Topic: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

[MysterD]

I've been wanting to go through this again for ages, but I'm waiting.  I want all the original dialogue, I want the improved subsystems, I want all the cumulative fixes.  The game was great as it was, but there's no way I want to play it again knowing how much better it's going to be in a few months.

Same here, Que.

I don't really even care about the extra episodes or whatever.  I might play them at some point, sure, but that isn't what I'm looking forward to.

Though, I am actually looking forward to Side Effects, as well.

[MysterD]

CDPR posted their long product page for the Witcher: EE

    * The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is the ultimate version of the ultimate role-playing game. The Witcher, which was released in October 2007, has won more than 90 awards and has sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide, and The Witcher: Enhanced Edition brings the game even closer to perfection with a number of technical and visual improvements jammed into the value-packed retail box. The enhancements introduced in this version include more than 5000 lines of re-written and re-recorded dialogue, more than 200 new dialogue animations, a new character differentiation system for NPCs, an enhanced inventory with improved alchemy, reduced loading times, improved combat responsiveness and much more.
    * In addition to the in-game updates, The Witcher: Enhanced Edition will feature premium packaging loaded with value, including the multilingual game disc allowing you to play with any combination of voice-over and subtitles, two new adventures with full voice-over, the D’jinni Adventure Editor, the Official Soundtrack CD, a Music Inspired by The Witcher CD, an official game guide, The Witcher short story by Andrzej Sapkowski, a Making-of DVD with behind-the-scenes video footage, and a map of The Witcher’s world.
    * The Witcher represents the pinnacle of storytelling in role-playing games, shattering the line between good and evil with a world where moral ambiguity reigns. In a beautiful, rich game universe, the player takes on the role of renowned monster slayer, Geralt of Rivia, in an epic, action-packed narrative in which his decisions have a major impact on how the story plays out. The Witcher emphasizes story and character development in a vibrant world, while incorporating tactically-deep real-time combat like no game before it.

 

Box Contents

Game Box


New box
Brand new box designed and prepared especially for the Enhanced Edition. Trust me, it will look great on a shelf of every game collector.
 
Game DVD


Game DVD
‘The Witcher’ game is better than ever before. No more bugs, no more problems, all the previous issues have been fixed, so that now you can play without the will to blow your head off. What’s more, it’s a multilingual version, so you can play in one of ten language version, according to your will.
 
Bonus DVD

Bonus DVD
1) D’jinii Adventure Editor included – Now players are able to create their own, epic adventures in the Witcher’s world, using the powerful game editor created by our team. Make your mods, take part in our contests and show your ideas to the world.

2) Two new adventures in the world of The Witcher that will give you more than 5 hours of additional gameplay. Fully voiceover`ed by the same actors acted in ‘The Witcher’.
 

    * „The price of neutrality” – Geralt comes back to Kaer Morhen for winter. He finds a small camp near the stronghold where he meets a nobleman and a sorceress Sabrina Glevissig. They came here to find Deidre, a young woman, who is staying in the witchers’ stronghold. She is Eskel’s surprise child, born under the Black Sun (ancient prophecy says that such children would ruin the World). It turns out that the nobleman is her brother, who wants to make sure she will not have the crown. Sorceress Sabrina wants to kill Deidre and examine her body to find out the truth about Black Sun curse. Geralt has to decide to whether defend the girl or stay neutral.
    * "Side effects" – Dandelion gets into trouble in Vyzim. Geralt has to collect a certain amount of money to buy him out and pay for his excesses. He collects the money by completing various tasks. Player can join effects of one task with another. For example: in a fistfight competition he can win cash or a bottle of alcohol. If he chooses to take the booze, he can use it to get one bandit drunk. Then he will give Geralt a key to a chest with loot. The mood of the story is similar to Dandelion’s incidents with Vespula and Bibervelt’s economics.

‘Making Of’ DVD
New, totally remastered ‘Making of’ The Witcher DVD, with fresh content, videos and interviews. More than 180 minutes of movies with multilingual subtitles and redesigned menu. Now you can learn everything about how our game was produced.

