The Witcher - Now Available in NA

I think we all know this but just in case…

- Atari Announces the Launch of CD Projekt's Role-Playing Masterpiece, Available Now at North American Retailers -

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News), one of the world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher announced today the North American launch of The Witcher®, the first game from Polish development studio CD Projekt RED and a distinctive PC role-playing game which delivers a thrilling story in a unique fantasy universe alongside stunning tactical combat. The Witcher is a Games for Windows title, rated M for Mature and available at the suggested retail price of $49.95.
In The Witcher players take the role of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, who exists on the fringes of a complex society troubled by the kind of problems more commonly found on the front pages of newspapers than in a fantasy universe. Taken as a child, mutated, and trained in the arcane ways of the witchers, Geralt is a reluctant hero, who nonetheless finds himself all too frequently in the heat of battles that are not his own. His is a path he might not choose to walk, but walk it he must, guided by his head, heart, and only faithful companion - his sword.

"The Witcher is an unbelievably robust and exciting role-playing game that offers an intense world, unbelievable graphics, and an incredible story-line," said Lawrence Liberty, Producer, Atari, Inc. "Atari is eager to deliver with CD Projekt RED this outstanding game that strives to set new standards within the genre."

Based on the fictional world created by best-selling Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is set in a unique fantasy universe where real-life issues dominate a troubled society. In this world there is no right or wrong, only decisions and consequences - consequences with which the protagonist Geralt must live.

For more information about The Witcher visit www.thewitcher.com and for more details about Atari's entire product line up visit www.atari.com.

More information.

The question is, do I even want the NA version?

Not just robust, but "unbelievably robust"--how could you not want it? Atari could screw up a wet dream. Just overlook this nauseous PR-speak and get the game.

jdr, gogamer has the UK import if you want the uncensored version--mine is shipping as we speak.

Learn polish and buy original, full, uncensored, polish version I'm sorry for you americans: naked tits!?? HORRIBLE!! woman's thigh!?? CENSOR!! guns for everyone? YEAH, WHY NOT?

Originally Posted by indigo
Learn polish and buy original, full, uncensored, polish version I'm sorry for you americans: naked tits!?? HORRIBLE!! woman's thigh!?? CENSOR!! guns for everyone? YEAH, WHY NOT?

Is the UK version not fully uncensored?

Originally Posted by JDR13
Is the UK version not fully uncensored?

All non-polish dialogue is cut. I think he means that.

Censorship in US is just silly, that's all. You are world leading porn producer so you have nudity censorship, Germans started wars so they got violence censorship, Russians most likely don't have any alcohol in games… We in Poland have poor porn, loose all wars, make vine from apples, thats why I guess we have full uncesored games

But seriously, from what I've heard, UK version isnt censored in any way.

indigo we've talked about this matter into death, just check the relative thread. It's not about Americans being puritans or the US goverment censoring, its more about Atari's retarded business practices. From what I gather there are games like GoW and Conan that have more nudity, yet they remain uncensored and there is no problem getting them in the States.

And you don't seriously suggest we should learn a language just to play a videogame, do you?

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
indigo we've talked about this matter into death, just check the relative thread. It's not about Americans being puritans or the US goverment censoring, its more about Atari's retarded business practices. From what I gather there are games like GoW and Conan that have more nudity, yet they remain uncensored and there is no problem getting them in the States.

And you don't seriously suggest we should learn a language just to play a videogame, do you?

The North American edits were not some "mighty hand of Atari" coming down on the devs… it was a proactive measure to avoid a potential AO rating… the game's mature themes, language, violence AND nudity may very well have pushed it over the edge into that dreaded rating.

This announcement may be a day early for those of us in the middle of NA. I was told it would be at the store on November 1st. But I'm going by there later on so we'll see…. Here's hoping for today!

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
This announcement may be a day early for those of us in the middle of NA. I was told it would be at the store on November 1st. But I'm going by there later on so we'll see…. Here's hoping for today!

Unfortunately, depending on where you live, the "game has shipped" announcement precedes the actual in-store availability by a day or two.

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
The North American edits were not some "mighty hand of Atari" coming down on the devs.

Sure it was. Just check the related interviews. Atari was 'looking for ways to bring the game to the NA market' ever since CDP showed them the game. Atari had the distribution network and they said "Cut and we will publish". And CDP cut.

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
… it was a proactive measure to avoid a potential AO rating…

Thing is, Atari didn't even submit an uncensored version for rating. So we will never know if the uncensored version would be rated AO or not.

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
… the game's mature themes, language, violence AND nudity may very well have pushed it over the edge into that dreaded rating.

Why dreaded? Porn is AO and is doing pretty well.

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
Sure it was. Just check the related interviews. Atari was 'looking for ways to bring the game to the NA market' ever since CDP showed them the game. Atari had the distribution network and they said "Cut and we will publish". And CDP cut.

Considering I was along with CD Projekt every step of the way, I have to disagree with that assessment.

Thing is, Atari didn't even submit an uncensored version for rating. So we will never know if the uncensored version would be rated AO or not.

There was always close contact with the ESRB throughout development. If they HAD submitted one with all of the nudity at the end of the dev cycle and we'd found out that an AO would have been bestowed, there's little chance the game would be out right now.

