Diablo 3 on consoles channels Gauntlet-style co-op gaming

When it comes to the release of Diablo 3 on consoles, Blizzard is hoping to replicate the "spirit of fun that thrived in arcades."

"Arcades were a uniquely social experience. You could hang out and have fun with friends, or you could make new ones while bonding over joysticks," Blizzard lead designer Jason Bender said in a post on the PlayStation Blog. "When we decided to bring Diablo 3 to console platforms, we wanted our four-player co-op to allow for the same spirit of fun that thrived in arcades. Our game had to allow for equal parts teamwork and trash talking, sweaty-palmed intensity and lighthearted mass destruction."

Bender likened the Diablo 3 console experience to that of Gauntlet, the iconic dungeon crawler that "helped change the face of cooperative gaming" through four player, same-screen gameplay.

"That’s the same kind of fun we’re going for with the console version of Diablo 3," he explained. "Four friends on the same couch, working together to slaughter endless hordes of demons, collecting loot, and having a great time — it doesn’t get any better."

Diablo 3 is currently set to release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 3rd. It's also been confirmed for the PS4, although no release date has been announced as we still don't know when the PlayStation 4 will launch.

[PS Blog]