Topic: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

[idolminds]

Wow!

CD Projekt RED is pleased to announce that in May of this year, a completely new and improved version of The Witcher will appear in stores, a game considered by many players as well as the media as the best cRPG of 2007!

Michał Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt described the idea behind the Enhanced Edition:

"The leading idea during the development of the Enhanced Edition of The Witcher is to create a game that is devoid of all "first-time" problems found in the premiere edition. The Witcher was received very warmly by both the players and the media, but we are well aware that it is not a product without its faults. There was just not enough time to perfect certain elements, while we learned that some things needed to be changed from the players themselves. Now we have the opportunity to introduce changes that will allow The Witcher to provide even more fun. I hope that, as a result, the game will come even closer to the ideal RPG game."

Maciej Szcześnik – Project Manager from CD Projekt RED, spoke about the content provided in the new edition:

"The Witcher: Enhanced Edition will be a completely polished product. A product that is rarely found on the PC market. Of course, it would be best if the premiere edition could look that way. For different reasons that was not achieved, now we're trying to make up for it. It should be easier for the fact that there aren't that many elements in the game which need improvement. Work is being done on two levels. One concerns the removal of technical obstacles that hinder the player from properly using the game and thus gaining enjoyment from it. By that I mean level loading times, which will be reduced by 80%, the stability of the game on different configurations, as well as a whole array of smaller fixes that will increase interactivity and precision in combat. The other level consists of very important changes that are not usually found in patches. First and foremost, the English language version will be, for the most part, completely re-done. The amount of text in that version was reduced compared to other language versions and that was said to cause a significant decrease in immersion and atmosphere. Now the English version will be as polished and atmospheric as the other language versions. Speaking of language versions, most of them will be more or less improved. Significant changes will also be made in the German version, where we are planning to re-record the voices for many of the characters. The most important improvements concern those elements of the game that the players criticized the most. So for example, over 50 new supporting character models will be added, so that the player won't run into the same person too often. The inventory panel will be re-designed and improved, and some elements of the main game screen will be polished. However, one of the biggest changes that will greatly increase the player's immersion in the game world will be improvements concerning dialogue scenes. Both Geralt and the NPCs will get over 100 new animated gestures which will make their "body language" during a conversation much more natural. Additionally, the face animation and lip-sync system will be re-created, making the faces of the speakers now even more natural as well. Of course, I've mentioned only the most important changes, and that's still a lot. There will be many smaller changes that will make the game more fun. I'm convinced that, thanks to them, The Witcher will be an almost ideal game."

Adam Kiciński – the head of CD Projekt RED spoke about publishing and the availability of the Enhanced Edition in different parts of the world: "Our goal is to make the Enhanced Edition available to all players all over the world. Of course, in the end, that depends on our publishers with whom we are currently negotiating. I believe that thanks to the interest shown by players, it will be possible to convince publishers worldwide to release the game in conjunction with the premiere in Eastern Europe, that is May 16. This is important because aside from improvements to the game itself, this edition is also to be improved in terms of how it's released, which for the most part depends more on the publishers than us, the authors. For example, aside from the game DVD, we are planning to include a DVD with a Mod Editor D'jinii, as well as two additional adventures, a video DVD with extended material concerning the making of the game, a music CD with 29 tracks from the game, a music CD with 15 tracks of music inspired by the game, an 80-page instruction booklet, a 112-page official guide written by the authors of the game, and a 50-page short story written by Andrzej Sapkowski. There will also be a map of the game world. As you can see it is quite an elaborate release and it is important to us that fans all over the world be able to buy this version of the game. Especially considering it will not be more expensive than the standard edition of the game! Fans that have already bought the game need not worry, however, because the new content and improvements will be available to them in the form of a downloadable update "

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition does not only mean changes in the game's mechanics or better graphics, however. There's also an included mod editor called D'jinni that allows players to create or modify their own adventures in the world of The Witcher, as well as two completely new adventures created by CD Projekt RED. First adventure “The price of neutrality” tells the story of Geralt coming back to Kaer Morhen and finding mysterious camp near stronghold (3 new quests) while second one focus on Dandelion and his troubles in Vyzim City (5 quests)

