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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings strikes on May 17, collector's edition revealed
In a late night missive from Polish publisher CD Projekt, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was given a solid release date: May 17, 2011. Project lead Adam Badowski admitted that the launch had been moved back "a few weeks" to allow the PC action-RPG more development time. "We've decided to the move the launch date back a few weeks to afford us more time to polish the game," he said. CD Projekt also teased "hot news" to be served up during the publisher's autumn conference on November 18, including details of the game's Collector's Edition, pre-order specifics, and more. If you can't make it to the conference in person -- it's in Warsaw, Poland, after all -- it'll be streaming live on both the official Witcher 2 website and the game's Facebook page starting at 12:30PM EST sharp on November 18. In the meantime, GameStop appears to have already launched the game's collector's edition listing, showing a $130 price tag and ... umm ... like, a ton of stuff (listed after the break). It's a good thing you have about half a year to save up all that dough!
Witcher 2 questing on consoles now in question... apparently always was
The Witcher 2 has apparently been downgraded to a "potential" console release. Speaking with Eurogamer, senior producer Tomasz Gop said any "potential console release" wouldn't join the PC launch next March. Regarding the status of the console version, the representative merely offered a "no comment." Following up with company spokesman Tom Ohle, he informed Joystiq: "We never did confirm a console release of [The Witcher 2]. The situation is still that we do want to bring the Witcher franchise to console gamers at some point, and we've buit an engine capable of console development... but have made no formal announcements of plans for a console release." Although the game is looking mighty fancy on PC, we've yet to see The Witcher 2 running on any console. CD Projekt originally planned for the first Witcher to make its way to consoles, too, though that project was canceled reportedly due to financial issues.
The Witcher 2 will have 16 different endings
Did you know that The Witcher had three different endings? Seems like par for the course, right? Well, things are getting downright insane in The Witcher 2, which Eurogamer reports will have 16 different attainable outcomes. Here's some other interesting improvements, courtesy of that snazzy new multi-platform engine: There will be 256 cutscenes (totaling 150 minutes) in The Witcher 2, whereas the first game only had 130 cutscenes (totaling 53 minutes) The Witcher 2 will have 30 different armor types to choose from, compared to the five available in the first game You'll only need to suffer through four load screens in the sequel, while the first game forced players to wait during approximately 700 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is slated to launch sometime in 2011.
The Witcher 2 bewitching PCs in Spring 2011
Hidden in Atari's fiscal 2009 financial report, there was a tiny but informative nugget on CD Projekt's The Witcher 2. According to the report, the action RPG is "planned" to land on PC in "Spring 2011." The report included no further details, though Atari's fiscal 2010 ends on March 31, so expect the game sometime before then. Also, no mention was made of a console release, though CD Projekt stressed earlier this week that it still plans to bring the game to consoles. Source -- Atari Second Half and Full Year 2009/2010 consolidated results (PDF)
The Witcher 2 still planned for consoles, CD Projekt says
Console gamers anxious to traverse CD Projekt's fictional land in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, fear not. Confirming console plans on Facebook, CD Projekt assures us porting the game is still very much on the table. "There are some rumors about us leaving The Witcher-2-on-consoles idea," the Facebook post reads. "That's pretty weird, as we want and plan to release the game on consoles & nothing has changed in this matter. We're still sure, that Geralt & company has something to offer both - PC & console players." Of course, CD Projekt always planned to offer the first game on consoles, though that dream eventually died. Hopefully the sequel doesn't encounter the same bumps on its road to the console kingdom. [Via Eurogamer]
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings officially unveiled in debut trailer
Here we are, just three short days away from the inaugural PAX on the East Coast, and CD Projekt has gone right ahead and confirmed the sequel to the hack-n-slash RPG The Witcher via the first official trailer, posted on GameTrailers. As suggested last September, the new trailer reveals that The Witcher 2 will be subtitled "Assassins of Kings," though a publisher and proposed release date have yet to be confirmed. [Update: Atari will publish the game in North America for PC.] Additionally, no mention of projected release platforms is made in the trailer, and GameTrailers only lists "PC," seemingly refuting earlier claims that The Witcher 2 could arrive on consoles. Check out the full two-minute reveal after the break.
They have put 'They' on hold
"They" are, of course, CD Projekt, creators of The Witcher, and They is the mysterious first-person shooter we've seen clips of since the fall of 2007. The resources of original developer Metropolis Software (purchased by CD Projekt) were moved off the game and onto the higher-priority Witcher sequel, according to a new interview with Big Download. If you irrationally fall in love with games before you barely know anything about them, take heart! CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwinski said, "we have by far not buried They, and we would really like to return to it."
