No Room For Multiplayer In Story-Driven Witcher 3

[The Artificially Prolonged]

You can have my money anytime CD Projekt. Apparently some of the other publishers don't seem to want it for some reason, so you might as well have it all.

I really like these people. Their business plan is to make a really good product and sell it. That's kind of refreshing.

Agreed. Who would have thought such radical and far out there ideas such as quality products and excellent consumer care would actually work in the real world

 

[Eruanno]

Are you trying to make me love you, CD Projekt RED?

...Because it's working.

 

[Abomination]

I think I've worked out CD Projekt RED's corporate strategy: look at what EA is doing and do the exact opposite of it.

 

[Wuvlycuddles]

Yet the Witcher 2 had DRM during launch and the first few weeks after launch. I wish they actually stood by the message they give at all times, rather than just when it's safe to do so.

They did, the DRM free version could be bought from their website, GOG. They only put secuROM on the disk. Anyway, I can't give these guys my money fast enough. I loves em to bits I do.

 

[grigjd3]

I think I've worked out CD Projekt RED's corporate strategy: look at what EA is doing and do the exact opposite of it.

That's giving way too much credit to EA. I believe it's much simpler: they just aren't listening to what the talking heads at other companies are saying.

 

[Irridium]

Between this and Cyberpunk 2077... I'm a happy, happy man.

Yet the Witcher 2 had DRM during launch and the first few weeks after launch. I wish they actually stood by the message they give at all times, rather than just when it's safe to do so.

True, but they removed a week after release when they found out it was negatively impacting their customers. Which got them sued by the publisher since doing that broke the contract?

They fucked up, and they fixed it, even though it meant getting sued.

 

[the_retro_gamer]

Poland should be proud that there are these good guys representing them. They know how the gaming market works unlike other companies that I know *shift gaze towards EA*.

 

[Tiamat666]

And this is why CD Projekt are awesome.

Watch and learn, EA.

 

[elilupe]

God damnit, for some reason,(because I'm an idiot) when I first glanced over this headline I read it as "No Room For Story In Multiplayer Driven Witcher 3", and I almost exploded.
Anyway, good on CD Projekt, it's companies like them that are going to keep the AAA games industry from collapsing in on itself.

 

[Genocidicles]

So there should not be MP in Cyberpunk because they decided against MP in Witcher 3?... I don't follow, what has the one to do with the other?

They did say:

There's no place for multiplayer in so strongly a story-driven game as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122909-The-Witcher-3-Will-End-With-Three-Separate-Playable-Epilogues],

So seeing as it's an RPG, Cyberpunk 2077 will probably be a 'strongly story-driven game' too.

 

[Genocidicles]

I don't see how you can categorically dismiss multiplayer from the outset. So little is known about the game. For all you know, they could come up with amazing multiplayer.

An amazing multiplayer that I wont play, because if I wanted to play multiplayer I'd go play a game built to be multiplayer from the ground up, like TF2 or something.

So I'd rather they focus 100% on the singleplayer.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

Yet the Witcher 2 had DRM during launch and the first few weeks after launch. I wish they actually stood by the message they give at all times, rather than just when it's safe to do so.

Yes, but it was a simple CD key IIRC, and the first patch removed it entirely. Yes, it was DRM, but it's not nearly as onerous as requiring an always online connection, as is the current trend.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Oh look, a developer with common sense.

No matter how much praise I can give these guys it isn't enough and they should be heard and other devs should follow this example, not nickle and dime their consumers to death with their milked franchises.

You will always be first in my heart when it comes to my games purchases CDPR.

PS: Death to tacked on multiplayer in singleplayer story driven games!

 

[neppakyo]

Ah, CDPR, you just made me love you more. I can't wait for TW3, and Cyberpunk. I will definatly preorder them.

And thank god they aren't following the trend of slapping MP on everything! I want more SP games, if I want MP, I'll play TF2, or play STO Online.

 

[Trueflame]

And this is why they're my favorite gaming company. They gave the enhanced edition of Witcher 2 as a free DLC to everyone who already owned a copy, unlike every other company in existence which would have charged $20 for it, they sell games without DRM, and they clearly understand that adding a bunch of fluff to the game would detract from the overall quality.

As I always say, Witcher 2 had the perfect non-story mode, by letting you play in the arena. It wasn't multiplayer, but it may as well have been since you were just fighting enemies, but it also allowed for some RPG elements like upgrading your character and equipment, and some competitive elements by seeing how your scores rank against others. Even if developing that took as much time and money as a multiplayer mode, at least the former didn't take away from the feel of the game. I just can't imagine a multiplayer mode for the Witcher that wouldn't detract from the feel of the game.

 

[Zer_]

Yet the Witcher 2 had DRM during launch and the first few weeks after launch. I wish they actually stood by the message they give at all times, rather than just when it's safe to do so.

The retail version did have DRM, most likely enforced by the publisher OR a left-over from the pre-release reviews (Most likely the first one, but I have heard the latter theory thrown around). They also rather quickly removed it and apologized for it being on that version. Given that one version had no DRM, and that the first one didn't, it was most likely an enforced requirement or a left over that wasn't removed.

It was mostly there to appease publishers. The DRM was pretty much only there to ensure the game wasn't launched prior to the street date. Beyond that it didn't do much esle. This is akin to encrypting files on your HDD when you pre-load a game on Steam.

 

[thesilentman]

Well, it seems that there are good guys in the main industry still. I'm definitely going to check out the third one now out of pure support for their business practices.

 

[Subscriptism]

CD Projekt already had a phenomenal amount of my respect and that just doubled. These guys, whether you like their games or not, are top people who treat their customers like people rather than walking wallets to be manipulated and fucked.

Easily the best publisher or developer out there.

I think I've worked out CD Projekt RED's corporate strategy: look at what EA is doing and do the exact opposite of it.

If only everyone did it.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

I'm glad to see someone's brain still works in the industry, and realizes that slapping multiplayer on a single player focused game is a dumb idea, Bioware.

in their defence, the multiplayer in ME3 was actually kind of fun, just that it had to influence your singleplayer game was a bit strange.

also, they let you play like a krogan, so yay that.