The Witcher is an RPG game about the adventures of Geralt, a professional monster slayer, developed by the Polish studio, CD Projekt RED. The game is based on a new version of Bioware's engine, Aurora 2007. The story is set in a world known from books written by Andrzej Sapkowski and sold all over the world. The game has already managed to garner worldwide success, having sold over 600 thousand copies. It has received 48 awards and distinctions, including the prestigious "Best PC RPG 2007" from IGN.com, as well as "PC RPG of the Year 2007" from Gamespy.com (see the entire list of awards: http://www.thewitcher.com/community/pl/awards/). The game has also received very high ratings from players from all over the world, which is reflected in the average scores given in reviews from such sites as: Metacritics (9.4/10), GameTrailers (9.1/10) i Gamespot (8.8/10).

Detailed information regarding the Enhanced Edition can be found in the additional document.

Holy shit.

[Xessive]

Woah..

That I will buy!

[Pugnate]

WHAT THE FUCK

FUCK OFF I JUST BOUGHT THE GAME LAST MONTH

Fans that have already bought the game need not worry, however, because the new content and improvements will be available to them in the form of a downloadable update

Oh I mean... *kisses*. 

I would still rather have this physical version though. 

[MysterD]

Fans that have already bought the game need not worry, however, because the new content and improvements will be available to them in the form of a downloadable update "

That makes me VERY happy.

[Pugnate]

Idol this makes sense with CD Projekt's ambition to sell over a million -- that you posted about. These guys seem like a hardworking bunch.

Honestly, I'd want them to make the next Baldur's Gate. I think maybe Bioware should start using these guys instead of Obsidian. They even have plenty of experience with D&D. They actually made official versions of BG and PS:T for Poland etc., and they obviously know how to work with Bioware engines.

NWN3 by CD Projekt? That would rock.

[MysterD]

PDF to lay out ALL of CDPR's Plans
This PDF has a lot of info on what the extras will be, upcoming new mods/content, new graphics features, when they will be released, and so forth.

Promo Vid for Witcher: Enhanced
Promo video of all the new stuff you'll see in The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

[Quemaqua]

That is the most awesome fucking thing I've ever heard.  Seriously, I'm so happy right now.  It makes me feel less bad that I've waited to finish it and will be just the impetus I need to marathon through the second half (I loved the game, but I set it down in favor of some multiplayer stuff, other games that I'd looked forward to, then FFXII again which I started first and technically need to finish first, and then real life got in the way).  That's just... amazing.  I can't wait.  I'll most likely wait and see just exactly how much better all the stuff is, and how cool the extra stuff in the box is, but I may well end up buying an extra copy.

[MysterD]

Idol this makes sense with CD Projekt's ambition to sell over a million -- that you posted about. These guys seem like a hardworking bunch.

Honestly, I'd want them to make the next Baldur's Gate. I think maybe Bioware should start using these guys instead of Obsidian. They even have plenty of experience with D&D. They actually made official versions of BG and PS:T for Poland etc., and they obviously know how to work with Bioware engines.

NWN3 by CD Projekt? That would rock.

A NWN3 done by CDPR would be great....

...But, only thing, though -- I dunno, but Hasbro might have them aim for a T-rated game.
If CDPR don't mind doing a T-rated RPG game, hey -- count me in for NWN3.

[Cobra951]

That is the most awesome fucking thing I've ever heard.  Seriously, I'm so happy right now.  It makes me feel less bad that I've waited to finish it and will be just the impetus I need to marathon through the second half (I loved the game, but I set it down in favor of some multiplayer stuff, other games that I'd looked forward to, then FFXII again which I started first and technically need to finish first, and then real life got in the way).  That's just... amazing.  I can't wait.  I'll most likely wait and see just exactly how much better all the stuff is, and how cool the extra stuff in the box is, but I may well end up buying an extra copy.

I was shocked just a few minutes ago, because you had not sounded off in the thread. 

[Pugnate]

I'll most likely wait and see just exactly how much better all the stuff is, and how cool the extra stuff in the box is, but I may well end up buying an extra copy.

Yea since my original one is unopened, I am thinking I know what my brother is going to receive for his birthday this year. heh.

This may also have something to do with their rumored goal to release this on the 360 as well.

