David Brevik invented Diablo. However, some time ago he left Blizzard, the studio behind Diablo. In an interview, Brevik explains how he feels about the latest entry Diablo Immortal and the upcoming Diablo 4.
Who is the “father of Diablo”?
- David Brevik worked on Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 in the 90s and 2000s. He was head of Blizzard North until it was fully merged with the parent company.
- Together with Erich and Max Schaefer Brevik basically invented loot in video games as we know it today.
- In 2003, Brevik left Blizzard completely and later said, Blizzard is dead to me. Now the icon speaks out about the current state and the future of the games he created.
This is what Brevik says: In an interview with PCGamesN, Brevik talks about the development of Diablo since he left Blizzard. After he left, Diablo 3 and Diablo Immortal were released, and Diablo 4 is currently in development. When asked about the controversy surrounding Diablo Immortal, Brevik says:
“Well, that’s not the direction I would have taken. But I have no choice. I left Blizzard and it’s their IP; they can take any path they want.”
Although Brevik does not explain which path he would have taken, he states that comparing it to his works is always difficult:
It’s always tricky when people compare Diablo today with Diablo 2. First, they tend to see Diablo 2 through rose-tinted glasses. This makes it hard to compare a new product to something that people remember so fondly.
Secondly, games have changed significantly in the last 20 years and a few squashes. Competition, the number of products, maturity of the industry, education of gaming theory, all sorts of factors make it harder to create something groundbreaking.
Especially the route of Diablo Immortal with microtransactions is one that Brevik would not have chosen. However, from his point of view, it has not led to a decline in hype around Diablo 4.
See gameplay for 3 of the 5 classes from Diablo 4 that you can play at release:
“I think they have done a great job”
According to Brevik, Blizzard games still have a “fanatical and dedicated” fanbase. The father of Diablo even praises Blizzard for what the studio has made out of his legacy:
“I think [Blizzard] has done a great job with Diablo, and I look forward to the new products in the IP […] People love [Diablo] and the stories. Diablo 3 has changed a lot since launch and has a huge following. Millions of people have played and loved Diablo 3. And they even seem to like Diablo Immortal. Although there are inconsistencies with the business model, the game seems to be doing well.”
However, Brevik does not reveal in the interview what exactly he would have done differently.
What is Brevik doing now? Brevik has taken on a new role as a consultant at XD Inc., the makers of Torchlight: Infinite. Torchlight is a competing product to Diablo in the more quirky steampunk setting, and Infinite is the direct mobile competitor to Diablo Immortal.
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