How Diablo found inspiration in hockey, Star Wars, and X-Com

This year, the original Diablo turns 20 years old, and its creator talked about the gothic game’s creation during a talk at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco today.

David Brevik, now at Graybeard Games, was the lead programmer on Diablo, which helped propel action-RPGs into gaming’s mainstream. He also created the original concept. Diablo came out in 1996 and sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide and started a series that includes direct sequels Diablo II and Diablo III. Combined, the series has sold over 24.8 million copies worldwide. It’s become one of the pillars of Blizzard Entertainment’s market strategy.

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Mike Minotti

Mike Minotti has been with GamesBeat since 2012, starting as an intern. Based near Youngstown, Ohio, he now manages GamesBeat's editorial team. He's also a prolific podcaster, appearing on multiple shows covering the gaming industry.