March´s News

  • The Calling is Ready! (3/31)

Want the Diablo: The Calling cinematic?  Of course you do.  Gamespot has made it available from their site, and of course you can also get to it in our Downloads section.  It´s quite a large file, so if you have a dial-up connection be prepared for a serious download time. 

  • Bill Roper Webcast. (3/31)

The Sam Donaldson webbast from ABCNews.com is scheduled to have in it today Bill Roper of Blizzard fame as well as Rick Thomson of Microsoft discussing the vaunted X-Box, Microsoft´s upcoming console offering and also discussing the future of games.  You can give questions for the moderator to ask at their site here, and you can attach to the webcast via RealPlayer here. 

  • A New Winner Posted... (3/30)

Turning suspense into a frenzy, EBWorld.com has posted another winner of their drawing, this time Chris Grether of Phoenix, AZ.  Wonder when they will get around to the last three? 

  • Diablo: The Calling Release. (3/29)

The Diablo: The Calling 7-minute movie will be released tomorrow as a Gamespot exclusive, and will weigh in at around 40 MB.  This will be done in the Bink format, which captures color and sizing well.  You can go here for more info on the imminent release. 

  • Four EBWorld Winners. (3/29)

Four of the EBWorld.com Diablo II Beta drawing winners have been announced, they are:

    Sean Jurawan - Miami, FL
    Nathan Koenig - Rochester, NY
    Jason Waldon - Gainesville, GA
    Shawn C. Beland - Kankakee, IL

The other four will be announced soon... 

  • Diablo: The Calling to be Released... (3/29)

Susan Wooley of Blizzard PR reports that the Diablo: The Calling movie will be released officially soon, possibly this weekend or early next week.  A bootleg (and unofficial) version of the movie has been available for a few days, but this is an official release and will be of considerably higher quality.  It will most likely be in the Bink format. 

  • Havas Expands. (3/29)

Havas Intl, the parent-company that owns Blizzard and Sierra, seems to be merging with Won.net.  The MSNBC article on this follows:

    The transaction, expected to close in April, could make Havas Interactive the largest player in online games. Flipside will have more than 4.2 million registered game players, including 2.5 million from Prize Central and 1.7 million from Won.net. Together, the sites will have 60 online games, ranging from simple card games to hard-core games like "HalfLife."

More this development as it occurs.  Thanks to Ecydiast for the lead. 

  • Just What Are The Gods Doing? (3/28)

Now there´s an odd line... what are the gods doing?  Well, Gamespy seems to have the answer with the posting of their list: "Top Ten Games the Gods Are Playing."  Well, seems in order, check out the #1 spot for a well-deserved surprise. 

  • 3DGN´s "Conspiracy Theory"... (3/28)

Didn´t get picked for the Beta Test?  Got a beef with Blizzard because of it?  Well, this offbeat and humourous tirade by 3DGN´s John Blakeley details why you may have neen discriminated against.  The following is meant as humor only, so go here to read up on their "theory." 

  • Interesting Posts. (3/28)

A few informative posts found their way on the forums today, see them below with all-new information archived in our massive Compendium:

    Geoff Frazier´s post on the new name for Closed characters.
    Mike Huang has a     post on the new setup for declaring hostility.
    Geoff Frazier on documentation on the Beta CD in this     post.
    This     post by Geoff Frazier tells which cinematic will be with the Beta CD.

A hearty thank-you goes to -=GolMorAth=- for sending in the links. 

  • Daily Radar Winners. (3/27)

The list of the winners of a Diablo II Beta from Daily Radar have been posted and announced.  Most of the winners received a phone call prior to the list´s release, so if you didn´t chances are you didn´t win.  See the listing here. 

  • Forum Posts. (3/27)

As normal we catalogue the most informative of today´s posts on the forums: 

    Geoff Frazier on the release date and odd rumors concerning it in this post.
    A     post by Geoff Frazier decrying the rumor-mongering.
    A     post giving some info on Realms by Geoff Frazier.
    And finally, Geoff Frazier goes over the Sorceress Gameplay Movie in this     post.

  • Addresses and the Beta. (3/27)

Blizzard announced detailed instructions on what to do if you need to submit an address change for delivering your copy of the Beta if you won.  You can find the instructions here, and you´ll need to move fast. 

