Diablo 3 May Eventually Get Gamepad Support
Blizzard is thinking about a console version of Diablo 3 because gamepad support "feels even better" than the classic mouse/keyboard combo.
Diablo 3 game director Jay Wilson has said in the past that the studio isn't necessarily a PC developer despite its current library of titles. Instead, Blizzard is a games developer -- it just so happens that the titles they do develop work best on the PC platform.
"We don’t believe you can make a Starcraft style RTS and make it Blizzard great on a console," he told PC Gamer. "We do believe you could make an RTS that would be on a console, but we would have (to have) that idea, and that spark and that passion to make it."
Still, that doesn't mean Blizzard doesn't have an experimental flare when it comes to consoles. We've seen one or two of Blizzard's creations venture out beyond the PC realm, but they never met the same reception as the original PC incarnations. Yet Wednesday Wilson admitted that the team has recently experimented with Diablo 3 using an Xbox 360 controller, seemingly verifying previous reports that Blizzard is bringing the upcoming action-RPG title over to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
But don't get too excited/offended just yet: gamepad support is just an experiment. Maybe. "One of the reasons why we’re exploring the idea of a console version of Diablo 3 because we feel that the controls and the style of the game lend itself to a console," he admitted. "With some of our early experiments in putting a direct control scheme into the game via a 360-like analogue controller, I’ve been ‘Oh this feels even better, with direct control…'"
He might be right. After playing the Diablo 3 beta for a couple of nights (more later), the game may play extremely well with an Xbox 360-type controller. Then again, Diablo 3 just wouldn't feel like Diablo without the classic mouse and keyboard combo. But as we've already seen with the closed beta, the finished product won't shed its classic gameplay roots (like Dungeon Siege 3). Still, PC gamers could find that using a controller may be a lot easier in navigating the character than chasing monsters in a massive click-fest using a sword-like cursor.
As it stands now, gamepad support will likely not be available when the game eventually launches... hopefully later this year. "I can pretty much guarantee that if we decide to do a console version that we will look to support a pad on the PC," says Wilson. "But initially with release I don’t think we’ll be ready."
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No LAN option = Don't care.
LAN = Dead (unless your in competitive gaming, in which case it doesn't matter since this is a cooperative game)
Internet has improved, why should they spend extra development time to appease a very, very small percentage of people?
not excited about diablo 3 anymore
LAN = Dead (unless your in competitive gaming, in which case it doesn't matter since this is a cooperative game)Internet has improved, why should they spend extra development time to appease a very, very small percentage of people?
You are dead... LAN is very different from the Internet. You gather with all your friends, everybody has their PCs and the room is filled with adrenaline as you all pwn everything on your way... online gaming is NOTHING compared to it. If you've never played on a LAN party, I feel very, very sorry for you.
I agree that the kiddie console gamepads work well the third person game types like Diablo but they still suck for FPS games and always will. FPS just happens to my favorite way to play a game with few exceptions like KOTOR. I am on a budget like most people and there are better games around the corner than a button masher like Diablo III. I will spend my cash on games such as SkyRim and possibly RAGE, I hear Deus Ex is good even though there is no quick save.
Activision/Blizzard, You can also keep you three part game SC2, maybe one year if you ever release a Battlechest I will pick it up in the bargain bin.
You are dead... LAN is very different from the Internet. You gather with all your friends, everybody has their PCs and the room is filled with adrenaline as you all pwn everything on your way... online gaming is NOTHING compared to it. If you've never played on a LAN party, I feel very, very sorry for you.
Sure have, remember playing old school Warcraft 2, Starcraft, Age of Empires, etc. all the time. That was also nearly 10 years ago, when everyone was still either on slow DSL or dial-up internet almost necessitating LAN play.
But this is 2011, nearly 2012. Hardly anyone is on dial-up anymore (save for you old folks
Let's also include that Blizzard this time is hosting everything server sided. So you can't host your own game (LAN, and for good reason). The reason being so no longer will your enter a server and see duped items, maphacks, etc.
There is a reason for everything. People just dismiss what they don't want to hear.
You are dead... LAN is very different from the Internet. You gather with all your friends, everybody has their PCs and the room is filled with adrenaline as you all pwn everything on your way... online gaming is NOTHING compared to it. If you've never played on a LAN party, I feel very, very sorry for you.
