Screw WoW, I want this game so bad. =(

A 360 version would be cool to have...but I almost think a mouse/keyboard setup would work better. Who knows. But this is awesome news regardless.

Diablo with a controller does not appeal to me at all

@Elec
"but I almost think a mouse/keyboard setup would work better."

You think? I can't imagine effectively doing hardcore Baal runs with a controller...ever. In fact, I bought every iteration of Diablo that ever existed, even the lesser known Playstation 1 Diablo I port: the controls were pretty terrible after mastering the mouse/keyboard setup.

When it comes down to it though, even though I don't prefer it, something is better than nothing for the 360 only crowd.

Since Diablo consists entirely of clicking (and clicking and clicking and clicking) on the screen, gamepad control actually seems like a lot more fun to me. Especially considering the gameplay is basically hacking/slashing/looting, to say it wouldn't work is pretty stupid. There's no precise aiming involved, and its not an RTS, so they could probably pull it off quite nicely. I've always preferred analogue sticks for 3rd person games anyway.

From what i've seen of the pretty-but-simple graphics, i bet the 360 could run it pretty well too.

Not to mention ludicrous amounts of teh ca$h monayyyz.

I just BARELY played Diablo II for the first time in my life last night. I really, REALLY want this game now, and I can't run crap on my laptop. A PS3 version of this would be amazing, considering the PS3 natively supports keyboard and mouse inputs.

@eggdog14 - Blizzard is making full use of the keyboard this time around with Diablo III. You'll still be clicking, but there will be 10 number keys that you'll be using just as frequently.

Even in D2, while you wouldn't be hardpressed, playing with only a mouse (show items bound to button-5) and function binds for the mousewheel, it's still much more convenient to access some of your movies via function keys, and that's not even mentioning using 1-4 to quaff potions.

Since this game is being developed with intentions of using such a varied array of skills with a keyboard, I imagine using just a gamepad or just a mouse will hinder one's abilities severely.

@bodybreak:

Well, Blizzard is supposedly helping MS make their next console, so don't be too surprised if this is a 360/PC thing.

That would be awesome.
If they used black magic to create a control system that actually works for the consoles.

@eggdog14

Mmmmmm sort of.

While the genre Diablo 1 & 2 belong to has successfully been done on the console's gamepads- Phantasy Star Online/Universe, the difference is that Diablo is played from an iso-metric view rather than a chase came. As well as the Diablo's pride themselves on 'monster apocalypse' in which you are flooded with enemies.

The original Diablo 1 was grid based so in reality you only had to face and attack in 8 directions which while a pain to do was still possible on a gamepad. However Diablo 2 did away with this grid and instead embraced an open movement system, this means while your character still only had 8 directions of animation he could move and attack in at least 24 different directions. Now you can say it still doesn't matter to be accurate in what you attack and select but I would honestly have to say you have never played Diablo 2 if you said that because Diablo 2 several times puts up bosses and enemies in which you have to hit a specific monster or not hit another.

Hitting a Baal minion instead of a Suicide minion is the difference between dying and getting to kill the next Suicide minion behind you. And don't get me started on Thorn Enchanted mobs.

@ eggdog14
Go pick up Diablo I for PSX for $5 and try using macroed spells: it blows.

Maybe if you only want to do the first few acts, a controller would be fine. They might even tone down the difficulty level for consoles, like they do with every cross platform FPS (and no one likes to admit/talk about).

Did Jim just make a Richard Herring reference? You know I think he did.

I want to play it on ps3, my introduction to diablo I was on the playstation so it will all have come full circle

I don't even know how Diablo 3 would work on a gamepad. Killing things, sure, easy. But colleting loot and managing your inventory? After a big fight things tend to get piled up deep on the floor and you don't want to get every single little thing, just the good stuff. A mouse + the alt button that makes labels pop up makes this easy, you just click the names of what you're interested in. I don't have a clue how that'd work with a gamepad.

Dual-Analog fixes the woes of no mouse and keyboard, IMO.

When I tried to play D2 again last year, I was like 'How the hell did I click so much? This explains the carpal tunnel.'

Anyways, it would be silly for Diablo 3 to not hit consoles this round, as the hardware is capable, and the controller should be more than fine for playing. Considering the cash cow that a x-platform Diablo game would be, I hope to be avoiding a PC upgrade for a bit longer.

As much as I hate to admit it, this would bring a lot more people to the Diablo series who are PC allergic. For D1 and D2 they would have had to have seperate servers since everyone is on the same loot table. Console users would almost never get the good loot because they were out-clicked. Now with seperate loot tables for multiplayer, this seems a bit more viable. Although I won't be waiting for your slow ass if I've already clicked through my inventory and skill set-up and your still analog scrolling around.

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