Andrzej Sapkowski Demands More Money

In video form for anyone who hates reading.

Well that video just reinforced my previous stated position. Very nasty letter is not the way to move forward.

The interesting thing about this whole situation is that CDPR can't be very jerkish about this whole thing, if they want to aquire the full Witcher IP, which I believe they said they're trying to get. So Sapkowski has kind of got them by the balls, if they want the IP.

What's most likely to happen, imo, is that this whole situation will expedite negotiating for the IP. So maybe he'll sell them the IP for a bigger price than he initially thought he could get . That's the only way that I can see both parties getting what they want. Now it all depends on badly does CDPR want the IP.

danutz_plusplus said:

The interesting thing about this whole situation is that CDPR can't be very jerkish about this whole thing, if they want to aquire the full Witcher IP, which I believe they said they're trying to get. So Sapkowski has kind of got them by the balls, if they want the IP.

What's most likely to happen, imo, is that this whole situation will expedite negotiating for the IP. So maybe he'll sell them the IP for a bigger price than he initially thought he could get . That's the only way that I can see both parties getting what they want. Now it all depends on badly does CDPR want the IP.

Click to expand...

I think CDPR should move on from Witcher IP as I don't believe its rich enough for another deep and stratifying experiences in gaming format as we have already seen everything to it. The Witcher stories are really about Gerlat and friends and they are done. The world doesn't have anything else going for it. This is not Lord of the rings...

lostforever said:

I think CDPR should move on from Witcher IP as I don't believe its rich enough for another deep and stratifying experiences in gaming format as we have already seen everything to it. The Witcher stories are really about Gerlat and friends and they are done. The world doesn't have anything else going for it. This is not Lord of the rings…

Click to expand...

Creatively, I think I agree with you. But, being led by business men and being so close to the Witcher IP, I don't think they'll do it.

Ripper said:

I don't know what he got for the new TV series, but I dare say it's a heck of a lot more now that CDPR has turned the IP into a household name.

Click to expand...

That's a very good point. Also his books are in every Barnes and Nobles now, often with covers clearly designed to attract people who are fans of the games.

So while he may not have gotten all the money he could have out of the deal, it's not like it didn't still benefit him greatly by giving him money in other ways.

"But who could foresee their success? I couldn't."

Click to expand...

Sounds to me rather like … what's the word … self-righteousness ? … He just didn't believe in them.

And now, he just noticed how stupid his … self-righteousness ? … was. And now, he wants to believe in them.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Sounds to me rather like … what's the word … self-righteousness ? … He just didn't believe in them.

And now, he just noticed how stupid his … self-righteousness ? … was. And now, he wants to believe in them.

Click to expand...

The expression in English is, "He sold himself short". As in the stock market. He sold it for far less than it was worth - but this is literally what he did. Its more often used to under-promote your personal talents like not obtaining some sort of job promotion or doing a task.

I say deal with it, people make bad bets all the time, it's called life. It just seems so lazy "i made a bad bet, but i still don't want to lose so give me the money!". He can write more books, make other and better deals and maybe work on his social issues, maybe not call gamers stupid or that he only wants to hang out with "intelligent people" (as in not gamers). It wont do him any favors and it won't make him popular, the same people who reads his books also plays games, duh!

There is always the question did the Game make an average books good ? Anyway I already express my opinion on the matter.

I just finished reading tower of the swallow an hour ago.
Pretty good read other than messing up Ciri's age.
CDPR made him a shitload unless he sold his author's rights for small cash too.

duerer said:

… and that's the reason why you artist types must have a good agent.
You'll do the creative fart, they'll do the biz shit.

Yeah, capitalism sucks, but you must play by its rules.

Click to expand...

Yea, I am still trying to figure it out. I redesigned my website, created a new one (www.artisticcounterculture.com), showcasing my graphic design ideas and writing skills. And I get less interest now than I did when I had a wordpress domain on my main site and the free plan. I also can get like a hundred views on linkedin of my latest graphic accompanying my latest self published article on my blog or main site (www.maciejduraj.com) and it will have no clicks to the actual site off linkedin or article (wordpress analytics) nor interest in anyone working with me or hiring me. Just like four years ago I could apply for any tech writing work online and at least I would hear back or get work quickly. but since beind deported and dissapewring for a while it all dried up and now I mostly just have old writing samples or clips on my portfolio.

Oh and I recently wrote for TouchArcade and it seemed like it was going good at first as I was publishing like two daily reviews and enjoyed both getting games for free, playing them and writing, but I tried doing it si it was not just some side gig but something that could actually help me here in Poland in terms of raent or help my family from constantly supporting me since I was deported. So I published twice daily and it was as if it backfired and they got mad for being too expensive to hire for them. I also then realized the reasons for their high turnover rates.

They care so much about their little clicks on their website and the opinions of a bunch of idiots online than quality journalism or writing. They would start rejecting every idea for a news story or review because it was either not going to be popular enough they thought (even thiugh very relevant and news worthy and I dont even see how it would not be popular to cover mobas for instance or a new moba being announced) or because they even said this on Discord (or that Eli guy who runs TA) that they couldn’t afford too much coverage or it had to be really new or popular to get their clicks. They wouldn’t publish any update news piece or any info I had written up, for instance, on The Sun: Origin because the game was not popular or known enough. Everything they did was to preserve their status quo and there was no care for interesting civerage at all, just same crap daily.

