Diablo 2 - 10 years today - Celebration @ Blizzard.com

Blizzard Entertainment has made a page celebrating Diablo 2's 10 year's anniversary. The page features screenshots, the theme song from the game and much more. Here's an excerpt:

Diablo II did more than just expand on the core feel and mechanics of the original game. It took a traditional dungeon crawl and opened up the game world with vast exterior zones and intricate, randomly generated dungeons. Diablo II took players from desert sands to the darkest jungles on a quest that would ultimately lead them into the depths of the Burning Hells.

According to Gamebanshee, Icewind Dale was released 10 years ago, too.

More information.

Took a look at the page… just so I could hear that wonderful, delightful, mesmerising music that instantly sucked you into Tristram, and then deeper, deeper into the darkness hidden beneath that godforsaken village.

10 years - a game created a new sub-genre, and sparked a horde of game clones.

This is still considered the *main* selling model for RPGs by those who do not know about games but about economics, I fear.

Loved Diablo…. didn't care for Diablo 2.

I probably would have liked it if I was into mutiplayer, but the single-player just didn't have the atmosphere of the first game.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Loved Diablo…. didn't care for Diablo 2.

I probably would have liked it if I was into mutiplayer, but the single-player just didn't have the atmosphere of the first game.

That is so true. The original had some genuinely scary moments. The Butcher with his"fresh meat"? Who can forget the acid spitting dogs with a boss in the caves? Or an entire room full of fireball tossing succubuses(succubi?) in hell? They would literally have you hightailing it out of there quickly. Diablo 2 had none of that.

How many of the original developers are left?

I loved them both and played them absolutely to death both single and multi. I know what you mean about the music, Krzychu - the first strum of that guitar and I get that Diablo2 feeling all over again….. ='.'=

Unfortunately the celebration ended up a bit anticlimactic for me. The blurb got me a little hot n bothered when it said theme song, screenshots, and "much more". Either I'm getting a browser error, or "much more" turns out to be one piece of anniversary artwork. I know it's sort of a relative term, but shit - dont strain yourselves there Blizzard on the one page of text and old screenshots

They were both excellent mindless games, however, I don't get celebrating 10 years of Diablo II. It SHOULD have been replaced with Diablo III some 5 years ago!
Congratulations for being slow beyond belief in development guys! (this is a tough love message!)

Originally Posted by Greymane
They were both excellent mindless games, however,

I'd like to see much more "excellent mindful games".

Sorry, couldn't resist.

First Diablo had amazing atmosphere for an isometric 2d game. That was how influential the music was to the game. Hellfire had decent music as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPqrD9U30pg

Diablo was fun okay , it had some very annoying levels like this with the kids using blowpipes .
I still prefer Sacred 1 to it .

With an 'ever-so-long' gap until release date, Diablo-3 must maintain some continuity in the media or interest might be lost a little. Regular news snippets on a slow release basis try to keep up some news momentum until D3 is released.