Amongst all the anticipation for Diablo III, it is easy to forget far back this Blizzard blockbuster franchise's heritage reaches. Diablo II has just clicked over ten years of age.
My poor right wrist is still recovering from the Diablo II induced Carpal Tunnel syndrome, and now Blizzard want to unleash Diablo III on me! No mercy that company.
In the continued lead-up to the click'tastic Diablo III the developer has pointed out the milestone anniversary of the earlier games launch, with a web-page dedicated to the game that stole so many human hours in the past decade.
Released on June 29, 2000, Diablo II was built on the foundation established by the original Diablo, which combined classic role-playing game design philosophies and fast-paced demon-killing action.
Diablo II did more than just expand on the core feel and mechanics of the original game. It took a traditional dungeon crawl and opened up the game world with vast exterior zones and intricate, randomly generated dungeons. Diablo II took players from desert sands to the darkest jungles on a quest that would ultimately lead them into the depths of the Burning Hells.
Players were given a wider selection of unique character classes to choose from, including iconic archetypes like the Barbarian. Expanded character customization systems provided greater depth, starting with new abilities, an ample selection of loot to collect, and the option to enhance these treasures with sockets and runes.
Blizzard's popular Battle.net platform also provided the game with robust multiplayer that remains popular years later. The game was patched earlier this year, has a lively community of players on Battle.net every day, and regularly hits the top 20 in PC game sales charts.
We'd like to express our gratitude to the community for your support over the years -- thanks to your enthusiasm, Diablo II is still going strong.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION REPORT 2013
HIRE OR FIRE? BUY OR BUILD
2013 is well underway and Australian companies need to know whether they should invest in IT skills training or pay a premium for the people they need.
If you want to know which choices are being made in your sector, what skills are hard to find, which sectors intend to hire or fire and where the IT spend is going, this free report is must have.
Having failed to grow up Bantick continues to pursue his childish passions for creative writing, interactive entertainment and showing-off through adulthood. In 1994 Bantick began doing radio at Melbourne’s 102.7 3RRRFM, in 1997 transferring to become a core member of the technology show Byte Into It. In 2003 he wrote briefly for the The Age newspaper’s Green Guide, providing video game reviews. In 2004 Bantick wrote the news section of PC GameZone magazine. Since 2006 Bantick has provided gaming and tech lifestyle stories for iTWire.com, including interviews and opinion in the RadioactivIT section.