...But, only thing, though -- I dunno, but Hasbro might have them aim for a T-rated game.

Well you can tackle mature themes without teh boobies.

[Quemaqua]

Even without the "adult" stuff, The Witcher remains a very dark story with a lot more mature storytelling than most similar games.  That stuff is nice because it adds flavor and helps the gameworld identify itself as a unique entity, but it probably does more to reduce the game's maturity than increase it.  Ratings aren't everything.

[idolminds]

So with redone English, I'm guessing the patch for the first release is going to be massive. Is it all text or is everything voiced?

[MysterD]

So with redone English, I'm guessing the patch for the first release is going to be massive.

That's what I'm guessing -- fine by me!

Is it all text or is everything voiced?

In what you've quoted, looks like the German version is being re-recorded completely. Wow. That's kinda' crazy...

About the English version, no clue. To be honest, IMHO, it's good as is. But, if they're going to fix some of the writing, all it really needs is the original subtitled script -- which probably needs to be revised, since many have said it does look like a rough draft. The voice-acting is fine, as it is. I don't really care if the voice-acting and subtitles match, really. If they re-record it, wow -- just wow....

Yea since my original one is unopened, I am thinking I know what my brother is going to receive for his birthday this year. heh.

This may also have something to do with their rumored goal to release this on the 360 as well.

Well you can tackle mature themes without teh boobies.

Yes -- but using some language that includes F-bombs and C-bombs like The Witcher does puts you in at least the M-rating range.

[Quemaqua]

Everything is voiced, yes.  A patch for re-voiced dialogue would be ungodly kinds of huge, and I doubt they'll do that.  However, most of us on their forums have said we'd totally be cool with just getting a better translation in text, or even better if we could get Polish dialogue and English subs.  You can actually do this if you have a Polish version of the game since it's apparently possible to copy stuff over... but I don't know exactly how that works or how accurate it is.  Either way, I'll be happy, though it would definitely be nice to have re-voiced stuff because the actors were all very talented, it was just plainly obvious that they were working at times with a lame script and that there wasn't a lot of direction give to the individual lines.

Honestly, I can't think of a single thing they're changing that hasn't been a complaint of mine.  None of them were dealbreakers by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't think of a single thing they've left out that really could use fixing.  That blurb you posted literally covers everything.  This could end up being the very best PC-style RPG that ever existed, if the fixes actually fix things to the degree that we're hoping (even little things like adding more animations to the conversations are in there, for heaven's sake... such a minor complaint, and yet it could make such a big difference).

EDIT - Your above double-post has been combined, D.  Come on, man, use the edit button.

[MysterD]

With the new mods that are coming, "The Price Of Neutrality" (March 14th it'll be out on the Net) and "Side Effects", they're estimating 5 hours of new gameplay here!!!

Sounds good to me!

EDIT:
Holy crap!

In that PDF on page 6 -- the English version is listed as it'll have 5000 lines rewritten and re-recorded!

[Pugnate]

Yes -- but using some language that includes F-bombs and C-bombs like The Witcher does puts you in at least the M-rating range.

I am actually not sure what we are discussing here, but what I am saying is that CD-Projekt can make a mature game that meets the PG13 requirements of Wizards of the Coast.

Your above double-post has been combined, D.  Come on, man, use the edit button.

Now I understand the edit note below D's post.

they're estimating 5 hours of new gameplay here!!!

Sweet!

[Quemaqua]

Damn, can that really be true?  5k lines?  But I guess that's doable if they're willing to spend the cash.  I guess they're probably just getting people back in the studio to fix the stuff that needs to be overhauled.  I mean, a lot of it is fine, and even with some of the sections that sucked, most likely if they just fix up and flesh out a few key spots within the conversation they'll achieve what they're looking for without actively rerecording every last line.

[MysterD]

Damn, can that really be true?  5k lines?

It sounds crazy, but yeah -- that is what they listed in the PDF file.

But I guess that's doable if they're willing to spend the cash.  I guess they're probably just getting people back in the studio to fix the stuff that needs to be overhauled.

That's probably the best thing to do.

