to the functionality and fun we were looking for. Game development is a harrowing thing, and I urge a bit of sympathy for the developers out there. Consider the number of variables that impact a project, and think of Murphy's Law, and all the things that can go wrong. Add to that the human interactions you get when you throw a group of opinionated game developers together. Getting developers to agree can be like herding cats! Add time-limits and duress, and you get a wild roller-coaster experience.

I'm not too worried about the tone of Diablo 3.

I'm the sort of guy who vastly preferred the original gritty Star Wars, to the new clean and colorful Phantom Menace, for instance. But I didn't get a "my little pony" vibe from the D3 demo! I saw creeping little creatures, scuttling along the walls of some crypt, and weird and misty landscapes. I thought it looked really exciting -- but I'll admit, I'm really big on this franchise. I'm looking at this with biased eyes.

In the end, I think a huge sense of the mood or tone comes from a combination of factors. The music, sound-effects and the lighting add lots of the drama. Even real-world room lighting matters here: If you play D1 or D2 in a brightly lit room full of people, it's very different from playing in a dark room, alone. Fear of dangerous monsters lurking out of sight can dictate the pace at which you creep forward... The wariness of getting surrounded, or cut off from an escape route will also add a genuine sense of menace. The exact balance of consequence (of your character's death) is also huge. If I'm playing hard-core, and I can actually lose my character, I'm walking on egg-shells already! Plus, when you have a well-adjusted loot system, it coaxes the player to explore a bit beyond the comfort level. One is invited to tensely stalk forth into a potential collision with evil, just to grab a bit of glorious loot. I think you can have a well-structured game-play mechanic (with proper tension and danger), and this should work in a huge variety of environments. Conversely, if you made an utterly dark and gritty game, and yet missed the boat on the game-play, it would = FAIL.

I have faith that Diablo 3 is going to be something special. Thankfully, Blizzard has a track-record of going the extra mile to get things right, so my fingers are crossed!

Many thanks to Ben Boos for putting up with our questions, and stay tuned for a review of his illustrated work Swords: An Artist's Devotion later this week!

출처 : http://www.warcry.com

Diablo 3: Erster Screen der Barbarin aufgetaucht

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:57 +0900

Vor Wochen gab es die ersten Vermutungen zum Thema der neuen Unisexcharakterklassen in Diablo 3. Damals war ein heftiger Streit bei Blizzard entbrannt, bei dem es darum ging jeder Charakterklasse zwei Geschlechter zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dieser Streit scheint jetzt beendet zu sein, denn heute tauchte der erste Screen einer kämpfenden Barbarin auf.

Ein kräftiger Kampfschrei und eine sich endlos ausbreitende Welle voller Energie, dass ist alles was man auf den bisher einzigen Screen einer kämpfenden Barbarin aus Diablo 3 sieht. Doch mit diesem Screen ist der Beweis erbracht. In Diablo 3 kann man zwischen Mann und Frau wählen. Wochen zuvor brachen dazu heftige Diskussionen bei Blizzard aus. Für den Lead Designer Jay Wilson stand schon damals fest: Es wird definitiv die Wahl geben.

Unterdessen sind auch weitere Bilder von neuen Gegnern im Netz aufgetaucht. Eines dieser neuen Bestien ist der Dünenhai, Diese Kreaturen welche sich im Wüstensand verkriechen, sind schon seit langem eine altbekannte Gefahr für Orte der Zivilisation. Jedoch trauten sich diese Wesen bisher nur selten in die Nähe menschlicher Siedlungen. Doch in der Zwischenzeit hört man immer öfters von Angriffen dieser Kreaturen auf Menschen. Bei diesen Angriffen, schießen die Dünenhaie aus dem Sandboden heraus, schnappen sich das Opfer und versuchen es in die Dunkelheit zu ziehen. Beweise dafür findet man manchmal in der Wüste, wenn man ein Opfer einer Dünenhaiattacke entdeckt. Bei solchen Funden sieht man die Reste des verwesenden Opfers an einem Felsen festgekrallt.

Viel Spaß mit den neuen Screens.

출처 : http://www.projectlan.de/news

디아블로3 개발자, 의술사 비난 이해한다

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:55:09 +0900

'디아블로 3'가 발표되자마자 논란이 되었던 '의술사'(위치닥터) 클래스에 대해 개발자가 해명하고 나섰다. 디아블로 3의 리드 디자이너 '제이 윌슨'은 비디오게이머와의 인터뷰를 통해 "특히 네크로맨서 유저들이 의술사를 싫어하고 개발진을 비난했는데 전부 이해한다. 나였어도 비난했을 것"이라며, "하지만 새로운 클래스를 내놓았는데 기존 클래스와 비슷하다면 더욱 비난하지 않겠나"라고 말했다.

