It’s a busy day in the Diablo world. Not only has Blizzard released their quarterly blog update focused on sound design, but a new Game Director, Joe Shely, was announced. Shely has previously worked on Diablo IV as a design lead and has been involved in nearly every aspect of its creation. A few details are below as well as a link to their quarterly blog update featuring more specifics.
Since the announcement of Diablo IV, the team has committed to a cadence of quarterly updates about the development of the game. Today they are excited to share that our Q3 blog update which focuses on the amazing audio and sound design that players will experience in game is now live! You can check it out here.
This quarter’s blog update is a unique one – it’s not every day they announce a new Game Director for Diablo IV! Please welcome Joe Shely. From the beginning, Joe has worked as a design lead and has been intimately involved in every aspect of Diablo IV’s development. As the new Game Director for Diablo IV, Joe is proud and humbled to be representing the team pouring their hearts into the creation of the next chapter for this iconic franchise. Joe is a Blizzard veteran who has been with the company since 2005 and worked on the World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises. If you want to know more about Joe, please refer to his developer bio attached.
This quarter, the team is focusing on the sound design of Diablo IV. Sound is an extremely important part of game design, particularly for a visceral action RPG like Diablo. Kris Giampa, Sound Supervisor for Diablo IV, is diving deep into the mechanics behind the combat sound effects, world ambience, skill sounds, and giving an inside look into the process of recording audio effects in a way that would make them enjoyable even if you hear them a thousand times. How do you create an otherworldly horrific monster voice? By smacking melons and squishing mayonnaise between your fingers of course!
Richard Allen is a freelance writer and contributing editor for various publications. While he enjoys modern gaming, he is a retro gamer at heart, having been raised on a steady diet of Contra, Mario, and Dragon's Lair. Chat with him via @thricetheartist on Twitter.
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