Blizzard doesn’t like to release games. They like to tune and balance and polish games, instead, which is exactly what they’re doing with Diablo 3. Up on the list are character stats, itemization, the skill system, the rune system, you know… little things. Check out a larger list of changes in this article. Eurogamer has the story.
At some point, I think the game stopped being Diablo in all but name. How much can you change something before it loses all connection to the original? I’m sure it’ll be good, that’s the question, but it’s a long way from that cathedral in Tristram.