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The Witcher 3 to be last Witcher game [Up: CDP CEO says franchise continuing]

Endless

Member
Update:

rpasiek speaks Polish to note.

Some more info from CEO of CD Projekt for PAP (Polish Press Agency) Business.
http://stooq.pl/n/?f=700022

"Jest to także ostatnia część trylogii, w której będzie miał miejsce wielki finał fabuły. Nie jest to jednak jednoznaczne z końcem franczyzy. Franczyza będzie kontynuowana""

"This is the last part of the trilogy with a grand finale of the story. But it does not mean the end of the franchise. Franchise will continue"

Also of note, they mention the series is nearing 5 million copies sold.

---

Press release

CD Projekt RED announces The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

Designed to be the crowning achievement from the renowned RPG developers; for the first time will combine mature, nonlinear story with a vast, fully open world.

CD Projekt RED has officially announced the title of their next upcoming game: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Further, they've announced that this, the ultimate game in the series, will also be the final Witcher game from the studio. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt combines CD Projekt RED's trademark decision-based storytelling flair with a living open world larger than any other in modern RPG history.

"The captivating and nonlinear story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes place in a rich, truly open world environment. A world which is thrilling to explore, full of daring adventures, momentous quests, memorable characters, and unique monsters. Players will freely travel through woods, lakes, mountains, cities, and villages. Each region is inhabited by distinct populations with their own customs, legends and problems. The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 30 times bigger than The Witcher 2," said Adam Badowski, head of the studio.

"Imagine playing a dark fantasy game with the same great nonlinear story as in the previous Witcher titles, but now told in a world you can explore freely with no artificial boundaries. The war-ravaged world is so huge that to reach further places you will need to ride a horse or sail a boat to get there. A world where your choices have truly epic consequences. From the development side, this goal is extremely demanding. Our team had to make significant design changes and our tech had to be rebuilt. But we believe that this will lead to a completely new level of nonlinearity and a whole new, richer gaming experience. As a gamer, I would love to play this kind of RPG and I think this is what many players are waiting for. This is our dream come true at CD Projekt RED, and we hope it will be the same for you!" adds Badowski.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final episode of the award-winning RPG series and the last part of the legend of Geralt of Rivia. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the most robust and breathtaking game ever created by CD Projekt RED. Open world free-roaming exploration is an adventure in itself as the player will gallop through war-ravaged lands, sail misty waters and track down dangerous beasts for money. An improved combat system will allow players to feel like a real monster-hunter, a witcher who uses his superior senses and fighting skills to survive in a dark fantasy world--while he embarks on a quest to save his loved ones. The new core mechanics of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt immerse the player in the experience completely, with no Quick Time Events, only intuitive RPG gameplay.

Badowski continued, "People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is. Why? Because we believe that we should end the series on a high note. Technology has progressed to where we can finally tell the story the way we want, with the visuals we want, in the world we imagined. This will be the ultimate fantasy RPG experience, and while we're hardly out of stories to tell, we believe it's time for us to look to new worlds and new horizons to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create."

For all of those who have never experienced the adventures of Geralt before, this will be their last chance. The game will be accessible all players--those who are fans of the series and those who just love RPGs--thanks to availability on all major high-end platforms and an introduction designed to smoothly introduce all those who visit the world of the Witcher for the first time."

The game will be released in 2014 simultaneously on all high-end platforms. Making use of the same remarkable art direction from The Witcher 2 combined with the support of in-house technology--the recently-announced RPG-oriented REDengine 3--The Witcher 3 will take full advantage of the technical capabilities of modern hardware and will set a new standard for RPG visuals.

CD Projekt RED has added a whole new section to their website. If you want to find more information, please go to www.thewitcher.com

For more details check out the latest issue of Game Informer, available for online subscribers starting from today. There you will find exclusive materials in a 14 page cover story, including early screenshots and concept artwork.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Badowski continued, "People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is. Why? Because we believe that we should end the series on a high note. Technology has progressed to where we can finally tell the story the way we want, with the visuals we want, in the world we imagined. This will be the ultimate fantasy RPG experience, and while we're hardly out of stories to tell, we believe it's time for us to look to new worlds and new horizons to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create."
: (

Edit:

Now that I remember this is a license, I wonder who will pick this up if The Witcher 3 sells well.

