Diablo III Almost Became An MMORPG

By Jonathan Leack

Since Diablo III released last month a lot of people have noticed that it shares a lot of qualities with World of Warcraft. Things like the auction house, art style, and online requirements have MMORPG written all over them. It turns out that there's a good reason for that.

Blizzard North Co-Founder Max Schaefer shared that Diablo III was originally conceived with an MMO model. He stated to The Verge:

When I was working at Blizzard a million years ago we were working on Diablo 3 and it was an MMO. We were going to do the Diablo version of World of Warcraft.

So… World of Diablo? That would be World of Warcraft with demonic creatures, tons of loot falling everywhere, and action-based gameplay, right?  Just what I've been looking for.

Come to think of it, Diablo III has an extremely thin layer of multiplayer that leaves me feeling alone 90% of the time. The mere thought of it having a seemless world rich with players, guilds, and barrens chat makes me realize what a missed opportunity this really is. On the plus side, at least we don't have to pay a subscription fee, and there's also Project Titan.

Jonathan Leack
Jonathan Leack

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.

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