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Personally, Art Direction is the least of issues if any in Diablo 3. I will rather have them focus on gameplay, trading, itemization, boss events, stash and stuff that helps move items from alt-character to alt-character smoothly than mere art direction.

Art direction takes a helluva time -- which translates in game development going beyond 2011. No thanks. Shove the petition.

Kotaku recently noticed Blizzard put a new job opening for a Diablo 3 Art Director. Kotaku is investigating with Blizzard whether Morrisroe is stepping down as Art Director, if he was filling up temporarily the position or if this means Blizzard has decided to change the art direction. -- read more.

Art Director
Blizzard Entertainment is currently looking for a talented, motivated, and experienced art director to lead the Diablo III art team. For this position, you must be highly organized with outstanding communication skills and proven experience in management. We're looking for a proven track record of shipping AAA products in an art director role. Experience modeling and texturing assets for a diverse visual range of environments and a solid grasp of form, color, and light for both 2D and 3D art assets are also essential. You must be experienced at mentoring a team, able to work well in an environment of artists who are passionate about making great games, skilled in another art task (illustration, modeling, texturing, animation, or concept drawing), and well-versed in related tools (Maya, Photoshop, etc.).

UPDATE: Kotaku confirmed that Morrisroe left Blizzard to pursue a personal company outside of the gaming industry. Art Direction will remain the same, and the new to be hired Art Director will be instructed to continue managing the art team with the same art style as to date. -- read more at Kotaku. Thanks, Jugzor.

- Shacknews also got word from Blizzard on Brian Morrisroe's leave.

- Tracey John, MTV Multiplayer journalist informed us that they got a reaction from Blizzard on this topic.

Quote from "Hellstream" »

While news on Diablo 3 is great and I am always waiting for more, this news just makes me shake my head. Honestly, everyone expects an expansion eventually, but at this point who cares. It seems like putting the cart before the horse. We need the game to be out at least a year before we can even really consider an expansion so this is more like no news at all.

That's your personal opinion. However, We are who call the shot on what is, or not newsworthy.

Quote from "Kaotic" »

Grrr i posted this already but i guess Medievaldragon gets the credit lol its ok but yeah its a good find

I usually check the official forum myself, or rely on fans submiting a heads up via PM.

Quote from "Kwic" »

Humm, wasn't it already posted but deleted after that? Or it's only you Medievaldragon who can add news? As i wrote there, the mistress of pain looks awesome. I like the lady on the wallpaper as well Cute one.

cheers

Mockery (owner), Umaro (Webmaster) and Sol Invictus (Staff) can post news too. I think I have seen others post in the news section before. I didn't see this news posted in the front page. I have been playing Wrath of the Lich King beta all day long yesterday and today. Noticed the media updates and reported them for those who like me had missed the updates.

I don't know if someone else added the news and later deleted it. I do know I had to edit due to some broken links with the images.

Quote from "Sly_dawg19" »

Lol he's crying for people not to make fan-fictions better than he can write, lol...

Now that's a struggling author.

*advice* Historical significances means nothing to the public of a relatively unknown author.

Your comment was replied by the author Robert B. Marks. So I hope you bother reading through. That piece of work he shared with fans was something he wrote 10 years ago and was liked by Pocket Books. That piece got him a contract to publish the Diablo: Demonsbane eBook.

The only reason he undust that sample of work that probably wasn't public to fans is because of my approach to him when Diablo Archive came out, and the interest fans have put into his Diablo: Demonsbane novella. I think most people liked the story, regardless of the few who didn't.

All I can say is, if you are gonna troll, at least make sure you got all the facts together. It doesn't reflect his writing skills today. To add to that, he is watching. He is a Diablo fan himself, and visits the boards.

Here is his answer in both blog posts:
http://garwulf.livejournal.com/14463.html#cutid1
http://garwulf.livejournal.com/14082.html#cutid1

I was PM by Homer_Rex who asked for the questions chosen for the BlizzCast 5. It was not an easy decision, as there were some quiet good submissions. I submited a few extra in case they were repeated by other fansites, or for consideration in future BlizzCast or a interview.

DIABLOFANS SUBMISSIONS

Reaver-TC from Diablofans.com: In the Initial gameplay video it was made note of that environments are now far more interactive as well as destructive, with this new level of player input will there be puzzles using this mechanic or perhaps hidden areas containing monsters, or special items behind destructible walls, movable/destructible boulders, clusters of trees, etc.?

Vandro from Diablofans.com: Will we be able to use the old overlay map instead of the mini-map (I like the old one more in an action packed game like Diablo 3, especially when dueling)?



