Bill Roper: Diablo 3 isn't Diablo enough
Bill Roper, the producer of the original Diablo games, reckons the latest game has strayed from the original vision.
Roper used to work at Blizzard back when the company was divided into two studios and before the merger with Activision, before going off to start his own studio. He's generally credited as one of the primary forces behind the Diablo series, but lately seems unhappy with the new look sported by Diablo 3.
"I think that one of the things that we always tried to get across was that Diablo was Gothic fantasy and I think there was just a need that was put in there from the visuals that I didn't necessarily get," said Roper in a comment to Videogamer.com.
"I got it from the architecture and to a degree from the character design but not the feeling of the world. I can't say that I dislike it. I didn't look at it and go, oh my God that's horrible. But I looked at it and went, it's not really... to me as a player it just didn't really ring with Diablo."
The comments mirror worries often raised by fans of the first games, though whether or not Roper is the best judge of these things is perhaps a little questionable. His latest project, Hellgate: London proved to be neither successful, nor all that likeable.
What's your opinion on how Diablo 3 is shaping up? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyD2 in D3 engine please... oh wait.... this seems to becoming a pattern for me.
+10,000,000,000,000,000
Oh wait, it's not out. STFU and wait to play it.
Although I have to agree with Vash as well, the gothic theme was gone in D2 already.
And I have to disagree with dyzophoria... if you don't like comic-style graphics you hate WoW. I hope they don't make D3 a cross of D2 and WoW.
God, I have a lot to say today... :|
Even with the cartoony like graphics (wich i only agree to a point because its 3d now, not sprite based anymore), Diablo is still Diablo! It still retains the 2.5d look and feel (to a degree), and did not ported to that &$%&%^ that Beth done with its out of date engine for FO3.
In the techincal side, have you ever saw a 3d graphic that didn't look at least a "bit" like a cartoon? And if its in the small proportions of Diablo, looks like its even harder.
When D1 was on every magazine (yes, back them the resource was magazines), everyone claimed to be the intellectual father of Diablo. No wonder why diablo was that mad! So many fathers....
Now this guy come back to scene just to say "mine was better". I just think this isn't exactly ectic.. It sounded more a "betrayed father" than someone that really cares.
'Nuff said
-10,000,000,000,000,000
FA3 was better than the previous two.
If D3 ends up bad, people will just go back to playing D2. Not a huge deal.
I personally loved all the Diablo games and I will buy this one as well. It is practically impossible to please all of he fan base, period.
Diablo 3 will be epic and I can't wait got it's release.
Anyway, I bet Diablo 3 will be a great Game, even if it is not a exact copy of Diablo 1 or 2, like other said, Fallout 3 was not really a exact copy of the old ones either and turned out out great.
FO3 is shallow as a spit on the floor.
@ Dire Wolf: I agree! Since "rock 'n' roll racing" back in 90's I am a huge fan of them. I wonder what happened to Starcraft: Ghost....
Yes sir.
Seems to be the pattern these days.
Blizzard games: SC great, D1/D2 epic, WC 1/2/3 epic and WoW epic up until BC & WOTLK.
I totally agree.
How can you say that this game is crap...it's alpha testing...alpha it's to much :D...
I wait for it !
this guy made hellgate.. what do you expect :D he likes his gargoyles
From watching the preview, it's evident that there hasn't been any huge departure from the Diablo gameplay basics. It's not like Diablo 2 was a looker even when it first came out. If all people are moaning about is a slight change in colour palette and lighting, they should grow up and realize that graphics alone do not make a game.