참고로 블리자드는 디아블로 3에 기존 클래스 중에는 오직 바바리안만 들어갈 것이며, 의술사가 네크로맨서의 자리를 대체 할 것이라고 밝힌 바 있다. 아마존이나 소서리스 같은 다른 기존 클래스들 또한 새로운 클래스로 대체되는 것이다. 이에 대해 그는 "게임이 완성되었을 때 선보일 클래스들 중엔 기존 클래스 만큼이나 선호하는 클래스가 분명히 생길 것이다. 만약 그렇지 않다면 확장팩을 통해서라도 기존 클래스를 부활 시킬 것이라 맹세한다"는 입장을 밝혔다.

또 "디아블로 2의 클래스들은 굉장히 원초적이었고 파워풀했다. 누구나 한 번쯤 플레이 하고 싶은 클래스들이 있었고, 그래서 사람들이 애착을 보이는 것을 우리도 알고 있지만 그것을 뛰어넘어야 된다고 생각한다"며, "스킬 세트에 더욱 상상력을 가하여 전사, 마법사, 도적 같은 전형적인 클래스들을 선보이지 않도록 노력하고 있다"고 전했다. 곧 발표할 예정이라는 새로운 클래스는 팬이라면 기대하지 않을 수 없는 대목일 것이다. 참고로 그는 이 인터뷰를 통해서 새로운 클래스의 이름은 지금의 바바리안에게 붙이려다만 이름이라고 덧붙이기도 했다.

출처 : 게임샷 (http://www.gameshot.net)

Diablo 3 Screenshots Reveal the Scavenger

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:42:44 +0900

While Blizzard has yet to tell gamers when they can expect Diablo 3 to be released, the studio has provided new screenshots and artwork from the PC action-RPG

Along with the new media, Blizzard has unveiled the burrowing scavenger enemy. Its official description, pulled from the official site, follows:

As I began to fall, Burroughs grabbed me by the scruff of my collar and shook me violently. "You really want to feed some thresher, don't you, al-Hazir?" he asked. "What, haven't you seen scavengers before?"

I had indeed seen scavengers: small, burrowing creatures that feed upon carrion. Unlike most animals of this type, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Scavengers have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats. Their anatomy bears a striking resemblance to that of the leapers of the Aranoch desert, and thus, many researchers classify the two groups as part of the same family of creatures. An ensorcelled (some say demonic) variant is known to have plagued adventurers in the Tristram region twenty-odd years ago as well. Scavengers were also the cause of an extremely distressing episode during my youth, which I need not relate at this juncture.

"Yep. Burrowers to catch a burrower," he said. He then took the lengths of rope hanging from the cage and impaled them on the ground using a heavy pike. He also attached what looked like long knives to the sides of his heavy, scarred boots, and drove the blades into the ground.

"You'd better get out of the way." And with that, while holding onto the ropes, he undid the latching mechanism on the side of the cage. He then threw it out onto the sand. The cage exploded outward with the scavengers' frantic attempts to escape their confines. I barely had time to wonder how Burroughs had been able to get the collars (that the ropes were attached to) around the scavengers' necks before the vicious beasts had burrowed into the soft ground.

I was extremely tense by this point. I felt naked and exposed. What insanity had convinced me that coming out here was a good idea?

I looked out over the wastes in the fading light, trying to detect the telltale horned fins of the thresher cutting through the surface of the sand.

With absolutely no warning, the dune thresher violently broke the surface, all three scavengers caught in his horrifying maw. There was a massive explosion of sand as the thresher dove back into the ground with its prize. The ropes immediately snapped taut, and I thought Burroughs would be pulled to his death. I didn't understand how he thought he could reel in a monster that huge, but he wasn't even trying - just holding on.

After several tense seconds that stretched towards eternity, the rope began making weird jerking motions.

"Ah. The little buggers are doing their work." He smiled a ghastly smile. "Shouldn't be long now."

A few more moments of this strangeness passed, and the thrashing of the ropes became less and less. Finally, he began to haul his catch in. When it was partially on the rocks, I could see what had happened. The thresher had swallowed the scavengers whole, and they, in turn, had begun eating their way out of the thresher's stomach before the beast's digestive juices had killed them. One scavenger still clung to life, but barely. It had actually dug itself halfway out of the thresher, clawing at the air as its skin was slowly eaten away. I vomited.

Burroughs, laughing at me once again as he cut off the beast's triangular head, began lecturing me on the amazing dune thresher: the dynamics of its jutting, angular lower jaw, which cuts a path through the soil; the way this jaw design enables the thresher to swim effortlessly beneath the sand with unimaginable swiftness; and much more that I didn't care to hear just then. I nodded my head weakly and wondered how long it would be before I could politely get myself home and crawl into bed.

Abd al-Hazir is a renowned gentleman, historian, and scholar. He has recently taken up the unprecedented task of investigating, researching, and compiling information about the unique locales and denizens of our world.