The Witcher 2 being developed on multi-platform engine; CD Projekt seeking publisher
Bilingual Polish gaming news site Polygamia recently did us English-speakers a great kindness by attending a CD Projekt presentation on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, translating its findings into our native tongue. According to Polygamia, CD Projekt's Michał Kiciński and Marcin Iwiński revealed that the RPG is being developed using an "internal, multi-platform engine," which they hope will become "the vanguard among game engines, and especially RPG engines." CD Projekt's goals for the title are as lofty as you might expect -- the team claimed the The Witcher 2 will handily net an "over 90% score at Metacritic." However, before that happens, the game has to get made. The two developers explained that the studio is currently in talks with publishers and hoped to finalize distribution plans by Q1 2010. Additionally, some footage managed to leak out of the closed presentation, which we've posted after the jump. However, unless you're a diehard fan of the first Witcher, we recommend skipping it, lest you be forced to suffer seven minutes of severe thoracic discomfort. You'll see what we mean.
Report: CD Projekt going public through share deal with Optimus S.A. [update]
Update: We spoke with Paweł Dembowski at Polygamia, who helped shed some more light on the matter. The original report stated the two companies would flip-flop shares, when in reality it's more of a merger. "The major inaccuracy in the early report was that the owners of CD Projekt will become the majority shareholders of Optimus - this is not the case - they will own a half of shares, the other half being owned by the current owners of Optimus," Dembowski said. "So it's more of a merger on equal terms than a takeover on either side." Well, we're glad that mess is sorted out! You can find the original post below.Original post: The developers behind The Witcher and its upcoming sequel are looking to take their company public on the Warsaw Stock Market, Polish site Polygamia reports. It's a bit of an awkward deal, as defunct PC company Optimus S.A. will purchase CD Projekt, though the majority of Optimus S.A.'s shares will be owned by CD Projekt's CEOs -- effectively swapping shares in each other's companies. GI.biz got in touch with Karol Zajaczkowski, marketing director at CDP Red (the studio behind The Witcher, owned by CD Projekt Investment, the company that owns CD Projekt, GoG.com, etc.) and reports the move is in part to help fuel future development, obviously something the company needs to do if it wants to finish the already impressive looking The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Karol said "this means money for future development of the whole company" and that it's "very good" for CDP. Source - Polygamia report [Via Big Download] Source - GI.biz confirms with CD Projekt's marketing head
'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings' revealed by internal video leak
An internal video showcasing The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has emerged on YouTube (we've got our own version above). The footage, introduced by CD Projekt CEO Marcin Iwinski, is quite impressive for an alpha-state project, especially when it comes to the combat. By adding Havok physics, CD Projekt has increased the game's range of offensive spells and the ability to destroy things spectacularly. CD Projekt RED CEO Adam Kiciński offered this statement to Joystiq in response to the video leak:"Of course, we can't and won't try to deny the facts. The movie that appeared on the various sites yesterday presents our newest project, The Witcher 2, which we've been working on for some time. We made something about half year ago, to present the first playable version of the game. Currently we are looking for a potential publisher (or publishers) for this title, and this leak is an uncontrolled side effect of that process. For today, we are not commenting on anything that concerns the game itself."More information about The Witcher 2 will be unveiled alongside the official announcement."[Thanks iHavePants!]
Steam celebrates nudity, Witcher Director's Cut discounted 30 percent
If you missed out on CD Projekt's well-received RPG The Witcher, there's two fairly compelling reasons to rectify your oversight: Steam has cut the price of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition by 30 percent, bringing the game's cost to an extremely reasonable $27.99. The game recently received a Director's Cut which patches in more female and male nudity than your fragile little brain could possibly comprehend. We're talking oodles of unclothed bathing suit areas, folks. This particular Steam markdown is running until Wednesday, August 12. Players who already possess the Enhanced Edition can download the Director's Cut patch for free. In summation: Free nudity. FREE NUDITY. (Sorry, just trying to wrangle some traffic from unsavory Google searches.)
Stop the presses: Witcher Director's Cut adds nudity
CD Projekt's role-playing game The Witcher is getting another update, adding to the content found in the 2008 Enhanced Edition release. Owners of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition will be able to upgrade to the game's Director's Cut free-of-charge via patch. The newest version of the game will also be available for purchase on TheWitcher.com, Impulse, Steam and Direct2Drive. Along with adding updates found in the recent 1.5 patch -- which removed The Witcher's DRM and added new community-created content -- the Director's Cut will restore nudity previously removed from the North American release of the (overly buxom) Enhanced Edition. If staring at digital lady and man bits from an engine that got its original start in 2002 is your thing, The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut is the definitive edition you seek.
Ding-dong, the console Witcher is dead (for now)
After rumors began circulating that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of The Witcher had been canceled, Shacknews reports that development on the game has been suspended due to "financial issues." Specifically, co-developer Widescreen Games alleges that CD Projekt failed to make a large payment to the company. This comes by way of Widescreen Games director Olivier Masclef, who stated, "After having committed to the project but not being covered financially on it for three months, I [had] no choice." CD Projekt's joint CEO Michal Kicinski, meanwhile, states that all payments were made according to the game's milestone plan and that the late payments were the result of Widescreen missing its deadlines. Kicinski adds that the decision to put development on hold was "extremely difficult" and that the company is searching for a solution. He concludes, "So no matter what the final decision or solution we will find, please be sure that it will be the best for the game quality, and satisfaction of gamers, which is the most important for us!" Whatever the real story is, the end result is that The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf is currently dead in the water.
