The Witcher 3
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The massive, bloody world of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Though the first two Witcher games offered a very convincing dark fantasy, roleplaying experience, too often they forced players to follow a linear, almost claustrophobic path. Not so in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, where climbing to the top of a mountain offers an immense vista populated entirely by locations players can actually visit. But it's not just the structure of the virtual realm that impresses, as The Witcher 3 is defined by its smaller components: the slick of a puddle lying in the middle of a city street, a murky, methane haze rising from swamplands and mummified bats decorating the home of a magically-inclined crone. "At CD Projekt RED we pride ourselves on our attention to detail," the developers told me during a screening of the game's early moments. "It's all these details and more that make The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt a true open-world experience." [Image: CD Projekt RED]
Joystiq Weekly: GOG's Galaxy, Murdered: Soul Suspect review, Homefront's combat and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. E3 doesn't technically start until June 10, but with all of this week's announcements and E3 trailers, you wouldn't really know it. Forza Horizon 2 will let you drive recklessly later this year, Homefront is due for a return in Homefront: The Revolution, and the thinly-veiled Mortal Kombat X tease is finally over. And that's just the early stuff - we're about to get trampled with news and hands-on demonstrations as the convention itself kicks off next week. Don't worry though, we'll survive by channeling Simba's light-footed evasive maneuvers. Just ... y'know, without the tragic loss immediately preceding our exercise. You don't have to stick around and watch us warm up though - this week's highlights are waiting for you after the break. There are release dates for The Witcher 3 and Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, reviews for 1,001 Spikes and Tomodachi Life, and an exploration of combat in Homefront: The Revolution. It's all awaiting you neat and orderly-like after the jump!
Witcher Adventure Game brings board game epic back to the PC
From hit fantasy novel, to PC game, to board game and now back to the PC, CD Projekt RED has revealed plans to translate dark fantasy epic The Witcher from cardboard maps and dice to the electronic climes of your home computer. Available for cross-play on either Steam or the newly-revealed GOG Galaxy, the Witcher Adventure Game is slated to make its official debut on both PC and Mac later this year. However, CD Projekt RED is currently accepting applications for beta testing via the newly-revealed GOG Galaxy distribution system. If you pay a visit to gog.com/galaxy, you can add your name to the list of prospective testers. Those who also pre-order The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt will be granted two beta keys, instead of one. [Image: Joystiq]
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt arrives in February, 2015
During a video conference held this morning, publisher CD Projekt RED revealed that The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt will make its official debut on February 24, 2015. The dark fantasy epic is slated to appear on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, in both retail and digital incarnations. Expect more details to emerge as the conference rolls on. [Image: CD Projekt RED]
New Witcher 3 details to emerge via online conference
Come June 5, CD Projekt RED will finally offer fans a proper look at The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt via streaming video conference. Slated to kick off on June 5 at 2PM Eastern Standard Time, the show promises to reveal new details on The Witcher 3, more information on its inevitable pre-order scheme, and word on what's inside the game's limited Collector's Edition. Most crucially, the event will include "previously unseen footage" of The Witcher 3, a game which has garnered a surprising amount of pre-release hype given what scant media we've seen to date. Best of all, it will cost you nothing to attend this online conference. Simply wait until the appointed time, then pay a visit to the official website to view the presentation. [Image: CD Projekt RED]
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]
The Witcher 3 delayed to February 2015
Poland-based developer CD Projekt Red announced that the release of its multiplatform action-RPG, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has been delayed to next year as the studio focuses on testing and polish. "We could have released the game towards the end of this year as we had initially planned," the team explains. "Yet we concluded that a few additional months will let us achieve the quality that will satisfy us, the quality gamers expect from us. Consequently, we have set the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for February 2015." The full text of CD Projekt Red's announcement is available after the break below. [Image: CD Projekt Red]
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 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 rides to North America courtesy of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has partnered with CD Projekt Red to assume promotional and distribution duties in North America for open-world fantasy game The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Due sometime in 2014 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is the final entry in the current Witcher trilogy, though CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kicinski has affirmed the "franchise will be continued." While multiplayer was initially a consideration, it was eventually abandoned along with the quick-time events seen in previous Witcher games.