  • Daily Radar Winners... (3/27)

Well, they haven´t been announced yet, but they will be at 7:00pm (that´s 10:00pm EST) tonight, so make sure to stay tuned if you registered for the random drawing of their 30 copies.  You can see the winners when they are posted here. 

  • Fansite Interview Posted... (3/26)

The Fansite Interview with Bill Roper and D2Nation has been posted and can be read by anyone curious.  The interview covers the removal of Guild Halls in more detail, as well as some other good pieces of information.  Get to it here. 

  • Burning the Midnight Oil. (3/26)

There was a great deal of forum activity last night, here are the best of the posts: 

    Geoff Frazier responds to anomilies in Beta signups in this post.
    Who is Geoff Frazier anyway?  See this     post biography.
    More analysis on the removal of Kick in this     post.
    Why everyone cannot get a Beta Test in this     post and this post.

  • The Loss of Aureal? (3/26)

Although not directly Diablo II-related, this news item on the Adrenaline Vault was quite interesting, if not disturbing.  It seems that the Board of Directors for Aureal Semicondutor (the makers of the A3D sound API, which is used by Diablo II along with Creative´s EAX) has disbanded and that the company will either be shut down or its properties sold to another company.  Not a good sign for Aureal owners of the Vortex series... 

  • On Guild Halls. (3/25)

In this post Max Schaefer explains Blizzard´s reasoning behind leaving off the Guild Halls for now, and a brief overview of the negative publicity this has garnered: 

    As a game company, we have a choice. We can let our customers in on our process as a game is being developed, or we can say nothing to the public until the game ships. The first way is our choice because it gives a window to the public into the development of an exciting product. It generates excitement in the community, and lets us share our enthusiasm for what we are doing. However, it also exposes us to criticism when a discussed feature doesn't make it into the final product. Every game has features that don't make it into the final product. Every game undergoes an evolution from the concept stage, through development, and until it ships. And no game contains ALL of the good ideas and features dreamed up by the develpment team. There are always compromises that have to be made, especially as the game nears completion. Obviously, we share in the disappointment when this happens. So please try to understand that when we talk about a feature in development, we are letting you in on our process, and not promising something that we later may yank out from under you. Please keep in mind that the only alternative is to keep quiet and say nothing of substance until the game ships. But that is not our choice, and not the Blizzard way.

But of course not all hope is lost, as you can see in his follow-up post here. 

  • Chances Dwindling... (3/25)

The drawing for the Daily Radar Diablo II Beta Test is over, and the lucky winners of that contest are to be announced Monday evening.  However, the EBWorld.com signup is still there, so if you have not signed up yet this could be your last chance. 

  • PvP Mayhem Continues. (3/24)

Continuing the same thread from yesterday´s thread, the hilarity of PvP continues on into today.  Catch the hijinks at their site. 

  • Guilds Announcement... (3/24)

A public announcement by Susan Wooley of the PR dept. says that due to balancing reasons they have removed Guild Halls from both the Beta Test and the final retail version.  But this is not without a silver lining, so see below:

    First, we recently made a decision that we believe we need to share with you
    prior to the beta beginning. Guilds will not be in the Beta, nor in the final shipping version of Diablo II. During development it became clear that making Guilds bullet-proof, balanced, and completely secure would delay shipping Diablo II. Fundamental, major changes to the Diablo II/battle.net client/server architecture would be required. Testing and all-important balancing would make our fans wait even longer. In the interests of getting the game to our fans -- we had to decide to drop Guilds. Rest assured that we are exploring ways of adding Guilds after Diablo II ships.

So we will all have to wait and watch to see what develops. 

  • PvP Cartoon. (3/23)

What can ruin relationships and split the "perfect" couple like nothing else in this world?  Well, check out the latest PvP Strip to see for yourself. 

                - Ariochel (Editor)
                 

  • Forum Activity... (3/23)

After a brief lull due to the Beta signups the activity has returned to the forums.  Here is a short list of the some of the more informative posts seen today:

    Is the Beta Test pointless?  See Max Schaefer answer in this post.
    The limitation of the Beta as given by Geoff Frazier in this     post.
    While not a post by Blizzard officials, this     post in interesting nonetheless.
    Beta demographics by Geoff Frazier in this     post.