All of a sudden after publishing numerous reviews, I had a bit of trouble describing this puzzle game or writing a full review out of it since it was so simple and I’ve basically said everything about it in two paragraphs so they (or that Eli Hodapp guy) just started getting on me for the littliest stuff shout it. like he expected some super in depth coverage of a marble amdness type of game and even complained because ai used the adjective interesting or captivating more than once or twice. He was afting like all of a sudden TA is this super high paid and high level of journalism website and the reviews have to be super in depth and unique. Oh and the other main guy there or editor named Jared even changed my score for one of the reviews because I gave it four starts and he thought it should be 3.5.

On top of this I gave this crappy and really badly controlled game named Volcano Tower, or something, like two and a half stars (and that was me being generous), and some of the comments complained (like two people who thiught it should be higher) he actually asked me on Discord about it and tried to get me to posisbly change the score or just mentioned people complaining. Have you guys ever heard of a real gsming website like Polygon or IGN having the reviewer only give reviews according to what the mass wants or changing h5hem because a couple people complain? Pretty amazing actually.

Pretty strange thiugh thst they would publish like six or eight reviews of mine if not more than when I had trouble doing a long form review of a simple puzzle game with a douple simple mechanics, Eli Hodapp took over from thst Jared guy the editing and kept complaining about every little thing in thst review and another one thst I had submitted. I actually had two submitted reviews I never got paid for (they only pay $25 each if I remember right for review anyway) and at the same time just changed their whole publishing scheme with me as if it was not even about the two games or reviews but me publishing or submitting too much for their little clicks to handle (or their own revenue to catch up with cause they have no business sense or are greedy). I understand if maybe I ran i to problems with these games, but I actually revised both reviews numerous times using Google Docs from changes thst Eli guy suggested and he just kept finding more complaints basically of his own changes he suggested (since I would implement exactly what he suggested in edits). and on top of that their turnover is notoriously high and they have like one or two other main writers thst only publish like once or twice a week and a constsnt turnover of others.

AppleIntimidation said:

Oh ...

Click to expand...

Hmm, not sure I understood your intention clearly, by my gut reaction would be this:

1. Differentiate your stuff from the hordes of internet artists / reviewers / writers.
Why are you special compared to them? (Cheat sheet: quality does NOT matter)

2. Clearly define your goal with your internet presence.
Do you want to express your craft, your ego, or your desires? (Cheat sheet: can't do all three at once)

3. The Hard Part: does your stuff actually interests anyone out there? (Cheat sheet: you must be EXTREMELY honest on his one, else you'll just fool yourself)

4. Finally, if you struggle alone, seek out for partners. (Cheat sheet: you must NOT seek for Rich Bastard Uncle Bob - he will not finance you in any way)

... and then, hopefully, your endeavor will come to rise.

Sure, it's a "small lump sum," NOW, but they offered a percentage back then because said sum would be a financial burden for a small indie studio to take. They ate the cost and went on to benefit. If they had failed, as most startups usually do, he would have made the safer choice. It's a little late to cry now.

USA, Russians called: they want more $ for Alaska.

I think CDPR should move on from Witcher IP as I don't believe its rich enough for another deep and stratifying experiences in gaming format as we have already seen everything to it. The Witcher stories are really about Gerlat and friends and they are done. The world doesn't have anything else going for it. This is not Lord of the rings…

Click to expand...

Eh? Did you read any of the books? There's a ton of lore and history there. And they've only covered small section of it, plus they can expand it on their own.
Can't really agree with that.

BoboTheMighty said:

USA, Russians called: they want more $ for Alaska.



Eh? Did you read any of the books? There's a ton of lore and history there. And they've only covered small section of it, plus they can expand it on their own.
Can't really agree with that.

Click to expand...

Of course I did read the books but I don't think whats there is interesting or deep enough for another game. This isn't LoTR or GOT level of lore there.

How would you do another game in that world? What aspect would you explore?

BoboTheMighty said:

Eh? Did you read any of the books? There's a ton of lore and history there.

Click to expand...

... and, I might add, the book's world is much more interesting, than the cookie cutter fantasy of the games.
Problem is, the book's lore and atmosphere is so decidedly Eastern-European (=weirdly exotic), I fear it wouldn't resonate with most of the gamers.

Hence, CDP's watered down, Game of Thrones cum Tolkien take was a wise choice -- dunno if it was a purposeful decision, or just a freak accident turned to be a success move.

lostforever said:

Of course I did read the books but I don't think whats there is interesting or deep enough for another game. This isn't LoTR or GOT level of lore there.

How would you do another game in that world? What aspect would you explore?

Click to expand...

Well, IMO, the one book I looked at was unreadable toss, but then I tend to feel that way about a great deal of fantasy writing. He's very lucky to be making any serious money out of it at all.

I think the value of it is having a world, and an IP, that people recognise and connect with. I'm much more interested in the Witcher world in the way that CDPR has conceived it. To me, it registers as "that Polish, gritty Middle Earth", and I know it's the sort of game I'm going to be in to. When you do succeed in registering in people's imagination like that, it's a very valuable thing that's probably worth pursuing.

lostforever said:

Of course I did read the books but I don't think whats there is interesting or deep enough for another game. This isn't LoTR or GOT level of lore there.

How would you do another game in that world? What aspect would you explore?

Click to expand...

Err...everywhere? There are literally more than a dozen different countries/provinces, plus outside the "Continent". Outside of Geralt's role, they could focus on the world and expand it tremendously ( and games could do this far better than books).
Magic and elves don't make the setting interesting: it's how you use different narrative themes in it's context. ( I mean Skyrim is high fantasy and what does it revolve, for the most part? Kill generic draughr/vampire/bandit in a dungeon. Best part was actually outlook on Imperials/Stormcloak conflict).
I prefer low fantasy: writers tend focus more on believable, personal stories that makes sense in the setting than surface level, 'magic'/Mcguffins.