PC GAMES
News
Reviews
Previews
Movies/Media
Downloads
Hints/Codes
GameGuides.com
Special Features
Beta Center
Release Calendar
Forums
Top Games
PC GENRES
Action
Adventure
Driving
Puzzle
Role-Playing
Simulation
Sports
Strategy
SWITCH TO:
VIDEO GAMES
GAMESPOT LIVE
GAMEBUYER
HARDWARE
SUBSCRIBE TO:
PC Newsletter
HW Newsletter
ELITE SERVICES
Join GameSpot
SEE ALSO:
3D Browser
3DFiles.com
GameFAQs
Gamespy Arcade
Netflix
Tweakfiles.com
INFORMATION
Help
Contact Us
International
|
 |
"Moving to 3D certainly has not been easy for the team," according to Rob Pardo. |  |
Announced at London's European Computer Trade Show (ECTS) in early September 1999, Warcraft III was billed as a role-playing strategy game, a new genre amalgamation that Blizzard concocted to explain the planned introduction of role-playing elements into the Warcraft universe. Upping the ante with six playable races (one was later canceled and four have been announced so far: humans, orcs, undead, and demons), Warcraft III would mark Blizzard's first foray into 3D-accelerated games. "Moving to 3D certainly has not been easy for the team," says Pardo.
| 
Exclusive: A new in-game image from Warcraft 3. |
If anyone was worried that Blizzard's creativity might have been stifled by the requirement that all games be blockbusters, Warcraft III seemed to be proof that the company wanted to be regarded as an innovator. Hero characters would dominate Warcraft III, and as a result, free scrolling around the map would be eliminated in favor of having players see only what was in the vicinity of their heroes. The actual game environment was planned to seamlessly transition between missions - in other words, no load screens - and various NPCs within the game environment would allow for the story to unfold inside of the game environment.
| 
The Diablo II team from Blizzard North. |
If Warcraft III sounded ambitious, it was, but no more so than Diablo II. Max Schaefer now admits, "We overdid it with Diablo II," no doubt referring to five unique character classes in the game, four huge acts, and new features such as no level loads and a skill tree for character traits that wasn't added until a year into development. Those at Blizzard admit that the sheer size of Diablo II caused many headaches. "To some extent we do need to start making smaller games," believes Bill Roper. "If we keep accelerating at the pace we're currently going, games are going to take upwards of five years to make."
| 
Two Diablo II level designers enjoy a light moment after the game goes gold in June 2000. |
It wouldn't be quite five years, but by the time Warcraft III was announced, Diablo II had been in development for over two years. For a company normally mum on release dates, Blizzard spent most of 1999 promoting Diablo II with magazine ads that declared "Diablo II: 1999." Unfortunately, by the end of the year it had become apparent the game wasn't going to make the holiday season. The news of Diablo II missing its targeted release date was a crushing blow to a development team that would now have to work through the holidays with no end in sight.
|
 |
|