An interesting mix of excellent posts. 

  • Beta Testers Announced. (3/23)

The lucky souls who will be testing Diablo II in Beta have been announced by Blizzard.  Out of 138,495 registrants 1,000 were chosen.  See the list here.  Just remember that the Daily Radar and EBWorld.com are still unknown, so the doors are still open for those Beta hopefuls. 

  • Lucky Charms? (3/22)

What would you use or who would you kill to get a chance at the Diablo II Beta Test?  Well, Penny Arcade has their own situation, which involves are very odd lucky charm.  Don´t take our word for it, though, see the humor here.  Thanks to Ecydiast for the lead. 

  • Another Chance for the Beta. (3/21)

EBWorld.com is offering another chance at the Beta Test for Diablo II, although they are a little sketchy about the specifics of their contest.  Regardless, click here to up your chances at being chosen for this high honor. 

  • Older News Archived... (3/21)

We have archived the older news from this month into our ShadowSpiral Archive, under the March section for 2000.  If you feel you´ve missed something then you can go there to catch up on all the latest. 

  • Daily Radar Contest. (3/20)

The Daily Radar contest that is giving away 30 copies of the Diablo II Closed Beta is up and running on their site, so click here for your chance to win a copy in this very limited drawing. 

  • Shot of the Beta´s End. (3/20)

If you haven´t seen the below screen yet, you should be clicking the Diablo II Beta link at the top of this page and quick: 

Even as the Beta Test signups continue the Forums have not died down.  The posting continues Geoff Frazier and company answer all our questions: 

    This post is quite important, it deals with what you can do if you messed up a signup.
    Blizzard´s policy on e-mail regarding the signups in this     post.
    Invalid options on your signup?  See this     post.
    What will happen to your Beta characters... a recap in this     post.
    Some people want too much... as Mr. Frazier demonstrates in his     post.
    Screenshots of the Beta?  A rather obtuse answer in this     post.
    The signup sheet was modified, but no need to worry - see the     post.
    This     post covers previous Beta Testers.

  • Geoff Strikes Again. (3/19)

Beoff Frazier, proving that Blizzard work Saturdays too, graced the forums with several official posts, listed below:

    In this post he goes over the anomolies in the system requirements for the Beta.
    Who is Geoff Frazier´s favorite character?  See this     post...
    Going Hardcore, see what was said in this informative     post.
    More on Hardcore, this time a     post on Hardcore characters becoming hostile.
    A     post on Beta CD delivery.
    And last but not least, a     post on server-side characters.

Also, the Diablo II D&D game download has been removed due to the fact that it was not quite finished yet.  The download will probably be back up soon, so both Blizzard and Wizards of the Coast apologize for the mix-up. 

  • PvP Beta Strip... (3/18)

What force can overcome signing up for the Diablo II Beta Test?  Well, PvP wants you to know, so drop by for a some laughs. 

  • Two New FAQ lists. (3/18) 

There are two new FAQ lists floating around, one of them serious and official from Blizzard and the other worth a few good laughs.  The new official FAQ is the Diablo II Public Beta FAQ, with answers to some common Beta questions.  The next new FAQ is the a hilarious spoof on all of the FAQ´s now floating around, see it here. 

  • Several Forum Posts... (3/17)

The storm of official posts on the Forums shows no signs of abating soon.  Here are some more from those in charge: 

    This post by Max Schaefer details what happens to old Beta CD´s.
    This     post by Geoff Frazier goes over accounts after the Beta Tests.
    This     post by Geoff Frazier covers Hardcore and character death over dial-up.
    This     post by Erich Schaefer goes into detail one some security for the CD´s.
    This     post by Erich Schaefer explains weapon speeds between characters.
    And finally this     post by Erich Schaefer goes over the penalies for dying.

  • The Beta Goes Gold. (3/16)

The Diablo II Closed Beta Test has gone gold, meaning that the now-finished CD´s have been sent to the replicators and are now being tooled and fitted to be shipped out to the lucky few who win slots in the Closed Beta. 

  • Another Rendered Shot. (3/15)

Two in one day, Blizzard is obviously feeling generous.  While you sneak a peak at the image below, be sure to pay Blizzard´s site a visit for more surprises: 

As formerly promised the Daily Radar will now have its 30 copies of the Diablo II Beta ready for their drawing.  You can check out there site for more information on this.  Thanks to Ecydiast for the lead. 