I mean, a lot of it is fine, and even with some of the sections that sucked, most likely if they just fix up and flesh out a few key spots within the conversation they'll achieve what they're looking for without actively rerecording every last line.

So true.

Regardless, I think Witcher: Enhanced might very well be the best "Special Edition" ever released for a game ever. Just, the amount of stuff they're trying to do w/ the already great game to massively improve it and all of the extras to include in that retail box -- it just seems kind of crazy; and planning to sell it for normal price, too!

No wonder they been kind of quiet, when people were about them when they were planning to release D'Jinni and the two upcoming Module/Extensions.

[sirean_syan]

Regardless, I think Witcher: Enhanced might very well be the best "Special Edition" ever released for a game ever. Just, the amount of stuff they're trying to do w/ the already great game to massively improve it and all of the extras to include in that retail box -- it just seems kind of crazy; and planning to sell it for normal price, too!

Off the Witcher topic, but this is completely wrong. Best special edition ever was the Tie Fighter Collectors. They completely voiced everything which was originally just text (and voice was still a big deal in those days), doubled the playable resolution to 640x480 (which was also a big deal in those days), and packed with with the first expansion as well as the completely new second expansion (both of which were also voiced). To top it off, it remains either the first or second best space sim ever.

[MysterD]

Wow -- that's pretty awesome-sounding, Sirean.


EDIT -- Feb 21, 2008:

That's just... amazing.  I can't wait.  I'll most likely wait and see just exactly how much better all the stuff is, and how cool the extra stuff in the box is, but I may well end up buying an extra copy

We all knew the in-game content for Witcher Enhanced would be released via download.

But, CDPR plans to go further.

For all those who already own The Witcher and are thinking of buying Enhanced Edition namely to just get all the extra stuff there; such as the soundtrack,  the new game manual, the new short story, etc etc -- all of this non-game stuff ALSO will eventually be available in a format for us to download!
(Probably as long as your game is registered w/ CDPR, of course.)

That's pretty awesome.

Eriash...

Do you mean "everything" as in just the in-game extras ONLY?
Or do you mean "everything" as in-game extras and the Enhanced Edition BOXED non-game extras (such as the music, the map, etc)?

So, when you mean "everything," does that mean all current owners of The Witcher game will be able to download, at some date in time...
--ALL 29 OST Music Tracks in a downloadable format (such as in MP3, OGG)?
--ALL 15 Inspirated Tracks in a downloadable format (such in MP3, OGG)?
--The Andrzej Sapkowski short story in a downloadable format (such as DOC or PDF)?
--The Developer's Guide in a downloadable format (such as DOC or PDF)?
--The Enhanced Edition manual in a downloadable format (such as DOC or PDF)?

As for today there will be all content available for download. Everything that will be printed should be available in downloadable format.

[Pugnate]

Sirean you have that CE? That's pretty crazy.

For all those who already own The Witcher and are thinking of buying Enhanced Edition namely to just get all the extra stuff there; such as the soundtrack,  the new game manual, the new short story, etc etc -- all of this non-game stuff ALSO will eventually be available in a format for us to download!

Oh my god... that is so bloody amazing of them. Just for that, I am going to buy this version too.

[MysterD]

Here's a big interview w/ Michal Madej of CDPR that talk about The Witcher: Enhanced

The days of good PC single-player RPGs certainly aren't numbered. Last year, we've witnessed The Witcher -- the first major release from Poland based computer game publisher/developer CD Projekt. We've rated the game 9.1/10.0 and found it to be one of the most enjoyable single-player RPGs in quite a while.

Recently, CD Projekt decided to return to the game and give it a proper polish. In addition to adding technical improvements, they also promised new content and other cool surprises.

We talk to Michal Madej, Chief Designer on The Witcher, who explains more about what CD Projekt is doing to improve the game.

ActionTrip: Generally speaking, how are things at CD Projekt right now, after the successful release of The Witcher?

Michał Madej: Generally speaking - very enthusiastic, but we're also a little puzzled. We always believed that The Witcher is an outstanding game, but still we are surprised how well it does all around the world. I am very glad that editors and gamers understand our vision of a modern role playing game. On the other hand, we feel a great responsibility, so now following titles will have much higher expectations and we can't disappoint you all. Hopefully, it will inspire us even more, but not paralyze our creativity.

