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The Witcher 2 REDkit modding tools go into beta
If you want to try to make your own even Witchier Witcher adventure, you need to familiarize yourself with the new REDkit modding tools. And to help you do that – and to help build a robust modding tool – CD Projekt Red has opened up a beta for the toolkit.Signups for the beta are being accepted here through September 30. The form has spaces for "Your website" and "Your mod samples," so you're probably more likely to make it to the top of the list if you have experience making your own levels or otherwise messing with your games.
The Witcher 2 getting mod tool 'REDkit' on PC
If witching is one of your favorite things, you'll be happy to hear that a whole bunch more content is headed to the game industry's favorite witching game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Developer CD Projekt Red announced late last week that its "REDkit" mod tools will be shown at this week's German game convention, Gamescom.Beyond the ability to make Geralt into a perfect facsimile of Laa-Laa from Teletubbies, the tools enable PC users to create "new, non-linear adventures," "great looking locations," and "much more." There's no word on when the tools will be available, but we'll be sure to ask CD Projekt later this week when we check out the mod kit. And yes, we'll ask about the possibility of turning Geralt into Po as well. Fine.
Steam Summer Sale, Day 8: Alan Wake, Witcher 2, Fallout: New Vegas
Valve's onslaught on your wallet continues with yet another day in the Steam Summer Sale. Today's deals include horrifically slashed prices on Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Alan Wake franchise. RPGs have taken a critical price hit as well, including the Witcher franchise, Fallout: New Vegas and Krater.Still not satisfied? Dip into even more savings on Plants vs. Zombies, Sniper Elite V2, Gratuitous Tank Battles or yet another Indie Bundle.Update: If you're looking for Sniper Elite V2, Amazon actually has a better deal and is currently offering a PC download for $15.
Witcher franchise tops 4 million units sold
The Witcher franchise has managed to conjure up 4 million units in sales, developer CD Projekt Red has revealed. That means a combined 4 million units of The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings have been sold across PC, Mac and Xbox 360.The Witcher 2 moved 1.1 million copies in 2011, while the original moved 400,000. As of May 2012, The Witcher 2 had sold a total of 1.7 million copies.The Witcher 2 will expand its reach later this year with the launch of the Japanese Xbox 360 version and a Mac port. Rumor has it the canceled console version of the original Witcher has been resurrected as well.
The Witcher 2 conjures 1.7 million in sales, coming to Mac and Japan
While the focus of CD Projekt Red's summer conference was its new Cyberpunk RPG, the company still doled out a few tidbits about its best-known title, The Witcher 2. Specifically, the game has moved 1.7 million copies across the PC and Xbox 360 platforms.The company hopes to sell a few more copies by bringing the Xbox version to Japan. To be published by Spike Chunsoft, the Xbox version of The Witcher 2 will arrive in Japan on August 23. Finally, The Witcher 2 will be available on Mac this fall. We're guessing you'll probably need a Mac with a dedicated graphics card to actually run it.
CD Projekt Red hiring for RPG in a 'brand new setting'
CD Projekt Red, the makers of The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, has posted a boat-load of job openings for an unannounced "RPG in a brand new setting" over on its official blog. "We're looking for people who would rather work on an entirely new and different IP," reads the listing, "a vast RPG for which we want to assemble the best possible staff. It represents an opportunity for you to create a grand new project from the ground up!"The listing also makes reference to the developer's existing "mature dark-fantasy world," distinguishing this new project as likely separate from The Witcher (at least in location), and as one for those who "can't stomach dwarves, elves or sorceresses who put their ample charms on display in Playboy magazine."If you're an artist, programmer or designer looking for work in Poland, give it a shot! There's never any harm in trying. Well, unless you're trying to teach synchronized swimming to an uncooperative bear – there's probably a lot of harm in that.
Catch up on The Witcher 2's big changes in this lengthy dev diary
Wondering how significant the latest update to The Witcher 2 is? The fine folks at CD Projekt RED are more than happy to go into specifics for you, right here.
Deja Review: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition (Xbox 360)
We're of the firm opinion that your time is too precious, too valuable to be spent reading a full review for a game that was already reviewed many, many years ago. What's the point of applying a score to a game that's old enough to be enrolled in the sixth grade? That's why we invented Deja Review: A quick look at the new features and relative agelessness of remade, revived and re-released games. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has always been a console game in disguise. The PC version remains superior, capable of more clarity and sophisticated effects, but plug in a controller and the Riveting Polish Game transforms into something you'd rather play ensconced in a couch. The "Enhanced Edition" feels authentic and comfortable on the Xbox 360. That isn't to say it's been streamlined to a fault. The Witcher 2 is a gorgeous, thoughtful and brassy adventure with a surprising number of sharp edges. The original game had a deadly gauntlet for a tutorial, a misstep which got it lambasted while a dragon roasted players again and again. It was frustrating, yes, but it worked as a charming wake-up call of sorts, and as a crucial component of the game's mature personality. To succeed, you must think and do as Geralt of Rivia does, and that's precisely what you want in a role-playing game.%Gallery-145685%
Witcher 2 enhances its spot on UK charts
Geralt of Rivia's got swagger, walkin' and witchin' to the top of the UK charts for his debut on Xbox 360. The console launch The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition took the crown last week, with Chart-Track noting 98 percent of sales for the game were cast toward the console version.The original PC version of The Witcher 2 reached the fifth spot on the UK charts when it premiered in May 2011, but that number didn't represent the full picture, since the chart doesn't count digitally distributed products.Witcher 2 was the only new title to break the top 40, with the usual suspects in the top ten shifting around Geralt. FIFA Street and FIFA 12 both hold the silver and bronze, respectively. Kick on past the break for the UK top ten.