Agreed, best friends slamming back some cold ones as you play on your rigs is cool.
I like to use a controller for some of my pc games. It works really well for the Assassin's Creed games, some Splinter Cell titles, and I think I would prefer a controller if I ever got Diablo III. I have to use a controller for some games b/c of the carpal tunnel and the eventual huge red knot that develops on my mouse-wielding hand's wrist. It'll never be a great option for RTS, FPS, or RPGs though.
But this is 2011, nearly 2012. Hardly anyone is on dial-up anymore (save for you old folks
). So yes, LAN is on the way out. Unless your in the competitive seen, everything can be done through the internet with stable rates. If anything people should be mad about having a constant internet connection to Bnet to verify credentials.
First, not all countries have stable Internet (and it is NOT a small percentage...). Second, LAN >>> Internet. As I already said, gaming experience is better, you're independent on your ISP and games can be modded as you and your friends like. I remember playing Jedi Academy with all the bots modded to be 10x as powerful as normal... that was fun.
You can still have a lan party. Just your lan has to have an internet connection.
I like to use a controller for some of my pc games. It works really well for the Assassin's Creed games, some Splinter Cell titles, and I think I would prefer a controller if I ever got Diablo III. I have to use a controller for some games b/c of the carpal tunnel and the eventual huge red knot that develops on my mouse-wielding hand's wrist. It'll never be a great option for RTS, FPS, or RPGs though.
I'm telling you, get a cushioned mouse pad... dunno why you keep getting these knots
I can't play with a controller. I used to have one and play Quake 3 with it... then I realized my targeting will NEVER be as sharp as with a mouse. None of the games I play will be better without a keyboard. The only thing I could imagine myself going for is something like a Razer Nostromo.
Why not just get a wireless keyboard and mouse for the console?
in less than 2 years, I will have residential Fibre channel internet at home. Couple that with a $69 16-port Gigabit switch, and a revamped Hydro Electric fusebox (to accomodate all these power supplies in one house) , the new and improved Lan parties will become once again, realised.
I'm telling you, get a cushioned mouse pad... dunno why you keep getting these knots
I can't play with a controller. I used to have one and play Quake 3 with it... then I realized my targeting will NEVER be as sharp as with a mouse. None of the games I play will be better without a keyboard. The only thing I could imagine myself going for is something like a Razer Nostromo.
I sort of did. It's basically a rectangular bean bag. It works just as well or better than my old socks.
I agree that the kiddie console gamepads work well the third person game types like Diablo but they still suck for FPS games and always will. FPS just happens to my favorite way to play a game with few exceptions like KOTOR. I am on a budget like most people and there are better games around the corner than a button masher like Diablo III. I will spend my cash on games such as SkyRim and possibly RAGE, I hear Deus Ex is good even though there is no quick save.Activision/Blizzard, You can also keep you three part game SC2, maybe one year if you ever release a Battlechest I will pick it up in the bargain bin.
I would greatly prefer playing a FPS with a gamepad than a Diablo like game. Dual analog sticks works fairly well for controlling a first person view. (Less accurately than with a keyboard/mouse, sure, but it's a logical process that works.) An RPG like Dragon Age II I'm sure works well with a gamepad, as it's made to be a hack and slash game. Doing things in a general direction would be fine. But not for a Diablo game. You need to be able to target specific enemies. You could make it work with a gamepad, but it wouldn't play the same way.
First, not all countries have stable Internet (and it is NOT a small percentage...). Second, LAN >>> Internet. As I already said, gaming experience is better, you're independent on your ISP and games can be modded as you and your friends like. I remember playing Jedi Academy with all the bots modded to be 10x as powerful as normal... that was fun.
That's cool that you like LAN'ing, but it doesn't change the fact that Blizzard is doing this to prevent client side hacking, duping, etc.
And LAN gaming experience is your opinion. Just like mine that LAN is no longer a variable.
That's cool that you like LAN'ing, but it doesn't change the fact that Blizzard is doing this to prevent client side hacking, duping, etc.And LAN gaming experience is your opinion. Just like mine that LAN is no longer a variable.
Being able to play with a group of friends in the same room is better than everyone sitting in their own room. It just is. That's the only point that matters. It doesn't really affect me, because with a family now it doesn't really work to go to LAN parties. But the point stands.
Wouldn't be so bad, but these days, you struggle to play on the same game on the same internet connection.
