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The Witcher: Battle Arena MOBA due out Q4 2014
CD Projekt Red's first foray into multiplayer Witcher territory isn't an MMORPG but rather a MOBA. Not only is The Witcher: Battle Arena a MOBA, but it's a mobile MOBA that's due for Android, iOS, and Windows tablets and phones sometime during Q4 2014. "There will be a monster-hunting mode, kind of an isometric multiplayer [in the future]," explains project manager Tadek Zielinski. "There will be a boss mode, where you will be able to fight the bosses -- that will be purely a (player verses enemy) experience. And we are thinking of other competitive modes. We have a classic one-lane MOBA experience with towers, but we have a different approach because we don't want to have minions, we don't want to have farming."
GOG announces Steam-like client 'Galaxy' [Update: Trailer added]
PC game distribution service GOG.com announced a DRM-free, Steam-like client called Galaxy during the CD Projekt Red and GOG.com Summer Conference livestream today. Galaxy allows players to access their game libraries, earn achievements and can be used to connect with others for multiplayer gaming action. The client will offer cross-platform support for those playing online with others that are using other clients, such as Steam. It's also totally optional: Those looking to just play their games offline won't need to use the client. While Galaxy will not require any online activation and will handle game downloads and updates, players won't need to use the client if they choose to do those things manually. Update: GOG.com issued the trailer from today's presentation explaining the Galaxy client.
Witcher dev says 1080p vs 720p is 'a PR differentiation'
We're not sure at what resolution The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will run on consoles, but Marcin Iwinski, co-founder of developer CD Projekt, doesn't seem to believe it matters much. "It's more of a PR differentiation," Iwinski told Eurogamer. "We had the debate in the studio about it and actually asked our tech guys to explain how it works," Iwinski said. "And they sent me some complicated graphs that if I have this size of the screen, and I sit one meter or two meters from it, then I might be able to see the difference." Iwinski said he and his team are still working on maximizing each system's power, but that there were no plans to place artificial restrictions to make the game run the same across platforms. "It's against our values to dumb anything down for the sake of some business arrangement," he said. [Image: CD Projekt]
Witcher dev exploring the mystical realm of mobile
CD Projekt, developers of The Witcher series and upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, are working on an unannounced mobile game. A company management report obtained and translated by Eurogamer states that the game is being developed in conjunction with an external partner, and is planned to launch this year. It's not clear whether this mobile-focused project will be tied to the upcoming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Witcher series as a whole, Cyberpunk 2077, or if it will be something else entirely. Eurogamer was told that an official announcement was coming "very soon," and that said announcement would also coincide with a beta launch. [Image: CD Projekt]
The Witchers run free on Steam this weekend
Polish developer CD Projekt Red's excellent RPG series, The Witcher is free to play on Steam this weekend until 1pm PT on Sunday, February 16. If you'd like to continue playing each past this weekend, both games have been drastically discounted until February 18: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is currently $2 and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is $4. In our review of The Witcher 2 we said it was "polished for the most part and Polish throughout, though its unique origin is reflected more in the grounded fantasy than in the charming, brassy localization. There's no apocalypse in sight, only a well-written web of murdered monarchs, racial tension and freedom fighting - with just a dash of magic." The third entry in the series, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, aims to wrap up the story of silver-haired protagonist Geralt, but will not necessarily be the last game in the franchise. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is an open-world take on the role-playing series and is currently being planned for release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC later this year. [Image: CD Projekt Red]
Cyberpunk 2077 is a 'true RPG,' not multiplayer shooter
Those of you worried that upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077 will stray from its hardcore RPG roots, worry no more - CD Projekt's Marcin Iwinski recently told IGN that the game is a "true RPG," and that fans shouldn't be worried about it turning into a shooter (which has happened before). "People have been asking me if Cyberpunk 2077 will have multiplayer or if it will be a straight-up shooter, and I tell them to relax, because it will be a true RPG game," Iwinski said. "It is an all-out RPG game, but we're looking at having a lot of new gameplay elements that I cannot talk about yet. One thing I can say for sure is that it is definitely not a multiplayer shooter." That's not an outright denial of multiplayer mind you, and it wasn't long ago that CD Projekt Managing Director Adam Badowski confirmed that the game will have some sort of "multiplayer features." We might just have to wait until "way off in 2015" to find out more.
