Sad, but true, Activision isn't planning on Blizzard being ready to release Diablo III this year.
During this week's year-end investor conference call, the publisher cautioned investors that the sales and profit estimates for 2011 didn't include any major game releases from Blizzard.
During the call, Activision COO and CFO Thomas Tippl stated that with no current release window for Blizzard's Diablo III, the publisher "felt it prudent" to omit the game from its 2011 financial outlook numbers.
Tippl pointed out that there were no major game releases from Blizzard in 2009 due to Starcraft II being delayed. The hole in Blizzard's release schedule made up for this by luanching both Starcraft II and the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion in 2010. Tippl suggested that two major titles may be launched in 2012 if there are no releases from Blizzard in 2010.
"We think that in the long run, Blizzard is good for one major new release a year," Tippl said. "But of course, what always rules is that the quality of the game has to be there."