Witcher 2 Witcher 2 no longer a PC exclusive?

Malifax · February 22, 2011

This from http://www.made2game.com/xbox-360/the-witcher-2-ps3-xbox360/

Console fanboys rejoice, action RPG The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is almost certain to make the move to PS3 and Xbox 360 after its PC debut in May. “It will be possible to do it on current gen consoles. It’s not a co-incidence because we have thought about it. It is a multi-platform engine.” Tomasz Gop, Senior Producer at developer CD Projekt Red told Made2Game today.

According to Gop the Polish developers have been testing the game on consoles. “We took small parts of the game, ported small parts of it onto current gen consoles and we know it’s possible.”

Expect a full hands-on with the game on the Action RPG site Raiding Party. What we will say right now, though, is that it is looking and playing like a dream.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings will be released by Namco Bandai for PC on May 19. For more on the game check out developer diaries, some cool screens or the CGI heavy trailer.

Is there ever gonna be a exclusive PC rpg again? ugh

Drithius · February 22, 2011

I don't really see the problem; it was designed first and foremost with the PC in mind. If CD Projekt can make some money off the console fanatics while still keeping the PC audience #1, more power to them.

What I expect though is that the game will look like garbage after having to have its graphics downsized to run on the 360.

Gorath · February 25, 2011

Actually it was known for a long time that CD Project intended to port The Witcher 2. I don't have a problem with it as long as the PC is the lead platform.

DoctorNarrative · February 25, 2011

Gorath said:
Actually it was known for a long time that CD Project intended to port The Witcher 2.

They want to port it but it depends on their financial situation after release and how well the game is received. Same as The Witcher 1, which never made it over, so we shall see.

In any case I find it very annoying that every single preview of the game has a console-focused journalist at some point begging them for a console port.

Couchpotato · February 25, 2011

DoctorNarrative said:
They want to port it but it depends on their financial situation after release and how well the game is received. Same as The Witcher 1, which never made it over, so we shall see.

In any case I find it very annoying that every single preview of the game has a console-focused journalist at some point begging them for a console port.

Welcome to gaming journalism. I asked one reviewer why he only did 360 reviews and not pc reviews on multi-platform release. His answer they the same game why bother reviewing both. You could imagine my huge faceplam. There are differences.

DoctorNarrative · February 25, 2011

Couchpotato said:
Welcome to gaming journalism. I asked one reviewer why he only did 360 reviews and not pc reviews on multi-platform release. His answer they the same game why bother reviewing both. You could imagine my huge faceplam. There are differences.

I like when they mark a game down for things like a bad framerate or poor analog aiming controls and then apply the same score to the PC version. Lovely.

Gorath · February 25, 2011

Couchpotato said:
Welcome to gaming journalism. I asked one reviewer why he only did 360 reviews and not pc reviews on multi-platform release. His answer they the same game why bother reviewing both. You could imagine my huge faceplam. There are differences.

Yes, that's how the majority of the readers sees it, and how the reviewers are paid.

The conclusion for publishers can only be:
It's absolutely inevitable to make a superb XBox360 conversion. Otherwise the negative reviews will impact the PC platform. If the conversion is sloppy it should be delayed for several months.

Anderson · February 26, 2011

DoctorNarrative said:
In any case I find it very annoying that every single preview of the game has a console-focused journalist at some point begging them for a console port.

I don't think they're begging for a port; I think they're begging for a scoop. Despite a lot of hints and teases, they haven't officially confirmed a port. They have hinted and suggested and come very close to saying there will be a port, but they've never actually confirmed it. So I think that's what the journalists are digging for — a confirmation, which would be news.

I don't think PC gamers need to worry about the port issue here. They've said several times that their first priority is to get the PC version right, and only after that is accomplished -- only after the PC version ships -- will they turn their attention to the port. I know that sometimes the PC version suffers because a developer is doing a multiplatform release, but I don't think that's going to be the case here.

DeepO · February 26, 2011

Anderson said:
I don't think PC gamers need to worry about the port issue here.

Well, there is some potential to be worried here and there:

Not that I think the original´s inventory was particularly brilliant (the journal was though).

DoctorNarrative · February 26, 2011

Anderson said:
I don't think PC gamers need to worry about the port issue here. They've said several times that their first priority is to get the PC version right, and only after that is accomplished — only after the PC version ships — will they turn their attention to the port. I know that sometimes the PC version suffers because a developer is doing a multiplatform release, but I don't think that's going to be the case here.

Agreed.

I don't care about console versions of any game really, I just want a quality PC version. If more developers released a game on Xbox and PC and both felt like they were made for the platform I doubt many people would give a crap.

tolknaz · February 26, 2011

Say hello to smaller levels, big-ass UI, low detail models and textures, low performance etc. I've yet to see a multiplatform game, where pc version isn't a shitty port (Risen, Divinity 2 and some other games excluded, that are the other way around).

Anderson · February 26, 2011

DeepO said:
Well, there is some potential to be worried here and there:

You're saying the inventory has been compromised somehow to accommodate console players? Hmm, I'm not seeing it. Maybe you could explain the problem more. On first glance, that inventory looks a bit messy and cumbersome. That reminds me of what PC RPG inventories looks like when they are ported to console, rather a "console-friendly" inventory.

tolknaz said:
Say hello to smaller levels, big-ass UI, low detail models and textures, low performance etc. I've yet to see a multiplatform game, where pc version isn't a shitty port (Risen, Divinity 2 and some other games excluded, that are the other way around).

