Game News The Witcher 2 DLC's Will All Be Free

[Jaesun]

Tags: CD Projekt; Witcher 2, The

<p><a href="http://www.neoseeker.com/news/16439-all-witcher-2-dlc-will-be-free/">Neoseeker is reporting</a> that all of the DLC's for The Witcher 2 will be free:</p>
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<p>A Q&amp;A on retailer Gamestop's Facebook page between The Witcher 2 fans and developer CD Projekt RED yesterday revealed the studio won't be charging for any of the game's upcoming downloadable content.</p>
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<p>"Let [us] announce that all our DLCs will be FREE," they write. "All of them. If anything will be for purchase, those will be expansion packs. First DLC (side-quest called "Troll Trouble") [launches] together with the game release."</p>
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<p>As you may know already, a built-in updater will be included with the game, usable for those who register their copy, so grabbing patches and new content should be a piece of cake.</p>
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<p>A few other juicy details: besides affecting the story, save importing will bring over money and some items, including the famed Raven Armor. Other bonuses are in place, though they don't want to spoil them. Lastly, playtime is estimated at a minimum of 40 hours, and this is only if you go straight through the main quest -- this should be "doubled or tripled for the non-linearity."</p>
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<p><em>Thanks J_C</em></p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.neoseeker.com/news/16439-all-witcher-2-dlc-will-be-free/">Neoseeker</a></p>

 

[Micmu]

Nice, but why don't they just call them plugins or add-ons or mods or whatever. LIKE THEY USED TO BE CALLED. "DLC" makes them sound like that jewish crap for imbeciles.

 

[laclongquan]

Back to the oldschooled root, eh? it's nice to see.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Plugins or add-ons were "downloadable content" too. Avoiding the use of the commonly accepted name nowadays would just make people ask "lol, why not call it DLC then?".

Anyway. While I know that on-release DLC is developed by other people, alongside the main game, the concept still amuses me. I guess it's a good way to have something to put on ads.

 

[PlanHex]

Unless later "expansion packs" are boxed-only, this is gonna bite them in the ass.
They wont be able to sell 'em online without a mob of angry customers yelling "YOU PROMISED FREE DLC FOREVER!", even if it's $5 for 10000 hours of content.

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Oh for FUCKS sake. All of my Twitcher saves are on my old, and broken, computer. I've finished the game so many gods damned times and yet I won't be able to bring those saves over to Twitcher 2.

FFS, I would have liked having the Raven Armor from the first game in my repertoire.

 

[Vibalist]

The people at Cd Projekt are pretty generous aren't they? First the TW1 Enhanced Edition, now this.

I guess they deserve props.

 

[Micmu]

Generous? No, they are just being normal.
They do deserve props for being normal... heh
Keeping their business practice clean.
And not like those big parasites of the industry since xboy360.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

So... why isn't Day-1 DLC included with the game, in the first place?
The period after going gold isn't that long to develop whole new quests.

 

[commie]

What's the matter? It's free content that didn't make it into the main game. If it's like the DLC for the first game then it's separate from the main game anyway. If it fits into the main game then it obviously is a small anti-piracy measure: 'you have a legal copy of the game, register it and get a bonus quest' type of thing. Of course it will be pirated anyway, but every little thing like this helps convince a few extra people to buy the game.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Awesome, nice to see some people still just trying to make their games good and not shake us down for everything we've got with their DLC (or in non-marketing speak: pay-extra-for-stuff-that-should-have-been-in-the-game-from-the-beginning content)

*cough* EA *cough* Bethesda *cough*

 

[Konjad]

So... why isn't Day-1 DLC included with the game, in the first place?
The period after going gold isn't that long to develop whole new quests.

Because they do it after the game is finished and box editions are prepared? Otherwise they would spend this time doing nothing or - if they did as you say - they would have to delay release of the game a few days?

 

[BelisariuS.F]

Otherwise they would spend this time doing nothing

They have spent this time creating a patch.

 

[Mrowak]

Otherwise they would spend this time doing nothing

They have spent this time creating a patch.

Creating a patch for story/setting related issues is significantly harder where there's yet to be players' feedback to rely on... Unless you mean some problem we and they are aware of e.g. the resolution issue. I bet that in this case the team responsible for graphic coding has been doing their job, as the other team of non-coders have been using their new toolset to create levels/quests for the DLC.

 

[Black_Willow]

[DarkUnderlord mode]HOW CAN THEY SAY IT'S FREE INTERNET CONECTION IS EXPENSIVE!!!!1111 [/DarkUnderlord mode]

 

[sea]

Oh for FUCKS sake. All of my Twitcher saves are on my old, and broken, computer. I've finished the game so many gods damned times and yet I won't be able to bring those saves over to Twitcher 2.

FFS, I would have liked having the Raven Armor from the first game in my repertoire.

If you have your CD key, I think you can download save-games on the official Witcher forum. They have a section dedicated to it, so just pick one that resembles your ideal play-through the most.

 

[BelisariuS.F]

Otherwise they would spend this time doing nothing

They have spent this time creating a patch.

Creating a patch for story/setting related issues is significantly harder where there's yet to be players' feedback to rely on... Unless you mean some problem we and they are aware of e.g. the resolution issue. I bet that in this case the team responsible for graphic coding has been doing their job, as the other team of non-coders have been using their new toolset to create levels/quests for the DLC.

Good point.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

better to get free dlc than to have witchernexus with geralt in power armor mods

 

[racofer]

better to get free dlc than to have witchernexus with geralt in power armor mods

Who cares about The Witcher when modders have already included the best of that puny RPG into the greatest RPG ever?

*humph*

 

[Clockwork Knight]

^Only a Twitcher fan could have taken that pic. Doesn't he know the standard is to take pics outside where the bloom can properly obsfucate the viewer, with a dumbfounded Imperial Watchman on the background?

 

[Vibalist]

better to get free dlc than to have witchernexus with geralt in power armor mods

Who cares about The Witcher when modders have already included the best of that puny RPG into the greatest RPG ever?

*humph*

Jesus fucking Christ.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

*humph*

now make him wear ultramarines armor

 

[Metro]

If anything will be for purchase, those will be expansion packs.

Semantics.

 

[Vibalist]

If anything will be for purchase, those will be expansion packs.

Semantics.

Usually I'd agree, but I'm willing to give CDProjekt the benefit of the doubt, seeing as they aren't actually out there screwing over their customers with shitty DLC yet.

Let's hope that when they say expansion pack they mean it.

 

[Metro]

Of course -- it all depends on the amount of content you get for the price. Terms like 'DLC' or 'expansion' or 'add-on' are meaningless.

 

[Catalina]

I don't often see the words free and DLC in the same sentence, unless there's a link to the pirate bay involved. Good press, it got my attention, and will probably stick with me when I'm making an RPG purchase in the future, even though the last thing I need is another series to add to my backlog.