  • Beta Announced!!! (3/15)

You heard right, the Diablo II Beta Signups have been announced and will be happening March 20th on 11:59pm PST (that´s 2:59am EST).  You can check out this page for more information of the Beta Test, including system requirements for the Beta and much more. 

  • Forum Blaze... (3/15)

More forum posts by the Blizzard represenatives:

    This post is Geoff Frazier calming fears and anxiety about the icons.
    This     post deals with a problem that one gamer is having with the icons.
    This     post deals with Blizzard beta-playing habits.

There were of course more posts than this, but the rest were repeats of what has already been asked and answered. 

  • Icons Sited on Battle.net. (3/15)

The icons for Diablo II have been sighted in places on Battle.net as the development team gear up for some internal stress testing it seems.  A few images of the icon is use have been captured, and we have one for you to see below as well: 

Wizards of the Coast has made the pen and paper rules for their upcoming Diablo-based game available to all to read and learn.  The game looks quite fun and easy for even those not famaliar with the system to grasp.  Download it here (requires Adobe Acrobat). 

  • Collector´s Edition for Mac? (3/15)

Will there be a Collector´s Edition for the Mac?  That´s the question the Mac Gamer´s Ledge asked Susan Wooley, and she responded that she didn´t think so due to the fact that the Collector´s Edition would be a limited-time only deal, and the Mac version might not make it in time for it. 

  • New Rendered Shot. (3/15)

Blizzard has updated their main page with a new rendered shot, see it below: 

I did not believe I woukl ever reach the point where I wished Blizzard would take a break from posting, but I am almost there.  No matter, though, the list of posts continue below, coming from both Geoff Frazier and Mike Huang:

    This post covers Item Sets and their placement in the game´s Acts.
    This     post tells some of the subjects that are answered officially.
    This     post gives info on what happens to a Hardcore player´s items on death.
    This     post is a continuation of the above topic.
    This     post sports new info from Mike Huang on items and character death.
    This     post tells what will set Blizzard emplyees apart on Battle.net.
    Wondering why Kick and Convert were removed?  See this     post.
    More info on accounts and Realms in this     post.
    The time between a demo and the Golding of Diablo II?  See this     post.
    This     post sports some general info about the Beta Test.
    This     post tells that gamers will not get discounts off of the game for testing.
    Special spots for repeat posters on the forums?  Geoff gives a yes and no in this     post.
    Will irratating forum-goers be blackballed?  See this     post.

A good deal of information for all to digest.  There are even more posts than this, but these for the most part cover all of the new or interesting aspects and questions.  Stay tuned for even more info to come. 

  • Various Beta Posts. (3/14)

Another posting storm by Geoff Frazier, with the running theme being Beta questions.  See the list below: 

    This post covers the sequence of the Beta Test (a total of 3 in the thread).
    This     post answers why the Closed Beta is limited to the US and Canada.
    This     post gives the when´s and where´s of Beta Signups.
    This     post fields questions of the signup date and Canadian testers.
    This     post gives into on the upcoming Sorceress Gameplay Video.
    This     post covers item questions and socketting.
    This     post by Mike Huang covers the anomoly known as "Blizzard Time."
    And one final     post on the classification of the Open Beta Test.

  • Of Items and Demons... (3/14)

DiabloII.net has recently launched a section of ther site on items, introducing a few new additions to the growing known list of items due to their trip to Blizzard HQ last year.  We have liberally taken the skinny on the newer items mentioned and added the to the Dueling Grounds section. 

  • A New Forum Firestorm. (3/13)

Proving his the answer man for now, Geoff Frazier has filled the forums with his official posts on multiple subjects.  For simplicity´s sake you can see the list below: 

    A post on Beta options and characters can be accessed here.
    A     post on some questions a gamer had about the last chat and answers to them.
    A     post on pre-ordering the Collector´s Edition of Diablo II from Blizzard.
    A     post on the FAQ and its updates.
    A     post on the ESRB rating for Diablo II (assumed to be Mature 17+).
    And finally a     post about the reality of the Beta and a post that is interesting of itself.

