Blizzard gives sneak peak of Diablo III

Dungeons ... a screenshot from Diablo III, unveiled at game developer
Blizzard's Worldwide International event in Paris / IGN

(news.com.au) -- THE third instalment of the popular Diablo game series has been announced by video game development studio Blizzard Entertainment.

11,000 passionate fans watched the first demonstration of Diablo III at Blizzard's two day Worldwide Invitational event in Paris.

The studio, part of Vivendi Games, is well known for its game World of Warcraft, which now has over 10 million subscribers to its online world. Blizzard is also behind Starcraft – one of the most popular videogames for competitive play, even ten years after its original release.

Diablo III comes almost eight years after Diablo II was released in 2000. The new role-playing game (RPG) will see players cut a swathe of bloody destruction across a dark fantasy world teeming with evil.

Whether playing alone or with friends, the game promises plenty of replay value thanks to a heavy emphasis on randomly generated content, and a choice of five distinct character archetypes.

It also benefits from a heavily stylised visual design, giving its world a rich, painted aesthetic - the perfect backdrop to visceral, intense action.

The Worldwide Invitational, however, was about much more than just Diablo III.

The event was a chance for fans to get exclusive inside access to upcoming Blizzard games and to hear from members of the studio.

The hugely anticipated titles Starcraft II and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King were both available to play for members of the public, with around 500 PCs set up in the venue.

A number of panels discussed aspects of Blizzard's upcoming games in detail, giving members of the public an inside look at the process of making games, as well as a chance to ask questions.

The event also hosted several fiercely contested competitive tournaments. Teams from around the world flew in to compete for $100,000 in prizes across Starcraft, World of Warcraft and Warcraft III.

The tournaments were slick, professional and incredibly popular. They bore more than a passing resemblance to more traditional sporting contest - players competed in front of thousands of passionate fans while commentators followed the action and every detail was shown on massive screens.

In parts of Asia – South Korea in particular – "e-sports" are firmly entrenched as popular entertainment, while they are steadily gaining popularity in the West.

Starcraft is often dubbed the "national sport of South Korea", with tournaments regularly broadcast on television and the best pro players treated as legitimate sports stars.

Blizzard is one of many companies betting that competitive gaming will gain a similar status worldwide. It will probably continue to be a slow process, as the action can be nigh on incomprehensible for those not familiar with the games, but as the number of players continue to rise, the level of interest in watching the best of the best will too.

Regardless, events like the Worldwide Invitational play an important role in promoting the broader acceptance of video games as a powerful form of entertainment.

The sheer scale, excitement and passion of the fans was infectious, and sent a clear message: that video games are here to stay.