Of course, the beginning of the closed beta has raised obvious questions regarding when we can expect Diablo 3 to grace our platform of choice. Back in 2009, Activision Blizzard CFO Thomas Tippl stated that a release was not likely until 2011, news that floored the community and made Diablo 3 the #4 spot on our list of the 20 Most Anticipated Games of 2011. Sadly, early last month, fan hopes were crushed again when a Blizzard earnings report stated that Diablo 3 would probably not be released until 2012. Since the release of that earnings report, the clock has kept ticking and there had still been no word on when Diablo 3 would hit store shelves - The keyword in that last sentence being ‘had’.
Today, Blizzard President Michael Morhaime put up a global announcement on the EU Battle.net Blog stating that Diablo 3 now has a confirmed target date of early 2012. While this is indeed sad news, Morhaime is quick to reassert Blizzard’s focus on product quality.
On a humorous note, Morhaime also grants a reprieve to participants in the Diableard Challenge, a test of ‘follicular fortitude’ that began late last month. Morhaime writes:
It’s nice to know that the Blizzard employees are indeed as disappointed about the delay as their fans are, but at the same time, it’s cool to see that their spirits are high. Let’s hope that their sense of humor is contagious.
Diablo 3 is slated for release in early 2012 for the PC though Blizzard has strongly suggested the game may also release on consoles.
Source: Blizzard
