Diablo III announced for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4

The long-rumored console port of Diablo III was finally revealed when Blizzard took the stage during the PlayStation 4 reveal this evening. Perhaps the biggest surprise contained in the announcement is the fact that the game is being ported to both current hardware with the PS3, and will also be available on the PS4. No idea what sort of differences we’ll see between the two, outside of assuming there’ll be a visual step-up, but both versions are said to contain local 4-player co-op, a feature not currently present in the PC version of the game.

Personally, I still play a lot of Diablo III, so I’m looking forward to console ports. My excitement hinges on whether the port will access your existing Battle.net account, allowing me to bring over my existing characters to the console version of the game. I’d also be greatly interested in playing the game with the Vita via the remote play functionality on the PS4.

Blizzard promises that the game will be playable at PAX East, which is coming up in March from the 22nd to the 24th, so we’re bound to get some additional information soon. Feel free to check out the few screenshots below that show off what the console UI might end up looking like, which is certainly a departure from the PC version. Also contained below is the official press release from Blizzard.

The fate of Sanctuary will soon rest in the hands of PlayStation gamers around the world. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that it is developing Diablo III, the latest entry in its award-winning action?role-playing-game series, for the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. The company also today confirmed plans to adapt the game for Sony?s newly announced PlayStation 4, its next-generation computer entertainment system.

The PS3/PS4 version of Diablo III will be based on the critically acclaimed core experience of the PC version, including all of the latest upgrades, such as the Paragon leveling system, customizable Monster Power, Brawling, and epic Legendary items. In addition, Blizzard is designing an all-new user interface, including an intuitive control scheme and a new dynamic camera perspective, that will make questing and combat in the world of Sanctuary feel like second nature on PlayStation platforms. Players will be able to battle their way through the story in single-player mode and also experience the hack-and-slash joy of destroying demons and collecting loot together with their friends via seamless four-player online and local co-op modes.

Blizzard also announced today that the PS3 version of Diablo III will be shown live at PAX East, taking place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from March 22?24. Attendees there will be the first in the world to pick up a controller and experience the fast-paced action and visceral gameplay of Diablo III via the new custom-designed interface.

?Diablo III looks and plays great on the PlayStation,? said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. ?We put a lot of care and thought into the PlayStation version to make sure it would deliver an authentic Diablo gaming experience, and we?re really pleased with the results. We can?t wait for players to try it out at PAX East.?

Diablo III continues the epic Diablo storyline, with players taking on the role of one of five heroic characters?barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter?and embarking on a perilous quest to save the world of Sanctuary from the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells. As players adventure through rich and varied settings, they?ll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who?ll join them in battle or aid them along the way. Diablo III was originally released for Windows^? and Macintosh^? PC on May 15, 2012 and within 24 hours became the fastest-selling PC game of all time. As of December 31, 2012, Diablo III had sold through more than 12 million copies worldwide.^*

To learn more about Diablo III, please visit the official website at http://www.diablo3.com. Further details about Blizzard?s plans for the PlayStation versions of the game will be announced on the site as development progresses. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available?visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

*According to The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, and internal company estimates.