Blizzard has been hinting towards a console release of Diablo 3 for quite some time. Back in December, they mentioned that they already had a version running on unspecified consoles. However, the official announcement of the PlayStation 3 & 4 release has provoked a negative reaction among players. This announcement came as a shock to many, and the idea that Diablo 3 has been “dumbed down” for consoles is being discussed on forums everywhere. A common concern amongst members of these forums is that Blizzard has sold out since their merge with Activision, and that releasing Diablo 3 on consoles is not what the old Blizzard would do. If you take a moment and look at the big picture, the games in the Diablo series, among other ARPGs, have always been a good fit for consoles. Blizzard Entertainment actually started as a console developer with titles such as Lost Vikings and Blackthorne. The first Diablo title was a huge hit on the original PlayStation when it was released back in 1998, and after Diablo 2 was released the developers planned on making a Diablo Junior game for the Game Boy Advance. The project has long been scrapped, but what we do know about it is that Blizzard wanted to release three variations of the game, each one featuring a different hero. The ability to trade across game versions (similar to the Pokémon series) was to be a major focal point of the game. The only footage available of Diablo Junior is from a very early alpha version of the game.
The idea that Diablo 3 will suffer because of a console port is a bit of a stretch to make. Starcraft being ported to the Nintendo 64 didn't ruin it, did it? Even full blown MMORPGs such as Everquest and Final Fantasy 11 have been released on consoles without negatively affecting the PC experience. Blizzard's official stance on the matter is that the console port never impacted development, and that there is an entirely separate team working on it.
The main problems with Diablo 3 stem from Blizzard's recent approach aimed at making their games appeal to larger audiences. The final result was a game with a simplified and “dumbed down” feeling, according to some players. This started with Blizzard's initial plans for Battle.net 2.0. This, as well as Starcraft 2's interface, received many complaints at launch. It took a long time for Blizzard to add features that were popular in the original Starcraft, such as chat channels. To this day, Starcraft 2's menu and user experience pale in comparison to games like League of Legends and Dota 2. However, with Starcraft 2's upcoming expansion Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard appears to have started listening to fan feedback and improving the experience.
Here is what Blizzard community managers had to say on the topic
Blizzard Quote [source]
No, the PC version of Diablo III was not designed for console from the beginning. It was developed for the PC with one major goal in mind: provide players with an awesome hack-and-slash computer game that's both fun and engaging. Whether or not we achieved that goal is certainly up for debate within this community, but it doesn't make it any less real or valid. All the decisions we made when developing Diablo III -- including combat, skills, character controls, user interface, and itemization -- were ones we believed would deliver a great online experience, and the same can be said for the improvements we've made since launch. These decisions were not hindered (i.e. "dumbed down") by the development of a PlayStation version or altered to accommodate it.
Not even World of Warcraft is immune to backlash from disgruntled fans. The Cataclysm expansion was originally condemned by players for being “too difficult” in comparison to their previous expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard has taken huge strides towards attaining their goal of attracting casual gamers with features including the Dungeon Finder and Raid Finder. Raids such as Icecrown Citadel and Dragon Soul have had buffs added to them to help casual players experience the content.
So, while there may be some players who don't like how Diablo III was designed for PC, the PlayStation version of the game was ultimately predicated by the PC experience (not vice-versa). Therefore, if you don't like the skill system, the inclusion of the auction house, or how itemization works, that's fine, but please try to attribute those disagreements to the right place.
Blizzard Quote [source]
During the development of the PC version, the job and goal of our design team was to create a fun product for the PC. After launch, it's been to support the game in the form of content updates, balancing, and bug fixes. That's their focus.
Beyond that, we actually have an independent team of designers, engineers, artists, and producers that are dedicated to adapting Diablo III to the PlayStation and creating an epic console experience. It's their job to take the PC game and translate it to the PS3, and in a way deal with all the considerations you're talking about. While our console team and PC team do collaborate (and have collaborated in the past), it's always to ensure that we’re staying true to D3 on the PlayStation platform.
The point is that it wasn't on the PC design team to make considerations for console. Their focus has been and continues to be the PC game. It's the job of console team to make considerations for console as they adapt the existing game for the PlayStation.
Another major concern of players who are against porting Diablo 3 to consoles is that using a controller would not provide an optimal experience. However, even Diablo 2 can run perfectly fine on a controller without any major modifications. In fact, it only took me half an hour of work to convert the control scheme to work with a PlayStation 3 controller. In the video below you can see how well it works. The left joystick controls movement, while the right emulates the mouse to navigate menus and buy items. I keybound my 10 favorite skills and was able to play rather easily. With a few UI changes Diablo 2 would have been the perfect game for consoles.
The next video was recorded from the Diablo 3 beta, where I essentially used the same control scheme mod as Diablo 2. I find it to be more fun as well as easier to sit back on the couch and relax with my Tempest Rush Monk. It's very satisfying to run through Act 3 with a controller in my hands, slaughtering everything in my path.
The console port of Diablo 3 is clearly a lot more advanced than what I did. One of the main complaints I have heard is that the interface on the PC version of Diablo 3 was simplified in preparation for the inevitable console release. However, the console version has a different UI than PC. The PlayStation versions will include a new camera view which will zoom in and out depending on how far away your allies are, as well as some gameplay features, like a rumored dodge ability. They will definitely have to change how loot is picked up, but since other games have successfully tackled this issue, it shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Out of all of Blizzard's titles, Diablo is the one franchise that just works. Be it Diablo 1, 2, or 3, they are all a perfect fit for the controller experience. It's a fast paced pick-up-and-play game where you can plow through hordes of demons at the press of a button. It's a straightforward game, not a game with excessive strategy and planning like World of Warcraft and other MMOs. There is nothing inherent to the Diablo franchise that screams “PC only”. One thing's for sure; I'm definitely purchasing the console version and getting together with my friends for some good old hack-and-slash action.
There are a lot of questions we don't have answers to yet, so it's hard to say what's going to happen. Will we be able to access the Real Money Auction House? What about cross-platform play? Hopefully we'll get some answers when Diablo 3 makes its public debut at PAX East in Boston on March 22. Have no fear, loyal fans, Diablo 3 will surely become the masterpiece it deserves to be one day.