CD Projekt RED - Two Developers Have Left

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News from a recent press release has information that Lead Gameplay Designer Maciej Szcześnik, and Gameplay Producer Marek Ziemak have left CD Projekt.

They have joined a developer called 11 bit studios to make their own game. Here is the press release with more information.

11 bit studios Hires The Witcher's Lead Gameplay Designer Maciej Szcześnik and Gameplay Producer Marek Ziemak

After years of working on The Witcher franchise, lead gameplay designer Maciej Szcześnik and gameplay producer Marek Ziemak have joined 11 bit studios. "I'm absolutely looking forward to working here," said Maciej Szcześnik, who will be the lead designer of a new game in development at 11 bit. "I'll be responsible for the entire design of a game that took shape in my imagination. It's a really exciting feeling to create a new world from scratch, make its characters and rules and to know that I have this blank page to fill with my ideas and then bring them to life."

Marek Ziemak's role will be announced soon, alongside news about the exciting projects the 11 bit team is working on. Marek says, "I've been watching the indie-game scene for quite some time and I love its creativity and freshness. Without going into details, expect some hot news from us around March." Grzegorz Miechowski, managing director at 11 bit studios adds, "We make games in small teams where creative input is the key. It's great to have these two talented guys on board. This absolutely takes 11 bit to a new level."

Stay tuned for more news from 11 bit studios and its upcoming games.

About 11 bit

We are 11 bit studios – a game development company based in Warsaw, Poland, Europe, Planet Earth. Guided by an experienced management team, our goal is to create exciting games for all kind of gamers – hardcore players, as well as those who play on occasion – and to make the games easily available through digital distribution. The head concept behind our development is to devise unique and pioneering gameplay ideas, and to implement and deliver them to all main gaming platforms: consoles, computers and handhelds. Find more at www.11bitstudios.com
Thanks to lostforever I also have a link to Polygon with more information.

More information.
 
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So another Kickstarter coming in March then.
Maybe as I have no information on what their game is going to be yet. Check back in March but you already know that.^^

My only fear is that it will be a mobile game as 11 bit studios is primarily a mobile developer. Polygon does have a reply that helps alleviate that fear.
We’re totally multi-platform developer – X360, Ps3, PS4, Steam and mobile – this is our range. And without details – the guys will work on PC and mobile games as well.
 
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Good for CD-Project. A little fresh blood won't hurt, because frankly the Witchers gameplay design wasn't that good. Probably a lucky move now CD Projekt RED can acquire a potent producer.
 
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I hope this isn't dick move by these people and they have left after their work on W3 was finished.
 
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I hope this isn't dick move by these people and they have left after their work on W3 was finished.
I recall reading the game was mostly finished, and playable so I wouldn't worry.

Production of "The Witcher 3" quickly going into the final
With Adam Kiciński, president of CD Projekt, talking Dariusz Wolak

Dariusz Wolak: Is TW3 ready yet?
Adam Kiciński: You can play through the entire game already, although it obviously still needs some work, performance optimization, polishing graphics and so on. But it looks like it's nearly finished. 3/4 of the whole studio is involved in TW3, the rest working on CP2077. The boxes design is complete. The standard edition will be very rich, the collectors edition will be extraordinary. There will be 12-15 language versions (TW2 had 11, + 3 fan-made). Deals with the biggest retailers (like Gamestop or Amazon) are set, including all the details for presale campaigns.

DW: We only don't know the launch date.
AK: It will be unveiled in the first half of the year.

DW: Usually the date is made public a couple of months before the premiere, giving the time to launch the whole marketing machinery. Does it mean TW3 will be launched in autumn?
AK: Evaded the question.

DW: Do you have all the distribution deals signed?
AK: All the major ones. Couple of others are in the talks (RSA, Brazil). The distribution will be more geographically atomized than TW2 where there was only a couple of large distribution regions, which in turn resulted in some countries within those regions to be somewhat neglected. It should change now. Besides, all the major publishers actively seek the deals, so CDPR can select the best offers. The Chinese marked looks promising, and the Witcher franchise is known there thanks to pirates. There's a tremendous potential in there and CDPR will try to utilize it.

The distributors will only sell TW3 retail boxes, the digital distribution is entirely on CDPR's side. (Profits from a digital sale are two times that of a retail sale.)

DW: So TW3's development goes according to the schedule. What about the budget?
AK: Also looks good. It was a very conservative budget from the start, the whole production is being financed from current incomes and savings. There is also backup in form of a credit line for 40 million PLN (from which 30 million is designated towards game production), but there was no need to put it to use as of yet, and perhaps there won't be in the future.

DW: TW3 will be out for PCs and next-gen consoles. You have no regrets about this decision? The consoles were launched a bit later than expected.
AK: But they sell much better than expected. 4.2 million PS4s and 3 million of XBOs. Target forecasts state 33 million consoles at the end of the year. The decision was right.

DW: Marketing campaign is supposed to cost 25 million USD, more than the production itself. Why so much?
AK: They want that not only RPG fans buy TW3, but the gamers that buy all the blockbusters as well. This means reaching much broader audience. Up till now only a couple of percent of the marketing budget has been spent. The main campaign will start in a few months.

DW: Why CD Projekt publishes board games and comics?
AK: Its a strategy to build the franchise and gather new gamers. There is at least one new idea how to use the Witcher franchise in this year, but it's too early to talk about it.
Most retailers list a September release this year, but delays do happen.
 
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DW: Marketing campaign is supposed to cost 25 million USD, more than the production itself. Why so much?
AK: They want that not only RPG fans buy TW3, but the gamers that buy all the blockbusters as well. This means reaching much broader audience. Up till now only a couple of percent of the marketing budget has been spent. The main campaign will start in a few months.

The necessary evils of our time I guess, but it always saddens me a bit, reading stuff like that :-/ (As long as it wasn't funds taken from the game design budget I guess I can live with it. But maybe more could have been directed there in the first place...)

As for the designers. Too early to say what's going on there. May just have wanted to try stuff of their own outside of the constraints of a large established company…
 
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I also read that marketing budgets of some movies are same as or even bigger than their production costs as well... crazy...

The interesting thing is W3 cost 50 million in total (25 marketing another 25 or less for productions). I wonder how it will compare (in terms of the game and sales) to Skyrim which cost about 100 million...
 
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OnT:

Isnt it a rather common move in the business?
I seem to have read a couple of similar news every other year. Closing in on crunch time, some people leave (hopefully when they have finished their part).
Sometimes its good with a change of scenery every five years or so to get your passion going again.

OT

Game industry is not the only one with large marketing costs.

A couple of years ago I worked on one of the larger pharmaceutical companies, for those, marketing of a new drug can reach development costs or even be larger.
Sad fact, but thats the way it is.

C

Actually reinstalled W2 yesterday, maybe time to finish it.
 
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All I know is that after TW2 we get sci-fi RPG. Will cdpr change direction? If it'll sell, why would they? Will some staff leave cdpr and move to phonegames? Of course they will, some ppl live only to scam others.

GG, did we really play TW games because of gameplay? I played the first one only to collect all cards. :D
 
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See? Definetly not because of gameplay. For all I care, and I bet for all you care, they could have made the combat even worse, we'd still enjoy the game.
 
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