Would these be the same geniuses that still think that Diablo is an RPG of any sort? Diablo's only contribution to the genre was pretty graphics and a point and click interface. As I've said before it was going to happen eventually. These sorts of games had a long history before Blizzard created Diablo.

Not really, Diablo was never an MMORPG, well D3 looks to be, it did have multiplayer, but it's not any more of an MMORPG than the MUDs and MOOs of the '70s were. It's just a tidy graphical interface at the time when computers were going mainstream.

As for WoW, I think you're forgetting about games like Everquest and Ultima Online, both of which predate WoW by years.

I'm not talking about WoW, that was truly just polished and not innovatice. But the impact of Diablo 1 and Starcraft on online gaming can't be underestimated. Diablo 1 was certainly more than just a "graphics update to rogue". It was the first "rpg" (a very liberal interpretation of that genre) that got multiplayer mass appeal. Maybe UO was there before, but that never got the traction that Diablo 1 had. It was the combination of a simple yet effective system, good atmosphere and simply fun. I was the first game I actually played on the interent.

The whole resulting Battle.net speaks volumes about what Diablo/Warcraft II/Starcraft brought to online gaming. Those games brought, for the first time, the "average gamer" towards online gaming (for better and worse). In the same way that Quake did for shooters.

Back then Blizzard was a whole different company. WoW changed a lot.

What else is new?

What?! Blizzard is a corporation? Mind blown.

Not saying it to be an edgy GOG hipster -- just stating reality.

where the line gets blurred is actually kinda past Diablo's release; no one called Diablo a RPG or MMO when it came out, where people get mixed up is that in the late 90's Koreans were bat shit over two things: Ultima Online & Blizzard games.

so when they started making their own MMOs in the early 2000's their cultural draws were to make hybrids of the two (either Diablo clones with Ultima Online levels of stat complexities, or UO clones with Diablo like action elements). now a days with Korean products dominating the MMO market people have gotten so accustomed to DIablo-esk game structures being MMOs that the Diablo games have more or less been retconed into the precursor of the modern MMO.

P.S. how did Blizzard invent the tower defense genre?

and so many chance to bump Blizzard fanboy.

Blizzard is most talented with grab mass consumer by using PC game,and well operate multiplayer environment for many years.
Thye are innovative in business,game is part of it,thus don't release,or can't create overly sharp-edged product.

Unreal is primary demonstration tool of their game engine for Epic,thus their leading product is middleware.
Half-Life is primary tool of making big business for Valve,thus Valve innovate Steam.

I can't understand Blizzard dismiss Blizzcon 2012,their reason of existing is provide good standard quality service for mass,festival is part of it.

Have you ever watched any online videos of the event? Those attendees are into it, to a scary degree, in fact:)

Didn't they do a Call of Duty-con or something? I mean, that's a con centered around a single game franchise, pretty crazy honestly (though Blizzcon has always been 90% WOW, I guess, so not that crazy).
I know it's hard to prove this to people at this point, but wait until you get a hold of Path of Exile... Between that and co-op TL2 you'll have gritty, you'll have cartoony, you'll have co-op goodness out the ying-yang and basically have spent 20 bucks.
Go to PAX, talk to the people who used to work at Blizzard that now are working on something they like. It's actually really interesting to hear their stories.

You mean Operation Iraqi Freedom?

;-P

I remember a few years back telling somebody online that Apple didn't actually invent the MP3 player and that the UI was completely ripped off from Creative. The response was similar to if I had told a 5 year old that there is no Santa Claus.

But, really, I can't imagine how D3 is going to be any good. The only reason I can think of for even calling it that is so that they don't have to come up with new lore or break in a new franchise. The last time I remember them doing that was SC, IIRC.

They don't have anything interesting to show, so they cancell. Simple.

Heart of the Swarm must be almost ready - its only an expansion pack not a whole new game (though Blizzard seem to stretch its production time out a lot - I'm all for a quality product, but I get the feeling they spend way too much time with it - maybe I don't know...). That said you can't really have a whole con about your mid-game story expansion.

Diablo III must be nearing some form of completion, though if its not I can understand them being silent

WoW - eh nothing new for them - for once ;) :)

They're apparently working hard on the "pandas and monks" expansion, though. Heh.