출처 : http://www.shacknews.com

On Death & Dying in Diablo 3

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:37:23 +0900

Before I get in to what we are doing let me go over some things we want to avoid with a death mechanic.

We want to separate being in town and being out on a quest/adventure/dungeon as much as possible. Leaving the safety of a town should not be a decision you take lightly. We don't want to remove the sense of suspense and danger by making town something you're always going back to pretty much whenever you like. The intent is to create a greater separation from being in town, and not, and to make your time away from town a lot more tense.

On that same note we also don't want to remove the player from the action. Throwing them back to town for every death really breaks up the action, and not in a fun, interesting, or necessary way.

So, with these things in mind we've found that a check point system works really well. Throughout your adventures, and generally at the ends of each "floor" of a dungeon your character is saved to a checkpoint. When you die you're dropped back at the last checkpoint with a small amount of health, and the rest regenerates slowly. It's obviously a very forgiving system as it is. It's just too early to put a ton of thought in to what penalties there should be, if any, added on top of it.
Regardless, potential penalties aside, this is the death mechanic we're currently using and it's working really well so far.

출처 : http://www.warcry.com

Diablo 3 Planning to Use All New Checkpoint System

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:35:51 +0900

Death is a touchy subject. It's hardly an ideal state to be in whether in a videogame or in real life (that's what they tell me, at least), and when you're dealing with a game as iconic as a Diablo title, the way in which death is handled is quite a big deal.

The subject recently came up on the official Diablo 3 forums. A Blizzard staffer going by the username 'Bashiok' was quick to offer up an answer as to how death is being handled in the new Diablo title. And there's a stark difference between the new system and the one found in Diablo 2: rather than being sent back to town and having to venture back to where you perished to recover your place (without any of your gear, mind you), you'll now be sent back to a checkpoint. These checkpoints are scattered throughout the world and "generally" at the end of each level of a dungeon. When respawning at a checkpoint you'll be left with a small amount of health.

Bashiok added, "It's just too early to put a ton of thought in to what penalties there should be, if any, added on top of it." That doesn't make me particularly optimistic that we'll soon be playing Diablo 3, but at least we're getting some insight into how things are changing from Diablo 2. Hopefully we won't have to suffer through an outcry over the change like we did when Blizzard first showed the game's change in art direction over its predecessors.

출처 : http://www.1up.com

Diablo 3 - Sjovere online co-op

다크마검성 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:48:50 +0900

Online co-op er efterhånden en fast ingrediens i samtlige større pc- og konsoludgivelser. Derfor arbejder Blizzard naturligvis på denne feature i det kommende Diablo 3. I et nyt interview med AusGamers stiller Jay Wilson, en af designerne bag Diablo 3, skarpt på spillets co-op-funktioner. Wilson udpeger en række ændringer fra Diablo 2 til Diablo 3, der stimulerer samarbejde og forhindrer misundelige miner.

En af de primære tilføjelser er større mængder loot, der mere eller mindre giver alle deltagere items ved nedslagtning af fjender. Denne mekanisme skal dels forhindre lysten til at slå holdkammerater ihjel, dels stimulere byttehandel mellem spillerne.

Jay Wilsons imponerende lange kommentar lyder som følger:

- The average game size on battle.net in Diablo 2 games is 1.2 players - which basically means almost everyone is playing games by themselves. One of the main reasons is “why would you want to play with someone else?” They can go hostile at any time and kill you, mostly in an exploitive way and it’s not like it’s a fair fight - you’d probably be dead before you even noticed they went hostile; there’s a good chance they’ll steal all your loot so you won’t get anything good and it just makes the game a little bit harder so why would you want to play that way? So on our side we really focused on changing a lot of those things. Now loot drops on a per-player basis, so if we’re all playing a game together and the four of us are all killing monsters - if you kill a monster while 3 of us are nearby, it could drop an item for every one of us. So my item will be seen by me but not by anyone else - everything I see on the ground is fair game for me. The nice thing about that is that it's a bonus. When you played Diablo 2 together there was less items - you kill slightly faster but overall there was less items for you to get. In Diablo 3 there’s more because now you’ll have all your items and the other players will have their own items and if you guys trade, there’s even more to trade on. (...) Those kind of things make cooperative gaming positive. Bringing people together to experience things together is what we’re focused on.

Du kan læse hele interviewet her, hvis du gerne vil høre gentagelser af svar på spørgsmål, Blizzard er blevet stillet 5000 gange før.

