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Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Morhaime formally announced Diablo III during the WWI’s opening ceremony this morning, not that this will come as a surprise to anyone with the Diablo III forums already active on the official Blizzard site and rumours running rampant for nearly a fortnight.
After recapping on the success of the previous Invitational held in Korea, Morhaime premiered a trailer and then demoed a level playing as a Barbarian and a Witch Doctor, showcasing some of the improvements over the original game as well as giving attendees a hint at what they can expect from the final product. This includes a new UI in place of the potion belt and the ability to play the game just by using a mouse. Similarly the health system has been augmented by God of War and Devil May Cry style red globes which replenish not just the health of the character but also those near by.
Morhaime FTW! The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences adds another name to its list of game industry luminaries today as it announces the induction of Blizzard co-founder, president, and CEO Mike Morhaime into its Hall of Fame. Morhaime is being honoured for his contributions to the MMO space with World of Warcraft, as well as the success of the Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft franchises. Where’s the Lost Vikings love, AIAS? “This is a great honor, and I’m proud to receive it,” said Morhaime. “The success that Blizzard Entertainment has had over the years would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of players around the world, and the passion and dedication of our employees, so I thank all of them for contributing to this achievement.”
Morhaime is in excellent company, as previous inductees include Will Wright, John Carmack, Sega’s Yu Suzuki, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Danielle Bunten Berry. BioWare CEO Dr. Ray Muzka will present the honour at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards on February 7th.
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences recently added a clutch of new speakers to their 2008 Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain Summit in February including newly appointed Entertainment Software Association president Michael D. Gallagher and Masaya Matsuura, the man behind PaRappa the Rapper.
Other additions include Blizzard president Mike Morhaime, LucasArts president Jim Ward and Dr. Mark Ollila, director of tech and strategy for games and multimedia at Nokia.
The annual event will also include three-days of seminars and the Interactive Achievement Awards, which will once more be hosted by Jay Mohr.