 
Audio CD

‘Inspired By’ Music CD
'The Witcher: Music inspired by the game' is a set of 15 tracks that use a main music motive from The Witcher. It’s a long journey beginning with movie orchestrations, through Celtic music, hard rock and metal, vocal experiments, to reggae/dub and electronic music. Listen to it and find out, how powerful human imagination is.

‘The Witcher OST’ Music CD
Audio CD with the music from the game (by Adam Skorupa), contains 29 tracks that have been used in The Witcher.
 
Books

Game manual
Brand new extended manual that refers to all technical & gameplay features. Now without any mistakes (We hope ).

Official Game Guide
More than 112 pages of descriptions, walkthroughs and hints that will help you with the game. Rearranged, free of bugs, and better than ever before.

Short story by Andrzej Sapkowski
The ‘Witcher’ short story by Andrzej Sapkowski, is the first novel that started all the ‘mess’.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know Witcher’s books and to understand the world.
 
Map

Map of The Witcher's World
Especially for fans, we’ve prepared a unique map of the Witcher’s World, so that now you can track Geralt’s journeys, either from the books or the game. Great design, high-quality paper and printing – those things guarantee that it will look great  in anyplace you hang it.

Holy crap....

So now, here's some new stuff we didn't know about Witcher: EE, all summed-up:

Witcher: EE adds voice-over work to (the already released) Price of Neutrality mod.
Side Effects mod will be fully voice-over worked, too.

Witcher: EE will allow us to play the game in ANY of the 10 multi-languages for voice-work and subtitles -- sheesh!

Witcher: EE will come with a 112-page game guide.

Crazy.

EDIT:
Some screenies of stuff.

The Game Box


Game DVD Case


Bonus DVD Case


Music CD's Case


The Three Books -- Short Story, Game Manual, and Game Guide


The Game Map

[Quemaqua]

I just keep waiting for the catch.  It seems too good to be true, like suddenly the bubble is going to pop and reality is going to come pouring out.  But if this turns out to really be everything that's advertised without any other bullshit, I will absolutely purchase the game again in this new set, and I won't feel even remotely like I wasted any cash.  I'll feel like I rewarded the developers for making a really great game with my first purchase, and then I'll feel like I rewarded them again for doing everything in their power to take a completely acceptable game that was stellar on many levels, and not only fix up the old girl, but add in some new stuff, and even fix up some other stuff they already released for free.  It doesn't seem possible that anyone would really do this, but if it turns out right and the bubble never bursts, they've seriously got a fan here for life.  I'm really, really excited, and every time D updates this thread with stuff, I just get more excited.

Damn it.  Out with it already!

[MysterD]

Tom Ohle and Maciej Szczesnik of CDPR talk about Witcher: EE

GameCyte: What was the primary motivation to optimize The Witcher, and fully relocalize it for English-speaking countries?

Maciej Szczesnik: We wanted to make this game even better. We had some suggestions from fans and press and also lots of our own ideas about how to improve The Witcher. This sort of thing often happens after the battle to hit deadlines… You work very hard for a few months in the studio, then you finally go to your home for well deserved rest, confident that you’ve done a great job. A normal person would go for a long, long vacation in the Bahamas, but what does a game developer do?

He sits in front of his PC, turns it on, runs the game he just made, plays a while, and thinks, “Oh my God! We should make this and that different, better, faster.” That was our situation. At first we made some patches, but we wanted to give more to those who trusted us and bought our debut game. This was the primary motivation to improve The Witcher. The goal of our studio is to make only triple-A games.

GameCyte: How did the decision first come about? Whose decision was it? Was there any particular resistance to/enthusiasm for the idea on the part of either CD Projekt or its Western publishers?

Tom Ohle: Don’t get us wrong; we were very happy with The Witcher and were confident in the game we released. However, as Maciej said, we wanted to deliver the game that fans deserved. We were grateful for all of the feedback we got from fans and media (and horribly angry at the reduction in review scores brought about by the issues raised… the anger still builds up inside me sometimes, so bad I can hardly stand it!!!) …breathe, Tom, breathe.

Okay, so we had two options: just release a typical patch that would let us fix only a few of the issues, or whip a larger team together, spend some more money and make a lot of changes that would ultimately give us the best game possible. Our publishing partners have been very enthusiastic about the idea; rather than just churning out some “Game of the Year” edition, we’re giving them a much more polished product that will help us reach a lot of people who never played the original.