Namco Bandai taking The Witcher 3 to Australia, New Zealand
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is planning to stalk its most dangerous prey yet, with Namco Bandai serving as its Bear Grylls publisher in the poison-filled land of Australia. Oh, and New Zealand too. Namco Bandai will also be handling Wild Hunt's excursion through Europe, but Warner Bros. will lead the expedition across North America. Wild Hunt is planned to conduct a simultaneous scavenge for wildlife across the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 sometime in 2014. Though Wild Hunt will conclude the saga of Geralt of Rivia, CD Projekt Red will leave an opening for a possible return to the Witcher's world in the future.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt seeks VGX trailer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will track its prey simultaneously on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 sometime in 2014, but tonight the game got a fancy new trailer at the VGX. The mature RPG series and been announced to have 50 hours of killing monsters, concluding in one of 36 different states.
Namco distributing Witcher 3 in Europe
Namco Bandai captured the rights to distribute The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in Europe, after forming a deal with CD Projekt to bring the PS4, Xbox One and PC sequel to 24 countries across the continent. To recap, Warner Bros. is set to distribute the RPG in North America when it launches next year. Namco's agreement with CD Projekt sounds far more harmonious than the debacle surrounding the rights to The Witcher 2. If you'll remember, CD Projekt had agreed to let the now defunct THQ distribute the game in Europe, Central and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. That all changed when the French courts ruled that CD Projekt had to uphold prior commitments, and offer Namco a new distribution contract. Awkward... Two years on and all is apparently forgotten and forgiven... or perhaps legally bound again. Either way, it'll be Namco bringing the game to Euro next-gen consoles in 2014.
The Witcher series reaches 6 million unit sales
As part of The Witcher's sixth anniversary, series developer, CD Projekt RED announced this morning that to date the series has sold six million copies worldwide. "Since the very beginning of our journey we have seen that the approach of inviting gamers into a dialogue with the developer is really important and can shake up the - sometimes self-destructive - business side of games," said CD Projekt RED head Adam Badowski. "We hope you'll stay with us for the years to come and that we will continue to make these changes together." The Witcher series, which includes the The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings continues to be on the rise. The window between sales of a million units is getting smaller and the next installment of the series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is scheduled to go monster hunting next year.
The Witcher series 75% off on GOG, Steam
If price was the monster you feared in your quest to own CD Projekt RED's Witcher series, Steam has come to your rescue. Now through August 26, "enhanced editions" of both The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings are available for 75 percent off from Valve's digital storefront, priced at $2.49 and $4.99, respectively. In case digital rights management emerges as another terror, CD Projekt's own digital platform - the DRM-free GOG.com - is also offering both RPGs at the same discounted prices on PC and Mac. The Enhanced Editions feature additional quests, the soundtracks and a few more bonuses from the developer.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt cinematic trailer shows no mercy
In the moral wasteland of The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia chooses to stick to his own code of ethics. It just so happens that code of ethics often leads him to high-octane, blood-soaked monster killing and cool one-liners. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt offers around 50 hours of witching, ending in one of 36 different states. CD Projekt's final entry in the current Witcher trilogy still has some ways to go on its journey to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, set to conclude next year.
CD Projekt RED opens new Polish studio
The Witcher developer CD Projekt RED announced today it has opened a new studio in Cracow...Krakow?...the city with two K sounds prior to a -ra and -ow, Poland. Spelling confusions aside, the new studio will support the Warsaw studio's development of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. "We want to continue to make better and better RPGs and the new studio is another big step in that direction. Cracow, one of the cultural and scientific centers of Europe, is a really special place that will leave a significant mark on our games," said Adam Badowski, Head of CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077 could launch in 2077 for all we know at this point. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is tracking Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC for a 2014 launch.
The Witcher 3 features more than 300 small variations in its endings
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt features 36 separate "world-states" at the end of the game, leading to three disparate, playable epilogues. The game tracks player choices to such a minute degree that each of these 36 "endings" contain hundreds of smaller changes unique to each player – CD Projekt Red stopped counting once it reached 300, Managing Director Adam Badowski tells Polygon."The game is quite complex," Badowski says. "We didn't mean to develop something special for the endings; it's a natural consequence of the storyline. The story has hundreds of different branches and sub-plots. We have to just sum all of those elements up in the epilogues. Some of those elements are taken from the very beginning and some from other moments of the storyline. All of them will connect in the epilogue."We already know The Witcher 3 will clock in around 50 hours, may support previous save files and that CD Projekt has "something" cooking for multiplayer.
