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The Witcher 3 Delay Will Result In A “Smoother Experience”

Ben-Dutka 4 Comments

Developer CD Projekt Red has already explained the disappointing delay of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt .

Despite promising gamers that it wouldn't be pushed beyond the February date (the result of the first delay), the hotly anticipated RPG won't be here until May. But we'll definitely benefit.

Now we've got an additional explanation from studio boss Marcin Iwinski. He told Nerdacy that the delay isn't about "constant changes" but more about bug fixes and optimizing the game's visuals across all formats:

"We are removing the final bugs and still running optimization in various areas. What it will result in is a smoother and more engaging experience and, yes, the game looking better across all platforms.

The content is locked, so no content changes are being made at this point. The scale of the open world in the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is unprecedented, so fear not–there is enough gameplay to keep you playing for weeks."

We've heard rumors that the resolutions between the PS4 and Xbox One versions could be quite different, which isn't what many wanted to hear. Now, though, the developers might be evening things out.

Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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CD Projekt Red Explains The Witcher 3’s Second Delay

Ben-Dutka 4 Comments

Yes, we could use an explanation, especially after you promised there'd be no more delays.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt won't make its projected February date; it has been delayed until mid-May. CD Projekt Red board member Adam Kicinski explained the reasons behind this move (as reported by Eurogamer ).

First, he said "gamers took our decision very well," as he says the market is currently "afraid of badly polished games on next-gen platforms." That's undoubtedly true, given what we've seen in 2014. Beyond that, Kicinski said they're simply finding a lot of small bugs:

"There's a lot of small errors though, because the game is huge. It's the only reason behind the delay. We didn't assume it will be this big. Only after putting all the pieces together it turned out it's bigger than the two first put together.

Let me remind you: it's open and not linear. We are just learning how to play it and we have to catch the little pieces. We know what to do, we just have to do it. We don't want to release the game with bugs that undermine the gameplay."

Kicinski added that in retrospect, the February 2015 date was too optimistic. "We announced the release date very early and we're paying for it now." That's unfortunate but at least we won't get a buggy game!

Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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The Witcher 3 Hit With Another Delay, Developer Apologizes

Ben-Dutka 20 Comments

Here's one thing you really don't want to do in this market:

Make a promise and not keep it.

Several months ago, developer CD Projekt Red promised gamers that after the initial delay, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wouldn't be pushed back any farther. They even released the following statement: ""This is not our first game; we are not newbies. It's not like 'hey we are delaying and we'll keep on delaying'."

Sadly, though, in an open letter to gamers everywhere, the developers have announced another delay for the highly anticipated RPG. It's pretty significant, too; previously expected to release in February, it won't be ready until May 19. Here's part of that open letter:

"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. When we release the most important game in our studio’s history, we must be absolutely sure that we did everything we could to limit any bugs to a level that will allow you to enjoy the game thoroughly.

With this in mind, we took another look at current workloads and what they mean for the team. Even though everyone is working at full speed, we concluded that we need another 12 weeks, so we are shifting the release date of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to May 19.

We owe you an apology. We set the release date too hastily. It’s a hard lesson, one to take to heart for the future. We know what we want to do to make Wild Hunt one of the best RPGs you will ever play. And we continue to work hard to achieve just that. So, we apologize and ask for your trust."

Okay, that date better stick or the fans will start to get pissy.

Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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CD Projekt Red: The Witcher 3 Won’t Be Delayed Again

Ben-Dutka 9 Comments

It was delayed once, but it won't be delayed again.

Developer CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwinski made that plain in a recent Eurogamer interview , insisting that his team is not comprised of a bunch of "newbies:"

"This is not our first game; we are not newbies. It's not like 'hey we are delaying and we'll keep on delaying'. If we would think we need more time we would say 'hey we'll release it not in February but, I don't know, June'. We made the decision at the moment we were able to judge how much time we needed, and we planned it well and it works well for us. So, no more delays."

Iwinski said he was surprised at the fan response, which was actually quite positive in regards to the delay announcement. He added that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings might've been a better game had it had a longer development cycle:

"You can always take more time on a game, especially with huge games. You're never able to plan perfectly, and then the closer you get to shipping, the more you see 'oh I could use these [extra] two-three months…'"

Lastly, Iwinski clarified that they didn't delay The Witcher 3 to move farther away from EA's Dragon Age: Inquisition , which is set to launch on October 8. Bear in mind that EA didn't reveal this until well after CD Projekt Red delayed their project.

Okay, well, now you've done it: You've said "no more delays" and everyone is going to return to this quote if a delay inexplicably happens. Just sayin'.

Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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CD Projekt Red Explains Why The Witcher 3 Was Delayed

Ben-Dutka 21 Comments

We know The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been delayed until 2015. But do you know why?

When developer CD Projekt Red announced the delay (from late 2014 to February 2015), they simply said it was for "quality purposes." But now, as cited by DualShockers , we've got the specifics.

The developer was good enough to tell us what has already been done, and what still needs to be done. For instance, they've closed and implemented the dialogue lines, they're currently recording voice-overs for each language version of the game, all the locations are finished and the gameplay mechanics are in place, and yes, the game can be played in full. However, there are still a bunch of things that need finishing:

As for the reasoning behind that delay: Less competition, improved effectiveness of the marketing campaign, and a more polished product overall. Now, this is what I like to see; a team that isn't shy about sharing.

Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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