"ghosting" -_-
Apparently, diablo is meant to have some clever thingymabob to reduce lag despite latency. If they really need the internet thing, why not have 1 connected person 'Host', creating the lan without the dupes.
You are dead... LAN is very different from the Internet. You gather with all your friends, everybody has their PCs and the room is filled with adrenaline as you all pwn everything on your way... online gaming is NOTHING compared to it. If you've never played on a LAN party, I feel very, very sorry for you.
Hmm, I JUST did that like last weekend with League of Legends at my buddy's house - 5 people with desktops and laptops. Except we were all online and no LAN required. I feel sorry that your internet connection cannot support 5 people playing online games at the same time (ie, DSL or slower). Welcome to the second decade of the twenty first century.
Posting from work, so need this disclaimer:
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
"we feel that the controls and the style of the game lend itself to a console"
Sorry, I'm typically not an elitist, but this statement kind of causes a bit of annoyance. This game can not be true Diablo-style gameplay if a controller is being seriously considered a viable option. Diablo 2 -- and to a lesser extent, Diablo 3 -- needed the ability to quickly navigate through all your skills with a quick spin of the mousewheel and target distinct enemies quickly (IE kill a resurrecting monster without targeting the minions in the way). The only two possibilities that will fit a gamepad are general-direction-based targeting (so now those minions all get in your way), or an imprecise joystick-controlled cursor (which, with the horrible unit stickiness I remember from C&C3 on console, will STILL probably lead to targeting minions). Or... they might have something else entirely in mind.
Not saying it's going to be bad because of this, but it will not be the point-and-click adventure we all want.
Personally, I would prefer to play with keyboard/mouse. I don't really have any interest in "direct control" in a Diablo game. Some other games, certainly, but variety is good.
That said, I'm sure that they can develop a controller scheme that is enjoyable for those who want it, and I don't think that controls are a big obstacle toward a console version of Diablo III. The big obstacle is the online system - specifically, the effort Blizzard has put into developing Battle.net 2.0, and the decisions they have made with it make it seem unlikely that they would be willing to surrender any control to Sony or Microsoft this time around. Furthermore, the quality control process for patching console games seems hard to reconcile with Blizzard's patching cycles.
That's cool that you like LAN'ing, but it doesn't change the fact that Blizzard is doing this to prevent client side hacking, duping, etc.And LAN gaming experience is your opinion. Just like mine that LAN is no longer a variable.
No Blizzard is doing it so they can tell you how THEY want you to play the game not how you want to. Yes duping and hacking was bad but it was nothing compared to the FORCED "You will play in a party like we want you to experience." When they say you will play the game a certain way they mean it and enforce it. It got boring redoing your character over and over again because they kept nerfing them. It was a crappy experience for many users.
I agree that the kiddie console gamepads work well the third person game types like Diablo but they still suck for FPS games and always will. FPS just happens to my favorite way to play a game with few exceptions like KOTOR. I am on a budget like most people and there are better games around the corner than a button masher like Diablo III. I will spend my cash on games such as SkyRim and possibly RAGE, I hear Deus Ex is good even though there is no quick save.Activision/Blizzard, You can also keep you three part game SC2, maybe one year if you ever release a Battlechest I will pick it up in the bargain bin.
Deus Ex does have quick save.
I'm telling you, get a cushioned mouse pad... dunno why you keep getting these knots I can't play with a controller. I used to have one and play Quake 3 with it... then I realized my targeting will NEVER be as sharp as with a mouse. None of the games I play will be better without a keyboard. The only thing I could imagine myself going for is something like a Razer Nostromo.
Just because you dont like to use a controller for some things (or anything, for that matter), doesnt mean others dont. If he finds using one more comfortable, especially because of his carpal tunnel, more power to him. While I myself do prefer PC gaming and using a KB/M, Im not gonna look down at anyone or hint they are doing it wrong because they choose to try something else. To each their own.
Just because you dont like to use a controller for some things (or anything, for that matter), doesnt mean others dont. If he finds using one more comfortable, especially because of his carpal tunnel, more power to him. While I myself do prefer PC gaming and using a KB/M, Im not gonna look down at anyone or hint they are doing it wrong because they choose to try something else. To each their own.
I know of clonazepam's wrist problem (and the socks, lol) and I was just suggesting a possible solution. I wasn't looking down on anyone. Dunno where you got this idea.