GameCyte: How is the Enhanced Edition being funded?

MS: We sold our cars, and houses, and had a little whip-round. Unfortunately I also had to sell one of my kidneys. What can I say… life is hard. Of course the truth is different. Together with our very supportive publishing partners, we have been able to fund the title rather easily. Our fans’ opinions are most important for us. I know it’s not popular business thinking, but this is what we think is really important.

I wish more companies would think like this.

*Cough* Epic, you heard that? All I'm asking is for you guys to fix a stuttering issue in GoW PC -- one little thing, which would make me happy, even if we never get another GoW PC patch from them after they actually do fix it -- yet CDPR over here decided to re-do their magnum opus huge-sized RPG like crazy until they feel its perfect.

GameCyte: Why spend more money to improve a title that is ostensibly already complete?

TO: As gamers, we thought about the situation and the response was obvious. The team has always stated that The Witcher was to be used as a way to introduce the brand to a global audience; this wasn’t some one-off game that we’d use to make some quick cash to fund our real passion for Barbie-doll dress-em-ups. We want people to remember The Witcher, and we want them to like us as a company.

Got my vote.

GameCyte: What kind of return does the team and company expect for their additional hard work, whether financially or otherwise?

MS: As a team we expect better opinions from fans and press. That’s all, and that would be the best reward for us. Sure, we would love to sell a lot of copies…

I hope you guys do sell a lot more copies of Witcher b/c of EE.

GameCyte: What challenges or obstacles were involved in reworking the game?

MS: The most challenging thing during the process was the re-recording of all German voice-work and lots of English voices. It was hard because of tight deadlines. But Arek Trojanowski, our producer, managed to find a new, very good studio, and we did everything on time. The new voice-overs really fit well.

Cool.

GameCyte: What is the team currently working on?

MS: The game is basically done; we’re just polishing at this point. At the studio in general, we’re working on The Witcher: Enhanced Edition… and some other very top-secret projects. I hope Tom will censor what I wrote. If not, I will probably die in a car accident or my house will blow up. Tom, I was kidding; they won’t believe that we are working on something other than TWEE, right? Please don’t call Mr. Ivan, ok?

GameCyte: When can we expect the Enhanced Edition to arrive in North America?

TO: If Maciek is still alive, we should be on schedule for September… and well… if not, it’s a big industry and Warsaw’s a nice city. I’m sure we can find someone else. We’re not quite ready to get more specific than September, because again, we want to deliver the best game possible. If that takes a bit of extra time, we’ll take it.

Even though new characters models have been added in-game to have less repetitive models...
Some of the models got revamped.
So, here's Carmen from Witcher.
We have a comparison shot here -- a Before EE is installed pic of Carmen on the left.
AND An After EE is installed pic of Carmen  on the right.

[Quemaqua]

Got my vote.

Shit, mine too.  If their plan was to get PC gamers to like them, they're going about it exactly the right way.

Nice comparison shot.  Improved textures are a nice touch even above and beyond making the model look more attractive.  I remember hearing the animations on some of the main chicks would be improved too... I sincerely hope it is so.

Damn it.  Waiting for this is excruciating.  I've been getting a craving to go play it again lately, and it's really difficult to wait now.

[Xessive]

Shit, mine too.  If their plan was to get PC gamers to like them, they're going about it exactly the right way.

Nice comparison shot.  Improved textures are a nice touch even above and beyond making the model look more attractive.  I remember hearing the animations on some of the main chicks would be improved too... I sincerely hope it is so.

Damn it.  Waiting for this is excruciating.  I've been getting a craving to go play it again lately, and it's really difficult to wait now.

I know how you feel man! After seeing how much they've added and enhanced I'm even more anxious about it!

[MysterD]

Tomasz Gop of CDPR speaks to Gamasutra
From Gamasutra, who talked with Tomasz Gop of CDPR

CD Projekt: The Witcher: Enhanced 'All Based On Feedback of Fans'

CD Projekt: The Witcher: Enhanced 'All Based On Feedback of Fans' Polish studio CD Projekt gained international notice with the release of last year's The Witcher, and senior producer Tomasz Gop tells Gamasutra the decision to release an upcoming major enhancement for the game is largely a response to the company's new, substantial fanbase.

