Diablo game concept doc

Original Diablo game concept doc

Diablo, released in 1996, was the beginning of Blizzard Entertainment’s rapid rise to fame, and this pitch document, written in 1994, summarizes the main idea and concept of the game that would make Blizzard famous.

An important part of Blizzard’s game design document is the description of what was missing regarding computer games in the mid-1990s at that time. If one were to go through the reasons why Blizzard’s game design is so successful and comprehensive, one could point to a detailed outline of the gameplay and environment.

However, it is much simpler than that. In our opinion, this one sentence seals the deal.

“Diablo fills a neglected niche in the computer game market.”

It then goes on to explain the essential elements of how the game will develop. A medieval fantasy epic with a dark atmosphere and hack-and-slash gameplay.

By presenting something that was lacking in computer games at the time, it was able to capture the interest of game makers and investors. Exploiting a specific market, even a small niche, can pay dividends in the long run.

For Blizzard, it was a clear success. With the immense popularity of “Diablo” and its subsequent best-selling sequels, a pitch document and clear, concise objectives and goals helped the developers win.

Diablo” is one of the most influential hack-and-slash, dungeon-exploring adventure games of all time, and certainly one of the most important games of the last 30 years.