The Witcher - Announcement of a New Game

[Kos]

1 year of Epic exclusive is great. I prefer them to Early Access of Steam since all the content is there since day 1.

Given their track record at launch, 1 year of crash tests from the Epic users may really help to get a better game. We would also get a year full of imaginative protests of innocence, wild kowtows, and promises of 'never again' from CDPR to help pass the time.

 

[JDR13]

for me, playing ciri is a no-go...
i would have preferred to play either geralt again or a new witcher...

Where has it been said that Ciri is the protagonist?

 

[MAHak]

CDPR be like: Time for this Elden Ring hype to die down a little….

Also, I made a prediction some time ago that TES 6 and the next Withcher game's development would probably run at the same time and that there would be a hype-duel about who was going to be the champion and the One True™ triple A++++++++ RPG of this decade.
Guess that does sound a bit more plausible now…

 

[Nereida]

Damn, it didn't take long for all the nay-sayers to stampede out.

This is of course amazing news that any RPG fan born after 1985 will be happy about. With good reason, too.

 

[bjon045]

Damn, it didn't take long for all the nay-sayers to stampede out.

This is of course amazing news that any RPG fan born after 1985 will be happy about. With good reason, too.

Sorry but can you quote "all" the naysayers? As far as I can see not a single person has reacted in a negative way to the news of a sequel.

Or are you just trying to create drama again?

 

[Couchpotato]

Between this and the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel CDPR will be quite busy for the next ten years. So does this mean they will stop using the RedEngine from now on as well?

Anyway I hope they will allow players to create their own witcher this time.

 

[Stingray]

You correctly stated that Epic does not charge the 5% when publishing a UE engine game on EGS but then you forgot to deduct the 5% in the second bullet point .

I believe the correct split would be:

- 95% from sales on GOG
- 93% from sales on EGS (88% is for everyone, 5% "discount" if you use UE engine)
- 75% Steam (20% Steam cut + 5% UE licensing fee) because the next Witcher game is a game that is guaranteed to exceed $50 million in revenue. Due to pressure from Epic, Steam changed to a split model based on revenue. Steam charges 30% only for games under $10 million revenue, then 25% between $10 million and $50 million and finally 20% above $50 million.

I wouldn't have a problem with EGS and GOG exclusivity. Steam is nice and all but I'm not a Steam elitist.

No, that's not how the Epic cut works, there's no discount for using UE, it's just that they won't take their additional 5% as they usually would. So it's 88% for the Epic Store. (One source is the chart on this page: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/announcing-the-epic-games-store )

You're right about Steam though, I hadn't considered that $10M/$50M thing.

In the end probably 95% for GOG, 88% for Epic, and 75% for Steam. Still a shitload of money to be gained if they delay the Steam release a bit and funnel people into GOG/Epic. But they've probably calculated that the loss of goodwill isn't worth the gain of money, for long term purposes.

 

[Kos]

They don't have to make a new game in the time of Witcher 3. After all it's an end of the world situation, magic and monsters are dying, humans have won and the consequence is the Witchers are disappearing too. As for Ciri, she is basically a goddess who ignores herself, not really a playable option..

Make it 100-150 earlier and you have a massive playfield with tons of possible content, young kingdoms, more monsters, elder races more powerful, real kick ass magicians, more Witcher schools and possibly a Witcher creation + initiation..

 

[Redglyph]

You're discussing fees, but are they even fixed? I've never known a single business where those were not negotiated.

If Steam and GOG charge so much to the average game, do they really do the same with a developer that sold more than 13 million copies (and that was only last year's results)? I would find it strange, especially if the dev is also a publisher and can just say 'no'.

Anyway, it's moot since we know it won't be an Epic-exclusive, there will be GOG and/or Steam at least.

Between this and the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel CDPR will be quite busy for the next ten years. So does this mean they will stop using the RedEngine from now on as well?

They said they would keep using the RedEngine for CP2077 and the upcoming expansion. They couldn't really do otherwise.

 

[Morrandir]

They don't have to make a new game in the time of Witcher 3. After all it's an end of the world situation, magic and monsters are dying, humans have won and the consequence is the Witchers are disappearing too.

Yeah, but I'm sure writers can make some plot where 50 years later (other) monsters appear and witchers are needed again.
Or is there some canon (by Sapkowski) on what happens after Geralt's story ended?

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Releasing a new Witcher game on GoG and Epic would be… epic! Reason? Look at my signature. This sentence was posted by Black Canopus about Witcher 3 and these words are still the most importent words ever written here on the Watch.

