Blizzard recently released a video that detailed the controls and user interface on the PlayStation 4 for Diablo 3. The game is already available for pre-order for PlayStation 3.
Diablo 3 Production Director John Hight and lead console designer Josh Mosqueira are in the video and discuss the controls feature and how the game (on the console) will react to it.
According to Hight: “For us, the thing that’s exciting about the new console is actually the controller. That’s where it all begins, that’s where you develop that relationship with your character on the screen.”
“One of the things that we’re excited about with the controller is the touch pad. Diablo is a pretty deep game, and we don’t like a lot of overload on the buttons. We wanted to keep it really simple so that you can get to the things that you need to get to fast as you need to do it because the monsters are pouring at you no matter what. We think the touch pad’s going to give us a lot more opportunity to make that interface a lot easier,” he adds.
Mosqueira, on the other hand, had more to say about the game’s touch pad controls and the support for it. He states: “We now have a different way that the player can interact with the game. For a game like Diablo 3 that has a lot of cool inventory things you’re doing, just the possibility of the track pad is really exciting and we really can’t wait to dive into it and make it as awesome as we can.”
The PS4 controller touchpad is easily one of DualShock 4's most noted inclusions from the past versions of the controller. However, it still remains to be seen how the touchpad works out for Diablo 3, and other games that will also make use of it.
On a similar note, Blizzard has also confirmed that it has already designed the UI and the inventory screens to use the touchpad. This has been done so that the company can meet the requirements of an easy controller usage.
Diablo 3 was announced for the PS3 and PS4 during Sony's big media event in February and was playable at PAX East (read our hands on impressions of the PS3 version) in March. Check out the developer diary video below.