With our luck, probably not an ideal candidate. *shudder*
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
If it's going to sell like SKYRIM I bet this will not happen, lol.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
Hopefully they can release good, intuitive tools in a timely fashion for it for fans to give us more of the same if they won't (if it's good enough to want more of the same at least). Are the last game's tools out yet? Anything significant from the community?

Also, being open world, I hope that means less forced awkward sloppy cut scenes and dialogues. Less talk, more adventure.
 

i-Lo

Member
I can agree with that sentiment.

Plus, I assume Cyberpunk 2077 will have franchise potential. And that looks to be even more ambitious and time consuming.
 
I like that. Send out the Witcher 3 opus and move on to something new and fresh. If they nail all the different aspects with the next gen as I expect they will, then it'll be a worthy curtain close.
 

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
I can respect their decision, it's honorable to uphold it as a trilogy and keep it that way unlike many other games which don't know when to stop. I still hold out hope for a Roche side game though.
 
I am totally okay with them ending with The Witcher 3. I would hate to see them milk the franchise until there is nothing left.

If they can end the trilogy with their best game yet, then I'll be a happy guy. Especially considering how lacklustre some recent "3's" have been over the last two years.
 

Sendou

Member
Excellent news. It's important to know when to quit. It's rare in this industy nowadays. I'm not saying that The Witcher isn't good but I'm confident that they will not let their talent go wasted while working on other IP's :).
 

Sn4ke_911

If I ever post something in Japanese which I don't understand, please BAN me.
Good. Can't wait to see more about The Witcher 3 but after that i think it's time to move on.

WE NEED NEW IP'S!
 

EMT0

Banned
I hope they eventually return to the medieval fantasy setting, even if it isn't with The Witcher :(
 

erpg

GAF parliamentarian
Good. I hope they do it justice and omit some of the weirder things Sapkowski threw in with his novels.

I only hope they make an original dark fantasy in the future. They have a knack for it.
 

DJ_Lae

Member
I like the open world thing - makes it seem as if playing the game will be like reading the books, where you wander around and engage in what are basically short stories.

But I will miss Geralt and Dandelion and the world of the Witcher.
 
It depends what they replace it with, no?

I'm cool with it.

cyberpunk-2077-art.jpg
 
If it's going to sell like SKYRIM I bet this will not happen, lol.

Nah. The Witcher is a great IP but I'm sure that they'd prefer working on stuff they either create themselves or where the creator is actually excited/pleased to work with them.
 

GlassBox

Banned
I'm fine with this. I'd rather a franchise be ended while it is still great than to be run into the ground and ruined like so many others.
 

krishian

Member
Why the sad face? They'll end the series at the peak and won't risk ruining it by milking it for as long as it sells. We get to keep great memories of the games and they get to work on a new IP (I want to see them work on something completely new, not an adaptation). Win-win.
 
I knew it, after Geralt finds (or not) his loves ones and Nilfgaard loses (or wins) the Northern Kingdoms, there isnt anything to tell about Geralt or the world.

And Geralt is the main drive of the story, is a character driven story, not a world driven one where you can make another charcter and call him main protagonist, not even Roche.

And im ok with this. Sapkowski kills Geralt in his saga, CD project revives him, tell their saga and then they will kill Geralt or make him live happy at last.

Like this they can create all the chaos they want with the world and make your actions really count in the different endings, as nothing will be tied to it in the future.
 

UrbanRats

Member
Good that they won't drag into the floor.
I like their style in general, so i'm sure whatever comes next will be good.
 

params7

Banned
Hopefully it avoids the pitfalls of Skyrim and actually makes the world worth traveling and enemies worth fighting. Put in some challenge, and risk/effort = Reward gameplay. And it might just be one of the best videogames ever made. But knowing CDPR and Witcher 2 from what I've played, it shouldn't be a letdown.
 
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