Warcry interviewed FATE creator and former Flagship Studios Mythos Project Director Travis Baldree to discuss the whereabouts of the new gaming studio after the sundering of Flagship Studios. Travis Baldree partnered with Max Schaefer (Condor / Blizzard North and Flagship Studios co-founder) to create a new Studios: Runic Games.
This may not have much to do about Diablo 3, thus far, except Warcry tossed a catchy question at Travis Baldree, asking his opinion on the Art Direction of Diablo 3. This was his response.
Warcry: Just for fun, what do you think about the discussion swirling around the “tone and color” of Diablo 3?
Travis: Personally, I think what they’ve done with Diablo 3 is fantastic. It seems pretty obvious that the mandate was to make the game look like a concept painting brought to life, and I think they’ve succeeded pretty wildly. The contrast and use of color really works well for an Action-RPG, where there are hordes of monsters and spells, and separation of individual entities is required for satisfying play. I can’t wait to play it!
Blizzard is really second-to-none, and I have nothing but admiration for their work. I know a lot of people are lamenting what they see as a move away from the grim vibe of Diablo, but I think a lot of that gothic feel is really sold by a combination of sound, content and story, and the visceral nature of the game – and Blizzard certainly isn’t skimping on the visceral if the videos are any indication. I also feel strongly that there’s some pretty grim content they haven’t bothered to show everyone just yet.
