The first game was well received, picking up countless positive reviews from critics and ending up with a user Metacritic score of 8.2 which obviously isn’t bad. A potential sequel has now come out of nowhere though, as the PaulGaleNetwork is reporting that this game is indeed a reality, and aside from PS3, Xbox 360 and PS Vita releases, the game will also come to the Nintendo Wii U as well.

MercurySteam is once again on development duties and additional details by Paul Gale reveal that the Wii U version may even be ‘superior’ to PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Just to refresh your memory, Paul Gale is no ordinary rumor leaker – he was the first person to release details on the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. At the time he referenced the game under a codename of ‘Title Fight’ and released the first image of SweetTooth from Twisted Metal.

Obviously all of those details turned out to be true, so it looks like yet another E3 secret has been blown wide open. A console sequel to Lords of Shadow is great news, but we’re more impressed to see that a PS Vita version is in the works. How much will they be able to squeeze into the portable version from console? We have seen with Uncharted: Golden Abyss that the PS Vita can deliver console quality games in 3D, so it’s very exciting.

The first Castlevania game on the PS Vita is a mouth-watering prospect and if you have been playing the franchise since the days of the NES, you’ll know that this could turn out to be a massive game for Sony and Konami. If you played and loved the first game, let us know your thoughts on the upcoming sequel. Expect details at E3 next month.

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If you have gotten past the various error codes that are threatening the game’s launch right now, there’s a good chance that you are fully immersed in the new game and loving every minute of it. On the status of whether console players will be able to enjoy Diablo 3 in the future though, an element of new doubt has been cast, with Blizzard playing down continued speculation that a console version is coming.

Aside from limited resources, Wilson has also told GamaSutra that they are not even ‘experimenting’ on the game yet, hinting that they are in the process of hiring the correct team to actually start experimenting on the game. This seemingly shoots down the possibility of the game being unveiled on console at E3 next month and it’s obviously a big blow for those on Xbox 360 or PS3 who had hoped to be playing the game as soon as possible.

A lot of people are saying how it wouldn’t be possible anyway due to the difficulties in bringing the control scheme over to console. Having said that, it surely isn’t impossible for a development team at Blizzard to find ways around this, so perhaps they are just trying to downplay the rumors as much as they can. We still think Diablo 3 is coming to console – we’ll just have to wait a good while to see it.

Are you still hoping that the game comes to console, or do you think Diablo belongs and should remain a PC-franchise only?

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If you have been trying to play the game within the last few hours, there’s a good chance that you have run into a fair amount of error codes. error code 37 seems to be the one that is occurring the most frequently for players, whilst we’ve also heard that there’s a series of other error codes that is ruining your first experience of the game as well.

The good news is that Blizzard is already aware of the server problems. Aside from posting regular support updates on two official Twitter accounts, we’ve also spotted a useful thread over at the Diablo 3 forums, which explains the error codes that you’ve been getting in more detail.

For example, if you are continuing to see error code 37, it means that the server is simply full and you just need to keep trying to see if you get in later. Amusingly, we’re pleased to see that many of you are seeing the humorous side to the error 37 code. We’ve seen comments on Twitter such as ‘the hardest boss is currently error 37′ and ‘there used to be a Diablo 3 server, then it took an error 37 to the knee’ – a brilliant reference to Skyrim if you’re not aware.

If you’re having problems with error codes at the moment, head to the official forum here for some useful information. Are you seeing error 37 the most, or have you run into different error codes? Launch problems for huge game releases almost seem to come hand in hand these days – Diablo 3 is definitely the latest victim.

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After a prolonged wait, we’re pleased to hear that Blizzard has now slapped a May 15 date this year for the game on PC. What’s better is that there is no region restrictions either – all markets will release the game on the very same date so gamers can get their Diablo 3 fix on a global scale.

If you have already decided that the game is a must buy for you, you can pre-order the game now through Blizzard’s pre-purchase program on Battle.net. However to take advantage of this, you’ll need to be in possession of a Battle.net account, so now maybe be the perfect time to register.