Produced by development arm CD Projekt RED, the PC RPG was based on a series of literary works by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and was noted for its gameplay repercussions based on players' moral choices -- and its unapologetically unvarnished language. Next week, CD Projekt and publisher Atari will release The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, a Criterion Collection-like package that will include a soundtrack CD, a printed map, a short story, and other items.

More significantly, it will include a number of improvements to the game itself, including new adventures, increased variety in NPC and enemy graphics and animations, better loading and stability, and the ability to use any combination of localized voice recordings and translated subtitles. All of the changes and additions to the game itself will also be offered as a free 2GB update to owners of the original release.

Fan Demand

"It's all based on the feedback of fans," says Gop. "Close to 300,000 people registered on our forums and community and are still active, and they're requesting new features and changes and whatever. We took the most-demanded stuff."

Some of that "most-demanded stuff" included undertakings that likely required considerable expenses, such as re-recording the entirety of voiceover work for the German version of the game ("because they wanted us to," the producer says). The team has been working on improving the game since it shipped last October. How could the studio justify that investment when the very gamers who demanded it would not be required to expend any more money?

"We sold over 600,000 copies," Gop responds. "We wanted to do it. We're all hardcore players, and we want to be as close to a perfect game as possible. If you haven't bought the game, then it's definitely going to be a good time, and it's going to be [worth] the price of the game, but if you have it, you can have it all for free. I mean, you paid for the game, right? We appreciate that."

The Future

The CD Projekt RED studio plans to grow its 80-person team to 100 or more in the next several months, including developers from outside Poland, a task that has been made easier by The Witcher's reception.

In the nearer term, CD Projekt is preparing the full kickoff of its classic PC game download service GOG.com, but the success of its first major international game release means it probably has more of The Witcher in its future.

"What I can tell you right now, not breaching the NDA I've signed, is that we're focusing on The Witcher," says Gop. The studio is likely to stay focused on development for PC, which Gop calls "definitely the main platform in Poland," but he adds, "We're definitely not forgetting there are other platforms in the world."

POSTED: 11.52AM PST, 09/10/08 - Brandon Sheffield, Christian Nutt, Chris Remo - LINK
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EDIT:
Gogamer - Witcher: Enhanced - Uncensored (UK Edition)
Just like last year with this game, You so knew Gogamer would make sure to get their hands on this Witcher: Enhanced - Uncensored (UK Edition) for its upcoming release.
They're already taking pre-orders for Witcher: Enhanced - Uncensored, at the cost of $49.90.
(Price is before shipping costs.)

[Quemaqua]

I'm preordering that as soon as I have the money.

[Xessive]

So close now.

I don't think GoGamer will ship to my part of the world. MyD I may need you to pick up a copy for me!

[idolminds]

Just a heads up, You can preorder the downloadable version of The Witcher: EE from both Steam and Stardock (Impulse). 10% off for a preorder making them $35, however if you use the coupon code SURVEY-2008 you get an extra 20% off from Stardock, making the game only $27! So if you don't have it, thats probably the cheapest you're going to get for a while.

[Pugnate]

I don't like buying downloadble versions of games anyway, but for this it would be insanity considering the extras it comes with.

[Xessive]

I'd rather have a physical copy too.

I checked and apparently GameStop and Play-Asia will actually ship to the UAE! I sign o fo The Witcher Enhanced. The shipping cost is ridiculous though ($60 USD), so my cousin and I ordered a whole bunch of stuff in bulk to justify it; stuff I was gonna buy from stores here anyway.

It should arrive sometime in October.

[MysterD]

Just a heads up, You can preorder the downloadable version of The Witcher: EE from both Steam and Stardock (Impulse). 10% off for a preorder making them $35, however if you use the coupon code SURVEY-2008 you get an extra 20% off from Stardock, making the game only $27! So if you don't have it, thats probably the cheapest you're going to get for a while.

That game is going to be huge in size, in its DL-version.