BLIZZPLANET SUBMISSIONS

Vandro from blizzplanet.com: Will we be able to create special duel games without monsters/loot, maybe some sort of random arena locations similar to World of Warcraft Arenas to make Diablo III more e-sports friendly?

Sly_dawg19 from blizzplanet.com: During the gameplay video an "Elixer of Vitality I" dropped. Can you explain Elixers and the benefits and roles they will play in Diablo 3?



EXTRA QUESTIONS (In case other fansites repeat, or can be used for a mini-interview with Diablo III team).

DarthKarnage from Diablofans.com: the final scene in the gameplay video, when the large demon rips the head off of the barbarian. Is this some sort of "instant death" move programmed into the game, or is it a move to simulate a gruesome death just because the Barbarian had low health at a point when the monster attacked?

Ralsu from Diablofans.com: In the game play video, we see Barbarian skills that cost Fury or Stamina to cast. Where are these pools visible in the UI, and can you talk about them some more?

AcidReign from Diablofans.com: How have the stats changed for characters? Is it the same old strength, dexterity, vitality, and energy? Or are there more attributes?

Sly_dawg19 from Diablofans.com: With Diablo 3 and Battle.net 2.0 coming, will there be an option for a "Global stash" for all your characters so we can eliminate the need for "Mules" and creating unnecessary games?

JayCrimson from Diablofans.com: Will unique items this time around truly be special? In Diablo 2 many rare items were often more powerful than the uniques, rendering the majority of unique items useless. Will Diablo 3 perhaps make these items more powerful, maybe giving them bonuses exclusive to uniques while making them much more rare as loot?

Jugzor from Diablofans.com: Will the game be divided into acts, or will it be all open, and about how long will the game be?

Deathspecter from Diablofans.com: Will you be able to equip mercenaries in Diablo 3 with rings, amulets, boots, belts, etc.? on that note will there be hot keys for giving potions to your mercenary?

Deathspecter from Diablofans.com: Will there be hot keys for each potion life/mana/antidotes etc.?

Kaleth from Diablofans.com: Could there be a way to make unique and set items scale with your character level? So they will always be good?

Sly_dawg19 from Diablofans.com: Will there be a return of "Universal Skills" i.e. Spell Books from Diablo 1?

Jaewoot from Diablofans.com: We see that certain skills have certain maximums (i.e.: 1, 5, 20). Will items have attributes adding +skills? +skill tree? +to all skills? If so, would a maxed out skill 5/5 with a +1 all skills show as 6/5? And how will it be calculated?

moonshine from Diablofans.com: With the announcement of a more Co-Op oriented game, are players still going to be able to finish end game content solo or will they require help from a group?

Reaver-TC from Diablofans.com: Will there be multiple ways of traversing dungeons using different character classes? The Barbarian was shown in the initial gameplay video to leap over a broken bridge using his ability, was this an example of a situation where other character classes may have to find another path (i.e.: multiple pathways dependent of class); or was this something thrown in for show? If it will be present in-game what examples of it will we see with other character classes?

Reaver-TC from Diablofans.com: Do you plan to create a lot of downloadable content for Diablo 3? Will additional downloadable quests, items, enemies be made available over time after the initial release of Diablo 3?

Quote from "Risingred" »

I posted about this not too long ago on the official WoW forums.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=7903646454&sid=1

Just in case ... Risingred, first time I heard about a comparison between the Diablo 3 Cinematic and Ureh in Kingdom of Shadow was from Atrumentis, who in turn told me Daemon brought up the topic. I just checked up my Forum Private Messages. This was brought up to me on July 4th. That same day I contacted Richard A. Knaak, but he can't talk about Diablo 3: confirm or deny.

I have contacts in Pocket Books, they have tried to ship a review copy of Diablo Archive to me, but I missed the pick up. They sent the copy again and I got the Diablo Archive somewhere around July 10th. At least I posted the Diablo: Demonsbane review on July 14th -- so that gave me a few days to read it. I started reading Kingdom of Shadow right after Demonsbane to verify what Atrumentis had told me earlier by myself and to find out how viable that could be.

This is what Atrumentis sent me via PM on July 4th:

Hey, just in case you weren't already aware, I thought I would just mention to you that it seems like we will be visiting Ureh in DIII.

I have deducted this conclusion from observing the Cinematic Teaser.

The third scene shown is a huge city next to a river and on the side of a mountain, as well as near other mountains. The city also seems somewhat ruined. And while we see it, the girl says "...shadow crawls across our world".

Note that Ureh is a city on the side of a massive mountain (Mt Nymyr), there are also other mountains nearby, there is a river next to it, and the city is currently in ruins. Also, the city comes alive when the mountain's shadow crawls across it.