The game has finally been given a solid launch date, which is obviously a great thing, but we’re still a little disappointed to see that Blizzard remain silent on a console version of the game. It seems inevitable that an Xbox 360 and PS3 version is coming after Blizzard’s own community manager spilled the details, but perhaps the game is simply not ready yet and they prefer to give this a separate announcement. If that is the case, we wouldn’t be surprised if Blizzard appeared at this year’s E3 2012 to announce a console version for the end of 2012.

Another pressing question is when can we expect PVP combat to feature in the game now that we know it won’t be available for the May 15 launch. Interestingly, Blizzard has added on their website that pre-purchasing the game now will result in an encrypted version of the game which will become available to download, but obviously locked until the May 15 date. Let us know if you plan to get the game straight away, or if you prefer to see if there is a console version instead.

Would Diablo 3 be better on PC or console for you?

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Before you start tearing your hair out, rest assured that PVP (player vs player) combat is coming to Diablo III in the near future, just not at launch. Lead designer for the game Jay Wilson has stated on the official boards that PVP games and systems are ‘not living up to our expectations’ at the moment and for that reason, this feature will now be implemented into the game via a patch after the game is out.

Although it is disappointing that a feature originally designed for the game at launch will not be coming out, you can understand Blizzard’s reasoning for this as they don’t want PVP to be the sole reason for another delay to the game. Fans had already been expecting Diablo III to release during the first quarter of this year, but it has now been confirmed that the game will release in Q2 of 2012 instead.

On the plus side of things, Wilson has told fans that they can expect to see a ‘truly epic’ campaign mode and co-op experience at launch when the game finally releases, with both features nearing completion according to Blizzard.

What are your thoughts on the exclusion of PVP at launch? Is this a big issue for you, or are you not bothered about getting PVP in a future patch as long as the game doesn’t receive any more fresh delays?

Check out some footage from the beta below if you haven’t seen it.

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Earlier this year retailer Best Buy jumped the gun and started to install Diablo 3 displays in some stores with a release date, which obviously turned out to be false. Now as Game Zone are reporting this time round online retailer Amazon has listed the game to be coming on April 17th.

So far developer Blizzard has not revealed a release date for the game, and of course the listing by Amazon could easily be a mistake. Online retailers of many products such as cell phones and games list dates for popular titles or models of smartphones, which often come before an official date has been revealed. These can often be a placeholder but sometimes can be accurate even if it’s just within a day or two.

At the time of writing the release listing has been changed to 2012, so maybe Amazon were a bit premature and were asked to change the listing for now until official confirmation is given by the developers themselves. The date does fall in with Blizzard’s release timeframe of a quarter 2 release date though, which runs from April until June.

There were recent job losses at Blizzard that raised concerns that the game could see yet another delay with its release, but these fears were played down by the developer. Meanwhile the games beta continues to receive improvements following the recent release of Beta Patch 13. This enhanced the titles character skill and rune systems.

One thing is certain Blizzard are making sure the game is the best it can be before it is released, even though in some gamers eyes it could also be improved after it is released as many other big titles are. Will you be getting Diablo III once it is released?

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Although Blizzard are obviously remaining quiet on this as they wouldn’t want to ruin a possible E3 2012 reveal, new details have emerged over the weekend, once again touting the possibility of the Diablo franchise coming to home consoles as well for the first time.

Last month we had the big news about Blizzard’s community manager Bashiok and his revelation on Twitter that the game would be coming to console, and now we have some other big clues to tell you about. Blizzard has made no secret of their intention to hire new staff in order to work specifically on the Diablo team, with a key requirement being Xbox 360 and PS3 experience, as noted by Ripten.

A recent listing over at Gamasutra relates to a console software engineer requirement by Blizzard, someone who is also a graphics specialist. Other requirements include past experience on ”Xbox 360 and PS3 rendering architecture and APIs”, as well as background knowledge in ”code and data optimization to improve both memory consumption and performance” – why does that instantly remind us of Skyrim?

