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Diablo III dev owns whiny critics, points out flaws in their 'helpful' ideas photo

When I first talked about the Diablo "fans" who bitched and whined because Diablo III didn't look dark enough and had too many colors to fit in with their absurd purist desires, I grimaced and wept at the state of humanity. Now it's given me something to smile about as developer Jay Wilson has taken the mock-up shots of what whiny "fans" want from Diablo III (obnoxiously claiming they know how the game "should" look) and criticized them, pointing out the unrealistic expectations and bad design choices that these armchair graphic designers have made.

"It becomes really hard to see all the profiles. Look at the tables and see how hard it is to see the profiles of those," says Wilson of one before-and-after shot that a photoshopper made of a Witch Doctor casting a spell. The so-called fan made the screen very dark and grainy, draining the color from the spell effects. "And one of the things that I actually would argue about something like this is that it’s completely against Diablo II. If you look at the spell effects in Diablo II, they’re very over-the-top. To gray out the actual spell effects, to me it’s pulling out all the vibrancy and interest out of them and really going against a lot of Diablo II philosophy." Someone just got owned.

If you find the backlash against Diablo III's artistic design as ludicrous as I do, then I fully recommend giving this article a look. It's nice to see a Blizzard professional school these armchair developers who think they know best, despite the fact that they're unrealistic spoiled brats who would never be happy, whatever Blizzard decided to do.


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38 comments | showing # 1 to 38

aggro tortoise solid's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:14
aggro tortoise solid
Take that, nerds!
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:24
eternalplayer2345
I would have like to see them come out with a bunch of black and white shots and claim they had listened to the fans.
Nocturnal XVIII's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:29
Nocturnal XVIII
If it really bothers them that much couldn't they just turn down the colour and brightness setting on their screen. Wouldn't that make sense?

Oh, wait. It wouldn't because this whole thing is retarded.
Gyrael's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:30
Gyrael
How can people be so idiotic? Glad they got told off.
Aertyr's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:34
Aertyr
This whole thing has been quite ridiculous, even so I kind of still think the game should be darker but I'm sure Blizzard knows what their doing.
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:35
Magesx
I still think it's funny how the same people who complain about EVERYTHING IS BROWNAN GRAY NO COLARS actually want brownan gray grimdark now.
Mushman's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:38
Mushman
What the hell is wrong with the Diablo 2 fans. I know they are passionate. But when they piss and moan about knowing more about D3 than the actual devs, and go on to say one of the most stupid things ever said in regards to the colour being too cartoony-esque, some sort of psychological disorder must be present, surely?

I just have no idea why they want everything in the game to be black and grey.

We have got Killzone 2 for that, thank you very much.
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:40
Dexter345
These Diablo fans are ridiculous. I'm glad they're getting pwnt by their cherished developer.
Gyrael's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:44
Gyrael
When I played GoW, I turned off the post effects because of how boring it was. I do NOT want that again, and I don't see why anyone would. IT LOOKS ALL THE SAME.
aaronf's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:46
aaronf
I'm tired of all these whiny and pointless online "petitions" that accomplish absolutely nothing. At least it exposes the organizers for being stupid.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:46
Mxyzptlk
Pfft, it's not a real game unless it's ugly and dark to the point of being nearly unplayable.
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 19:48
MaximusPaynicus
As I said in an update to my Open Letter to said Diablo III fans: While I may not have done anything to personally convince them to continue on their current path, I take full credit for such actions. Go me.

At least we can rest on the fact that a lot of the petitioners are in the minority.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 20:14
John B
I am a Diablo fan ever since the game was first released, and I have to say this:

If the screen is too bright for you, then lower the gamma in the Graphics options and shut the fuck up!

The average gamer IQ is getting dropped once again by those jackasses who think that graphics are more important than gameplay. Apparently, this mentality has migrated from the 360 and PS3 fanboys to the PC.

Calling them "unrealistic spoiled brats" is being way too kind.
Dennen's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 20:20
Dennen
Someone should tell these fanboys to go to their computers. Take whatever brightness they play their games or surf the web with, and reduce that brightness by 75%... Sure some of them would claim "it looks better this way!" only to make themselves sound right.