AT: You guys obviously went to a lot of trouble polishing and addressing issues from the original. What key aspects of the game your team is looking to improve in The Witcher Enhanced Edition?

MM: There are three main qualities of The Witcher we want to polish in Enhanced Edition - customization, performance, immersion and the interface. First of all, we plan to cut down all loading times, improve GUI texture cashing, remove obsolete copy protection, as a result the game will offer more smooth, faster gameplay and without any delays.

Remove CP sounds great to me!!!

Secondly, there's immersion - we plan to make the world of The Witcher even more realistic. We are adding over 50 new NPCs' models, another 100 emotions animations, eye tracking, improved facial expressions and foremost corrected dialogs, translations and even voice-overs (especially in German version). Last but not least, we will improve the general handling and the interface - in-fight response will be faster and we plan to redesign inventory and the weapon/style choice panel. Those are the most important changes, which I hope will meet gamers' expectations. Additionally, the Enhanced Version will be shipped together with our editing toolset Djinni, enabling players to create their own adventures.

Cool.

AT: Does the new content feature any main story tie-ins? Also, will players be able to find out more about Geralt's backdrop?

MM: We don't want to change the main story, but instead add some more background for Geralt's past. So, the Enhanced Version will include two completely new adventures, featuring over 10 hour of new gameplay. Those additional adventures will take part in Geralt's past and will be fully voice-overed in English, German, Russian and of course Polish.

That's great that the two new mods will add 10 hours, or so -- great!

AT: It's good to hear that current owners of The Witcher will be able to get all the extra content via a downloadable update. However, you mentioned that the update also contains patches released so far. Can you tell us roughly how large an update can we expect (500MB, 1GB...)?

MM: Yeah, all additional features and adventures will be available for free; for all registered users. I can't tell right now how big it will be, but considering such a huge amount of changers like new models, dialogs, voice-overs, etc. it will be probably compared to full The Witcher game (i.e. a few GB).

Few GB....no surprise.

AT: The Witcher was well-received. Do you think this new, improved edition of the game will increase its replayability for gamers who've already experienced it?

MM: We are sure it definitely will. Playing the game once more, you always pay more attention to small details, notice background characters, discover side plots and explore locations more carefully. Moreover, playing once more, you don't have the same motivation to deal with certain bugs, performance issues and user non-friendliness. The Enhanced Version gives much more diversity, details and immersion, so I'm sure many gamers will return to slightly different world, with a lot of new small things to discover and enjoy. On the other hand, they won't have to struggle against some inconveniences and troubles, they had in the first edition of The Witcher.

Cool.

AT: What are your further plans for the franchise? The Witcher already has a strong fan base, so I think it's safe to expect a sequel or add-on at some point in the future, right?

MM: At this point we are completely focused on The Witcher Enhanced Edition and on supporting it, so future plans still remain the future. For sure, this is not our last tribute to the role-playing genre, and we still see huge potential of The Witcher world license.

AT: It's been reported that you are still considering a possible Xbox 360 version of the game. Have you made a decision about that yet?

MM: Of course, the X360 version is a very tempting idea, but still requires very thorough consideration, tests and prototypes. We are still evaluating different scenarios and haven't made a final decision.

If they bring it to the X360, it'll be a shame that probably the D'Jinni (Witcher SDK) won't be there.

I'm really how curious D'Jinni w/ the modding scene on the PC for Witcher.

AT: In your opinion, what are the greatest advantages of the recent acquisition of Metropolis Software (THEY)?

MM: They are very experienced developer, with a huge portfolio of interesting and successful titles, additionally we see great potential in their new title (THEY). I think both sides will benefit - Metropolis can share their developer know-how, and we can help them with our publishing and marketing experiences. Together we are one of the biggest Central European game developers, with potential to run a few different projects at once.

AT: Do you consider tackling different game genres (other than single-play RPG, that is)?

MM: Not at this point, as we didn't decide what our next big title will be - as I said we still focus on The Witcher support and the Enhanced Edition. I think that some day in the not so far future we will have to start with a different project, genre and maybe a different license.

Interesting. I really wonder what CDPR would do, if they don't do a RPG -- and what they'd do for a license. I'd like to see them do their IP eventually, myself.

