Posts with tag diablo3.com

A few weeks ago, we posted about a countdown on the site that was going towards May 1st, and if you check your calendars, you can see that the day has come, and Diablo3.com is now redirecting to Diablofans.com. There is a post on the site saying that Blizzard contacted the site a few months ago to pick up the domain name, and while the owner (who also runs I-Mockery) wanted it to stay a fan site, he couldn't help but sell to Blizzard. We had speculated that it would mean an official takeover, and while it hasn't actually happened yet (right now the redirect is in place, and we're not sure how long that'll be the case), it looks like we were right.

The obvious conclusion here, of course, is that Blizzard is ramping up for a Diablo 3 announcement -- no doubt sweet, sweet candy to the ears of Blizzard fans everywhere. And that's not a huge assumption -- it's been rumored for a while, and what other reason would Blizzard have to start marking their territory? Of course, as the owners of the Diablo trademarks, Blizzard could probably have claimed the domain any time, though from the post on the new site, it sounds like they actually paid money for it -- how much, we're not sure. (they didn't -- see update)

At any rate, if you're going to be optimistic about there being a Diablo 3, the new date to mark on your calendars is Saturday, June 28th -- that's the date that the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational starts in Paris. Last year, they used the event to announce Starcraft 2, so who knows -- maybe this year we'll see Deckard Cain in a cinematic saying, "It's about time."

Update: Actually, the I-Mockery guys said they gave it to Blizzard for free, just because they were Blizzard fans, which is kind of cool. Also, the redirect will apparently last until June 1st, at which point, Blizzard will take over Diablo3.com. Our guess is that then it'll redirect to Blizzard.com (see diablo.com), at least until an announcement is made.

Our friends at Blizzplanet sent along a mysterious little tip. Diablo3.com is not actually a Blizzard site (at least currently) -- it appears to be somehow affiliated with Blizzplanet's network (there are also links to WoW Radio, so we're checking with them to see what's up as well). But on both Diablo3.com and Blizzplanet, there is now a countdown leading up to thirteen days from now, which lands us squarely on May 1st. On Blizzplanet, there is a note that says "The Church of the Triune will be shaken in..." On Diablo3.com, the message is much more practical: "The number of days until half the web links to Diablo3.com. But why???"

So what's happening on May 1st? Best case scenario, of course, is the official announcement of a third title in the Diablo series. I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, however -- while it has been rumored for a long time, it seems unlikely that Blizzard would break the news on an unofficial site. But then again, maybe it won't be an unofficial site by then -- if diablo3.com was sold to or otherwise obtained by Blizzard (they obviously own the trademark), and is switching over on May 1st, that would definitely be enough reason for "half the web" to link to it, even without an official announcement of the game.

Either way, we'll keep an eye on it. Keep in mind, also, that Blizzard is having the WWI at the end of June (and both Diablo II and its expansion were released on June 29, of 2000 and 2001 respectively. We're not sure what this countdown means yet, but this summer definitely seems like the right time for an official Diablo 3 announcement.

Update: Whois info on Diablo3.com shows that it's currently owned by Roger Barr, who runs I-Mockery, another link on the sidebar. So this could all just be a hoax or publicity stunt. We'll find out on May 1st, I guess.