It is one additional flavor to the game, and while I never used it much, there were days when I was bored and needed something to perk me up. Hardcore isn't for everyone, but it had a large following in Diablo 2, and must stay with the series.
What do you think EA games does? Creates way more than 4 games at once...
EA does very little developing, as they are mainly a publishing company. Blizzard handles both development and publishing themselves, which is a little uncommon these days.
Hellgate brought forth some interesting ideas, but was executed terribly. Mythos looks nice, but as many have pointed out, it seems solidly grounded as a D2 clone.
Overall, the Diablo series to date has been rock solid. While the original was a little one dimensional, it set the tone, and really paved the way for the second. Diablo 2 expanded in monumental ways while remaining, at it's core, simple. And as to LOD, there is a reason many gaming sites consider it the best game expansion ever.
Agree completely, and many games have proven that they can sustain their servers by alternative revenue generation. Regardless of one's opinion on Guild Wars, it's been free to play online, for example.
Not trying to say pay-to-play is stupid, but I don't think it fits in this case, with this particular company, who has managed without it so successfully in the past.
WoW graphic is already obsolete, and has been for a while, so ofcourse they'll have to either replace WoW with a WoW2, or create a different MMORPG- As said before: D3 is NOT that game.
Several MMOs have updated their game and graphic engines with either expansions or free content updates, and with the revenue WoW is generating right now, I think they'd be wise to hold off on a WoW 2, and are developing an mmo in a different setting. While getting people to sub to both a new mmo and WoW at the same time is unlikely, it still seems more likely than getting people to sub to both WoW and Wow 2 at the same time.
I think there better be one, and it better be more apparent than in Diablo 2. Other than the Act 2 darkened sun quest with the vipers, you very rarely noticed when night came.
It's really hard to ballpark a date at this point. Starcraft 2 is taking far longer than I had imagined, despite how much looked finished when they announced it a year ago.
Parts of D3 seem to me to be quicker to develop than SC2, but others seem like they would take longer. And we also don't know the size of the team working on D3. Despite being from separate dev teams, with SC2 and WotLK both not being in beta yet, I'd say Christmas 2009 is too early.
As long as we get contrast of flowerly/colorful areas, and dark and morose crypts with bloodstained walls, I'm happy. Sanctuary may be a bleak world, but there has to be something out there worth saving.
Only slightly off topic, but I'd like to see corrupted versions of the heroes/classes from Diablo 2 to fight, just like Bloodraven was supposed to be the Rogue from Diablo, and the Summoner was likely the Sorceror (and Diablo emerged from the Warrior who defeated him).
My hope goes to no respecs, UNLESS they start making serious changes to skills when they patch. If they make a serious change to a skill, refund our points in that skill, that's all I ask.
It's kinda daunting to new players, I think, but I also think it adds a lot of mystery.
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EA does very little developing, as they are mainly a publishing company. Blizzard handles both development and publishing themselves, which is a little uncommon these days.
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Overall, the Diablo series to date has been rock solid. While the original was a little one dimensional, it set the tone, and really paved the way for the second. Diablo 2 expanded in monumental ways while remaining, at it's core, simple. And as to LOD, there is a reason many gaming sites consider it the best game expansion ever.
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Not trying to say pay-to-play is stupid, but I don't think it fits in this case, with this particular company, who has managed without it so successfully in the past.
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Several MMOs have updated their game and graphic engines with either expansions or free content updates, and with the revenue WoW is generating right now, I think they'd be wise to hold off on a WoW 2, and are developing an mmo in a different setting. While getting people to sub to both a new mmo and WoW at the same time is unlikely, it still seems more likely than getting people to sub to both WoW and Wow 2 at the same time.
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Parts of D3 seem to me to be quicker to develop than SC2, but others seem like they would take longer. And we also don't know the size of the team working on D3. Despite being from separate dev teams, with SC2 and WotLK both not being in beta yet, I'd say Christmas 2009 is too early.
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It's kinda daunting to new players, I think, but I also think it adds a lot of mystery.