On After months of rumors and official non-denials, on February 20, 2013 Blizzard officially announced a Diablo 3 console version coming to the PlayStation 3 & 4.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/official-diablo-3-ps3-and-ps4-announcement][http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-coming-to-playstation-4/] There is no ETA or The [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/console/ official Console page] went online that day, but without a release date yet, but there will be playable demos at PAX East announced. Many more details about the console were revealed in March 2013at the PAX gaming show, with more details the console release was said to comebe coming, "Soon-ish."[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/additional-diablo-3-console-details-revealed-at-pax-east]
The Diablo console project (not merely a Diablo 3 port, Blizzard insists) has been underway for a long time. Diablo 3 developers mentioned the concept all the way back in 2008 and began "exploring a Diablo-related concept for consoles"[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-console-news-from-blizzard/] in 2010. From the start the project was headed up by [[Josh Mosqueira]], and positions are still open.[http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/careers/directory.html#region=Americas;search=,diablo,]
* See dozens of [http://diablo.incgamers.com/category/news/console Diablo 3 console news items] via Diablo.IncGamers.com.
==Diablo 3 Console Project AnnouncementFeatures==
After years [[File:Console-barb1s.jpg|thumb|300px|Redesigned UI for the console.]]Key details about the Diablo 3 console. Most of hints, Blizzard finally acknowledged that they these were starting work on a Diablo 3 revealed at the first public showing of the console game in October 2010playable form at the PAX gaming show in March, via a forum post by 2013.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/additional-diablo-3-console-details-revealed-at-pax-east][Bashiokhttp://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-playstation-new-gameplay-video]], the Diablo III community manager:[http://bluesdiablo.incgamers.com/Postsblog/1comments/1diablo-3-playstation-3-single-player-at-pax-east] The console version is virtually the same game as the PC version. The big changes are to the interface and controls, with small tweaks to boss battles, camera angle, and some monster behavior. The console will launch in at [[v1.07]] with all the features of the PC game, including added features and systems such as the [[Infernal Machine]], [[Paragon]] levels, etc. The developers are committed to frequent console patches, which will run roughly in tandem with patches for the PC/4Mac version. <blue>"It’s basically the same. Same XP gain, same enemies. The only tweak we made is since the screen is a little more zoomed in, we slightly changed enemy wave spawns. Boss battles were also changed, in a fun way to accommodate consoles. We did not need to compromise this version in any way."--Matthew Berger</10blue> Some of the key differences between the console version and the PC/43845/openMac version:* Completely redesigned controls and interface to work with thumbpad and stick rather than mouse and keyboard.** All characters have a new Dodge ability which utilizes a diving roll effect. This is to make up for the less precise no-mouse movement.* Offline play mode for the console. Online play via the PlayStation network.** Characters are stored on your own machine and can be saved on a USB stick and played on a friend's machine.* Up to four players in a game, linked online via the PlayStation Network, or on the same machine.** Playing on the same machine does not utilize any split-screen technology; all 4 players are on the same screen and must travel together and work as a group. *** When multiple players are on the same machine (but not for PSN online party play) loot drops are shared in the Diablo 2 "first grabbed first served" style.* No Auction House (Using Gold or Real Money) for the console. Items can be traded and exchanged in-positions]game.* Better loot, and less junk drops to avoid cluttering the screen in MP games and to make character progression possible without an Auction House. ==Gallery== Official console "sizzle" trailer and a video of the console in action from PAX East 2013. <center>{| | <youtube>5mz0RZrtHXk</youtube><br>Console preview trailer.| <youtube>oQzZWuLdy0Y</youtube><br>Console in action from PAX 2013.|}</center> Screenshots showing off the Console version. Key differences are the interface and menus, and a modified camera angle. The game content is almost identical to the PC/Mac version; only the presentation varies.