Why dreaded? Porn is AO and is doing pretty well.

But an AO video game will not be carried by retail stores. So sure, it's possible to release an AO game, but you'll only be selling it online. Stores do not stock AO titles.

Heh the rating policy in U.S is not only weird, but its funny too.

Witcher and porn are from a whole different planet. There are not even close..Most tv series show more nudity than witcher. (yes I have uk-copy)

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
Unfortunately, depending on where you live, the "game has shipped" announcement precedes the actual in-store availability by a day or two.

Nope, it's all good! I just picked up my copy (11:30 am). Just installed… so see ya!

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
Considering I was along with CD Projekt every step of the way, I have to disagree with that assessment.

Fine, since I was not along with CDP and I can only guess from what I've been hearing and reading, why don't you give us the true version of the story? Also, under what capacity were you along with CDP? I think it would be great for all of us to know how you did end up with what I consider a mess.

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
There was always close contact with the ESRB throughout development. If they HAD submitted one with all of the nudity at the end of the dev cycle and we'd found out that an AO would have been bestowed, there's little chance the game would be out right now.

Again, I don't quite follow. Where there is a will there is a way. Couldn' it be possible for example to submit both versions for rating and decide which one to publish afterwards? Why did it have to be near the very end of development, hasn't the content of the game been determined for a while now? Do you work for Atari?

Originally Posted by Tom Ohle
But an AO video game will not be carried by retail stores. So sure, it's possible to release an AO game, but you'll only be selling it online. Stores do not stock AO titles.

You completely missed my point here. Porn is not carried by retail stores either. OTOH I and many others are not purchasing any 'Atari version'. And I'm sure The Witcher will be in the 'most imported' list in USA.

If you do work for Atari, I think you have a great game in your hands and you missed the opportunity to take the risks it deserves.

[edit] just found out you're Bioware, my questions still remain though. Also: which version will *you* be playing?

I ordered the USA version because as I understand it, the only cuts is the full nudity in the cards. Honestly, I don't care one bit about not being able to see everything in the sex cards - I am interested in other aspects of the game. Besides, I kind of like the "tease" anyway.

According to the devs there is 3D nudity edited as well. 1 NPC and 2 monsters. So the difference in game could result into something like fighting against 10 censored Bruxas. But whatever.

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
You completely missed my point here. Porn is not carried by retail stores either. OTOH I and many others are not purchasing any 'Atari version'. And I'm sure The Witcher will be in the 'most imported' list in USA.

Atari published the uncensored version available in the UK. The BBFC rating is "18" ("adult only" as 18 is the age of majority in the UK), a category that is acceptable for sale in retail stores. There is another BBFC rating "Restricted 18" that applies to pornography, products with this rating may only be sold in licensed ‘adult’ stores.

It appears that the US market doesn't distinguish between varieties of "adult only" products thus "adult only" = kiss of retail death. I can see Atari’s reasoning to be honest. It's not as if they were trying the sanitise to game merely to get a larger catchment 'kiddie' rating - it was censor or not publish at all.

Originally Posted by Lethal Weapon
Fine, since I was not along with CDP and I can only guess from what I've been hearing and reading, why don't you give us the true version of the story? Also, under what capacity were you along with CDP? I think it would be great for all of us to know how you did end up with what I consider a mess.

I was the PR person representing CD Projekt and The Witcher right until Atari signed on to publish the game, and I'm now a PR person representing the game for Atari.

Again, I don't quite follow. Where there is a will there is a way. Couldn' it be possible for example to submit both versions for rating and decide which one to publish afterwards? Why did it have to be near the very end of development, hasn't the content of the game been determined for a while now? Do you work for Atari?

Then you would have still had to do the work to make the edits and MAYBE received the rating you wanted. I don't work for Atari or CDP directly, so I can't say exactly when the game was shown to the ESRB or the discussions that went on about the content. I can say that it's unlikely that the content was cut just because Atari felt that would be suitable. As others have said in this thread, Atari is publishing the unedited version elsewhere, so this isn't some big corporation coming in and censoring a title worldwide.

You completely missed my point here. Porn is not carried by retail stores either. OTOH I and many others are not purchasing any 'Atari version'. And I'm sure The Witcher will be in the 'most imported' list in USA.

[edit] just found out you're Bioware, my questions still remain though. Also: which version will *you* be playing?

But the fact is, porn can still be purchased at stores -- they just happen to only sell porn. There's no such thing (well, not on a wide basis, at least) as an adults-only game store. The Witcher is rated M in North America, meaning that it's only suitable for players over the age of 17. The AO (Adults Only) rating is a death kiss for any product that hopes to sell well, because stores will not sell the game. There have only ever been a handful of AO games, because when a game is threatened with an AO rating (see Manhunt 2, GTA: San Andreas) the companies go back and -- at great expense -- have to edit the content. AO is not an acceptable rating in the current business climate in North America.

Personally, I'm playing the Euro version because that was the first I could get my hands on. I'd be perfectly happy with the edited one, though, because I don't need digital breasts and pubic hair -- I'm perfectly fine seeing the real thing, or if I'm really struggling with my libido, I do have this thing called the internet .