Witcher 3 - Using SpeedTree For Forests

Well this story might interest a few it's an announcement that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be using SpeedTree for its vast forests.

SpeedTree^® to Build Vast Woodlands in Gameplay of Next-Gen The Witcher ^® 3

COLUMBIA, SC – In the highly anticipated RPG, The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt, monster slayer Geralt of Rivia will journey through an open world of unparalleled scale, diversity and realistic ancient woodlands created with the help of SpeedTree® for Games.
                                                               
Concluding the riveting story of the widely-acclaimed Witcher game franchise from CD Projekt RED, The Witcher 3 is due out in 2014 on PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. This will be the third title in the series to integrate SpeedTree middleware into the story-driven experience and natural environments that have become a trademark of the franchise.

“We’ve created really stunning ecosystems in The Witcher 3. Vegetation and trees in the game are a really important part of the overall experience,” said Michał Stec, Art Producer at CD Projekt RED. “Without the SpeedTree library, tools and SDK, it wouldn’t have been possible to include this level of detail and interaction with such intricate, woodland environments,” Stec added.

SpeedTree’s advanced SDK and real-time support of next-gen platforms played an important role in developing the expansive and open world of The Witcher 3, where creatures and characters interact with vast natural surroundings seemingly at will. “SpeedTree provided precise modeling and randomization tools to build the unique look we wanted for our massive forests,” noted Stec. “With The Witcher 3 set in an open world that will be about 35 times larger than Witcher 2, SpeedTree middleware greatly facilitated development and made the environments look really complete.”

SpeedTree developer IDV shared the company’s delight with CD Projekt RED’s implementation in The Witcher 3. “Our early involvement with next-gen platforms allowed us to provide the CD Projekt RED development team with the right tools at the right time,” said IDV President Michael Sechrest, “We’re looking forward to the release of the The Witcher 3 to showcase SpeedTree’s expanded capabilities, particularly on the new consoles.”