P.S. KB+M >>> all
If they make diablo 3 "work well" with a gamepad they are making it work worse with a M+B. That is just how it always goes.
The developers creates the entire UI, menu system, and skill system with the input device in mind.
These overhead view hack-n-slash games like diablo require quick skill selection and accurate targeting. Neither of which are native to a controller
Some people do use gamepads on the PC (as unbelievable as that is) so why not. They're the ones spending extra cash to develop something anyway.
Being able to play with a group of friends in the same room is better than everyone sitting in their own room. It just is. That's the only point that matters. It doesn't really affect me, because with a family now it doesn't really work to go to LAN parties. But the point stands.
Yeah. Real manly nerds like myself prefer to talk trash face to face and when they crumble is the perfect time to send 'em on a beer run!
I haven't LAN'd since UT and Counter-Strike, but those were the best times.
If they make diablo 3 "work well" with a gamepad they are making it work worse with a M+B. That is just how it always goes. The developers creates the entire UI, menu system, and skill system with the input device in mind. These overhead view hack-n-slash games like diablo require quick skill selection and accurate targeting. Neither of which are native to a controller
Not necessarily, there are these things called "options" which lay in the mysterious land of "settings". It's where you get to customize your interface and game settings, I know it's amazing right.
Anyhow, as long as Blizzard makes it so you can toggle any UI changes made for GamePads then it's all good. I REALLY hate what they did to DS3, it went from an enjoyable party based "Diablo" clone to some Frankenstein monster. MS should of stayed with the original studio for the entire series, so at least you'd have a consistent label. I really loved DS1/2 along with Diablo 1/2.
As for LAN's, the haters gotta be crazy. Five dudes in their homes talking over voice chat is not a LAN party, nowhere close. Back when I was serving in the US Army me and my buddies would gather in my room (I was floor mayor so had my own room) and play Diablo 1/2 all Friday / Saturday night on the weekends. We'd do UT / CS, and eventually NWN. When I went to SK I kept up the tradition with DS, NWN2, Halo amongst others. Even now, occasionally I'll have a bunch of buddies bring over their systems and we'll play for a day or two (harder now cause some of em are married) on various games.
Right before the events and at several break points you do "supply runs" where you load up on chips, beer, soda (lots of soda) and tons of microwavable meals. Then cleanup on Sunday is a nightmare but everyone chips in.
Absolute crazy fun, all sorts of unique "house rules" get implemented and you can really push the teamwork in some games.
No LAN party support in Diablo III will be a big kick in the nuts. That being said, they might do what Bioware did with NWN in that you still "connect" to a local LAN server but first have to authenticate to their online player database. If they do this then great, you preserve the local server / LAN Party style of game play while still allowing for server based DRM. NWN eventually completely did away with their safedisk encryption DRM due to the complaining from incompatible systems. I personally have bought four full NWN packages with all expansions just so my spare PC's have a unique client for when friends visit.
Sure have, remember playing old school Warcraft 2, Starcraft, Age of Empires, etc. all the time. That was also nearly 10 years ago, when everyone was still either on slow DSL or dial-up internet almost necessitating LAN play.But this is 2011, nearly 2012. Hardly anyone is on dial-up anymore (save for you old folks ). So yes, LAN is on the way out. Unless your in the competitive seen, everything can be done through the internet with stable rates. If anything people should be mad about having a constant internet connection to Bnet to verify credentials.Let's also include that Blizzard this time is hosting everything server sided. So you can't host your own game (LAN, and for good reason). The reason being so no longer will your enter a server and see duped items, maphacks, etc.There is a reason for everything. People just dismiss what they don't want to hear.
u do know that a nice online LAN party can easilly be ruined by your ISP and u have no control of it?. As being said I dont mind playing LAN party with my dudes with special items. There is some fun within this area.
Just because you dont like to use a controller for some things (or anything, for that matter), doesnt mean others dont. If he finds using one more comfortable, especially because of his carpal tunnel, more power to him. While I myself do prefer PC gaming and using a KB/M, Im not gonna look down at anyone or hint they are doing it wrong because they choose to try something else. To each their own.
(viewable from forums or just copy+paste)
Here's what I was using to save my wrist from terrible pain. I play FPS with keyboard+mouse only, and this item helped a little. Phantom and I have had some discussions on possible solutions.