Many fans of Diablo 3 were angered when Blizzard Community Manager Bashiok tweeted that the upcoming game wouldn't have public chat channels. As trivial as that may seem, many Diablo fans were upset, creating a series of threads and discussions for why they should be included in the game.
As it turns out, Bashiok was wrong. Public chat channels will be in Diablo 3. Not only that, but they will be included in an "upcoming beta patch".
Bashiok took the Diablo 3 forums, apologizing for his original misinformation and setting the record straight.
You know how sometimes you say something that's stupid and wrong and then people very reasonably get upset and create a lot of threads and discussions and demands with some pretty reasonable reasons for the thing you said wouldn't happen but then it turns out that you're stupid and wrong and the things you said are completely the opposite of what's actually true?
Yeah. So that happened. Public chat channels will be in Diablo III, barring any catastrophe that requires we remove them, because they're already implemented. In fact they'll be in an upcoming beta patch so you'll get to see and play around with them yourselves.
Bashiok was at a loss for words, unable to offer any explanation for his previous incorrect statements, except that "I believed them to be correct when I made them. I apologize, and I'll strive to not be stupid and wrong in the future."
Aside from Bashiok being a little too hard on himself, this is some pretty welcomed news. Granted we have programs like Teamspeak, not everyone likes to rely on voice-chat programs to talk to others. Anyone who has played Diablo II knows the joys of a public chat channel.
Although we don't exactly know when the public chat channels will arrive, we do know they will come via a beta patch, giving players plenty of time to test them.