<bluegallery>As some File:Console-couch-art.png|Artist's conception of you may have seen over multiplayer on the Diablo III home page, we’re currently exploring a Diablosame console machine.File:Console-barb1.jpg|Barbarian in Act 3.File:Console-related concept for consolesdh2. As we’ve said jpg|Demon Hunter in the past, with proper care the gameplay could suit the Act 2.File:Console-ui-dh1.jpg|Redesigned console [[skills]] [[interface]].File:Console-ui-inv.jpg|Redesigned console platform, and we’re interested in seeing what talent out there might be interested in contributing to such a project[[inventory]].File:Console01.jpg|Act 2 action.File:Console02.jpg|Battling Diablo's shadow clone. <br/gallery>
To further reiterate what’s posted on the home page: this is not an announcement of a console title. We are first and foremost developing Diablo III for Windows and Mac PCs, and we have no intention of allowing a console interpretation to delay or otherwise affect the release of the game. As always feel free to discuss this topic here, but please note that we don’t have any further details to share at this time.
If you or someone you know would be interested in joining the Diablo teamThe official console announcement by Chris Metzen, then head over to the job posts to check out the requirements and submit an applicationfrom February 20, 2013.<youtube>6H309NrwvIs</blueyoutube>
===Blizzcon 2011 Update===
[[Jay Wilson]] commented on the ongoing Diablo console project from Blizzcon in October 2011. There were still no specifics, but Blizzard announced the hiring of [[Josh Mosqueira]] as the head of their console team in mid-2011, largely as a spur to hiring other qualified applicants.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-iii-open-qa-panel-rough-transcript]
[blue]We’ve hired people to work on the console. We have an internal team. We’ve spoken about it since it helps with hiring. We think Diablo 3 will work on console, we’ve experimented with controls, etc. But it’s essential to us that it not compromise the PC game at all, and it doesn’t feel like a crappy port to console either. Both should stand alone and work nicely. But we’re not announcing anything until we’re more sure about it.[/blue]
==Early Diablo 3 Console Statements==
==The section below collects a variety of comments about the console by the Diablo III Console Comments==3 developers, from 2008-2010, all made long before the project was officially announced.
Jay Wilson to Shacknews, October 2008.[http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55256]
<blue>We haven't made a decision whether we do a console version or not... We like console games, we play tons of console games - we're gamers across the board, not just PC gamers. The fact that all of our games are PC-oriented is more about the kind of games we make rather than the fact that we consider ourselves a PC game-developer. A Diablo game would probably convert to a console better than our other games. But the task of developing Diablo III is such a monumental one that making it cross-platform as well is not a high-priority for us.</blue>
==Diablo 3 Console Project Confirmed==
After years of hints, Blizzard finally acknowledged that they were starting work on a Diablo 3 console game in October 2010, via a forum post by [[Bashiok]], the Diablo III community manager:[http://blues.incgamers.com/Posts/1/1/4/10/43845/open-console-positions]
<blue>As some of you may have seen over on the Diablo III home page, we’re currently exploring a Diablo-related concept for consoles. As we’ve said in the past, with proper care the gameplay could suit the console platform, and we’re interested in seeing what talent out there might be interested in contributing to such a project. <br>
To further reiterate what’s posted on the home page: this is not an announcement of a console title. We are first and foremost developing Diablo III for Windows and Mac PCs, and we have no intention of allowing a console interpretation to delay or otherwise affect the release of the game. As always feel free to discuss this topic here, but please note that we don’t have any further details to share at this time.
If you or someone you know would be interested in joining the Diablo team, then head over to the job posts to check out the requirements and submit an application.</blue>
<blue>“We are looking for a couple of console developers, yes. At this stage though, it’s basically an investigation to see if it makes sense for Diablo to be a console game as well as a PC game.</blue>
===Blizzcon 2011===
[[Jay Wilson]] commented on the ongoing Diablo console project from Blizzcon in October 2011. There were still no specifics, but Blizzard announced the hiring of [[Josh Mosqueira]] as the head of their console team in mid-2011, largely as a spur to hiring other qualified applicants.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-iii-open-qa-panel-rough-transcript]
[blue]We’ve hired people to work on the console. We have an internal team. We’ve spoken about it since it helps with hiring. We think Diablo 3 will work on console, we’ve experimented with controls, etc. But it’s essential to us that it not compromise the PC game at all, and it doesn’t feel like a crappy port to console either. Both should stand alone and work nicely. But we’re not announcing anything until we’re more sure about it.[/blue]