AT: When we spoke last year at the GC in Leipzig, you mentioned that CD Projekt's core team received a lot of pointers and creative suggestions from development studio BioWare. Do you plan to continue that cooperation on future projects?

MM: Our relationship with BioWare is still very close. However, for a last few years we've become completely independent. They helped us a lot, gave us advices and reviewed our design documents, although the creativity was mostly on our side. So, I expect cooperation with BioWare in the future, but rather as a friendly exchange of ideas, rather than addressing them as our mentors and advisors.

AT: I thank you very much for your time. Feel free to add anything else you'd like our readers to know about The Witcher or anything related to CD Projekt's work.

MM: I know that fans all around the world are waiting for another The Witcher game announcement, but we are much more careful now and don't want to make wishful promises. We are still planning our next move and there is no rush, as we so we can concentrate more on the Enhanced Edition. We want to be sure our decision incorporates not only strategic plans of our studio, but primarily meet the expectations of fans and gamers. Let us rest a bit, gather our strength again - last year, we were working day and night to create The Wicher. We will need it to make another great game.

Okie dokie.

[Xessive]

Interesting stuff. Thanks MyD

I hope it makes its way down here. If not I'll have to figure out a way to get it shipped here.

[MysterD]

Here's an interview from GameBanshee w/  on Witcher Enhanced.

EDIT, 3-26-2008:
New interview w/ CD Projekt's Michal Medej from RockPaperShotgun.com on Witcher: Enhanced.

[MysterD]

This Enhanced Edition has been delayed.

No new release date has been announced for it, either.

[Quemaqua]

That's weird.

"The game we already released has been delayed.  We have no date."

and

"I already own the game and I can't believe it just got pushed back!"

[MysterD]

That's weird.

"The game we already released has been delayed.  We have no date."

and

"I already own the game and I can't believe it just got pushed back!"

LOL.
It must be a first.

Well, the Enhanced Edition w/ all the extra packaging and extra re-done work has been delayed...

[MysterD]

Tom Ohle's IGN Blog
This here is from Tom Ohle's IGN Blog (aka Vandalizm), who works for CD Projekt RED as their VP For Marketing & PR For The UK and NA Territories

Friday, June 06, 2008
We do ads, too!

So it's been a long month and a half since my last update. I'm done making excuses... except for this one: I was on vacation for about half of that time, trying to find some decent waves in Southern California, with mixed results.

This update's going to be short and sweet, too. We're just putting the finishing touches on the packaging and ad materials for The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. While we clear up the last few issues with the English version of the ad, I thought you might like to see the Polish one. Please note that this might still change before publication. The international ads should be essentially the same, though obviously we'll be using quotes from appropriate territories.

The box stuff on the first page is what it actually looks like. This should be essentially the same thing you'll get all around the world -- there may be slight variations in some territories, but for the most part, we're trying to jam as much value into this box as we can. Now we just have to pray that retailers will find room!

Witcher: Enhanced Edition ad (In Polish)

[Quemaqua]

That's some crazy stuff.  And it's even crazier that I'm probably just going to buy it.

[MysterD]

You know, it still has NOT been mentioned who's publishing it over here in the USA.

With Atari thinking it'll be hard for them to greenlight SP-projects without having any ties to the Internet, Atari had them cut out the "Sex" in the US Edition, and Atari had the script got cut down, I really have a funny feeling Atari won't be publishing this Enhanced Edition in the USA/UK. I could be wrong, but who knows...

I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the reasons this Enhanced Edition got delayed -- b/c they're trying to strike a deal w/ some other publisher, so they can get this Edition published. That or CDPR and Atari are trying to find a way to work things out, somehow...We'll have to wait and see, I guess...

Another thought or two. You know, since we know CDPR was looking to hire X360 game designers, a good bet would be The Witcher is coming to the X360 -- and if that's the case, Microsoft would probably publish it there. Hell, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if even somehow Microsoft wound up publishing Witcher: Enhanced for the PC...

[gpw11]

I'm on the fence about this.  Actually, I'll most likely not get it since all the extra content is also available for previous owners.  Awesome game.

[Xessive]

I'll definitely pick this up once it makes its way over here!

