Blizzard Entertainment said this week that it sold more than 3.5 million copies of Diablo III on launch day, setting the record for fastest-selling PC game. The company also sold 1.2 million copies of the game to subscribers of the World of Warcraft Annual Pass, meaning 4.7 million copies of the game were in the hands of gamers on day one.

NewImage
There were a number of server slowdowns and issues for gamers looking to play the game on opening day and, as a result, Blizzard was very apologetic in its statement:

"We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support."

To cut down on cheating and piracy, Blizzard requires the Diablo III client to be connected to their servers at all times during gameplay, even during the single-player campaign.

Diablo III is available via Blizzard's website and at retail stores.

Top Rated Comments

Dr McKay Avatar
155 months ago
Yea, I totally enjoyed being locked out of a game when I was trying to play it Single-Player.

Oh whats that? It's to stop the Pirates? In 2 weeks when they've circumvented this measure, the Pirates will be getting the better gaming experience while paying customers are dicked with this.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yamcha Avatar
155 months ago
I'm not happy with the requirement of a internet connection.. Also what happens 5-10 years from now? Will the servers still be around? I doubt It..

It's more like we are renting a game.. I really hope later there will be a patch for offline play..
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lord Appleseed Avatar
155 months ago
I'm not happy with the requirement of a internet connection.. Also what happens 5-10 years from now? Will the servers still be around? I doubt It..

It's more like we are renting a game.. I really hope later there will be a patch for offline play..

I feel the same way. I'd love to buy and play the game, but under these circumstances Diablo can remain in hell.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
satchow Avatar
155 months ago
I'm not happy with the requirement of a internet connection.. Also what happens 5-10 years from now? Will the servers still be around? I doubt It..

It's more like we are renting a game.. I really hope later there will be a patch for offline play..

Will the servers be around? Knowing Blizzard, yes.

The thing about having to be online and connected to a server to play though is that there's freaking lag in single player. That's unacceptable.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad-B-One Avatar
155 months ago
I'll go to Engadget when I want to read about random tech stuff. More apple stuff less random stories.

Errr? Blizzard Entertainment is one of the few publishers which actually publishes top titles for Mac - and that on the same launch day as PCversions, not 5 years later. This game broke sales records for the first day (so did Diablo 2 by the way back then) and that also because it is for both PC and Mac. This is not a random story. If you just want to read about the latest rumors about hardware, why do you even bother posting? Troll?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad-B-One Avatar
155 months ago
I know this is a wee bit off topic but I was wondering (since I have a wack of Diablo players in here) if someone could explain to me the multiplayer aspect of Diablo. I've been watching videos having never played WoW/Diablo 2/any MMoRPG and I just can't figure out what you do when you connect with friends in Diablo. I don't usually play these sorts of games, but I loved Skyrim so I'm considering it.

I will definitely do the honor:

In Diablo, it is very simple. You usually have an NPC fighting with you. In Diablo 3, it is first a Templar which later in the game you can exchange for a Scoundrel. Later in the game, you can also choose the Enchantress.
The moment, you choose to play an open game, other players can join. You will loose your Follower (Templar or so on) and that other person will fight with you. Up to four people can fight together. You get a system message that someone joined and that your foes got stronger or that someone left and the enemies get weaker. This happens without you having to worry about it (except you are in the middle of a fight and 3 people join - you might be toast at that point - but even that is survivable). In other words: It's easy as pie! Run to the front lines and fight side-by-side!
Alternatively to letting people join, you can join a game in your character menu by selecting to join a public game instead of starting a game.
Have to correct that: Actually, when the last friend or random player left, you are asked if you want your Follower back and you are back in business.

About the loot:
In Diablo 3, everybody has his or her own loot. That means, you open a chest or kill a foe and gold and items drop. You cannot see what drops for your mates and they cannot see yours - but if you drop something out of your inventory, other can see it and pick it up. Therefore, don't sort things by dropping stuff in a multiplayer game because people can snatch it. This system makes it easy for you to give things away to others if you don't want it.

Also: Your Treasure Chest inventory is the same accross all characters. So, in order to get a bow to your Daemon Hunter from your Monk, you just place it in your chest and log in with the other character.

Another Also: You can improve your Blacksmithing skills and Jewelcrafting skills. If you do so, they will be improved accross all your characters. So, you farm resources with your highest character and you will be good. My tip: Always demount jewels before selling/destroying items you don't want to use anymore. Can't have enough of them.

Another thing is (like skyrim) if you hack your equipment why does it matter if it only affects you..? Does it?

Not really. Since this game is clearly more made towards multiplayer and will include PVP at one time, people who cheat might ultimately be a threat to other people's game experience. As an example: If I play a sorcerer and I am one of the Damage Dealers, I don't want to feel useless because someone hacked (or altered) his Barbarian's equipment and slashes everything with two hits. Where would be the fun in that game? Where is my sense of accomplishment? I also don't want to be forced to run alone to avoid these kind of things... If that is rendered impossible with the online-only system, I am guarantied a better quality and fairness. Besides: Played through Normal difficulty with a Monk - easy as pie! Really! Diablo didn't get me below 50% health. I already realized that Nightmare, the next difficulty, is way harder and starts to be more fun. There again: I can't cheat my way through and I think it is way more rewarding.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...