Blizzard hiring console lead designer for Diablo III

Blizzard Entertainment may soon renew its on-again, off-again relationship with gaming consoles. The company has posted a new job opening on its official site seeking a "Lead Designer, Console" to work on Diablo III.

According to the listing, Blizzard wants someone who has shipped at least one AAA console game in a senior design role and possesses a "strong sense of what makes a fun and compelling experience for console titles and games in general." Experience with porting multiplatform games is also considered a "plus" for candidates.

Speculation of a console version of Diablo III has been circulating since the game was first announced at BlizzCon 2008. At the time, company representatives only confirmed the title for the PC and Mac, quickly followed by a teasing, "for now." The company has been similarly coy about a release date for the game, bringing up the familiar Blizzard refrain that the game would be launched "when it's ready."

In the 16-bit era, Blizzard was as much a console developer as a PC outfit, delivering titles like The Lost Vikings, Blackthorne, and Justice League: Task Force. After Warcraft: Orcs & Humans became a hit, the studio established a string of successful PC franchises, including Starcraft and Diablo. In 2002, the company announced a return to consoles with Starcraft: Ghost. However, after repeated setbacks and delays, that project was abandoned in 2006.

[UPDATE]: Blizzard has issued a statement explaining the posting to its fans, stating, "We're exploring a Diablo-related concept for consoles and are currently looking to fill a few senior console-related positions on the Diablo III team. As we've said in the past, with proper care the gameplay could suit the console platform, and we're interested in seeing what talent out there might be interested in such a project. If you're passionate about all things Diablo and have the requisite skill and experience, then head over to our jobs site to check out the positions and apply.

"Please note that this is not an announcement of a console title. We are first and foremost developing Diablo III for Windows and Mac PCs and don't intend to allow any possibility of a console interpretation to delay or affect the release of the game."

For more on Diablo III, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.