The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf dogged by rumors of cancellation
Announced back in December 2008, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf was billed by developer CD Projekt RED as "the ultimate console RPG." The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 reworking of the well-received PC game offered to enhance graphics, streamline controls and implement a different combat system, all while retaining the story and exploits of the titular protagonist as he wooed women, fought monsters and straddled the line between nouns and comparative adjectives. While all that remains unchanged, the game's current status has been brought into question by Polish site Polygamia, whose sources indicate that the game has been quietly cancelled. When contacted by Joystiq, CD Projekt representative Tom Ohle was unable to confirm Rise of the White Wolf's current status, but noted that any change in development would be announced via official channels. A spokesperson for Atari, which is set to publish the title this Fall, was similarly circumspect and unable to comment on the game's current condition. If Rise of the White Wolf has been canceled, it appears that conclusive word of its demise hasn't quite left the developer's home base of Poland yet. The fact that nobody is able to check the pulse in the meantime is certainly worrisome.
April Fools: Awesome handheld Witcher teased
CD Projekt RED, developer of The Witcher, and self-proclaimed "world's leading developer of games with 'The Witcher' in their title," announced the next title in its portfolio today. Currently in development for "all current-gen, next-gen and gen-after-next-gen handheld systems," The Witcher: Mysterious Secrets looks to marry the world of The Witcher with 8-bit processing power, 32-colors (though "half of the colours are not visible because the platform supports only 16 colours") and in a first for the Witcher franchise, downloadable content. Though little is known about the DLC as of yet, the company has already taken a firm stance on it, saying, "Yeah, DLC on a handheld. You wanna fight about it?"The game certainly sounds ... ambitious ... but the development team seems vigilant when they say in the developer diary (after the break), "We all realize that handhelds are far more powerful than PCs and consoles all put together, but thanks to this move, we'll be able to break through all the barriers we've encountered so far." We'll keep you updated as we near the game's release window, currently slated for "between Tuesday and Friday 2010."
Witcher trailer: Nothin' but CG
After announcing yesterday that The Witcher is headed to consoles with the new subtitle Rise of the White Wolf, the first official trailer has been released (embedded after the break). Don't get to excited though, as there is nary a frame of gameplay to be seen. What we do get to see is a very impressive CG movie of the Witcher himself performing some balletic moves with his sword and slaying a few monsters (are those Necrotaurs?). It's all very Crouching Tiger. We have to admit the video has us intrigued. Now we just need some gameplay.
The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf coming to PS3
CD Projekt RED has announced today that The Witcher is headed to consoles. The game will be published by Atari in the US and most of Europe, with CD Projekt filling in the gaps. Originally released on the PC, The Witcher, is being completely remade to be "the ultimate console RPG." A lofty goal, certainly. The console version will feature the same story as its PC brother, but will have improved graphics, an improved combat system and a new subtitle: Rise Of The White Wolf.We've heard good things about The Witcher and any new additions to the PS3's RPG lineup are warmly welcomed. We can expect to see this title on shelves during the Fall of 2009.%Gallery-38396%
The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf headed to Xbox 360
Developer CD Projekt has informed Joystiq that a console version of its action-RPG The Witcher is currently in development for the Xbox 360. The console version -- now subtitled Rise of the White Wolf -- will feature reworked and streamlined controls, while the games story elements are apparently unchanged. The game will use a new engine, which will include new character models, animations, and a more dynamic combat system. The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf is scheduled to arrive in Fall 2009.For those unfamiliar with the game, it was generally well received by critics when it was released last year. See a video detailing the console version after the break.
The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf coming to Xbox 360, PS3
We've been playing the excellent action-RPG The Witcher recently, and though we've been enjoying ourselves, the experience has been missing one thing: A constant stream of invites to play Left 4 Dead. It seems developer CD Projekt is sensitive to our concerns, as it has just revealed that The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3.The game's controls have been completely rethought and streamlined for the controller, though the story elements appear to be the same as in the PC version. You should be able to try it all for yourself in the Fall of 2009. We'll let you know more as we hear it.
CD Projekt going seriously overboard on The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
Judging from this screenshot, you can see where some of the *ahem* enhancements are going. CD Projekt is pouring a lot of time and effort into The Witcher, which came out almost a year ago. They're adding new animations, new NPC models, fixing all of the dialogue translation problems, squashing bugs, and "increasing load times by 80%." The question is, will people pay attention to a game that came out last year? GameCyte has a full interview with project lead Maciej Szczesnik who talks about the changes they've made. They caught a lot of flak over the poor translation of the game from the original Polish into English, and now they've re-recorded over 5,000 lines of dialogue along with all of the other upgrades and fixes. You can hear the difference between the old audio and the new audio pretty clearly by clicking on those links, but frankly... they just sound like different readings/voices to us. How does the plot change by hearing someone shout "Quick! To the laboratory!" any differently? The new edition, which comes out September 16th, includes two audio CDs, a making-of DVD, an official game guide, a short story from the author of the book that the game is based on, and a map, and it retails for $49.99. However, if you're previously purchased the game, it's a free download. Hey, we're all for free stuff.