Witcher (without EE) takes up around 8 GB currently on my HD.
That'd be some fun DVD-backing up for those lacking a physical copy of it. hehe.

[Quemaqua]

I will be going for the physical copy as well.  I do have a nice CE of the stock game, but I loved the game so much I definitely want to get the rest of the physical junk to go with it.  I even got a t-shirt and that wood cup and dice thing since I got an honorable mention in the screenshot comic contest.  I must have more crap!

[Pugnate]

Guys like Que and myself will be handing our children the strangest stuff in inheritance. Fuck it... I'll just have them bury my crap with me.

[Quemaqua]

It would be worth it to have kids just so I could see the looks on their faces when they find out how much worthless crap they're inheriting when I die.

[Xessive]

It would be worth it to have kids just so I could see the looks on their faces when they find out how much worthless crap they're inheriting when I die.

Hahaha I just imagined the happiest dying face ever! Despite death your grin expresses the greatest satisfaction out of that one moment of seeing the looks on their faces It was like a movie moment

Some collectors' items are useless but others I think are pretty sweet! If I have kids they'll inherit the collection of tribal knives I've picked up along my travels.

[MysterD]

Three New Vids
There's 3 new videos up for Witcher EE.

Vid 1 (TW:EE New gestures and dialogue lines) shows some of the old version vs. new version stuff. More gestures by characters during emotional states; longer dialogues; some characters even got entirely new voice-actors period.

Vid 2 (Dev Diary #3) talks about the changes in the Inventory.

Vid 3 (Dev diary #2) talks about the new adventures, "Price of Neutrality" and "Side Effects."

Written Dev Diary
From GameDaily, a Dev Diary written by CDPR's Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz


From RPG Watch on the Free Update (Patch 1.4)
Info on the download update, to update the game to Version 1.4 of The Witcher (aka Enhanced Edition) -- which will be out Sept. 19th worldwide.

Oh, the FREE DL-update will come with everything except the short-story book. You want the book, you'll have to get Witcher: EE retail box or buy that short story book from some bookstore.

...and specific details on the download edition:

    Wipe away your tears, little one, because we’ve got a nice treat for you. If you bought the original version of The Witcher and registered it at thewitcher.com, you’ll be able to download all of the great content from the Enhanced Edition for free starting September 19!

    That’s right – FREE! No strings attached, just good old-fashioned FREE. Log in and download.

    You may be wondering – “What do they mean by ‘all’ of the content”? This is what we mean:

    -    Patch 1.4 (which turns the standard edition into The Witcher: Enhanced Edition)
    -    D’jinni Adventure Editor v1.4
    -    Two new adventures (“The Price of Neutrality” and “Side Effects”)
    -    Making-of videos
    -    ‘Inspired by The Witcher’ music CD
    -    Official soundtrack of the game
    -    Game manual
    -    Official game guide
    -    Map of The Witcher’s World
    You may notice that “all” in this case doesn’t include the short story that is found in the retail version… unfortunately getting that released online would be some sort of massive undertaking involving numerous book publishers around the world. So it’s almost everything.
    Pretty impressive, isn’t it?
    So, let me suggest you that visiting www.thewitcher.com should be – no, more than that - it must be the very first thing you do on the 19th of September!

    Know-how to installation of Enhanced Edition
    1.    Download the Patch file (it’s something about 1GB)
    2.    Download the language file/files  (more or less 500 MB)
    3.    Gather them In one folder
    4.    Start the installation of the Patch.
    5.    Enjoy  The Enhanced Edition
    6.    (Optional) Download bonus content & soundtrack

Finally, if you haven't yet bought The Witcher, the EE version has been added to Stardock's Impulse digital service.

