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General discussionAnnouncing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Expansion Pass(1100 posts)(1100 posts)
(1100 posts)
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Posted April 07, 2015
Two full-blown expansions for the epic RPG.




The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is almost here. That means the game is pretty much finished, and the devs are about to take a deep breath while CD-presses and hype machines slowly wind up to take things through the home stretch. It's not gold yet, but now that development is coming to an end, the CD PROJEKT RED team is ready to start their work on two new, ambitious monster-hunting expansions.

The expansions will be called <span class="bold">Hearts of Stone</span>, and <span class="bold">Blood and Wine</span>. Combined, they'll offer over 30 hours of new adventures for Geralt, and the latter introduces a whole new major area to roam. More items, gear, and characters (including a few familiar faces) will all be crafted with the same attention to detail as the game itself.
<span class="bold">Hearts of Stone</span> is a 10-hour adventure across the wilds of No Man's Land and the nooks of Oxenfurt. The secretive Man of Glass has a contract for you - you'll need all your smarts and cunning to untangle a thick web of deceit, investigate the mystery, and emerge in one piece.
<span class="bold"><span class="bold">Blood and Wine</span></span> is the big one, introducing an all-new, playable in-game region to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It will take you about 20 hours to discover all of Toussaint, a land of wine, untainted by war. And to uncover the dark, bloody secret behind an atmosphere of carefree indulgence.







There used to be a time when buying an add-on disk or expansion for your game really meant something. That's what CD PROJEKT RED are going for, it's about bringing that old feeling back. You can take it from our very own iWi, (that's Marcin Iwinski, co-founder of CD PROJEKT RED):

"We’ve said in the past that if we ever decide to release paid content, it will be vast in size and represent real value for the money. Both of our expansions offer more hours of gameplay than quite a few standalone games out there.”

Hearts of Stone is expected to premiere this October, while Blood and Wine is slated for release in the first quarter of 2016, so there's still plenty of time ahead. We're offering you the <span class="bold">Expansion Pass</span> now - it's a chance to pre-order the two expansions and even show your support for the devs. But we can't stress Marcin Iwinski's words enough:

“Don’t buy it if you have any doubts. Wait for reviews or play The Witcher and see if you like it first. As always, it’s your call."







The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is just over a month away, and you can pre-order the game right now - it's a particularly great deal if you own the previous Witcher games and take advantage of the additional fan discount (both The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings are 80% off right now!). You can also take a rather unique refresher course on the universe with The Witcher Adventure Game at a 40% discount, all until Thursday, 4:59 PM GMT.
Post edited April 07, 2015 by Chamb
Posted April 09, 2015
high rated
Hello Everyone,

First of all let me thank you for your feedback. Although a bit harsh at times, it is always very passionate, emotional and we really do appreciate it.

I wanted to add a few words to the original press release, which will hopefully shed some more light on the Expansions and the timing of the announcement.

Let me start with the Expansions themselves. The work on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is almost done and we are waiting for the final certifications. Thanks to it we were able to allocate part of the team onto the expansions. Yes, we have been thinking about it for some time, as with over 250 people on the Witcher team good planning is essential.

Rest assured, there is no hidden agenda or cutting out any content from the game. Both Expansions are being built at this very moment, from the ground up – hence the release dates long after the launch of Wild Hunt. We develop them in-house by the same team, which was working on Wild Hunt. This is the best guarantee we can give you that our goal is to deliver both the story and production values on par with the main game.

Now, on the timing of the announcement - in other words “why now” and not - let’s say – “a few months after the release of Wild Hunt”. The reason is very simple: we want to get the word out about the Expansions to as many gamers as possible out there. There is no better time for it than during the apex of the Marketing & PR campaign of the game. Doing it sometime after the release would mean that our reach would be much smaller.

Yes, we are a business, and yes, we would love to see both the game and the Expansions selling well. Having said that, we always put gamers first and are actually quite paranoid about the fact that whatever we offer is honest, of highest quality, and represents good value for your hard earn buck.

Yes, these are just my words. So let me repeat myself from the original release: if you still have any doubts -- don’t buy the Expansions. Wait for reviews or play The Witcher and see if you like it first. As always, it’s your call.

Cheers,

Marcin
Post edited April 09, 2015 by Destro
Posted April 08, 2015
Two guaranteed expansions for the game? Nice.
Super early pre-order for them? Kinda weird.
Posted April 08, 2015
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mkess: As far as I can see, They downlod the installer, as usual, and start the DRM free installer with Galaxy in the background, managing the install directories.
So it's the same installer? Digital signature and all?
Posted April 08, 2015
https://www.cdprojekt.com/resources/document/ENG/2014/Management_Board_comments_regarding_the_condensed_interim_consolidated_financial_statement_of_the_CD_PROJEKT_Group_for_Q3_2014.pdf

I read trough this report afew days ago, has some insights about what they expect from gog in the future aside from all the numbers that take a while to sort trough.

