For the uninitiated, Diablo, a series that forever changed the landscape of action RPG gaming, may seem like a mere diversion - a digital pastime to occupy idle hours. But to us - Zaph, Dave, Craig, and I - it is much more than that. It is a chronicle of our camaraderie, a testament to our shared love for the thrill of the hunt, the lure of the loot, and the electrifying joy of vanquishing pixelated monstrosities from the pits of Hell. For nearly two decades, Diablo has been a shared language between us, a touchstone in our enduring friendship.
The journey started in the dark, gothic recesses of 1996 with the release of the original Diablo. It was a game that was as punishing as it was rewarding, yet we navigated its treacherous corridors together, fueled by sheer determination and an unhealthy quantity of energy drinks.
Diablo II, arriving in June 2000, plunged us deeper into the abyss with its expansive world, intricate storyline, and addictive gameplay. The introduction of online multiplayer expanded our horizons and made the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat all the more intense.
In 2012, the release of Diablo III presented us with a different beast altogether, one that challenged our skills and camaraderie in ways we hadn't expected. But the trials and tribulations only served to strengthen our bond, bringing us closer together through the shared experience of virtual demon-slaying.
And here we are, once again drawn into the dark, enchanting world of Diablo IV, released in 2023. We continue to forge our legacy in the fiery pits of Hell, a testament to our enduring friendship and shared passion for this gaming series.
Our current adventure marks another chapter in our longstanding gaming tradition, which reaches far back beyond the realms of Diablo. The genesis of our shared gaming history began on the 26th of September, 2005, with our inaugural post for GuildWars on our blog - the CCF (or "Crypt Creeps' Friday") Blog. This platform has served as a record of our digital exploits, a way to chronicle our virtual victories and losses.
Our love for gaming stretches back to the dawn of networking games, to the likes of Doom which hit the scene in 1993, ensnaring us with its fast-paced action and multiplayer capabilities. And let us not forget our skirmishes on the sand dunes of Dune II, the pioneering RTS game from 1992 that had us commanding armies and shaping the fate of entire planets.
But if we were to delve further back in time, the birth of multiplayer games for us really began in the coin-operated arcades. Games like Asteroids, which came out in 1979, were our initial foray into the gaming world. Perhaps the first co-op game for us was Gauntlet, released in 1985. I distinctly recall Dave dropping $25 into it in one sitting, an event that blew both our minds and our wallets at the time.
So join us on this journey through time and pixels, as we revisit old haunts, rediscover forgotten thrills, and write a new chapter in our shared gaming history with Diablo IV. From the early days of network gaming, through the Diablo series, and to whatever virtual worlds we conquer next, we are united by our shared love for gaming. The devil, as they say, is in the details - and we can't wait to explore those details together.