Judging by the remarkable similarities, this city indeed appears to be The Lost City of Ureh! We might be visiting the famous Ureh in DIII! That might also mean that we will get to see Zayl the Necromancer, Lord Juris Khan, his beautiful daughter Atanna and ghoulish monsters. Or maybe we will visit it, thinking its safe, just as Captain Kentril Dumon did?

Remember that Ureh is the featured city in The Kingdom of Shadow novel by Richard A. Knaak, and can be found on both the DII and DIII map.

‘The Light among Lights’? The most pure of realms in all the history of the world, built upon the very slope of the towering mountain called Nymyr? Aye, captain, there it stands—and, for our needs, just in time, if my calculations hold true!”

Gasps came from behind Kentril. The other men had finally caught up, just in time to hear the sorcerer’s words. They all knew the legends of the realm called the Light among Lights by the ancients, a place fabled to be the one kingdom where the darkness of Hell had feared to intrude. They all knew of its
story, even as far away as the Western Kingdoms.

Here had been a city revered by those who followed the light. Here had stood a marvel, ruled by regal and kind lords who had guided the souls of all toward Heaven. Here had been a kingdom so pure, stories had it that it had at last risen whole above the mortal plane, its inhabitants transcending mortal limitations, rising to join the angels. “You see a sight worthy of the loss of your men, captain,” the Vizjerei whispered, extending one bony hand toward the ruins. “For now you are one of the few fortunate ever to cast your eyes upon one of the wonders of the past—fabulous, lost Ureh!”

If you read the official Diablo 3 site, seems the Barbarians no longer live there. Abd Al-Hazir visited Bastion's Keep and found Mt. Arreat blown, the land torn apart into islands. No sign of Barbarian race survival in the area.

"In my journey to catalogue the various denizens, civilizations, and fauna of our world, I have traveled far and wide, but never before have I been struck with such dismay as when standing upon the ramparts of the ancient fortress of Bastion's Keep. I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat.

Instead, I stand here looking at a mountain that has been torn asunder by some extraordinary force. The sight, I must confess, is incomprehensible. Yet what I see before me cannot be denied."

If I recall, when I was at the Diablo 3 panel in Paris, I think I heard something along the fate of the Barbarian people. There are some beasts or demons in the area. I think we got hinted the Barbarian survivors were transformed or warped. Maybe they have become some kind of undead.

Kinda lost with all that mumbo jumbo. I will add a bit though. Those who still have the Diablo II handbook may remember the map below. Compare it with the Diablo 3 website map. Mt. Arreat and where the Barbarians lived went boom. It is now split into three big chunks of land and a few minor isles.

There is no artwork in the books. This Kingdom of Shadow is an entertaining yet contradicting tale that can make one go nuts trying to figure out what's going on.

To me it sounds like our way to ascend to Heaven in order to help the Archangels with the Hell invasion is probably heading to Ureh. In short, our main transport to Heaven's gates. My opinion.

Update: I updated the first post. Seems they aren't in Heaven after remaking the spell when the shadow engulfed the ruins. Gregus Mazi betrayed Ureh. The ethereal city floats in limbo. I will keep reading.

Update: Seems Gregus Mazi didn't betray them. The tale has fractured into many deceiving events that keep you wild guessing, contradicting your own suspiscions and driving you to insanity as a lector. Mazi seems to have been a victim with good intentions. However, one word escaped his lips: Diablo.

Quote from "xXAvariceXx" »

I've never been able to purchase the books, as I have no credit card(to order them), but I happened across the archive the other day, and didn't even hesitate to buy it.

You can create a paypal account if you have a bank account. It would be a matter of searching for a bookstore that accepts paypal payment.

Interesting bit. Moon of the Spider is the only Diablo book I don't have now. I am still reading Diablo Archive, but once I am done, I'm gonna grab that one too. Thanks for the quote.

Quote from "Umpa65" »

MD what makes you think that TKOS is based during the current state of sanctuary? there may be hints and obvious instances but it has been YEARS since i've read tkos

Zayl the Necromancer is in The Kingdom of Shadow, so these are events that happen somewhere between Diablo II and Lord of Destruction (maybe). I haven't read all the book yet to find any clues as to the timeline.

Diablo 3 happens 20 years after the worldstone is shattered by Tyrael. Maybe we get to visit the ruins of Ureh in Diablo 3. I won't say I am infallible, but I like to follow and stick to my hunches. I had a hunch Blizzard would announce Diablo 3 as a hack'n slash RPG at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals, instead of a MMO.

This time around, although Knaak won't say a word when I ask him, I do have a hunch based on what he said back on October 2006. Knaak: "Zayl has been fun and has a big following. Blzzard has some ideas for him already..."