Ever since Diablo III arrived last May, there have been a deluge of complaints about it. Patches have been issued to fix some of the problems and patch 1.0.7 is on the way, but a new wrench has been thrown into the mix. Jay Wilson, Diablo III's game director, has announced he is leaving Diablo behind for a new role with Blizzard. No successor was named for his old role, but Wilson did have a few things to say concerning Diablo III and the community interaction.
I'm proud of Diablo III, and despite our differences at times I will miss the community that has formed around it. I feel I have made many mistakes in managing that relationship, but my intent was always to provide a great gaming experience, and be as open and receptive as possible, while still sticking true to the vision the Diablo team has for the game.
I know some of you feel we fell short of our promise to release the game "when it's ready." While we're not perfect, we try to make the best decisions we can with the information and knowledge we have at the time. That doesn't mean we always make the right decisions, but if we made a mistake then I feel we've made an exceptional effort to correct it.
Wilson assures everyone that his leaving won't have an impact on D3 and its plans, like the aforementioned patch and the upcoming expansion. Maybe his successor could introduce some new design elements or direction further down the road, but currently that is all wishful thinking. Still, Wilson does mention the successor needing to bring "fresh ideas," so perhaps a new direction is part of that.
Despite everything that happened with Diablo III, plenty of people got dozens (or more) of hours of fun out of it. Wilson may not have aced the test in the eyes of some, but it's always sounded like he did the best he could. As for what the future brings for him at Blizzard, no specifics were mentioned but it's hard to imagine Titan not being in the picture.
Jay Wilson's full letter can be read at the source below.