블리자드, `디아블로3 이후를 준비하고 있다`

다크마검성 — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:21:01 +0900

블리자드가 ‘디아블로3’ 미래에 대해 언급을 해 눈길을 끌고 있다. ‘디아블로3’ 리드 디자이너 제이 윌슨(Jay Wilson)은 12일 MTV 멀티플레이어와의 인터뷰에서 “디아블로3가 디아블로 세계의 마지막이라고 말한 적은 없다. 하지만 디아블로3에서 (지금까지 이어져 온)스토리라인을 완성할 수 있도록 노력할 것이다. 우리는 디아블로3 이후의 계획을 가지고 있다.”라고 말했다. 제이 윌슨의 언급은 ‘디아블로’와 ‘디아블로2’를 통해 이어져 온 시리즈의 스토리라인이 ‘디아블로3’에서 마무리되는 동시에 새로운 이야기가 시작될 가능성이 있다는 의미로 해석된다.

‘디아블로3’가 공개 전, MMORPG로서의 ‘디아블로’가 종종 언급됐던 것을 감안하면 제이 윌슨의 발언은 의미심장하다. 특히 ‘스토리라인은 마무리 지을 것이나 디아블로의 세계는 끝나지 않았다’라던가 ‘디아블로3 이후의 계획이 있다’라는 언급은 단순히 `디아블로3`의 확장팩을 염두에 둔 발언이라기엔 무게감이 있다. `월드오브워크래프트`의 초기 멤버들이 주축이 된 MMOG 프로젝트 팀이 블리자드 안에 이미 세팅되었다는 점도 이 같은 예상을 뒷받침하고 있다.

한편 제이 윌슨은 ‘디아블로’와 ‘디아블로2’에 등장한 많은 캐릭터들을 ‘디아블로3’에서 다시 등장 시킬 것이라고 밝혔다. 제이 윌슨은 “디아블로와 디아블로2의 캐릭터를 가져오는데 포커스를 맞추고 있다.”며 “디아블로, 디아블로2 그리고 관련된 몇몇의 책들에 등장하는 캐릭터들을 기대해도 좋을 것.”이라고 말했다.

Battle.net 2.0 Rumors

다크마검성 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:57:23 +0900

Diii.net has received a hot rumor about the major changes coming to Battle.net as Blizzard upgrades their game hosting service to support the upcoming Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 titles. An excerpt:

"When D3 comes out, Blizzard will be making major changes to battle.net. All players will have a universal battle.net account for all games. They will start selling a $6 key chain with a digital face that updates every 10 minutes or so with a new 11-digit number. That 11-digit number will be your password. This will make it nearly impossible to keylog or bruteforce accounts."

Diablo III - Unveiled!

다크마검성 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:46:54 +0900

Twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic events of Diablo® II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram....

Following the unveiling of Diablo III today at the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, we've launched the game's official website, with information about the places, characters, monsters, and adventures awaiting you upon your return to the world of Sanctuary. Some of the site's highlights include:

The cinematic teaser trailer shown at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational
A 20-minute gameplay demo video
More than 60 screenshots and pieces of concept art
Deckard Cain's journal, narrated by Deckard Cain himself -- stay a while and listen!
And much, much more

Visit the new Diablo III website now to learn more about the game, and make sure to check out the official FAQ and the announcement press release.

BLIZZCON™ 2008 TICKETS ON SALE AUGUST 11

다크마검성 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:45:00 +0900

IRVINE, Calif. – July 29, 2008

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that tickets for its third BlizzCon™ gaming convention will go on sale August 11 and that live coverage of the event will be available as an exclusive DIRECTV pay per view event. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®'s Warcraft®, Diablo®, and StarCraft® game universes. The event will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on October 10 and 11.

"Meeting and interacting with our players at BlizzCon is always a great experience for us," stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're also pleased to be working with DIRECTV this year to bring the show, for the first time, to those players who are unable to attend."

In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer an array of activities, including discussion panels, hands-on playtime with upcoming games, tournaments, contests, and more. Tickets to the convention will be priced at $100 USD each, and will be available for purchase directly from the official BlizzCon website at www.blizzcon.com.

The pay per view event will deliver a minimum of eight hours of live HD coverage from the show floor on each day of the convention, including exclusive interviews, demos, and more. Beginning in August, DIRECTV will run a promotion offering the BlizzCon pay per view event free to new DIRECTV subscribers. Pricing for existing DIRECTV customers and programming details will be available in the coming weeks from Blizzard Entertainment and DIRECTV.

"BlizzCon is one of the most highly anticipated gaming conventions of the year, and we are excited to partner with Blizzard Entertainment to deliver coverage of the show to gamers nationwide," said Steven Roberts, senior vice president, new media and business development, DIRECTV. "With our BlizzCon pay per view package, members of Blizzard's gaming communities who are not attending the event can now experience it in crystal-clear HD."

As the event draws closer, further details will be announced at www.blizzcon.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com, NASDAQ: ATVID), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

About DIRECTV
DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV - News), the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with 95 national HD channels – more quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed all national cable companies for eight years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook", "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes", "may", "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Blizzard Entertainment's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. Other such factors include additional risk factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.