Blizzard finally confirmed that its PC-centric action RPG Diablo III is coming to both PlayStation 3 and 4, and the console versions should be a boon for Activision Blizzard when they launch this holiday.
Blizzard Entertainment's SVP of story and franchise development Chris Metzen said his company is revisiting its console game development roots and bringing Diablo III to both the PlayStation 3 and the just-announced PlayStation 4. "Blizzard and Sony have entered a strategic partnership through which we will take over the world," said Metzen. Diablo III released on PC in spring 2012. It's been well over a decade since Blizzard released a commercial game for consoles. Metzen noted Blizzard's console development background and the time was right to revisit the space. "The trick has always been 'how'... how do we do it," he said. Blizzard has made no secret that it was looking at a possible console version of Diablo III, for instance posting public job ads for Diablo III console game designers. The developer of World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo has made the PC its focus for many years. Naturally, Blizzard's PC games are designed around the mouse, keyboard and desktop display setup, which can be difficult to translate to a couch-and-TV living room experience. Metzen said Blizzard has "painstakingly" customized the control scheme, offering direct control over the Diablo III avatar. The game will also support four-player, full-screen co-op play. The game should be a big factor for Activision Blizzard's financials this holiday, when the game is slated to launch. Metzen did not offer any details on some of the business aspects of Diablo III, such as the real-money-for-virtual-items auction house, which is found in the PC version. And, being a PlayStation event, he also did not mention any forthcoming Xbox 360 version.
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