Diablo III Coming to Consoles?

It has been recently rumored Blizzard was considering bringing Diablo III to console.  As it turns out the company is now hiring to fill such a position(s).  Gamasutra has found a job listing that basically has the developer working on a console port for the highly anticipated sequel in the Diablo franchise.  The job listing is searching for a Senior Producer for Console Diablo III.

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a highly organized individual with outstanding communications and project management skills for the Diablo team. The ideal candidate has prior experience in console game development and has a keen knowledge of how each discipline operates and interacts. Self-direction and follow-up skills are a must, as well as the ability to anticipate production issues and find effective solutions. The candidate must be fully committed to seeing projects through from inception to completion, and delivering games on time with the highest quality.

While the intital reaction to these job postings lead to a sure console release for Diablo III, Blizzard has not confirmed anything at this point.  They recently issued a statement on the state of the matter on the Diablo community page.

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.

Diablo III’s release date is still up in the air.  As the company most recently stated at their quarterly conference call, the game is “unlikely” to release in 2011.