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CD Projekt has no interest in publishing 3rd party titles; other updates

boskee

Member
We can now narrow down the release date of Cyberpunk 2077. According to CDPR's strategy, they will release 2 AAA RPG titles between 2016-2021 and we now have a confirmation, that Cyberpunk 2077 is the first (in order of release) of those titles. That pretty much (in my mind) rules out release after 2018, as they will need time to develop the second title:

1. Jeśli druga tajemnicza gra wymieniana jest na równi z dużą grą RPG CP77 to mamy do czynienia z projektem podobnej wielkości co Wiedźmin, czyli tytułem AAA?
Tak, mamy tutaj na myśli grę RPG w kategorii AAA.

1. If the second mysterious game is on par with CP77, then are we talking about a game that's similar in size to the Witcher 3, that is to say, a AAA title?

Yes, we're talking about another RPG game in the AAA category

And:

2. Czy słusznie możemy zakładać, że skoro jest to druga duża gra o której nie mamy jeszcze najmniejszego pojęcia to powstanie ona po CP77?
Tak, nad CP77 pracuje obecnie największy zespół i jest to pierwsza duża (po GWINCIE) gra, którą planujemy wydać zgodnie z przyjętą Strategią na lata 2016-2021.

2. Are we right to assume, that because it's another big game that we don't know anything about yet, it will be built after CP77?

Yes, the largest team is currently busy working on CP77 and it's the first (after GWENT) big game, that we are planning to release according to our strategy for 2016-2021.

Also, CD Projekt has no interest in becoming a publisher of 3rd party titles.

In a recent question on their Investor Relations forums, CDP was asked whether they consider going (like their local competitor Techland) into the publishing business. The answer is clear. They don't:

W naszej strategii na lata 2016-2021 dosyć szczegółowo przedstawiliśmy nasze plany dotyczące rozwoju Grupy Kapitałowej w najbliższej przyszłości. Na dzisiaj nie planujemy rozpoczęcia działalności wydawniczej obcych tytułów. Nasza renoma, jako firmy będącej wydawcą swoich produktów, jest bezpośrednią pochodną ich jakości i pozycji rynkowej, za którą możemy ręczyć wyłącznie wtedy, kiedy sami realizujemy proces produkcji.

Zamierzamy skupiać się na tym, co potrafimy robić najlepiej, czyli w przypadku CD PROJEKT RED na produkcji najlepszych na świecie gier, które zdobędą serca milionów graczy na całym świecie. Zgodnie z opublikowaną strategią naszym celem jest również dalsze (w czym wymagany jest duży udział wewnętrznego działu wydawniczego) rozszerzanie naszych marek na obszarach innych mediów i produktów.

"In our strategy for the years 2016-2021, we have presented quite detailed plans for the Capital Group and the nearest future. At this moment we have no plans to publish 3rd party titles. Our reputation, as a company that self-publishes its own games, is closely tied to the quality of our titles, that we can only vouch for when we're the ones who produce them.

We're going to concentrate on what we do best, which in CD Projekt Red's case is making the best games in the world, which will steal hearts of millions of players around the world. According to our strategy, our goal is to also expand our brands to other media and products."

Finally, CDPR won't rule out their games on Nintendo Switch:

– If we decide to release Gwent or The Witcher 3 on Nintendo Switch, we will inform you with an appropriate press release.

Source: https://www.cdprojekt.com/pl/forums/topic/lista-pytan-do-zarzadu/page/51/
 
I wouldn't be surprised at all about a new Witcher, although it probably wouldn't be "The Witcher 4". CDPR have stated that The Witcher 3 was the end of Geralt's journey, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the franchise. I'd love to see a new trilogy centered around Ciri.
 

Coreda

Member
Buried the lead a bit with that title. Cyberpunk release timeframe confirmation + another AAA title set to be released by 2021.
 

Exentryk

Member
I'll be in for another RPG with sword-based combat. Wake me up whenever that happens.

Anyway, thanks Boskee for translating this info.
 

KonradLaw

Member
I will be shocked if there's no new Geralt game in the future. It will take a long time, likely a decade for now, but I'm sure there will be new game set in that universe and it will have Geralt as the lead.
Just like how Witcher 1 was supposed to star a brand new character untill they've realized it had to be Geralt, it will hapen again. He's too crucial to the whole franchise. Leaving him would lead to MGs2- level of diseaster. Love for Geralt is just etched too deep in geek poles' chearts :D
 
I would love a Ciri focused Witcher game, and I think that makes sense (she's fun as hell to play as and a really good character), but I'd be okay if that didn't happen for a long time.

Cyberpunk and new IP hopefully.
 

dr_rus

Member
Hoping for some new IP

It's coming in the form of CP2077.

The second game is most likely a new Witcher title. It wouldn't make a lot of business sense to abandon the IP on its TW3 highs. Won't be a Geralt game and I hope that it won't be a Ciri spinoff either as that would still pretty much be a Geralt game but with a different protagonist. They should try some original story telling in Sapkowski's Witcher universe.
 

AerialAir

Banned
So hyped for CP77, I still watch that trailer a few times per month, it just looks too good. Shame OGPS4 probably won't be able to handle that monster well.
 

PseudoViper

Member
As much as I love the Witcher, I wouldn't want a 4. Plus Blood and Wine was suppose to wrap up the saga and I would want to keep it that way.

I would totally love a new IP or... maybe have them make a new Star Wars game!!!! (fan pressure!)
 

Falchion

Member
Yeah, they definitely want to maintain their reputation so they don't want it attached to any product they didn't develop themselves.
 

Zushin

Member
Just went back to W3 to finish Blood and Wine and now I miss Geralt :( Time to re-read the books and play the whole series again. Cant wait to see what CD comes out with next, but I do hope they return to the Witcher one day.
 
