14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard has fired a big salvo of information about Diablo III towards those eagerly awaiting the game and some of it is squarely aimed at those who are interested in taking part in the beta stage for the hack and slash title.
The developers are saying that only the very early stages of the game will be included, with the biggest moment being a battle with the Skeleton King, one of the mini bosses in Diablo III that fans of the franchise might know from previous installments.
All the five character classes will be playable in the beta stage and those taking part will be able to use the time to get a feel of how their skills and their weapons work and see which of the Barbarian, the Demon Hunter, the Monk, the Wizard or the Witch Doctor is best suited for their play style.
The people working on Diablo III at Blizzard will also use the beta to test the always-on elements of the game and to see how the balance between characters and their enemies is holding up.
As part of a bigger presentation, the developers have also revealed information about a new system of Banners that will allow each player to broadcast their achievements to friends but also to reveal how they like to play the game, suggesting ways to replay the experience for others.
Diablo III is also set to include a new matchmaking system for the player versus players battle mode and a new system to match up characters for the public cooperative part of the experience.
The big news coming out of Blizzard is that Diablo III will need to be always connected to the Internet to be played and that the game will allow players to use real-world money in order to get items from other gamers and build a better character.
Diablo III does not yet have a confirmed launch date.