  • More Forum Posts. (3/13)

Geoff Frazier has again made numerous appearances in the forums.  His first post deals with the closeness of the Sorceress Gameplay Video, due out at any time now.  In his next post he addesses Blizzard North´s quiet behavior with this time-honored reply:

    While the Diablo II Development Team does read this forum, please understand that they are extremely busy with the game and are simply too busy to reply to every post.

His last post deals with the release date, a subject near and dear to all of our hearts.  This is said in reply:

    First Half of 2000 is the current release window.

All of this good news indeed. 

  • Forum Activity... (3/12)

A quick appearance on the War Room by Geoff Frazier, see his post here: 

    Bounty pages just did'nt work for Diablo 1. We (the fans at that time) tried that back during Diablo 1. Some problems: Rewards: getting people to pay the reward. The only good solution was to have them give the reward to the the web site who runs the bounty and then give it to the person when they kill the person. Later on the Gold Cheats ruined the rewards. It was nearly impossible to confirm if they had actually killed the person. You could just create a account with the same name as the person and kill yourself and get the ear and turn it in. This may be solved now by battle.net accounts. Fake reports. If someone didn't like someone they would go put a bounty on them for no good reason. Passworded games. If you can't get in the game to find them, how are you going to kill them. And managing it all wasn't easy. This would be never anything done in an official way unless it were somehow worked into the design of the game which I don't think will happen. It might be something that would work on a fan side and I'm sure a few sites will try it. Hopefully they will have better luck now that things have changed.

  • The Beta Looms Close. (3/12)

Good news coming from both DiabloII.net and RPG Gamer, it seems that Beta Test does indeed loom close, as both have issued a warning to stay home this week, unless you want to miss the sign-ups for the Closed Beta Test,  Blizzard has neither confirmed nor denied these rumors, but it does seem to be reverberating everywhere, and we are all in suspense.  Stay tuned for more news on the imminent release. 

  • Korean Beta Translation... (3/10)

Chosun, a Korean newspaper, is reporting that CDVILLE, a translator for Korean version of Blizzard games have received a document listing all the translations that will be needed, as will also be receiving their Beta copy to translate in about a week.  This is great news, as it gives us a sketchy timeframe on when to expect the Beta Test. 

The PCXL magazine features a preview of Diablo II, and although it has no new information, it does have a few interesting new screenshots.  As soon as we can get our hands on some of those shots we will post them, but for now the knowledge is good.  Thanks to Ecydiast for the tip. 

  • Doing the Beta Boogie... (3/9)

Has the long wait for the Beta Test got you feeling down?  Well, this wonderfully strange picture by Synthetic Muse may be the answer you are looking for.  Go ahead, give it a shot.  Thanks to Ecydiast for the lead. 

  • Progress Reports? (3/9)

It was asked on the Suggestions Forum why Blizzard does not publish regular progress reports on the status of Diablo II.  Here is what Mike Huang had to say in this post: 

    I wouldn't say that it is our intention to keep fans in the dark, just that keeping our fans in the dark is a consequence of not wanting to create expectations for a date (whether it be for Beta, Gold, or whatever) and then disappointing fans by not going Beta (or Gold or whatever) when you guys expect us to. Needless to say, when we do go Beta (or Gold or whatever) we will make a big deal of it, and you will know about it.

  • New Rendered Shot... (3/8)

There is a new rendered shot gracing the Blizzard main page, this one featuring the diminuitive creatures that set the tavern ablaze in the short film: 

It was reported today that several members of Blizzard have left to form their own company devoted to games, called TriForge, Inc.  The people who left are: Pat Wyatt, VP of R&D; Mike O'Brien, Company Director; and Jeff Strain, Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Blizzard's unannounced game.  This departure shouldn´t effect either Diablo II nor WarCraft III, but the unannounced project´s staff will no doubt be rearranged.  Thanks to Cipher for the lead. 

  • Hardware Report: Processors... (3/6)

Diablo II-related news was going slow today, so we thought we would mention the fact that the first Gigahertz processor was released today by AMD.  Based on their Athlon model, it is the first PC-based processor to be utilize the gigahertz standard, beating out the chip giant Intel to the punch.  You can be sure Intel won´t be so easily outdone, though. 