They simply hope to make more money (the bastards!) riding on the expected sucess of galaxy and newer games and thus higher prices: hard to make a fortune on a 5 dólar game with a 75% sale discount, but make that a 50 dolar game on a 75% sale discount and its another story.

This pass thing is just something that follows the same logic: its just business, like it or dont, speak with your wallet, future reports will show who spoke louder.
Posted April 08, 2015
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Davane: The easiest way to do this is to make having the client more desirable than not having the client. One way to achieve this is to start limiting updates, bug fixes, bonus content, and newer games to the client.

This isn't so much as "You must do this" as "You want to do this."
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stg83: Indeed, this is exactly the thought process for most folks that are skeptical about GOG Galaxy not having any kind of affect on how the website works currently. I am sure the idea is to make GOG Galaxy so desirable that it becomes a real hassle to download games without it. Since it has been already confirmed that the GOG downloader will be retired after Galaxy comes out and the only way to download games directly from the website will be through the browser.
If your going to download the GOG downloader then why is there an issue with downloading Galaxy which will do the same thing but better? You don't have to use Galaxy to play your games, you can simply use it to download the installers like with the GOG downloader.

This is already available in Galaxy, I don't see the point in supporting 2 pieces of software when one can do the best of both worlds.
Posted April 08, 2015
For some reason I thought this was a rip on the big companies who release season passes for minuscule content. But then it came back to me when they explained there would be a good reason if they released paid content. In this case, it looks well deserved.

Quite expensive even for the base game though (for me). Hmm, a scholarship isn't far away.
Posted April 08, 2015
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LynetteC: Unless they make it mandatory (like the Steam client), Galaxy is not DRM. It's not required to play your games; it's not even required to download them. It may be required for some multi-player games but only as a means to connect to the game servers (including Steam ones I believe) which is not DRM but a necessity for online gaming!

l sincerely hope this always remains the case.
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Davane: They don't have to make it mandatory for it to be DRM. There are many more ways to control people than to just point a gun at them and say "You must do this."

The easiest way to do this is to make having the client more desirable than not having the client. One way to achieve this is to start limiting updates, bug fixes, bonus content, and newer games to the client.

This isn't so much as "You must do this" as "You want to do this."
To my mind, as long as it remains a choice (whether or not it's made to be a more desirable choice) it cannot be considered DRM as it does not affect your ability to download or play your games. GOG does, however, need to improve on notifications about updates outside of the client but this has been an issue since long before Galaxy was announced.
Posted April 08, 2015
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BKGaming: If your going to download the GOG downloader then why is there an issue with downloading Galaxy which will do the same thing but better? You don't have to use Galaxy to play your games, you can simply use it to download the installers like with the GOG downloader.

This is already available in Galaxy, I don't see the point in supporting 2 pieces of software when one can do the best of both worlds.
But this makes the client mandatory for people that don't want to use Galaxy but just use the downloader for getting games from the website. I know it may seem unreasonable but some people don't want extra bloat software with additional features when all they need is just a basic downloader for their games.
Post edited April 08, 2015 by stg83
Posted April 08, 2015
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Davane: There's your problem.

You are talking about ONLINE MP. That is DRM, albeit an often desirable one.

Meanwhile, MP that go through other means beyond official servers is waning, and being phased out.
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BKGaming: Which is a pure development choice, doesn't make a game suddenly DRM... hate the choice sure, but call it what it is.
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. This can be seen both as a noun, and as a verb.

This pretty much defines the entire DRM argument really.

If you consider DRM to be a noun, then you are looking at specific software that carries out DRM.

If you consider DRM to be a verb, then you are looking at processes and ideas that serve the purpose of DRM.

You can argue endlessly over which is better - but that is rather pointless.

What is important is to understand whether GOG.com thinks that if they call DRM as a process of control by any other name, that it is no longer DRM, and thus they are not violating their "No DRM" policy.

Given the "Regional Pricing" and "Fair Pricing" debacle, I don't hold out much hope for this.
Posted April 08, 2015
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mrkgnao: Not sure what you mean about MaGog. Are you referring to the 48-hour delay due to GOG blocking my IP?
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JMich: Didn't you post at some point that you parse the log and only post the relevant parts, after stripping some information down? Or is my memory really that bad?
The only things I do not report are
- changes in star rating, number of ratings, and number of reviews, which change tens or hundreds of times a day
- punctuation ang spelling changes without content changes
- changes in link names without change in the target page
- minor image changes such as font size or shading

Are you interested in those?
Posted April 08, 2015
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BKGaming: If your going to download the GOG downloader then why is there an issue with downloading Galaxy which will do the same thing but better? You don't have to use Galaxy to play your games, you can simply use it to download the installers like with the GOG downloader.