Buy 'Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition' on OnLive, get free GOG copy
Hey, OnLive, it's been a while! Remember when you made that offer of a free PC or Mac copy of The Witcher 2 with an OnLive purchase of the game? What, that's now? Silly us!The cloud gaming platform told us that, starting today, a $19.99 purchase of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition grabs you a PC or Mac copy via GOG.com. CD Projekt's action RPG is also one of the over 200 games in OnLive's PlayPack, which you can subscribe access to for $9.99 a month.
The Witcher 3 confirmed for PS4
This isn't too surprising considering The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was announced for PC and "high-end platforms," but CD Projekt's confirmed this morning it's coming to the just announced PS4, making it the first Witcher game on a PlayStation console.As CD Projekt managing director Adam Badowski indicates, Geralt's third adventure is expected on the next Xbox too when the game arrives next year."The Witcher 3 will be released in 2014 simultaneously on all high-end platforms available," said Badowski. "We know that our fans are looking forward to that date already, but we want to make it clear that this story is a standalone, and we will be sure [to] introduce newcomers fully to the world so that they don't miss a beat."
Witcher franchise up to 5 million sold
CD Projekt's The Witcher games continue to enchant gamers into buying them, with the franchise now over the 5 million mark for copies sold. The figure represents a combined total for The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and with both games on sale this week, it could be on the rise quicker than you can say Gwynbleidd.A few months after The Wither 2 arrived on Xbox 360, CD Projekt announced the franchise was up to 4 million copies sold. With a further million sold in the six or so months since, it's not surprising to hear CD Projekt SA CEO Adam Kiciński say the console port "largely contributed" to the franchise's new milestone.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be the last Witcher game
"People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is," CD Projekt Red boss Adam Badowski says in the announcement press release for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This final entry in the series is being slated for launch in 2014, a simultaneous launch on "all high-end platforms."In regards to the open world, Badowski says players should expect a game world that is "30 times bigger than The Witcher 2" and its world. "Players will freely travel through woods, lakes, mountains, cities, and villages. Each region is inhabited by distinct populations with their own customs, legends and problems." Geralt will have his steed to get around or he can hop on a boat and set sail for his destination.CD Projekt Red also promises an improved combat system this time around, though nothing specific is mentioned in the press release past the break.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt revealed as 'next generation' RPG
CD Projekt Red appears to be working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a new open-world entry in the studio's dark RPG series. Game Informer digital subscribers through Zinio can now access the March issue (seen here), which promises The Witcher 3 will take place in a world rivaling Skyrim and larger than any environments featured in the first two games.CD Projekt's REDengine 3, which the company has said is built for the next wave of systems, will power The Witcher 3 and Geralt's distinguishing beard. According to the digital preview, The Witcher 3 is "for those wild dreamers who want it all."We've requested further information from CD Projekt Red and will let you know when we hear (and see) more.Update: Game Informer has published a quick video touching on the development team and the game's direction. Watch it after the break – and marvel at some truly breathtaking hair.Update 2: The game's due in 2014, says CD Projekt, for PC and "high-end platforms."
CD Projekt Red introduces REDengine 3, latest iteration of in-house tech
CD Projekt Red has shown off the first image of REDengine 3, the third iteration of its in-house technology for open-world RPGs. Boss Adam Badowski says REDengine 3 is unique because it's able to create and combine a vast game world with player choice-driven stories – he says most RPGs can do either a massive game world or immersive story, but seldom do both well."With the REDengine 3 we combine the positive aspects of both approaches for the first time, creating an open environment with a complex, multi-thread story. Together with believable characters, a captivating tale and a world where players can roam freely without loading times, we will be able to move gaming to a new level with a realistic feel and full player immersion." The first iteration of REDengine powered The Witcher 2 on PC, while REDengine 2 allowed CD Projekt Red to port The Witcher 2 onto Xbox 360. And now with REDengine 3, CD Projekt Red is currently building Cyberpunk 2077, its adaptation of the popular pen-and-paper RPG series."Cyberpunk 2077, the second project the studio is working on, will have prime examples demonstrating that REDengine 3 is the perfect tool for creating immense universes filled with exciting, nonlinear adventures. The advanced technology of the REDengine 3 makes RPGs comparable to top-shelf shooters, both in terms of game world presentation and the epic proportions of events that the player is drawn into." CD Projekt Red also notes the engine is ready for next-generation consoles and features improved REDkit mod tools, which were first introduced late last year.
