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Gamasutra has posted another thorough article, originally published in Game Developer magazine, detailing the making of Diablo II. This postmortem was written by Blizzard North VP Erich Schaefer and it covers what the team did right -- and wrong -- in the three years this game was in development. Here's an excerpt:

Another gigantic reason for our success is our open development process. We strive to hire people who love games, and we make games that we want to play. Every member of the team has input into all aspects of the game. Discussions around the halls and at lunch become the big ideas that shape the game. A programmer suggested to a designer the concept of gem-socketed, upgradeable weapons, which turned out to be a huge crowd-pleaser. A musician's dislike for the old frog-demon's animation inspired us to redo it. As a team, we don't have to wonder what our audience wants, because we are our audience. If we like the game we are making - especially if, after two years of playing it, we are not bored to death - the game is clearly going to be a winner.

Gamasutra Diablo II Postmortem

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