[Quemaqua]

<@Quemaqua> So I think I'll have more wine for dinner.
<@Quemaqua> Wine is a fruit, right?  It's being healthy!
<@Cobra951> Yay for wine
<@idolminds> haha
<@Quemaqua> Fuck, that new Witcher video showing the new dialogue and animations completely and utterly sold me.
<@idolminds> arg, me want to see
<@Quemaqua> 3 minutes and it seriously just made me want to cry.  I wish people loved their games as much as those people do.
<@Quemaqua> Such a small thing to add little gestures into conversations, but it makes a world of difference, and the examples of the new dialogue demonstrate exactly what was wrong with the old script and what they've done to correct it.
<@Quemaqua> Someone needs to give these people an effing medal of honor.  And learn that THIS IS AN ART FORM and these people are ARTISTS.  And it's okay to love what you do as an art form and be passionate about it beyond just the bottom line... people will notice!  People will care!
<@idolminds> There was an interesting thread on shacknews where someone wanted to start up a "Game Developer Appreciation Day"
<@Quemaqua> An interesting idea
<@Cobra951> Usually personal-touch games from independents look more like Castle Crashers or Aquaria
<@idolminds> how to celebrate such a day is the question
<@Cobra951> It's unusual to see a big 3D effort that qualifies

[MysterD]

About CD Projekt, yeah -- it really seems like they love their projects; whether its their own game projects they make (i.e. The Witcher) or their new GoG Project.

With what CD Projekt is doing with their stuff, it feels rare in this time and age. Yes, especially in a world riddled w/ all kinds of business "screw you's" currently to gamers -- such as "re-buy my new re-released game edition at full price if you want some new content for a game you already" (see Dungeon Lords: Collector's Ed, for examp-le) and the DRM-mania that is sweeping the world (thanks Securom, EA, and all the other publishers peddling this crap out and supporting it).

CD Projekt seems to be a major leader here. No DRM for their GOG games; just download those old games that you pay for one time and you can also DL their extras as much as you want at your own will. Free Patch for those who already own The Witcher that will turn the game into a Special Edition of the game

You know, CDPR could've took the BethSoft route and sold the EE patch as a DLC, since they're adding say 10 hours worth of new adventures (Price of Neutrality and Side Effects) -- and gamers probably would've lined up to buy-to-download that b/c they're doing so much with this patch. Not only that with the extra DLC, but they're beefing up their original game and changing the thing and its little details like crazy.

[MysterD]

8.0 from Eurogamer (out of 10)

[MysterD]

For any gamer buying the North American version of Witcher: EE -- oops.
They (probably accidentally) left the blood files out of the game.
(Buy it anywhere else in the world, you're okay, though.)

Tom Ohle of CDPR already has issued a Blood QuickFix Patch fixing that for North American version of Witcher: EE.

[idolminds]

Enhanced edition patches are out! One is 450MB, the other 900MB, and you need both.

[Pugnate]

Need torrents please.

[MysterD]

This is from the official site -- the FAQ and everything on dealing w/ these HUGE downloads.

Hell, where's that Upgrade Box that they were planning to put out?
I could really use that, right about...now...

[Xessive]

Here's a torrent.

[idolminds]

One thing not mentioned in the FAQ there. In the Shacknews comments, one of the CD Projekt guys stated the extras (soundtrack, new adventures, additional materials) should only be available from The Witcher site. Seems retailers weren't keen on stocking the new edition if the extras were mirrored all over the net. So they said they wouldn't allow those files to be mirrored elsewhere. The patch and the language files can be mirrored, though.

Of course that wont stop all the files from hitting the torrents.

[Xessive]

I just noticed something. Of the two extra adventures, The Price of Neutrality is also available as a separate download. I'm pretty sure it was included in Patch v1.3. Is the a redone version with full voice-overs?

[MysterD]

I just noticed something. Of the two extra adventures, The Price of Neutrality is also available as a separate download. I'm pretty sure it was included in Patch v1.3. Is the a redone version with full voice-overs?

Price of Neutrality will have w/ full-voiceovers, after EE is in place.

Though, I don't know if the full voice-work comes from DLing the Patch 1.4 files; the PON adventure pack files; or one of the game's language pack for whatever language you decide to DL.

[Xessive]

Q: Do I need to be on-line during patch installation?

A: Yes, you must be on-line throughout the installation process so that your registration data can be verified. No private data is taken from your computer during this process.

 

Q: Do I have to install the patch on the same computer I used to activate the game?

A: Yes, you must install the patch on the same computer you used to activate the game because the verification process must be able to reference the necessary registry entries.

That's from the FAQ. Apparently Enhanced Edition requires online activation!