They won't do that. They're all about having complete control over the IP. That would never happen with Star Wars.

FYI, the Witcher isn't CD Projekt's IP and they don't have total control over it. It was made by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

Of course, they no doubt have more freedom with the Witcher than they would with a mainstream property like Star Wars, so if that's what you meant then I agree.
 

Tovarisc

Member
FYI, the Witcher isn't CD Projekt's IP and they don't have total control over it. It was made by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

Of course, they no doubt have more freedom with the Witcher than they would with a mainstream property like Star Wars, so if that's what you meant then I agree.

Didn't Andrzej Sapkowski have like next to nothing to do even with first game? He basically gave CDPR permission to use his IP as basis for some RPG games and then went all hands off.
 

boskee

Member
FYI, the Witcher isn't CD Projekt's IP and they don't have total control over it. It was made by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

Of course, they no doubt have more freedom with the Witcher than they would with a mainstream property like Star Wars, so if that's what you meant then I agree.

They own the IP when it comes to games. Sapkowski signed them off. They have no right to develop films in that world, but they also own The Witcher trademark. That's why Baginski won't be able to name his upcoming film The Witcher.

https://trademarks.justia.com/857/93/the-85793040.html

They also own the Cyberpunk trademark as far as the games are concerned.

https://trademarks.justia.com/856/81/cyberpunk-85681741.html

Didn't Andrzej Sapkowski have like next to nothing to do even with first game? He basically gave CDPR permission to use his IP as basis for some RPG games and then went all hands off.

Yup. He only consulted on the map of The Witcher world. That's all. He's now moaning about the games, because he only asked for a fixed remuneration in his contract with CDP and doesn't get anything from the exceptional sales of the games.
 
They own the IP when it comes to games. Sapkowski signed them off. They have no right to develop films in that world, but they also own The Witcher trademark. That's why Baginski won't be able to name his upcoming film The Witcher.

They also own the IP of Cyberpunk when it comes to computer games.

Whoops, I had no idea. My bad. Thanks for the correction.

Didn't even consider something like that could happen. The Witcher has exploded in popularity outside of Poland, in part due to the games, so it's pretty wild that Sapkowski would sign over the rights like that.
 

boskee

Member
Whoops, I had no idea. My bad.

Didn't even consider something like that could happen. The Witcher has exploded in popularity outside of Poland, in part due to the games, so it's pretty wild that Sapkowski would sign over the rights like that.

He did so years ago. Remember that CDP started working on the first game back in 2002, shortly after the huge flop that was the Witcher film was released. Sapkowski wanted to cash in on it, most likely never expecting it to become so huge.
 

StereoVsn

Member
It's coming in the form of CP2077.

The second game is most likely a new Witcher title. It wouldn't make a lot of business sense to abandon the IP on its TW3 highs. Won't be a Geralt game and I hope that it won't be a Ciri spinoff either as that would still pretty much be a Geralt game but with a different protagonist. They should try some original story telling in Sapkowski's Witcher universe.
This would make the most sense. Could have you play either new Witcher, Sorceress, etc...
 
Yup. He only consulted on the map of The Witcher world. That's all. He's now moaning about the games, because he only asked for a fixed remuneration in his contract with CDP and doesn't get anything from the exceptional sales of the games.

At least the book was licensed around the world, and sold more because of the games. So there's that for him.
 
Why do people assume The Witcher series will never get another game? The Witcher 3 has sold nearly 4.5 million copies on PC alone, so I can't even imagine the total sales. Without a doubt, the franchise has gone mainstream with the third game. You can be assured a new Witcher game is coming eventually.
 

Mikeside

Member
Why do people assume The Witcher series will never get another game? The Witcher 3 has sold nearly 4.5 million copies on PC alone, so I can't even imagine the total sales. Without a doubt, the franchise has gone mainstream with the third game. You can be assured a new Witcher game is coming eventually.

I'm really hoping for a Tales of the Witcher kind of game that pulls a lot of material from the short stories, so I guess it would end up as a kind of prequel, but puts them into a similar kind of RPG to W3
 

boskee

Member
I'm really hoping for a Tales of the Witcher kind of game that pulls a lot of material from the short stories, so I guess it would end up as a kind of prequel, but puts them into a similar kind of RPG to W3

Yeah, my money is on the next Witcher game being a prequel or even a completely unrelated story set in the Witcher world. We're going to get the first taste of CDPR's ability to create stories unrelated to Geralt in the upcoming single player Gwent campaigns. There will be at least 40 hours of them so we'll get a good idea at how comfortable they feel tackling different storylines set in that world.
 

dr_rus

Member
Yeah, my money is on the next Witcher game being a prequel or even a completely unrelated story set in the Witcher world. We're going to get the first taste of CDPR's ability to create stories unrelated to Geralt in the upcoming single player Gwent campaigns. There will be at least 40 hours of them so we'll get a good idea at how comfortable they feel tackling different storylines set in that world.

There will be 40 hours of single player campaigns in Gwent game? That's insane.
 
I wouldn't mind if the other game is a new witcher title. But I'm hoping they ditch any sense of continuing with the timeline and just go back in time with a whole new set of characters and issues. No more continuation with these character whatsoever. Possibly meeting a young Vesemir or some shit at some point as the one cameo.

Though we already know what young Vesemir looks like

g5E2hc8.jpg
 

Speely

Banned
I feel like a Ciri game in a completely different setting/time is sort of a gimme... as in gimme that game.
 
We're going to get the first taste of CDPR's ability to create stories unrelated to Geralt in the upcoming single player Gwent campaigns.

I feel like we already have that taste- the Bloody Baron and O' Dimm storylines are pretty much original and have nothing directly to do with Geralt. You could swap in a different protagonist without missing a beat.
 
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