Witcher 2 launches new trailer before Xbox debut
Geralt of Rivia ventures to the Xbox 360 next week, with a refined experience of the adventure that debuted on PCs last year. The horrifically painful-to-play opening act of the game, which was a stumbling block for so many, has been tweaked for accessibility and to get players involved in one of the best RPGs in recent memory. Here's the launch trailer before next week's Xbox 360 debut.
Previously on The Witcher...
The Witcher's appearance on Xbox in a couple weeks will mark his first introduction to many console players. In the absence of a console port of the original Witcher, this 5-minute clip covers the story so far.
New Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition trailer channels the encyclopedia britannica
The question posed by this by this latest Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition trailer ("What is a Witcher?") could easily be answered by visiting Wikipedia, both regular and Witcher-flavored. Getting your information that way, however, prevents you from seeing a dude's face ripped open by tiny shovels.
Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition dev diary, episode 2: Cinematics
This latest installment in CD Projekt's ongoing developer diary series for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition details the game's new intro movie, as well as the rest of the fresh cinematics created specifically for the Enhanced Edition.
The Daily Grind: Would you play a Witcher MMO?
I've finally conquered CDProjekt's The Witcher 2, and yeah, I'm one of those guys who devours single-player games and thinks about whether they'd make successful MMOs or not. I played the original Witcher RPG many moons ago, and one of the few things I remember about it is the tacky naked wench trading cards. Thankfully, the sequel is a superior (and less juvenile) game in every respect, and in fact it's one of the more impressive PC RPGs I've experienced in a number of years. Yeah, it's high fantasy, but it's fairly original, it's for adults, and it features fascinating lore rife with factional conflict (and a unique take on traditional elves). Would The Witcher 2's cinematic presentation and unforgiving combat translate to a traditional MMO? I don't know, but I'd definitely pay monthly for a Temerian "action MMO" akin to Vindictus. What about you, Massively readers? Would you play a Witcher MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
New Witcher 2 trailer details new and improved newness, Dark Edition
There are plenty of non-PC gamers out there anxiously awaiting the April 17 release of The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Enhanced Edition for the 360, but you PC gaming types who've played Witcher 2 already may be on the fence about whether the new version is worth your dollars. Perhaps this latest trailer, which runs through the Enhanced Edition's new features and content, can help aid in your decision making process.The trailer also briefly teases the game's Dark Edition bundle, which includes the game, its soundtrack, a making of DVD, stickers, a world map, a "Witcher Medallion," a quest handbook, game manual and art book.
Witcher 2 trailer deconstructed
In preparation of the game's April 17 launch, CD Projekt has released this trailer, showing the gorgeous boat battle cinematic in various states of the extensive creation process.
Witcher 2 devs: 'We will never use any DRM anymore'
Speaking at GDC 2012 today, CD Project Red CEO Marcin Iwinski declared that the developer behind the Witcher games would never use digital rights management to protect its games."Every subsequent game we will never use any DRM anymore, it's just over-complicating things," Iwinski said. His presentation was hinged on how the Polish publisher sold over a million copies of the game on a modest budget."We release the game. It's cracked in two hours, it was no time for Witcher 2. What really surprised me is that the pirates didn't use the GOG version, which was not protected. They took the SecuROM retail version, cracked it and said 'we cracked it' -- meanwhile there's a non-secure version with a simultaneous release. You'd think the GOG version would be the one floating around.""DRM does not protect your game," Iwinski told Joystiq after the presentation. "If there are examples that it does, then people maybe should consider it, but then there are complications with legit users."We're sure Ubisoft has no idea what Iwinski is talking about.
Witcher franchise sold 1.5 million copies in 2011
CD Projekt RED announced this morning that The Witcher franchise sold over 1.5 million units in 2011. The breakdown is 1.1 million copies of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for the year, following its May launch, and another 400,000 sales of the original game, which launched in 2007."I have to admit, though, that the sales results for The Witcher, five years on from the game's premiere, are remarkable. If anything, they prove that the content we put into our games ages well," said Adam Badowski, head of the CD Projekt RED studio.A surprising statistic about the sequel, given how entrenched we think digital distribution is in PC gaming, is that digital distribution only accounted for 24 percent of the sequel's sales. Digital distribution channels had 270,000 sales of The Witcher 2, with 40,000 of those through the DRM-free GOG.com.The Witcher will also be introduced to new audiences this year when The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition makes its way to Xbox 360 on April 17.
The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 dev diary talks engine changes, new content
The Witcher 2's Xbox 360 conversion is more than your run-of-the-mill port, at least according to the first episode of CD Projekt Red's development diary, where executive producer John Mamais and crew discuss the changes and additions being made to the game's engine and storyline.
Witcher 2 Xbox 360 trailer is all fire and ice
Sure, The Witcher 2 has been out on PC for about a year, so you don't really need to be introduced to it -- but you should watch this trailer for the Xbox version anyway. Feats of archery are performed. Spells are cast. Epic battles are waged. Farts are lit.