This won't necessarily deter me from buying it but it does raise a concern.

[Quemaqua]

CONSTERNATION.  Fortunately for me, this is one circumstance where I'm just too fucking excited to care, and that happens almost never.

So that sucks, but I'm downloading the patch and language stuff now, and I am just happy as can be.  I'll pick up the boxed copy of the game (UK import) from GoGamer probably tomorrow.

[Xessive]

CONSTERNATION.  Fortunately for me, this is one circumstance where I'm just too fucking excited to care, and that happens almost never.

So that sucks, but I'm downloading the patch and language stuff now, and I am just happy as can be.  I'll pick up the boxed copy of the game (UK import) from GoGamer probably tomorrow.

Congrats man! Let us know how it is! I'm still trying to obtain a copy through friends from the UK or back-alley banned software importers here.

I was looking into it, I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think the activation is only for those updating.

[idolminds]

Yeah, seems that way. Kind of the Stardock way of things: make sure the people getting updates and goodies are those that bought the game.

[Quemaqua]

That's the impression I get, and if that's the case, it totally makes sense.  I mean, they want to give the patch to people who already bought the game, not people who didn't.  I guess it's sort of in the realm of semantics one way or the other, but like I said, I don't give a shit right now.  I just want to play the game again because I loved it and never finished it in anticipation of the update, and even in its less-stellar state it was RPG of the year for me, possibly game of the year, and the best non-TES RPG I'd played since Baldur's Gate.

[Xessive]

Definitely RPG of the Year! I'd argue that still holds up this year too, at least until we see Fallout 3 (which I'm not sure if we'll count as a RPG).

I can hardly wait now!

[Quemaqua]

I've heard a lot of really positive buzz about Fallout 3 even from some pretty hardcore fans, so I'm not too worried.  It'll be different, but that doesn't mean bad.  There are still skeptics and people with negative opinions, but it seems like most of them have swung the other way in recent months.  After PAX I was hearing many good things.

[Pugnate]

I heard on a couple of podcasts that while Fallout 3 was looking great, it was pretty much what all hardcore fans feared -- Oblivion with guns.

I don't care too much, because I wasn't a big Fallout fan. But I can imagine that if Baldur's Gate III came out, and it was in the mold of Fallout 3, I'd be a bit upset.

edit:

Also, yes, Fallout 3 is an RPG.

[Quemaqua]

I wouldn't say that's what all hardcore fans feared.  Plenty of fans have actually been fairly excited about that, including a few on podcasts I listen to.  Not that I'm really trying to stick up for it or anything... I think it actually just surprised me because I expected more resistance to the idea, but it seems a lot of folks have embraced it.

[MysterD]

Despite this Fallout 3 not having parties, not being click-and-point, and many other things -- I still am looking forward to this Fallout 3 -- which I think should've been called Fallout: DC or Fallout: East Coast, not Fallout 3 (since Interplay was already working on a "true" FO3.)

Still, regardless of it not being like the past Fallout's in some ways, BethSoft's FO3 is probably my most anticipated RPG this year, myself -- b/c it's a BethSoft game; and yes, I like BethSoft a lot. I loved the TES Series. I think their FO3 might be one of their best RPG/Action games, if all goes as well as I hope it will; we'll just have to wait and see. I think given that the FO3 game will have many solutions to quests and many endings to the game, it might be one of their most replayable ones, too.

Witcher got released already in 2007. It got my GOTY Award for that year. Rightfully so. Since Witcher: EE isn't really a new game, Witcher: EE, if anything, might get some sort of special "Best Overhaul Of An Entire Game" or "Best Patch" award from me -- or something.

[Pugnate]

I wouldn't say that's what all hardcore fans feared.  Plenty of fans have actually been fairly excited about that, including a few on podcasts I listen to.  Not that I'm really trying to stick up for it or anything... I think it actually just surprised me because I expected more resistance to the idea, but it seems a lot of folks have embraced it.

Yea I probably shouldn't have said all. Honestly, I was just thinking of the guys who have been members of the office Fallout forums since the past ten years.... haha these people have been waiting a long time.

I've been hearing tremendous things about the game in general though. I had a few friends raving about it after they saw it at PAX.