This is already available in Galaxy, I don't see the point in supporting 2 pieces of software when one can do the best of both worlds.
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stg83: But this makes the client mandatory for people that don't want to use Galaxy but just use the downloader for getting games from the website. I know it may seem unreasonable but some people don't want extra bloat software with additional features when all they need is just a basic downloader for their games.
It's not really mandatory, I can do that really with a good download manager honestly. So if I was that opposed I would just do that. I can't reasonably expect a company to support old software when something else has replaced it that does the the same thing. As far as Galaxy being bloat, this isn't Steam... surprisingly it's fast/lightweight even though it still an alpha.
Posted April 08, 2015
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mrkgnao: Are you interested in those?
My point was that even though the content isn't identical, it is still the same. Same with files delivered by installers or by Galaxy.
Posted April 08, 2015
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BKGaming: Which is a pure development choice, doesn't make a game suddenly DRM... hate the choice sure, but call it what it is.
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Davane: DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. This can be seen both as a noun, and as a verb.

This pretty much defines the entire DRM argument really.

If you consider DRM to be a noun, then you are looking at specific software that carries out DRM.

If you consider DRM to be a verb, then you are looking at processes and ideas that serve the purpose of DRM.

You can argue endlessly over which is better - but that is rather pointless.

What is important is to understand whether GOG.com thinks that if they call DRM as a process of control by any other name, that it is no longer DRM, and thus they are not violating their "No DRM" policy.

Given the "Regional Pricing" and "Fair Pricing" debacle, I don't hold out much hope for this.
There is some truth to this.

But again as I said before if you look at the past behavior of GOG in regards to MP/ online MP there focus has always been keeping the single player DRM free, that is what they see as DRM free. Otherwise there would have been no cd keys for MP ect on GOG.
Posted April 08, 2015
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AndyBear: I know that what I (or anyone else in this thread) say can't change the fact that The Witcher 3 now has a DLC bundle (you can call it a "Season Pass" or "Expansion Pass" - doesn't change what it actually is), mainly because these kinds of decisions are not something that can turn on a dime.

But fact is that the original Witcher did a lot to earn player confidence with the Enhanced Edition/Director's Cut updates. That prompted me to buy The Witcher 2 pretty early on, despite it having some pre-order bonuses (a practice that I dislike).

This time, the game is priced at 60$ on PC, and now there is a 20$ DLC markup. The high price had me on the fence, but this convinced me not to buy the game at full price. When I don't buy games on day one, I usually wait until the game + all DLC are on sale for under 12.50$, sometimes, for games I heard good stuff about, I drop 20$.

So in essence, what this accomplished is that I will have spent at most a third of the price I was originally willing to pay for the product (I can wait for a year or two, I still have thousands of games I've not finished).

On the other hand, if the game was released at full price now, and the expansion was announced as a single product 6 to 12 months form now - and if it is indeed of significant quality and scope - I would have probably bought the base game in the launch window (even for the 60$ price tag).

Developers and publishers need to think about these facts. Try to remember the days of EA Sports VS 2K Sports, or even SimCity 2013 VS Cities: Skylines. A pricing model that doesn't stink, and expansion plans that are tailored to player response (as opposed to being developed before the game is even out), are going to yield higher consumer confidence and profits in the long term.
This is exactly like I act now. I am willing to pay money for a game, if I think it is worth it. And if I can buy it whole.

Otherwise I will wait for an 75% sale, for a game I really want, like "Shadow of Mordor", the orc slaying emulator and buy the season pass, later for under 10 Euro

But, if I do not want a game immediatly, I will wait until I get the main game and the season pass for under 10 Euro, or I get the GotY edition for 5-10 Euro.

In all of these cases I am lost as a customer of a new released game. This happens now, with the Witcher 3. I was willing to pay 43 Euro, but now I am only willing to pay 10 Euro and less, after the GotY edition will be out. And this will not only happen to this game, but all games from CD-Project in the future.

I "own" over 500 games. I am able to wait a little longer for a new one.
Posted April 08, 2015
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BKGaming: If your going to download the GOG downloader then why is there an issue with downloading Galaxy which will do the same thing but better? You don't have to use Galaxy to play your games, you can simply use it to download the installers like with the GOG downloader.

This is already available in Galaxy, I don't see the point in supporting 2 pieces of software when one can do the best of both worlds.
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stg83: But this makes the client mandatory for people that don't want to use Galaxy but just use the downloader for getting games from the website. I know it may seem unreasonable but some people don't want extra bloat software with additional features when all they need is just a basic downloader for their games.
In the same way you could label GOG Downloader as being mandatory software to download GOG games, because there are people who don't want to use GOG website? What kind of failed, broken logic is this?

Also, what stops you from using third party download app to download games from GOG? Honest question.
Post edited April 08, 2015 by d2t
Posted April 08, 2015
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BKGaming: But again as I said before if you look at the past behavior of GOG in regards to MP/ online MP there focus has always been keeping the single player DRM free, that is what they see as DRM free. Otherwise there would have been no cd keys for MP ect on GOG.
If we look at past behaviour on such issues, someone is going to post a Downfall parody, and then GOG.com will respond with a Downfall parody of their own...
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Community
General discussionAnnouncing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Expansion Pass(1100 posts)(1100 posts)
(1100 posts)