CD Projekt RED - The Witcher 2 Confirmed

Dagon writes that Polish game mag CD Action has an interview with CD Projekt's Michal Kicinksi confirming The Witcher 2 is in production and expected in 2010. This comes as no great surprise, so there's little reason to doubt the veracity.
More information.

Fantastic news. Here's to hoping CDP keeps its head above water until then. I can't wait!

The Witcher 2 is in production

I love seeing those words…. I hope they can match the quality of the first game.

I hope Geralt is not the protagonist. Not that I have something against him, but he got his share of attention.

And even if he is I really hope they reread the Witcher saga. I kinda felt that the Geralt in the game compared to the one in the books is so dull…

Originally Posted by JDR13
I love seeing those words…. I hope they can match the quality of the first game.

Most of the people who worked on the first have been fired or quit.

Not saying that means they can't match the quality, but it's an odd proposition. Especially considering it'll be tough going making it financially, anyway.

Gah, always the little ray of sunshine, aren't you, BN? Thanks for ruining my day…

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
Gah, always the little ray of sunshine, aren't you, BN? Thanks for ruining my day…

Sorry, just being honest.

Though on an up note, the guy who fed me all the information on the lay-offs, RotWW being cancelled and TW2 being in production did seem pretty optimistic about CDP's chances of getting TW2 out the door.

Originally Posted by Brother None
Most of the people who worked on the first have been fired or quit.

Not most of them. Some programmers and lead designer, who left because he wanted to develop some new IP instead of milking The Witcher, but CDPR isn't in the financial state to back up new IPs right now.

AFAIK, aside from Michał Madej, most designers are still at CDPR.

This comes as no great surprise, so there's little reason to doubt the veracity.

CD Action is the biggest Polish gaming magazine, so even if it were surprising, there would be no reason to doubt it.

Hey, Ausir, do you know why did Madej leave CDPR?

Oh how I wish that Sapo would be much more involved in the games….

By the way, an interesting - and possibly worrying - note is that if this game is set to be released in 2010, it's kind of odd it didn't make any showing whatsoever at E3, and is instead announced relatively anonymously and with incredibly bad timing. I think I know why they couldn't show a ready-made area yet, but it's still an odd one.

Hey, Ausir, do you know why did Madej leave CDPR?

What Dagon stated as Madej's reason to leave is correct.

Originally Posted by Dagon
Not most of them. Some programmers and lead designer, who left because he wanted to develop some new IP instead of milking The Witcher, but CDPR isn't in the financial state to back up new IPs right now.

Yes, that's as for as is officially known.

In reality, a significant part of the design/production team was put on the 3rd Witcher IP project which was cancelled even before RotWW, and they left to start their own studio (nothing to do what Madej is doing, he left earlier).

I believe the art director or one of the other art leads left as well, and I've heard some middling things about their current art lead, but I don't have the details there.

I don't have the numbers or a list of names, but expect to miss quite a few familiar faces from the role-call of TW2, and to see a few new ones in there. The turnover compared to 1 is significant, that much I know for sure.

Originally Posted by Brother None
In reality, a significant part of the design/production team was put on the 3rd Witcher IP project which was cancelled even before RotWW, and they left to start their own studio (nothing to do what Madej is doing, he left earlier).

The guys from the third team are working on Medieval FPP now as far as I know and Michał Madej works now for the developers of Call of Juarez - Techland .

Originally Posted by Dagon
The guys from the third team are working on Medieval FPP now as far as I know and Michał Madej works now for the developers of Call of Juarez - Techland .

No, different project. It's unannounced as of yet.

What's Medieval FPP, and who's working on it?

Brother None, please, since you have so much info on the projects…

Will Platige (in fact Baginski) make another breathtaking intro animation for The Witcher 2? I mean, is there any tip on that one? I've played it many times and each time I couldn't take my eyes from that intro.

Originally Posted by Brother None
No, different project. It's unannounced as of yet.

What's Medieval FPP, and who's working on it?

The game is called "Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition".
The studio has ex-developers from RED and Reality Pump

EDIT: Ok, my mistake, the game is created only by some of the guys who left the company, don;t know about the rest

Originally Posted by Dagon
EDIT: Ok, my mistake, the game is created only by some of the guys who left the company, don;t know about the rest

Well, they're doing well

Originally Posted by joxer
Will Platige (in fact Baginski) make another breathtaking intro animation for The Witcher 2? I mean, is there any tip on that one? I've played it many times and each time I couldn't take my eyes from that intro.

No idea. Since he's external (right?) I don't think any of this impacts whether or not he'll be hired, so I'd assume yes, but I really don't know.

Thanks again for the clearing about Madej, damn too bad he's not working on the Witcher 2. :/

Hmm my hope is getting smaller….

Slightly off-topic:
@Explodin' Gobbo: So I guess it doesn't bother you that CDP Red are doing the same as Blizzard. Milkin' their new cow. I seem to remember you being quite vocal about Blizzard milking the Starcraft franchise, even though 2 games is hardly milking. *cough* double-standard *cough*

Originally Posted by Brother None
By the way, an interesting - and possibly worrying - note is that if this game is set to be released in 2010, it's kind of odd it didn't make any showing whatsoever at E3

Why is that odd? Surely it'll be at next years E3 rather than this years.