Don't worry so much; they have said repeatedly that the PC version is their first and most important priority. You yourself name several exceptions to your "PC version gets a crappy port" rule — Risen and Divinity 2 — and I could name several more: Two Worlds 1 and 2, Dragon Age Origins, Morrowind, Arx Fatalis, Sacred 2, and Venetica. So I don't see any predictable pattern here. Sometimes PC players get a shitty port; sometimes consoles players do. Chances are, we're each more sensitive when it happens on our own platform. But it's happening on both "sides."

I wonder about this game engine they're talking about, where all 3 platforms are developed simultaneously — that is how I've heard it described, at any rate. If that's accurate, then perhaps one version will not pale in comparison to the others.

Zloth · February 26, 2011

tolknaz said:
Say hello to smaller levels, big-ass UI, low detail models and textures, low performance etc. I've yet to see a multiplatform game, where pc version isn't a shitty port (Risen, Divinity 2 and some other games excluded, that are the other way around).

Batman AA.

Tiny levels are definitely a big problem in ports. If you even THINK you're going to port to XBox then you have to design your maps so they can fit in XBox's puny memory. That might not be the case here, though. Remember the walk-through videos they were doing? One of the big things they were going on about was how the levels load dynamically. If they have that forumal down pat, they can make big things and just have the XBox load only part of them.

UI is just a matter of spending the money to make a second UI. (Or at least making the UI mod'able.)

I'm not sure what the story is on performance but I think it may be CPUs. XBox has 3, if I remember right. A game optimized for 3 cores is going to have trouble on a PC with just 2. So go buy yourself a PC that has 6 cores - that should take care of the issue.

DeepO · February 26, 2011

Anderson said:
That reminds me of what PC RPG inventories looks like when they are ported to console, rather a "console-friendly" inventory.

The distinction whether it looks like a PC inventory ported to console or a "console-friendly" is rather irrelevant because we´re talking PC version here. The inventory doesn´t seem to be optimized for PC and does look rather like one designed with consoles in mind, that was the point.
It can be seen in a bit more detail here (around 4:00).
The concerned aspect is that you have to scroll through the list of items instead of them being on a grid.
For what it´s worth, it´s barely a deal (if any) for me and I think that items being sorted by category is a step up from the first game, but it may rise a question whether some other aspects of the game, like control scheme for example, were subjected to this "console in mind" approach.
So, as I said, some potential to be worried (though personally I´m not) is there, that´s all.

Anderson · February 26, 2011

DeepO said:
The concerned aspect is that you have to scroll through the list of items instead of them being on a grid.
For what it´s worth, it´s barely a deal (if any) for me and I think that items being sorted by category is a step up from the first game, but it may rise a question whether some other aspects of the game, like control scheme for example, were subjected to this "console in mind" approach.
So, as I said, some potential to be worried (though personally I´m not) is there, that´s all.

Hm, okay. I guess we'll have to wait to see more, to know for sure.

DoctorNarrative · February 26, 2011

I don't think a grid is necessarily always the best choice on PC. If it supports the scroll-wheel a list is just as good if not better, really.

DeepO · February 26, 2011

DoctorNarrative said:
I don't think a grid is necessarily always the best choice on PC. If it supports the scroll-wheel a list is just as good if not better, really.

That depends mainly on how loot heavy the game is. Even though devs said there´s gonna be "more loot" this time, I doubt the increase will be dramatic enough to make scrolling a big deal (assuming scroll-wheel will be supported), especially since there seems to be a lot of sorting categories.

Anyway, looked around a bit and found what´ll likely be the control scheme:

(source)
Pretty smooth. (F/S = fast/strong style)

A bit off-topic, a new HD gameplay vid from the pre-beta build, featuring some walking around, combat and minigames.
The person playing is engaging in rolling overkill.
QTE fist fight is bound to raise some eyebrows and I´m sure some people will LOVE the arm wrestling minigame

.
Don´t like the blood screen effect and am not exactly fond of the finisher cutscenes.

All in all, lookin´ good and yeah, more-or-less "PC-friendly" I think.
Kinda want to see the skill trees now.

DoctorNarrative · February 27, 2011

Ewww... block on E is going to trip me out. I'll probably put block on right mouse and strong attack on F, which is my normal melee key in shooters.

Dasale · February 27, 2011

If you can't setup keys I'll even won't buy it at all. I just can't believe they'll do this crap choice.

Worse is in W1 there was some static keys and my soft allowing reprogram keys keyboard for games wasn't working for W1, the only game for which it didn't worked.

DoctorNarrative · February 27, 2011

Dasale said:
If you can't setup keys I'll even won't buy it at all. I just can't believe they'll do this crap choice.

It looks pretty standard really, and I am sure you will be able to customize.

Witcher 2 Witcher 2 no longer a PC exclusive?

Watchdog

Magic & Loss

Prime Evil

Patroling Written Words

Part-Time News-bot

Patroling Written Words

Prime Evil

Consolized

deep outside

Patroling Written Words

Sentinel

Consolized

I smell a... wumpus!?

deep outside

Consolized

Patroling Written Words

deep outside

Patroling Written Words

SasqWatch

Patroling Written Words