If an ARPG releases on time ‘you’d be suspicious’ says Runic CEO

Speaking to IncGamers last week, Runic Games CEO Max Schaefer discussed the delay of Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3.
According to Max, with games such as ARPGs, if there isn’t some sort of delay then you are likely doing something wrong in the design process.
“Torchlight is taking longer than expected, and obviously Diablo 3 is as well. Making these games it’s really easy to see how it happens. Not only do things take longer than you think they are going to take, but in the course of making your game after you’ve designed and pitched it and got your deal, you come up with new ideas and you don’t really budget that into your schedule. It’s a miracle if any of these games come out on time. If a game did come out on time you’d be suspicious.”
Before Blizzard delayed Torchlight 2, Max told IncGamers that it was very unlikely the Blizzard would get Diablo 3 complete this year, and he was right. We asked Max about his comments on Diablo 3 being delayed back in August at GamesCom in Cologne.
“Based on my judgement of making Diablo 2, and being a year late with that, I thought they’re not going to make it becuase it always takes you longer. I didn’t have any inside information. The next morning I got angry calls about some article with the headline ‘Max Schaefer announces D3 will not make this year’. I thought ‘Oh god, this is why I have trouble with interviews’. I’m glad it turned out I was right so I didn’t look like an idiot”.
Torchlight 2 was given a tentative release date of November but Max and the Runic Games team had been very clear that they would not commit to a final release date for the above reasons.
Torchlight 2 is now expected to be released early 2012 following a small beta test.