Posted 04/23/09 at 03:12:17 AM by Nathan Grayson

Remember all that Flagship Games brouhaha that arose last year when the developer – composed of former Blizzard employees – went into a tailspin, taking the US edition of Hellgate: London with it? Well, a gaggle of those gifted men and women reassembled at Runic Games, where they’re currently making another run at Diablo’s throne with an action-MMORPG called Torchlight.

The game’s “plot” – if, at this early stage, one could even call it that -- apparently breaks down like this:

“Adventurers set out from the town of Torchlight into the nearby mountains in search of the magic ore that imbues their equipment with power, yet imperils their very existence."

Gotta watch out for those mountains. They’re medieval man’s natural enemy, clearly.

Chinese online gaming company Perfect World will publish this tryst between Mythos and Diablo, which boasts the support of Max and Erich Schaefer – two of Blizzard North’s co-founders – as well as Diablo I and II composer Matt Uelmen.

It’s Diablo, but with tiny cartoon skeletons so precious you’d sooner attach cute, misspelled captions to their visages than give ‘em a bit of the old hack ‘n’ slash. What’s not to like? Unless you’re holding out for Diablo III: “Realistic” Edition, Torchlight looks like one to keep an eye on.

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Posted 03/16/09 at 03:52:44 AM by Nathan Grayson

The apparent state of <insert WoW class that’s constantly nerfed and obviously in need of buffing here> may have led you to believe that Blizzard’s exceedingly affluent staff doesn’t want to hear from you. Well, given the nature of the mega-publisher’s current contest, it’s pretty obvious that you were wrong. See, Blizzard only wants to hear from one of you.
 
The contest, which is open to aspiring word jockeys all around the world – from London to the Bay – invites Blizzard’s biggest fans to prove their mettle not with sticks or stones, but with words, the most powerful force in the entire universe. In order to qualify, your piece must be 3,000-10,000 words long and – as expected – set in one of Blizzard’s three fictional worlds.

Should your modern classic catch the eyes of Blizzard’s finest Lorecrafters (note: not a real job title), you’ll be flown out to Blizzard’s offices in Irvine, California where – and this is just a pet theory of ours – you’ll be surreptitiously assassinated by the same people who judged you worthy of setting foot on Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft’s holy birthing grounds.
 
Why? Simple. According to the contest rules, upon arriving at Blizzard’s pad, you’ll be given a replica Frostmourne sword (to defend yourself, obviously – you know, honor and all that) and a sumptuous meal (presumably a last meal, but also a possible attempt to weigh you down during the inevitable conflict). But wait – you’re probably wondering why Blizzard would go through all of this trouble to help you, a simple fan, meet the real Diablo? Well, after little to no research, we’ve surmised that – like a paranoid dictator – Blizzard’s current writing staff is afraid of competition, and would like to hold onto the swankest gig on earth for as long as possible.
 
So yeah, don’t enter the contest. We’ll, uh, just go ahead and take the fall for you. Without other entrants, we’re sure to “win” – if you could even call it that – and then we’ll put a pointy, meticulously sculpted end to all of this nonsense once and for all. Wish us luck.

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Posted 06/24/08 at 08:59:39 PM by David Murphy

It's no secret that Blizzard has a big secret. While we can't tell you what awaits eager gamers on June 28, we can tell you about a hidden Blizzard feature you might not know about--and it's every bit as cool as Diablo III. Or World of Lost Vikings. Or Rock N' Roll Starcraft. 

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Posted 09/25/06 at 12:04:21 PM by Will Smith

Unleash your inner loot-whore with a Diablo-esque action adventure. Try not to stare into Medusa's eyes.

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