Diablo III

Diablo III is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the third installment in the Diablo franchise and was released in the Americas, Europe, South Korea, and Taiwan on May 15, 2012, and Russia on June 7, 2012, for Microsoft Windows and OS X. A console version was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 3, 2013. A PlayStation 4 version is planned to be released in 2014. This is the first Blizzard Entertainment to be published by Square Enix in Japan.

In the game, players choose one of five character classes—Witch Doctor, Barbarian, Wizard, Monk, or Demon Hunter—and are tasked with defeating the Lord of Terror, Diablo.

Diablo III set a new record for fastest-selling PC game by selling over 3.5 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release, and was the best selling PC game of 2012, selling more than 12 million copies during the year. It received generally positive reviews from critics, although its digital rights management that requires an internet connection at all times was criticized.

As a sequel to Diablo II, new features included an online auction house, which allows players to trade virtual items with in-game gold or real life money, and artisans that can craft materials gathered by the player to create new items. The auction house functionality has proven controversial, with Blizzard expressing concern over its impact on the overall game experience. On September 17, 2013, Blizzard stated both the gold and real-money auction houses will be shut down in March 2014.

In popular culture
More students are playing Diablo III.