Blizzard may be staying silent for as long as possible, but that looks like a clear signal to us that Diablo III is coming to console. But if it does happen – when will the console version arrive? The game is due out on PC in the next few months, but we predict that it’s unlikely that a console build will be ready by the same time. One more reasonable scenario is that the game gets announced at E3 2012 and will end up being a Christmas release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and will come just in time as the PC is receiving additional post-release content.

After seeing the Diablo franchise appear on PC for so long, is it now time for Blizzard to cash in and bring the game to consoles as well? PC owners won’t care too much as long as it doesn’t affect the release of their version. To those who have played the Diablo III beta, tell us if you would prefer to pick this up on console instead out of convenience of playing with a controller, or if it’s strictly PC only for you.

Imagine if Diablo III becomes a huge success on console and we end up seeing the next World of Warcraft game on Sony and Microsoft consoles as well – quite a prospect to look forward to.

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One thing that has to be pointed out is the fact that the beta does not last as long as we had hoped, but it still provides enough to still show how well Diablo III has developed. The first and often most important aspect is the graphics. Not trying to worry you or anything, but NowGamer feels a little disappointed with what they have seen so far, which is not a good start to keep the hard core fans happy. However, it needs pointing out that this is still a beta version, and the developer still has a lot of work to do.

Fans had hoped to see more, but things like character models were very basic to say the least. The full release version should be very different, as we expect to see greater color and details than seen in Diablo II.

If there were anything more or as important as graphics, then it would have to be combat. It is this feature that draws the player in, so how does it fare in Diablo III? Blizzard has stuck with the simple concept of just clicking away, and this is certain to keep players happy. However, there is more to the game than just clicking away to turn an enemy into a skeleton, you also loot, various objects and much more.

The final verdict is that Diablo III is not going to blow you away with amazing new features, but what the developer has managed to do with this new version, is keep fans of the franchise happy.

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We have to take our hats off to Blizzard on this one, as usually when a private beta is underway, all participants are banned from taking screenshots and gameplay videos of the footage until the official public beta is reached for a game – not with Diablo III though.

Blizzard has taken a no NDA approach with the game, which means that those taking part in the beta are free to share information, footage and images from the game for others to enjoy. Because of this fantastic rule, we’re pleased to point you in the direction of a live stream we have found for the game, which is actually live as we speak and not a replay of any sort.

As we mentioned above, the beta ongoing now is for friends and family only, but we have some great news for those looking to take part in the closed beta. It will be taking place sometime this month and here is an official word from Battle.net’s Community Manager Bashiok which will interest you further:

”FYI, we’re getting very close to starting the closed public beta test for Diablo III. 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.”

Great news or what? We know a lot of you are really excited about the Diablo III beta, so it’s fantastic that it will happen sometime in September. For now though, check out the live stream from the beta below and let us know what you think about the game, in relation to graphics, gameplay and the new abilities.

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If indeed this is the name of the new expansion from Blizzard, we could expect to see the official announcement at this years BlizzCon which kicks off on Friday, October 21, 2011.

MMO-Champion, who usually datamines information such as this, released the news in the late hours of August 2, and show that the trademark was filled on July 28, 2011.

But why do they think that this expansion ties to the worlds biggest online MMO, World of Warcraft? MMO-Champion state that the international codes of 009 and 041 only seem to appear on Blizzard’s online games trademarks meaning that it is not tied to a book or something similar.

Not much can be gained from the title, but some are pointing it at a new Panda race that has yet to be introduced in Azeroth. If this is the case then could the Panda race be specificially tied to the Alliance or Horde factions? Some even say that the Panda race could be a neutral faction that could be played by both, or none.

This opens lots of doors for Blizzard to play around with. We could even see the Naga finally make it as a playable race, something that WoW fans have wanted to see since the rise of the game way back when.

Although this is not confirmed as the next World of Warcraft expansion, this is not the first time Blizzard has filed a trademark like this, much like Cataclysm was trademarked in 2009.

If the Mists of Pandaria is indeed the next expansion is the next in line for Blizzard, what content would you like to see? An expansion of Azeroth like Cataclysm or a space-filled adventure like Burning Crusade? A new class such as the monk? Thinking about it, this could also be Blizzard’s yet unannounced MMO? What do you think?

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