Diablo III Art Director Leaves Blizzard
August 8, 2008 00:35
Blizzard is officially looking for a new art director for its upcoming title Diablo III.
The story broke Thursday that Blizzard "is currently looking for a talented, motivated, and experienced art director to lead the Diablo III art team." At first, it wasn't clear what had happened to Brian Morrisroe, who was the former art director on the project. However, Blizzard has now confirmed that Morrisroe has indeed left Blizzard and the position is open. Blizzard sent out the following statement to several media outlets:
"Regarding Brian, he recently resigned to form a startup company "outside the game industry, which is why we posted about the open position. That change won't impact the game...we're really pleased with the look and feel that Brian helped create for Diablo III, and the new person we bring aboard will work with other artists on the team to maintain the art style moving forward."
Ever since Blizzard revealed Diablo III at its Worldwide Invitational in Paris, the title has been under scrutiny by fans because many feel as though the lighting and color choices make Diablo III look cartoony and comparable to Blizzard's cash cow World of Warcraft. The fan-supported online petition, titled the "Renewed Artistic Direction for Diablo III," is now carrying over 54,000 signatures. When Blizzard criticized suggestions made by some franchise fans as unrealistic and flat out wrong, it seemed like the company was standing by the man many feel is responsible for the controversial choices.
Yet the departure of Morrisroe combined with the fan uproar can only lead to speculation about the future of the game. It's doubtful any significant changes will appear as the game draws closer to completion. But the loss of an important team member certainly puts a cloud over Diablo III.
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