Their Games Aren’t Rushed
Each entry in The Witcher series has been a massive leap over the last one, from the first game to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and then with last year’s overwhelming Game of the Year The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Now the development times between each game certainly haven’t been anything to scoff at, with The Witcher releasing in 2007, Assassins of Kings in 2011 and Wild Hunt in 2015. Four years between each game, however, CD Projekt had a goal in mind with all that time.
Clearly, the developer knew that both games would take time to make for all of their ambition, and they weren’t afraid to delay either one. The Witcher 3 was delayed twice with the final one pushing it out of 2014 and into May of 2015. The studio made sure to be vocal with fans over the delay, even writing an open letter to them.
“The sheer size and complexity of The Witcher, key features of the title, have had a decisive impact on production. Now, nearing the end of our work, we see many details that need to be corrected,” the studio said.
Luckily, CD Projekt managed to keep showing the game consistently at E3 and other shows. It was one of the most well-received games at every show it went to, and CD Projekt managed to keep hype for the game insanely high until it released in 2015, alongside heaps of critical praise.
Looking into the future, CD Projekt has also been careful not to say too much on their next project, Cyberpunk 2077. The game was first announced in 2012, but the developer has been quick to tell people that it’s still a ways off. They’ve said multiple times that they don’t want to rush things, and won’t show anything substantial until they’re sure it’s ready. With final Witcher 3 expansion now out, everyone’s chomping at the bit for CD Projekt’s next title, but they’ve won enough goodwill that fans will give them the benefit of the doubt no matter how long they have to wait.
Extra Physical/Collectible Offerings
CD Projekt has always had the usual Collector’s Editions like everyone else, packed with goodies for the biggest Witcher fans. However, more impressive than that is everything the developer has crammed into each of the normal versions of their game. Fans have always gotten a little bonus when they purchase a physical copy of a Witcher game. The Enhanced Edition of the first Witcher came with the entire soundtrack, a three-hour ‘making of’ DVD, map, guide to the entire game and even an excerpt from “The Last Wish,” the book that introduced The Witcher.
After that, normal editions of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings would also come with: a game guide, ‘making of’ disc, soundtrack, map, papercraft characters and a collectible letter and coin. To round things off we have the physical editions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that all come packed with: a map of the game, soundtrack, wolf head stickers and a compendium with information on the Witcher’s universe and characters.
As if everything that came with the three games wasn’t enough, CD Projekt had a surprise in store for fans with The Witcher 3’s DLC as well. Physical versions of each expansion pack released in select stores with real-life actual Gwent cards from the game. However, anyone who purchased the game digitally could got to CD Projekt’s site, show proof of purchase and receive a code to buy the Gwent decks separately. All of these are small bonuses, but they show that extra bit of care from a developer like CD Projekt Red.Â
Post-Launch Support
CD Projekt wanted to make sure that the launch version of The Witcher 3 wasn’t the final version fans would experience. On top of releasing 16 free DLCs for everyone who owns the game, the developer also provided the game with consistent patches and bug fixes.
As with any open-world game The Witcher 3 had its own fair share of bugs, but the game’s first patch launched alongside the game. Since then, CD Projekt has been diligently applying fixes to the game throughout its lifetime, right up until now with the release of Blood and Wine. They’ve fixed quests, overhauled the UI and streamlined many of the game’s menus and organizational options.
While many of the 16 free DLCs were small things like alternate costumes or additional hair options, a few added on new quests, and it was nice for players to get bits and pieces of new content as they explored the massive world of The Witcher 3. CD Projekt certainly showed their dedication to their game and their players with their constant follow-up support.
Thankfulness Towards Fans
The Witcher fans are incredibly important to CD Projekt Red, that much is clear just by the support and care that they put into each of their games. But the developer wants to make sure fans know how much they’re appreciated, and they aren’t afraid to tell them directly.
Every copy of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt along with everything else included, came packed with a slip of paper. This paper took time to thank everyone for buying their game, and how much it meant to everyone on CD Projekt’s team to release it. They continued by describing their ideal, that when someone buys a game, they’re entitled to some degree of free content. Here, they described the 16 free DLCs coming later on. It doesn’t stop there though, CD Projekt designed much of The Witcher 3’s final expansion, Blood and Wine, as somewhat of a going away party for Geralt. Our favorite Witcher gets his own vineyard to take care of, where he has the option to live out the rest of his days with his loved one. Blood and Wine even ends with Geralt giving a knowing wink at the camera, before credits roll and fans are greeted with yet another note thanking them for joining CD Projekt Red on this journey, and all of their support for the series.
At every opportunity CD Projekt takes time to both show and tell fans how much they appreciate them. You can’t get much more heartfelt than that.
Full-Fledged DLC Offerings
The Witcher 3 certainly had enough content with its lengthy main quest and healthy offering of sidequests, but CD Projekt wasn’t satisfied to let things end there. Two additional DLC packs add on even more content to the game, as well as two original adventures for Geralt.
Late last year we received the first of the two packs, Hearts of Stone, for $9.99. The expansion added on around 10-15 more hours, with a new story that introduced Geralt to two fascinating characters, Olgeird Von Everac and The Man of Glass. Hearts of Stone has some of the best moments of the entire game and is filled with complex characters, moral dilemmas and interesting set pieces.
At the end of May, we got the second expansion, Blood and Wine for $19.99. This expansion added on the entirely new region of Toussaint, a new story and 30+ hours of extra gameplay. Geralt’s final adventure is one fraught with danger, political intrigue and plenty of well thought out sidequests. Blood and Wine practically feels like an entirely new game with everything on offer, rather than a simple expansion.
It’s impressive that CD Projekt could put out such well built and thought out expansions, while simultaneously patching and updating the main game. Both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine have relatively low costs of entry for the amount of content you’re getting, and they both add on fascinating stories and quests that fit well with the main game. So many developers are using their DLC options to add on smaller packs and additions now, that it’s rare to see such huge pieces come out for a game like The Witcher 3.
CD Projekt is certainly dedicated to quality, and they want to provide their fans with the best possible experience at every opportunity.
What do you think about CD Projekt Red? Do you think other developers should follow suit with their practices? Where do they stack up in your list of favorite developers? Let us know what you think down in the comments below.
Published: Jul 8, 2016 01:10 pm