But the truth in the whole matter is simple. If you go too far in either direction, you lose detail. It is obvious with Diablo 3 that they want more detail in the textures. More backgrounds going on. Take for example that first gameplay trailer that was released with the giant beast walking in the background as the character traverses over a bridge.. Darken the game as they so wish it, and you will barely make it out, if you notice it at all.

They found a happy medium. I have likened the Diablo Fanboys to that of mindless drones running around screaming "It's not Diablo if the rivers aren't made of Blood and instead of realistic Rainbows, there's floating corpses".. As they make these claims that they should exist because they are "Diablo" despite that what they have done to its design is not found in any previous release.
Dennen's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 20:27
Dennen
Additional Notation.

I found the lighting to actually be a flaw in previous games. I could be in the outdoors for an entire day and it will never get any brighter than a moonlit night. Then in other areas, such as the deserts outside of Lut Gholein, it is very bright - yet the darkness drops to a maddening low. Perhaps it is just, I have never lived or visited a true desert.

But in other areas that severely irritate me. One could be in the midst of Hell, and the screen will not be bright at all. Burning Flames of Hell all around, rivers of lava accompanying! Corpses burning at every interval, and yet when a fire spell is cast or a character runs around. You can easily make out the big difference in lighting from that fire, or that light radius, over the giant fire that runs alongside it.

It never made any sense to me why that was. And I hope that with the new lighting being used, that this situation will become more believable. Darkness where Darkness should be, and Light where Light should be.

The images that people tinkered with as to what it "should look like" are entirely wrong. That is not the way realistic looks are. Perhaps their thoughts, but not realism. And as John B says, if you don't like it - turn down the fucking gamma and make it so dark that your daddy might walk in and feel you up thinking you're his wife... So maybe John didn't say it in that many words. But I was on a roll.
SunTzu's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 20:34
SunTzu
I'm sorry, but as a long time fan of the Diablo series, I feel Diablo 3 has nowhere near the amount of rainbows it should have.

MORE RAINBOWS, BLIZZARD!
AlucardX24's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 20:37
AlucardX24
I love me some color.
Arttemis's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 21:17
Arttemis
I love the colors... and I don't see them as "new" to Diablo 3. Have any of these people played Act 2 or 4? It's filled with vibrant yellows, golds, bright reds, oranges, etc, etc.

BUT
The light radius is something that definitely belongs in a dungeon crawler. It's not much of a dungeon crawler if you can see the things coming at you through the dungeon.

Mr. Jay Wilson even claims that it's not possible to create due to prospective hardware requirements (which saddens me greatly), but Mythos has a fully functional light radius - and it looks amazing.

Seriously, how can Blizzard make a Diablo game without being surrounded by a shadows?
mmmpek's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 21:45
mmmpek
i played the diablo 1 when it was released and hated it. i never bothered to play the sequel either...

however, i dont see why its so shocking to say this game 'looks cartoony'. cause it kinda does.

i guess now that ive said that i must have a lower IQ according to some of the posters in here. or that im one of the people that curse brown games one minute and demand them the next (nice research whoever said that).

anyway, i dont care how diablo 3 turns out, im not a fan of the series, but the overall look does have a certain warmth to it that the others lacked and i guess that takes away from the atmosphere a little. i dont think anyone wants a colourless game, but it looks kinda cartoony in the same way that starcraft 2 managers to look cartoonier than SC1. the same can be said for most rts games these days.

ok ive probably said enough to be quoted and flamed in the next 20 comments but thats my 2 cents :P
Logo's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 21:58
Logo
Personally I think that D3 is a little too bright and cheery, though I think we need more screen shots to really decide. I don't want to see the game all drab and washed out but I do wish they'd take maybe one baby step back towards being a little darker tone.

None the less I think the fact that the art director took the time to critique the specific screen shots and really show their creative process and line of thought kicks total ass. This is why Blizzard is truly the best. They could have just released a simple, 'Haha we know better than you go away' kind of statement but instead they took the time to actually show why they went with what they did. Even if your getting pwned having an employee from Blizzard comment personally on your doctor screenshot like this is pretty cool.
Blackhat's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 22:06
Blackhat
"It’s very boring to run through more than a couple of times, and it’s very difficult to tell creatures apart and pop them out of the environment."

I see he's played Diablo 2 as well. :D

:D

...