I'm not a 'collector' per se, but The Witcher is just one of those titles you have to have! The Enhanced Edition would be the definitive package.

[MysterD]

I'm on the fence about this.  Actually, I'll most likely not get it since all the extra content is also available for previous owners.  Awesome game.

I already own Witcher, so I likely won't buy Enhanced Edition until it gets quite dirt-cheap.
I really just want all that extra stuff on disc, basically.

If I didn't already own Witcher, yeah -- Enhanced Edition upon release would be a must buy.

[MysterD]

Witcher: Enhanced Previews
Preview from 1up
GameSpot's preview
GameSpy's preview


CDPR To Possibly release Witcher: Upgrade Box (for Witcher Owners)
CDPR still is planning to release all the Enhanced content for free of the Net, for Witcher owners -- if they want to try and handle the huge download(s).

But, CDPR is thinking of also going another route, meeting them halfway for those who don't want to do the huge upcoming DL.

CDPR is thinking of releasing The Witcher: Upgrade Box (Retail Box) for $14.99 Euros
(which could be around $23.50 here in the USA), if the Community wants them to do so -- so, they're taking a poll on this on their site.

Obviously, this box is intended for Owners of The Witcher already, who want all the Enhanced Edition extras physically on disc so they don't have to re-buy Witcher: Enhanced to get all the extras.

The Witcher Enhanced Edition - CDPR asks community!
  on July 25, 2008, 05:36:57 pm
   
The launch of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is coming in September, and part of that event is the release of the new retail version, with a ton of additional features and elements, that will take place of standard game version.

We remember the promise we made, so of course, anyone who has registered a copy of the game will be able to download a free update to turn the standard version of The Witcher into the Enhanced Edition.

Because of the many technical improvements and additional content (audio files of all language versions, new adventures, D’jinni editor, etc.), we realize that this will likely be a rather large file to download. That’s why we’ve come up with the idea to meet our players’ needs halfway and preparee something special for people who don’t want to download it from the internet.

The idea is a sort of “Upgrade Version” that would allow them to enjoy all the wonders of the Enhanced Edition without buying another copy of the game.

When we make decisions, we always take into consideration the opinions of our fans, and that’s why we would like to ask you about one thing. Would you be interested in buying this set, if it were available in shops?

Content of the set :

- New game box
- Patch that turns standard ‘The Witcher’ into the Enhanced Edition
- Bonus DVD with new adventures and D’jinni editor
- Game manual
- Game guide
- Remastered ‘Making of The Witcher’ DVD with additional content
- ‘Inspired by The Witcher’ Music CD- Soundtrack CD
- Map of the world
- Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story

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IMPORTANT
* 14,99 euro is the suggested price for western markets.

« Last Edit: July 25, 2008, 05:51:39 pm by Eriash »

[Xessive]

I'm sold. I'm buying this.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, I'd totally pick that up.

[gpw11]

I kind of want to replay through The Witcher right now, but on the other hand, want to wait.  What do we know about the new content - is it 'mixed in' throughout the game or can you access it separately like a mod or expansion pack?

[MysterD]

I kind of want to replay through The Witcher right now, but on the other hand, want to wait.  What do we know about the new content - is it 'mixed in' throughout the game or can you access it separately like a mod or expansion pack?

Price of Neutrality (Mod #1) is a separate entity itself -- that was added with the game's newest patch. After booting Witcher up, when you select "New Game", you will be given the Option to select Original Campaign, Price of Neutrality Mod or Other Non-CDPR Modules.

I'm guessing Side Effects (Mod #2) will probably be done in the same style (as above), as well. I could be wrong -- and it could be built into Original Campaign. Who knows. Little is really known about Side Effects.

Once Witcher: EE is released, a good deal of the little stuff in Witcher: Original Campaign will be fixed/enhanced. There will be a new sorting system for your Inventory; longer dialogues (since they are putting a lot of the 20% or so chopped-out dialogues back into the game, which will be voice-acted); less repetitively-used character models (since they are replacing overused models w/ brand new ones); new gestures/emotions; etc etc.

[gpw11]

Well, in that case I think I may just reinstall it now.

[Quemaqua]

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.  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.