I am having exactly the same problem.

I was able to play the game without any problems during beta. I was also able to play the first released version but right after what must have been the first patch after release this problem appeared.

When I start the game I am now getting a screen that displays keyboard instructions and a "loading" dial. But it keeps loading forever, even if I leave my laptop on over night. I reinstalled, upgraded my graphics card drivers, increased my RAM from 4GB to 8GB, upgraded Direct-X, disabled my virus scanner and so on. I waited 2 months for a patch to solve this problem. All to no avail. Divinity won't start and I can't play it.

My configuration is a relatively new Windows 8 laptop that I bought during the past 12 months. It is definitely a healthy configuration that works with other games, including very demanding ones.