:D
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 22:21
ArrestedDeveloper
The guy brings up good points but in the end the fans are what is going to make the game a success and if fans want it to be less cheery then they need to make it less cheery.

I don't know how many of you played the Warcraft series before it became the retarded time sink that is WoW but when Warcraft 3 was first being talked about fans had a negative reaction as well. There was all this talk about very few units compared to older warcraft games and heroes being the main focus. Well Blizzard fans threw a fit (very much like this Diablo one) Blizzard listened to their fans and changed it and everyone was happy. Hopefully Blizzard hasn't traded in their humility for bags of cash and will fix what seems to be a problem for their hardcore fans.
Getouttadodge01's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 22:38
Getouttadodge01
Arrested Developer -- thank you very much. Legit stuff!

I dig the characters and over the top effects, but the environments need an overhaul if what they're showing now is how things are going to look throughout the game. I dont want WoW or LOTR -- i want dark fantasy and many, many many others do too.

It is OK to get out from behind the Blizzard banner and ask for more impalings and the consistency that made diablo II work with diablo I -- and diablo one to stand by itself.
emuscles's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 22:41
emuscles
cuz nerd shitties know better than the diablo 3 art director.
Projectexodus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 23:02
Projectexodus
I doubt this whole thing got too much to do with the colours. Naturaly I dont want the game to be just brown and grey either. But the Diablo games should be spooky! But I'm not the kinda guy who would care too much about this, as long as they add some halloween pumpkins somewhere, I'm happy.
Arttemis's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 23:12
Arttemis
@emuscles - You do realize that these fans are the ones potentially paying Blizzard for their work, don't you? Why exactly would they want to piss off the core group of people playing D1 and D2 that they're trying to bring to buy the next sequel?

Frankly, all I want to see is the return of the light radius for dungeons and fog for outdoor areas. Those two things could make even Candy Land look spooky enough.
Hopefully those limitations Jim Wilson mentioned are completely bogus... because if Mythos can make an awesome looking light radius, Diablo 3 damn well can too.
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 23:22
mistic
Brilliant!

though it wasn't really needed, most of these whiners will prolly have a pre-order already since the announcement :p
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 00:23
Corak
Turn your gamma down and GTFO. Its just that simple, if you want a darker game, turn down your gamma or brightness. No bitching, complaining, or whatever. No online petition crusade, that won't change anything. Change your settings, change your settings, change your settings, change your settings, change your settings. Sorry about that, repetition is a key to learning.
Tet's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 00:44
Tet
I agree with the fans. If you can see what the hell's going on, then it's not a true Diablo game. Clicking on something 20 times before realizing it's a chair is a major part of the series.
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 01:48
hpv
So the whiners want the game to look like their monitor is dying or something? Some of the original images could use a bit more contrast though, but maybe that's because my monitors actually are dying.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 01:54
Burnt Meatloaf
This needs to be put here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFtnZcE9xE8
moribund112's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 02:26
moribund112
I just hope we can have some Rainbow spells to use. Really, really colorful rainbows.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 03:07
Volomon
I think the mock up was just that a mock up of a concept idea, they can always brighten the fireball. I have to agree there is to much color for a Diablo game, now I don't mind if this is merely the beginning and it eventually reaches a darker tone. However to have the whole thing in technicolor rainbow is just strange its suppose to be all doom and gloom yet the land is buzzing with livid colors.
Fiat Mediocrity's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 05:39
Fiat Mediocrity
To be honest, I like the darker versions of the screen shots because it feels better from a stand point of being immersed in a world that's being ass-raped by demons (not to mention that I'm not a blind fuck who can't see dark things), but to be quite honest, I'd rather have the brighter colors since I'm tired of all these games that come out to be the poster games of goth kids.
DryvBy's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 05:53
DryvBy
I 2nd the "Take that, nerds!"
entrager's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 09:04
entrager
Best quote from the article:
It’s not like we restarted the project and were like “Diablo III — now with rainbows!”
anomalous underdog's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 10:28
anomalous underdog
Well, I have to say, even though I don't really care about all this petition stuff, I like the color scheme of the altered shots better (although some of them are too dark for me).
deaddays's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/05/2008 10:40
deaddays
Can't we find a happy medium between "Little Diablo in Fun Land" and "Diablo Will Fuck Your Soul?" I know, we can name it "Diablo III."
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