[The Witcher] CD Projekt in financial trouble

[Noriega]

Originally Posted by |MaguS|

No it was good, it would have gotten the series more exposure... It was nothing more then a port of the original game. A console version of the original would have helped Witcher 2 alot more since very few console gamers will buy Witcher 2 since none of the series released on the consoles.

I prefer when developers care about all gamers and are not trying to makes only few to feel better.

[fizzelopeguss]

According to the guy who wrote the article (nice dude) the game sold over 1.2 million copies, so it just looks like 3 teams was too much for them to handle when the world economy is in the ****.

I think canceling the console port was a mistake though.

[Noriega]

Originally Posted by fizzelopeguss

According to the guy who wrote the article (nice dude) the game sold over 1.2 million copies, so it just looks like 3 teams was too much for them to handle when the world economy is in the ****.

I think canceling the console port was a mistake though.

Mistake for console fanboys but really there is more reason than one to focus on next Witcher that will be also for PC. Teh Witcher ( as myth, books, movies and games) is most popular in east europe where PC is the biggest part of gaming business. Not to mention that it's hard to find good console programmer here in Poland. CDP is publisher only in East Europe where they can produce their games very very cheap, console games production is MUCH more expensive and they will need to share money with some bigger publisher like with Atari and with MS and Sony.

[LORD-eX-Bu]

yup, seeing as how the PC version will get pirated to hell, if they bring it to consoles they will at least sell more.

[MaxFX]

Horay blame it on the Consoles Noriega, go man go

[Noriega]

Originally Posted by LORD-eX-Bu

yup, seeing as how the PC version will get pirated to hell, if they bring it to consoles they will at least sell more.

Your point of view is different, you know nothing about East Europe realms.

Example. Poland. More than 200 000 The Witchers sold... while there is less than 50 000 Xbox 360 sold, so every xbox user need to buy 4 boxes of The Witcher 2. Not to mention that every xbox user here play on pirates or buys used games.

[LORD-eX-Bu]

I'm talking sales outside of poland, you do know that there is a whole world outside of poland don't you?

[Noriega]

Originally Posted by LORD-eX-Bu

I'm talking sales outside of poland, you do know that there is a whole world outside of poland don't you?

I told you that Witcher was not so popular outside East Europe even in Swiss or West Europe where there is a lot of PC's. Reviews were also worst on the West. They can't know how much copies on consoles they will sell the fact is that they were only a PC dev studio, buying console devkits, licenses and hire console programmers is a lot of money, they in bad condition now so they need every cent. They rather be sure to sold another 1.2 mln on PC + some on consoles that making console only game that for sure will not sell 2 milions cause that is what only very popular games did ( FO3, ME, Elder Scrolls).

But yeah, you knows better and the CDP mangement is dumb.

Originally Posted by Noriega

I told you that Witcher was not so popular outside East Europe even in Swiss or West Europe where there is a lot of PC's. Reviews were also worst on the West. They can't know how much copies on consoles they will sell the fact is that they were only a PC dev studio, buying console devkits, licenses and hire console programmers is a lot of money, they in bad condition now so they need every cent. They rather be sure to sold another 1.2 mln on PC + some on consoles that making console only game that for sure will not sell 2 milions cause that is what only very popular games did ( FO3, ME, Elder Scrolls).

But yeah, you knows better and the CDP mangement is dumb.

They still have to buy the devkits. They could have recooped alot more of the money if they would have ported the game to consoles and still continue with their plans to release the sequel on multiple platforms. Now they are spending all this money on a single game and hoping it does well across all platforms rather then give the new audience that they are targeting have something to build upon. It wont be much more money to port a game and make a new game then just make a new game. The problem was they decided to go back and redo most of the game rather then just rework the camera and controls...

As it stands right now in my opinion they should postone Witcher 2 and work on the port for the original to the consoles then work on Witcher 2 so they can bring it to all the platforms with already something strong to support it across the board.

They could have gotten most of the financial support from Atari if they had a good project manager. Most small developers work with big publishers to support the projects, the companies that have failed were the ones that failed to gain the support from the publishers for key projects and they were never reimbursed. Considering that The Witcher already sold very well im sure Atari wouldn't have turned their back on them.

[fizzelopeguss]

Originally Posted by Noriega

Mistake for console fanboys but really there is more reason than one to focus on next Witcher that will be also for PC. Teh Witcher ( as myth, books, movies and games) is most popular in east europe where PC is the biggest part of gaming business. Not to mention that it's hard to find good console programmer here in Poland. CDP is publisher only in East Europe where they can produce their games very very cheap, console games production is MUCH more expensive and they will need to share money with some bigger publisher like with Atari and with MS and Sony.

I've always thought that ports were essentially free money though as the game assets wise is finished. I'm guessing console fees/licensing and finding a publisher in the west is what killed it.

Originally Posted by fizzelopeguss

I'm guessing console fees/licensing and finding a publisher in the west is what killed it.

You don't pay licensing untill the game is ready for production. So they did not affect the game at this point in its development. Also I believe the Publisher pays for that, not the developer. Developer mainly has to pay for Devkits if they are independant.

[fizzelopeguss]

CDProjekt is the publisher, CDP Red is the developer. I believe they're one and the same, a bit like bethesda and zenimax. As for the fees, keep in mind CDP went to atari of all places to get the witcher published and localised for western markets.

Shame, i loved the witcher and was looking forward to double dipping with this.