In a post on the official Diablo III site outlining extensive changes to the title, game director Jay Wilson assured fans that Blizzard is more concerned with getting the title right than pushing it out the door too early.
“While working on Diablo III we've been called out for messing around with systems too much, that the game is good as-is and we should just release it,” Wilson wrote.
“I think that's a fair argument to make, but I also think it's incorrect. Our job isn't just to put out a game, it's to release the next Diablo game. No one will remember if the game is late, only if it's great. We trust in our ability to put out a great game, but we're not quite there yet. In addition to finishing and polishing the content of the game we're continuing to iterate on some of the core game systems.”
The changes include a revamped stat system, the removal of the Scroll of Identification items, the transition of the fifth quick slot into a dedicated potion button, and the removal of the Mystic Artisan.
“We want Diablo III to be the best game it can be when it launches. To get there, we're going to be iterating on designs we've had in place for a long time, making changes to systems you've spent a lot of time theorycrafting, and removing features you may have come to associate with the core of the experience. Our hope is that by embracing our iterative design process in which we question ourselves and our decisions, Diablo III won't just live up to our expectations, but will continue to do so a decade after it's released.”
Diablo III, while currently in beta, is still developed on Blizzard time, so God only knows when it will be released.