CD Projekt Red's winning formula: focus and respect
Marcin Iwinski, co-founder of CD Projekt Red, says his company has a pretty straightforward recipe for success: Stick to what you know and respect your audience. "You will not see from us a lot of diverse stuff. We will not suddenly start making racing games, because I do not think that is where our strength is," Iwinski told Gamasutra. "At the end of the day, what really matters is the experience which you are having with the game when it's out. And this is the one unique moment which defines us. If it's an average experience, pretty much what we are doing every day doesn't make sense." Iwinski also said respecting gamers has a direct correlation to sales, using CD Projekt Red's handling of The Witcher series as an example. CD Projekt Red produced the first game then The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, followed by The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition. Rather than charge PC players for the Enhanced Edition content, CD Projekt offered the DLC up for free. Iwinski said this choice was made because "we think we could have done better" so "here it is." Iwinski added that gamers "appreciate" that approach and "they tell their friends we are doing a good job and we respect them. And ultimately it will result in a sale." Some may wonder why CD Projekt Red would offer the content for free and not charge for it, to which Iwinski replies, "I think the value in the whole proposition is that we are honest, straightforward, and fair, and this pays back. So you can call it a business model, in a way."
The Witcher 3 DRM-free on PC; 'gamer-friendly' solution sought on consoles
The Witcher series of action role-playing games is reaching further than ever before, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launching simultaneously on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2014. The new consoles have been mired in discussion over DRM (digital rights management) recently, with Microsoft instituting connectivity requirements to play games, and PlayStation leaving publishers to decide how to control the sale and resale of their content. The Polish developer behind The Witcher, CD Projekt RED, now tries to find an ideal incarnation for its publicly asserted values, which are staunchly opposed to DRM of any kind. "I can only talk about our intentions; we don't have any agreement finalized yet," CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwiński tells me, carefully choosing his words. "It's all quite early and we're finding out about it this week, at the conference. But our intention, obviously, is to choose the most gamer-friendly solution." In CD Projekt's perfect world, those solutions would be aligned with their PC- and Mac-based digital distribution platform, GOG.com, where games are 100 percent DRM-free. "Whatever the solutions will be for our partners, we choose something ideally as close to what we have on GOG as possible."
CD Projekt Red reveals The Witcher 3 for Xbox One [Update: Trailer]
CD Projekt Red revealed that its open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to the Xbox One. The Xbox One version of The Witcher 3 is bolstered by unique hardware-driven features. Kinect voice commands for allow quick weapon-switching and magic, and players can use SmartGlass to customize characters and manage their inventory during gameplay.
Witcher 3 skipping quick-time events and multiplayer
Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, project lead on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has confirmed multiplayer modes, quick-time events, and DRM are not part of the plan for the third entry in the role-playing game series.The "final saga of Geralt" will maintain a focus on single-player content, Tomaszkiewicz told Forbes, though multiplayer had been considered for the game at one point.Quick-time events found in previous Witcher games have also been abandoned. The lead designer noted that QTEs "didn't fit" the experience and often leads to frustration for players. "There is a small number of games where it is fun, like, for example, in the Uncharted series, where you don't even realize that you've just finished a QTE sequence. And I think that only this way of using QTE has any kind of future in games."Calling digital rights management "the worst thing in the gaming industry," Tomaszkiewicz confirmed The Witcher 3 will not have such restrictions. Though the decision against using DRM applies to retail copies and CD Projekt's GOG.com platform, other digital distributors such as Steam would still feature its own form of DRM. Distribution channels for The Witcher 3 have not been announced.The Witcher 3 is coming to the PC, PS4, and "high-end platforms" next year.
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.
Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer confirmed, in consideration for Witcher 3
You and other cyberpunks can play together in CD Projekt Red's upcoming-ish near-future RPG. Speaking to Eurogamer, managing director Adam Badowski said Cyberpunk 2077 "will be a story-based RPG experience with amazing single-player playthroughs, but we're going to add multiplayer features."As Eurogamer notes, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't have a pre-defined hero, which maybe makes the game more suitable for multiplayer than CD Projekt's The Witcher series. However, when CD Projekt advertised last year it was looking for a multiplayer programmer, it wasn't clear if that was just for its cyber-RPG and not also for the now revealed Witcher 3.CD Projekt's Badowski was coy enough to keep multiplayer a fair possibility for Geralt's third adventure, telling Eurogamer "we're thinking about something."
The Witcher 3 around 50 hours, may import saves from previous games
New details regarding The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt have emerged on the website of German magazine GameStar. The game will last for approximately 50 hours. Throughout those hours, the world can reach a total of 36 different states, depending on the player's choices. As previously revealed, these choices will also lead to one of three different epilogues.The article also notes that The Witcher 3 may import save files from previous Witcher games. Developer CD Projekt Red tells Joystiq that it would like to implement such a feature, though the challenges presented by new hardware could make it difficult. Specifically, considering the game will debut on entirely new consoles, including the PS4 and presumably the next Xbox, such a transfer could be impossible. Still, the developer is looking into the possibility.The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is slated to arrive next year.