 

[Kos]

Yeah, but I'm sure writers can make some plot where 50 years later (other) monsters appear and witchers are needed again.
Or is there some canon (by Sapkowski) on what happens after Geralt's story ended?

No, because the main people in the books, including the Witchers, know than the old world is nearly dead (as far as monsters and magic are concerned). That is why kings dare to round up the surviving mages to eliminate them without fear of reprisal and no more Witchers are created (at the time of Geralt many Witcher Schools have already disappeared).

Canon, Geralt is around 100 yo, Vesemir was already old for a Witcher when he started training Geralt. Only another Witcher has been trained since Geralt and he is actually just a bit younger.

Obviously, just pure speculation from me. But how cool would it be to have a 'super ninja', with lightning speed, 2 swords and only mere humans to kill when they could easily have that much content and no canon shackle by starting a few generations back.

 

[Morrandir]

Canon, Geralt is around 100 yo, Vesemir was already old for a Witcher when he started training Geralt. Only another Witcher has been trained since Geralt and he is actually just a bit younger.

Yes, but that's not a dealbreaker. Just let one of the mages create something to let them live even longer. Or Ciri does something, whatever.

Obviously, just pure speculation from me. But how cool would it be to have a 'super ninja', with lightning speed, 2 swords and only mere humans to kill when they could easily have that much content and no canon shackle by starting a few generations back.

My problem with "prequels" are actually the shackles you have when it's known how the situation will be after "a few generations".
But I see that it's a matter of taste.
The thing is that my approach would allow Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss to be included in the game as NPC. I'd be sad if we wouldn't meet them.

 

[vanedor]

Personally, I would love to have an open world game in the Witcher universe where you aren't forced to be "something". I would imagine some epic quests to join the magicians / Witcher if you wanted to but you could as well play a bard, a knight or something.

As for Steam/Epic/GOG, I wouldn't mind paying a couple dollars more just for the convenience of having the game in my Steam Library instead of another store. I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[Redglyph]

Personally, I would love to have an open world game in the Witcher universe where you aren't forced to be "something". I would imagine some epic quests to join the magicians / Witcher if you wanted to but you could as well play a bard, a knight or something.

That could be interesting, many players prefer a customizable character. I'd certainly be happy with just the setting, even if the known characters have an aura and it's nice to see them. After all, Gerald could even be an NPC, but he would steal the show.

As for Steam/Epic/GOG, I wouldn't mind paying a couple dollars more just for the convenience of having the game in my Steam Library instead of another store. I'm sure I'm not alone.

I wouldn't mind either, except for me it would be the GOG version. But the idea of preference remains the same.

 

[Kos]

Yes, but that's not a dealbreaker. Just let one of the mages create something to let them live even longer. Or Ciri does something, whatever.

My problem with "prequels" are actually the shackles you have when it's known how the situation will be after "a few generations".
But I see that it's a matter of taste.
The thing is that my approach would allow Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss to be included in the game as NPC. I'd be sad if we wouldn't meet them.

Matter of taste? Sure, it is.
But to have any of those people in a game set after TW3 would make CDPR twist the books in a very awkward way. It's the end of their particular world, and the writer did with them what Tolkien did with the Elves: They leave the world. They belong no more.

Personally, I wouldn't mind creating a fresh Witcher few years before. Maybe then you could meet them but as younger NPC.

 

[vanedor]

That could be interesting, many players prefer a customizable character. I'd certainly be happy with just the setting, even if the known characters have an aura and it's nice to see them. After all, Gerald could even be an NPC, but he would steal the show.

Yes, a bit like how you meet Drizzt and Elminster in Baldur's Gate.

 

[Nereida]

Hi.

Just here to speculate baselessly about how the next game will play out, and strongly disagree with other people's baseless speculations, as, according to myself, it would be a less good game if it doesn't follow my baseless speculations.

I know it's a matter of taste, but whatever speculations we speak about here will obviously influence CDProjekt as they make the game, so it's all clearly worth debating at length.

I hope my baseless speculations have been made clear to others.

 

[Kos]

Hi.

Just here to speculate baselessly about how the next game will play out, and strongly disagree with other people's baseless speculations, as, according to myself, it would be a less good game if it doesn't follow my baseless speculations.

I know it's a matter of taste, but whatever speculations we speak about here will obviously influence CDProjekt as they make the game, so it's all clearly worth debating at length.

I hope my baseless speculations have been made clear to others.

Sure Sunshine, thank you!
Don't know who had a good pee on that fish & chips of yours but you don't worry, the taste will go away eventually.

 

[GothicGothicness]

I can't really imagine a Witcher game without playing Geralt, he is THE Witcher, I think they should just let it rest after 3.