Witcher 3's DLC Will Be As Free As Possible
CD Projekt aims to continue their policy of free updates, though console makers have the final call.
The first two Witcher games were supported long after their initial releases, as developer CD Projekt Red addressed common complaints and sometimes made major changes without asking a dime of their fans. The studio would like to do the same with Witcher 3, but the game's launch on next-gen consoles may cause trouble in that department. CD Projekt boss Marcin Iwinski explains that he's doing everything he can to find "the most gamer-friendly solution."
The PC has always been CD Projekt's home turf, and Witcher 3 will release on GOG with no DRM and the guarantee of free DLC and updates. Consoles are more problematic because that's a market that traditionally prefers to monetize post-release content. "There are different business models on consoles," Iwinski says. "From our standpoint, we'll definitely do everything we can to deliver the same experience across all platforms." That means console gamers can expect free DLC if possible, but that decision comes down to the manufacturers who control the consoles' respective digital download networks.
Iwinski admits that he's heard some uproar that Witcher 3 is even coming to the Xbox One, whose notorious DRM is everything CD Projekt has been fighting against for years. He responded that even though the studio is still firmly anti-DRM, that's no reason to alienate gamers. "There are people who'll be fine with [the Xbox One's DRM]. They'll buy the console and just want to play. Why should we not give them this option?"
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/17/cdp-on-free-witcher-dlc-next-gen-drm-concerns/]
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CD Projekt aims to continue their policy of free updates, though console makers have the final call.
The first two Witcher games were supported long after their initial releases, as developer CD Projekt Red addressed common complaints and sometimes made major changes without asking a dime of their fans. The studio would like to do the same with Witcher 3, but the game's launch on next-gen consoles may cause trouble in that department. CD Projekt boss Marcin Iwinski explains that he's doing everything he can to find "the most gamer-friendly solution."
The PC has always been CD Projekt's home turf, and Witcher 3 will release on GOG with no DRM and the guarantee of free DLC and updates. Consoles are more problematic because that's a market that traditionally prefers to monetize post-release content. "There are different business models on consoles," Iwinski says. "From our standpoint, we'll definitely do everything we can to deliver the same experience across all platforms." That means console gamers can expect free DLC if possible, but that decision comes down to the manufacturers who control the consoles' respective digital download networks.
Iwinski admits that he's heard some uproar that Witcher 3 is even coming to the Xbox One, whose notorious DRM is everything CD Projekt has been fighting against for years. He responded that even though the studio is still firmly anti-DRM, that's no reason to alienate gamers. "There are people who'll be fine with [the Xbox One's DRM]. They'll buy the console and just want to play. Why should we not give them this option?"
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/17/cdp-on-free-witcher-dlc-next-gen-drm-concerns/]
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