Back in October 2011, it was already confirmed that Blizzard wanted Diablo III to hit consoles, but most were uncertain if this was a pipe dream or an actual goal. Just this morning, however, Blizzard Community Manager Bashiok just gave a little more hope for console fanboys on Twitter.

In response to a tweet asking: "Can you confirm or Deny Diablo 3 coming to consoles?" Bashiok responded, "Yup. Josh Mosquiera is lead designer for the Diablo console project." Of course, most are interpreting this to be an absolute confirmation that D3 will be hitting consoles as an equal to its PC brother, but no other details have been confirmed thus far. Just know that it's coming, and that there is someone working on it.

In hindsight, that's pretty much what we've known all along.

Happy 15th Birthday, Diablo III! In celebration of their milestone anniversary, Blizzard has launched a brand new site to commemorate the occasion, featuring in-depth interviews, an extended Diablo retrospective, and an (admittedly) sparse timeline of three games.

That being said, according to BlizzPlanet, Chris Metzen has confirmed that "We [Blizzard] are almost done with Diablo III." Of course, that transition point between being done and getting to launch is a bit of a convoluted process; one that's being made even more mucky given the approval problems Diablo III is having with the South Korean Games Ratings Board.

Regardless, why not check out the new 15th Anniversary website for some Diablo III goodies?

Some news today courtesy of a tip-off over at IncGamers. According to the Korea Times, Blizzard is running into some difficulties getting Diablo III approved for South Korea, as the South Korean Game Rating Board isn't sure what to make of Diablo III's controversial Real Money Auction House.

The most recent submission to be rejected was made on December 22nd, which omitted the "cashing out" feature of the auction house (where players could convert in-game money into real money). Currently given Blizzard's commitment to a global release of Diablo III, this could mean that gamers around the world will have to wait for South Korea's approval before we see this highly anticipated RPG.

The Diablo III Database has officially joined the ZAM Network! Combining the passionate enthusiasm of the D3DB team with the experience of the ZAM Network & Wowhead team means that D3DB will be your premiere stop for any and all Diablo III questions you might have. They've even got an amazing proprietary Diablo III character planner!

Currently we are in the process of streamlining the D3DB user experience to feel more like using other sites on the ZAM Network, like Wowhead and Torhead, but there are also some big plans to get you, the players, all the cutting edge information you need to get ahead in Diablo III.

So keep an eye on D3DB.com as we get closer to the launch of one of the most highly anticipated games of 2012!

If you were watching the VGAs over the weekend (for the reveals, not the awards, is my guess), then you've already seen Blizzard's newly revealed Diablo III opening cinematic. For those of you with taste who weren't watching the VGAs, however, this might come as news! Take a look!

For anyone watching the BlizzCon opening ceremony videos, Blizzard has just announced the neat swag that will come with the Diablo III Collector's Edition. Included with this package is a behind-the-scenes DVD and blu-ray two-disc set, an exclusive Collector's Edition soundtrack, a Diablo Skull, a soulstone USB stick, a gorgeous Diablo III art book, the physical game itself, and in-game items for all three Blizzard games (Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, and Diablo III). This looks worth picking up for the gorgeous box alone!

Breaking news straight from BlizzCon 2011! Blizzard President and co-founder Michael Morhaime just announced that Diablo 3 will be available FREE for all World of Warcraft subscribers who purchase a World of Warcraft annual pass. He's also guaranteed expansion betas for every pass holder as well. While the full details have yet to be hammered out, this is fantastic news for any World of Warcraft fan trying to decide between playing Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft.

Why not both?

Remember, all Battle.net account holders can watch the opening ceremonies for free on the Direct TV stream!

What's that? You want a Diablo III beta key? Then you should head over to Wowhead and comment on their post! All you need to do is let Wowhead know what your favorite Diablo III class is to be entered to win your very own beta key. You have until tomorrow, Oct.4 at 6 p.m. PDT, so act fast!

Click here to enter Wowhead's Diablo III beta key giveaway!

Mike B. aka Fony is in the Diablo III beta and focused on it in a recent BFF Report. Watch BFF Report Episode 82: Diablo III Beta to see the game in action and hear Fony's thoughts on his beta experience.

In the world of online gaming, no issue has divided the populace more cleanly than the concept of virtual goods and their relationship to real world values. To some, virtual goods are little bits of code, tucked away on some distant server, ready to be changed, rebalanced or even made obsolete at the whim of a bored content designer. To others, however, virtual goods can be just as tangible as any other real-world purchase, as the utility and entertainment a virtual purchase might bring in game can be equated to any real world hobby that requires some sort of monetary upkeep.

Regardless of where you or I stand on this issue, it's clear that the online gaming industry is on the move, as evidenced by the big free-to-play microtransaction shift that has swept the North American MMORPG industry, or Blizzard's recent announcement that Diablo III will feature a real money auction house for players to sell items, gold and even character accounts.

With all of these new monetization models being explored in online gaming, discussion on the topic has become more important than ever before, and this is why GDC Online (Oct. 10-13) is hosting a Virtual Items Summit to explore the ways virtual goods can help studios around the world. Recently, I sat down with GDC Advisory Board Member Gordon Walton, who is also a VP and Executive Producer at Playdom (previously the VP and co-general manager at BioWare), to talk about the monetization of social games, virtual goods, and MMORPGs.

Blizzard announced today that the launch of Diablo III has been pushed back to early 2012. The company was originally planning to release the game by the end of this year, but it appears that "'soon' was too soon" for that launch window. Here's a comment from Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime:

"With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn't put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready. The beta test is going very well, and we look forward to making the most of the extra time we're taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players. Next year is going to be an incredibly busy one for Blizzard, and we hope an incredibly fun one for Blizzard gamers."

As Morhaime mentioned, this move means that the Diablo III beta will be extended. The beta just kicked off this week, and Mike B. aka Fony focused on it in his latest BFF Report. Watch BFF Report Episode 82: Diablo III Beta to see the game in action and hear Fony's thoughts on his beta experience.