  • Diablo II vs. Nox. (3/5)

Which is better, Diablo II or Nox?  It is a question that has been asked several times. and each game has its own camp of fans devoted to it.  In this month´s issue of Newsweek Diablo II got a quick mention in a Nox preview, quipping that Nox could take the edge of that Diablo II fixation, at least for awhile.  Another preview for the erstwhile "Diablo killer" popped up at Gamerush as well.  It saves its comparison to the very end, and is quite enlightening (and everyone hates it when a Diablo character dies... it is somehow just so horrible to hear).

A small aside, we here at ShadowSpiral Diablo II have played Nox, and have compared it to Diablo II in our own way.  Nox is a fast-paced, original, and most importantly fun game.  Anyone who doesn´t want to play it because of some loyalty to another game shouldn´t be so limited.  All that in stride, Nox is not Diablo II, it is more on par with the original Diablo in that line.  Diablo II promises a host of new adventures, but unril it arrives Nox can help soothe those Diablo II blues. 

  • A Small Preview... (3/5)

There is a small preview of Diablo II (no new screenshots or information) over at 3DGN.  You can go here to read it. 

  • Collector´s Edition Announced. (3/3)

Blizzard has announced the creation of the Diablo II Collector´s Edition.  Here is more:

    Available only during Diablo II's initial launch, this special edition will be offered in limited quantities. The Collector's Edition will include Diablo II on four CD-ROMs, a 24-minute Diablo II cinematic on DVD in wide-screen letter box format, the Diablo II soundtrack with 70 minutes of music, the Wizards of the Coast pencil-and-paper role-playing game based on the AD&D rule set and a Diablo II manual signed by the development team. Diablo II Collector's Edition will be available exclusively at Babbages, Electronics Boutique and direct from Blizzard. The expected price for the product will be $60 - $70.

Sounds wonderful to us, and with a good price for all that you would get with it. 

  • Forums Return. (3/3)

Looks like all of the Battle.net Forums are up and running again, with only the Ladder Games forum still down pending repairs or rebuild. 

  • Monthly Winners. (3/2)

In what is to be his last official announcement, Tony Gervase made clear the winners of this month´s round of random drawings.  The Diablo II Interview with Bill Roper goes to the Diablo II Nation, the two Diablo II T-shirts were given to the Diablo II Dominion, and SCLegacy took the StarCraft prizes.  Congradulations everyone. 

  • Questions Firestorm... (3/2)

A barrage of questions about the Beta appeared in the Battle.net War Room, all of them answered by Geoff Frazier.  The list below are the questions and their respective answers:

    Will Canada be included in the Beta Test?  Yes, see the post here.
    Will the Diablo II Suggestions Forum return?  Yes, see the post     here.
    Why and when does Mr. Frazier answer questions?  The answer is     here.
    What is the highest Diablo II character Mr. Frazier has seen?  The answer is     here.
    Will there be a Diablo II Screensaver from     Blizzard?  No, see the post here.
    Will there be an online Compendium?  Most likely, see the post     here.
    Mr. Frazier also goes over Quest rewards in this post     here.

Very busy day on the forums, indeed. 

  • Official Posts. (3/1)

A series of official posts appeared on the forums today.  The first was about why the cheating issues with the original Diablo cannot be remedied, the reason Geoff Frazier gives is here.  Another question asked was about Geoff himself answering questions about Diablo II, which he answers with this post.  Another post inquires about the downtime of the Blizzard Forums, which Mr. Frazier explains he doesn´t really know the answer to that (or cannot say) in this post. 

  • A New Rendered Shot... (3/1)

A new rendered shot appeared on the Blizzard main site, this one showing the Wanderer and Marius entering some kind of crypt, most likely in Act II´s locale.  See it below: 

You may have noticed we have had a little downtime here, as we have been moving our site and its contents to a new server (which should be better than our other).  There might be a few more spotty areas, so please forgive us to give us time to make the move completely.  Thank you for your understanding. 

  • We´ve Archived Old News. (3/1)

We have moved the news for February to our ShadowSpiral Archive, so if you feel you have missed something you can visit our Archive to catch up. 

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Skill of the Week

Heal (old skill)
Once a part of the Amazon skill trees, any character´s skill-based healing has been completely removed now, replaced by other skills that bestow limited regeneration or indirect healing.

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