Videos of the semi-secret, ongoing Diablo III beta have begun to appear on the ‘net, and Blizzard is totally okay with that.
If you’re one of the millions of gamers eagerly anticipating the next entry in Blizzard’s beloved Diablo series, you’ve likely already seen footage of the game in action. Perhaps you watched the inexplicably menu-focused video we posted a few days ago, or maybe you’re ignoring these words in favor of the 14 and a half minutes of gameplay I’ve embedded at right.
As much as it pains me to detract from the joy you’re taking in watching an unreleased game on the sly, it should be pointed out that Blizzard is entirely in favor of these grassroots promotional clips. In fact, the developer is tacitly encouraging its beta testers to spread the word.
From the official Diablo III forum:
You might start seeing some new reports about the beta client as we’ve begun limited external testing with employees and their families, and there is no non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for that. We look forward to sharing more info about the beta test in the near future. Stay tuned.
If you have a beta license, you are free to show, share, or talk about any portion of the beta content to which you have access, as this beta test is not confidential.
While this is obviously good news for those wishing to see the game in action, some of you may suddenly be struck by an overwhelming sense of jealousy. “Mike Morhaime’s mom gets to play Diablo III and I don’t?” you stammer angrily.
Of course she does. That was a silly question. Luckily, the company promises that those of you without any familial, romantic or platonic ties to any Blizzard employees may also be getting in on the sweet pre-release gameplay soon enough.
“… we’re getting very close to starting the closed public beta test for Diablo III,” the forum post states.
You’ll notice that, in classic Blizzard fashion, there is no solid date for this public beta, but rest assured that as soon as we have more solid details we’ll be bringing them to you.
Unless we’re too busy killing demons. Then you’re on your own.
Source: Battle.net
Published: Sep 7, 2011 06:57 pm