The launch of Diablo 3’s closed beta test does more than help Blizzard iron out bugs for the upcoming release of the game; it also wets the taste of gamers who have been waiting for a true Diablo 2 sequel for ten years and counting. (Um, even if the crappy always-online DRM did give cause some headaches.) Turns out it was just a tease after all. Today, Blizzard officially announced that the release date for the game has slipped back into “early 2012.”

“With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn’t put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, said in the company’s press release.

To be fair, Blizzard had never firmly committed to a 2011 release date. The company has long said that it will release Diablo 3 only when it was ready – but they hoped it would be ready in 2011. They’ve extended two olive branches to help ease the pain, though; the time frame for the beta test will be prolonged to allow gamers more Barbarian time, and anybody who had previously signed up for the Diableard challenge are formally released from the bond and now free to shave their faces at their leisure.

via Diablo 3 Delayed Until 2012

The mere announcement of Diablo III’s always on DRM had many players putting down their socketed swords of the bedazzled alligator to pick up their pitchforks and torches, but now the moment of reckoning has arrived. And the verdict? Not so hot. Now, this is still a beta, mind you, so some issues could get ironed out. Most of the issues RPS zeroed-in on, though, stem from the hack ‘n’ slash genre’s inability to cope with a constant connection.

“You can’t pause. In fact, in most ways, the game acts like an MMO. For instance, quit it, and you’re given the optional cooldown to have your player clear the server properly. But it’s not an MMO. It’s not even close to an MMO. So when I’m playing the single-player game, and I’m in the middle of a frenzied mob, and there’s a knock at the front door, there’s nothing I can do… I’d safely left my character in a cleared area, but long between checkpoints. When I came back to the PC, I’d been idle for too long and the game had logged me out,” wrote RPS’ John Walker. Continue reading →

Ooooh, it’s getting closer! Even though the whole “Always online DRM” limitations kind of suck – something that many of you agree with – there’s no denying the fact that Diablo 3 is, well, Diablo 3. You know, the sequel to the super successful and super awesome Diablo 2 (and Diablo before that). It’s been ten years since Diablo 2 blew away gamers across the world, but now – finally! – Diablo 3 is rolling out in closed beta stage.

“The fiery gates leading to the Burning Hells have begun to swing open, and the Diablo III beta test is officially underway. Invitations to participate in the beta test are now being delivered to the chosen heroes,” Blizzard crowed on its website yesterday, and yes, invitations have begun to roll out Continue reading →