What we know:

Blizzard has been working on Diablo III in some way or another since the expansion for the second game in the series, Lord of Destruction, was launched in late 2001 and everyone is hoping that this spring, finally, we will get to play the latest action oriented role playing game in this ground breaking series.

One of the biggest changes for the gameplay is that everything is now in 3D, although the perspective remains overhead, which means more tactical depth for the fights and enemies that know how to exploit the environment in order to surprise the player.

There are also significant changes made to the way characters progress, regardless of class, with the stated aim of allowing gamers more options linked to the active and the passive skills that they want to use to defeat their enemies.

The plot is still largely unknown but will be linked to a powerful artifact, the Black Soulstone, that two evil entities, Belial and Azmodeus, are trying to obtain in order to launch another invasion of Sanctuary.

Blizzard has also promised a very different world from the previous games, with more graphical detail and more story interwoven with the battles.

Why it matters:

Diablo III has been in development for so long that players have huge expectations about it, which represents both an opportunity and a problem for the development team at Blizzard.

The game might incorporate all its mechanics well and deliver exciting combat in a well built world, making it a great success, both critically and commercially.

But the mechanics might be too complex and the bar set for Diablo III too high, making it one of the great disappointments of the year.

The game will arrive exclusively on the PC, although Blizzard seems to be also interested in making a console version later in 2012.

The full Incoming 2012 series of articles can be read on Softpedia right here.