Interview Diablo 3's isometric angle: It's all about the gameplay

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Diablo III

<a href="http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/preview-diablo-iii">Blizzard's Leonard Boyarsky and Jay Wilson show a little bite over on the Edge</a> when they talk about what's new in Diablo 3 and what's not:
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<blockquote>Coming at it from the RPG side I don’t think we did stick to the formula in a lot of ways,” says Leonard Boyarsky, lead world designer. “I feel that Diablo II had a lot of room to grow in terms of the story and the RPG. I look at other games that have come out more recently, that are ‘action RPGs,’ and apart from changing where the camera is, I think we’re doing quite a bit more than what they’ve done. We could have done a completely different game style but that wouldn’t have been Diablo III.”
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“Camera is not technology,” says Wilson, clearly somewhat frustrated. “People associate the camera with isometric and say: ‘Oh, why didn’t you update the tech?’ Well, we did update the tech. The camera has nothing to do with tech, the camera is all about gameplay. Isometric gameplay is very different from FPS or over-the-shoulder thirdperson – which is pretty much what the entire industry is moving towards. But then some of the biggest hits of the last year were Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and those were not high-tech games. Gameplay is what matters; it’s what’s always mattered to us.”</blockquote>
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They talk a bit more about the random vs non-random world generation and mention the added fissiks.
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Spotted @ <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPGWatch</a>

 

[Bradylama]

This is what makes me smile. When somebody "gets it."

 

[Suchy]

Gets it or not, I still wonder why Diablo news are in RPG section...

 

[Mareus]

This is what makes me smile. When somebody "gets it."

Well it's certainly good that someone in the industry gets it, but it will all be in vain when the game sells poorly because of next gen gamers who have only one moto: "If it's not in first person it's not immersive, and therefore it sucks!"

Although I hate Diablo because it is just a mindless hack/slash grind feast, I hope it sells better than Fallout 3 or any other FPSARPGADVENTURESIMULATION and that it will return the isometric view back on the gaming map. For the hope of real RPGs.

 

[Bradylama]

You mean the most highly anticipated sequel to one of the most popular game franchises in PC gaming could potentially outsell Fallout 3? What a fucking pipe dream.

GREED $$$ BETH$OFT $$$ GREED

 

[themadhatter114]

Fallout 3 will outsell it on consoles, though.

 

[Jasede]

Reading stuff from Blizzard always makes me smile; they get it.

I don't even like their games, and still!

 

[Micmu]

Fallout 3 will outsell it on consoles, though.

No. "FO" 3 won't even outsell blivion (not a fantasy title, not a near-launch title, less favorable reviews).

 

[MetalCraze]

less favorable reviews

nobody gives a fuck about Jewrope
and don't forget about "You've played it only for 30 minutes and said that it is shit? You dumb bastard - play the full game and then spill shit out of your mouth!!111 This gaem will rock!!"

 

[FrancoTAU]

Gets it or not, I still wonder why Diablo news are in RPG section...

Sounds like more of an RPG than Fallout 3. And no, I'm not just being snarky. Fallout 3 is a shooter with some stats. It doesn't even sound like Oblivion with guns, it sounds like Deus Ex 2.

 

[Suicidal]

Reading stuff from Blizzard always makes me smile; they get it.

I don't even like their games, and still!

I thought you liked Diablo and Starcraft.

 

[Castanova]

Let's hope the Diablo team works a little faster than the SC2 team. They must have painted themselves into some kind of corner with balancing that sucker.

 

[inwoker]

It's good that developers understand what diablo means for players. Isometric view, good co-op mode, lots and lots of different monsters, loot, dark gothic atmosphere... oh wait

 

[Xi]

I like how Blizzard is the antithesis of practically every Bethesda press release, interview, or release of information. The irony is so beautiful that I get tingly butterflies in my mid-section!

 

[AzraelCC]

“Camera is not technology,” says Wilson, clearly somewhat frustrated. “People associate the camera with isometric and say: ‘Oh, why didn’t you update the tech?’ Well, we did update the tech. The camera has nothing to do with tech, the camera is all about gameplay. Isometric gameplay is very different from FPS or over-the-shoulder thirdperson – which is pretty much what the entire industry is moving towards. But then some of the biggest hits of the last year were Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and those were not high-tech games. Gameplay is what matters; it’s what’s always mattered to us.”

Glorious.

 

[Thrasher]

Blizzard has managed to keep some independence from corporate management morons. I wonder if this will last now that they are with Activision.

 

[MetalCraze]

Actually I'm more worried about Activision. With the money forest that is WoW Blizz may actually buy their publisher.

 

[Suicidal]

I hope Blizzard will one day buy EA and Bethesda and make all of their developers work in coal mines.

 

[Thrasher]

Good point, but you kow how those weasels can worm their way in.

 

[MetalCraze]

Yeah Todd was a janitor and now he is executive producer.

 

[Castanova]

Todd doesnt have the stomach to be a janitor. He probably started his illustrious career as an intern or QA tester.

 

[Risine]

Yeah thanks Blizzard. And I'm pretty sure D3 will be a huge seller.
And I'd love to hear they are working on a real RPG. it would probalby be very interesting considering their way of thinking their games.
That's wonderful to see that some developers do not follow the wrong path. ( D3, Street Fighter 4, Extreme Ghouls'n Ghosts ). They just keep an already great gameplay, improve it, and add new technology ( 3D ) judisciously, so that it does not break the gameplay and the gameflow.
They do not destroy the soul of the game for WRONG reasons. Changing the gameplay of a game can be positive of course, but most of the time it is done ( patched is a more appropriate word ) in order to follow the technologies changes (3D cameras being the most common flaw ).

 

[miles foreman]

Is the camera angle fixed in Diablo 3 or can you move it around?

 

[Rhombus]

This is what makes me smile. When somebody "gets it."

It's Boyarsky, what'd you expect, hehe..

 

[Shoelip]

So does this mean that Boyarsky is the Joss Whedon of games?