Game News CD Projekt sign distribution deal with Namco-Bandai

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: CD Projekt; Witcher 2, The

<p>CD Projekt (or more specifically, CD Projekt Red) have <a href="http://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/OPTIMUS-Zawarcie-znaczacych-umow-przez-podmioty-zalezne-2212140.html">updated their distribution agreement</a> with Namco (<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;layout=2&amp;eotf=1&amp;sl=pl&amp;tl=en&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankier.pl%2Fwiadomosc%2FOPTIMUS-Zawarcie-znaczacych-umow-przez-podmioty-zalezne-2212140.html">via google translate</a>):<span class="maintitle"><br /></span></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">FINANCIAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION<br /><br />Management company under the name Optimus SA in Warsaw (03-301) at ul. Jagiellonian University in 1974 (hereinafter referred to as the "Company" or "Optimus") announces that on 20 September 2010, has chosen the information to conclude on 20 September 2010 by a subsidiary of the Company - CD Projekt Red ("CDP Red") a significant agreement ("Agreement") with the company Namco Bandai Partners SAS established in France ("Namco") and the subsequent surety agreement ("Agreement Guarantees") concluded on 20 September 2010 by the CDP Investment Namco. Ltd. (Investment CDP) with the company Namco.</p>
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<p>I'd copy-paste more but google translate now embeds the original text in as well and you have to manually remove it. Basically though, its about ensuring publication of The Witcher 2, commits Namco to conduct a marketing campaign, it's a world-wide agreement except for apparently everywhere the game would be profitable (it excludes USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Poland, Russian Federation), and if it's terminated by CDP Red - CDP Red has to refund. It also locks CD Projekt into defined delivery times - though doesn't state what those are... but the deal expires in 4 years.</p>
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<p>It reads as a fairly common distribution deal but is being reported as a "purchase" by Namco on some internets forums (read: morons). And there's some speculation this deal has something to do with the <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=49508">recent GOG.com shenanigans</a> - though the CD Projekt Red vs CD Projekt could be debated (from what I understand, they're apparently still two separate companies or divisions, with one owning GOG.com while the other owns The Witcher - but how separate they are from one another these days I don't know).</p>
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<p>At the very least, this deal does seem to guarantee that The Witcher 2 is not far away.</p>
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<p>Thanks <strong>phanboy_iv</strong>!</p>

 

[Rhalle]

They've said the beginning of 2011.

Why don't they just self-distribute digitally as a sort of offshoot of GoG instead of getting wrapped up with a French arcade game publisher?

I mean wtf.

 

[Lesifoere]

it excludes USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Poland, Russian Federation)

So in those places, CDPR is free to distribute the thing as they like and/or seek another publisher?

Eh fuck it, I'll torrent it and buy it off Steam anyway.

 

[Angthoron]

I think that at least in some of the mentioned excluded regions CDPR has already got publishing deals going. This sounds more like a EU-only publisher.

Although one does wonder why they don't focus on digital distribution more, that would end up with them getting better figures in the end (presumably anyway). Guess it's for hardcopy + PR purposes.

 

[Ausir]

CD Projekt Red vs CD Projekt could be debated (from what I understand, they're apparently still two separate companies or divisions, with one owning GOG.com while the other owns The Witcher - but how separate they are from one another these days I don't know).

Not really accurate. CD Projekt RED and GOG are both divisions of CD Projekt.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Why don't they just self-distribute digitally as a sort of offshoot of GoG instead of getting wrapped up with a French arcade game publisher?

Probably the same reason GOG games are (were) DRM free while The Witcher 2 isn't.

Even though they are Polish, they're not completely dumb.