Interview Andrzej Sapkowski doesn't like computer games, hasn't played The Witcher series

[A user named cat]

Meanwhile....

"I think we're heading for a time when games and books and movies and virtual reality all come together to make a new hybrid means of storytelling that will be truly and completely immersive." - George R.R. Martin

 

[evdk]

He has enough problem with finishing books, he should leave other media alone, the fat fuck. In any case he probably means combining literature and american football.

 

[Phelot]

"I believe it is the success of my books that significantly affects the popularity of the games,"

 

[GreatPretender]

 

[JudasIscariot]

Sapkowski also doesn't like the English language and doesn't rather likeit when he had his books translated into English, at least that's something I heard a while back. Not sure how true it is in light of reading about him supposedly writing another Witcher novel to be released in English.

I read a couple of his books in the original Polish and they're pretty decent actually but not approaching Shakesperean levels of classic where your works will be read and quoted throughout the ages :D.

 

[Mrowak]

Meanwhile....

"I think we're heading for a time when games and books and movies and virtual reality all come together to make a new hybrid means of storytelling that will be truly and completely immersive." - George R.R. Martin

Then it's deliciously ironic that games in Martin's unvierse suck arse, whereas those set in Sapkowski's make great RPGs.

"I believe it is the success of my books that significantly affects the popularity of the games,"

To a limited degree this is the truth. Why do you think CDProjekt went with adaptation of a finished cycle of novels for their first game and flagship franchise? Because it was immensely popular here, and they could make profit just in the Eastern Europe. Nonetheless, saying that further down the line the games did not popularize his novels is just... downright refusal to face reality.

 

[Kz3r0]

"I believe it is the success of my books that significantly affects the popularity of the games,"

Poland Gives President Obama The Witcher 2’s Collector’s Edition

http://kotaku.com/5806531/poland-gives-president-obama-the-witcher-2s-collectors-edition

 

[Phelot]

I feel for Poland knowing that their crowning achievement is The Witcher

 

[Brother None]

Meanwhile....

"I think we're heading for a time when games and books and movies and virtual reality all come together to make a new hybrid means of storytelling that will be truly and completely immersive." - George R.R. Martin

I am so immersed right now.

(I never got to this part myself, that game could not keep me engaged)

 

[Mrowak]

I feel for Poland knowing that their crowning achievement is The Witcher

In the gaming world - yes, it is. These games are quite decent RPGs, in spite of Codex's antics.

It could have been much worse, you know? I could have lived in the country that gave us Dragon Age 2 or Call of Duty series.

 

[evdk]

Was he visiting BioWare?

 

[Brother None]

I feel for Poland knowing that their crowning achievement is The Witcher

In the gaming world - yes. These games are quite decent RPGs, in spite of Codex's antics.

It could have been much worse, you know? I could have lived in the country that gave us Dragon Age 2 or Call of Duty series.

Hell yeah man. Plus CD Projekt's approach to DRM and DLC is pretty admirable overall, missteps aside.

By comparison, my country's crowning achievement in the gaming world is this. I know which one I'd prefer.

 

[mondblut]

I also disagree with him that expanding a fictional universe beyond the original medium is an "absolute pinnacle of idiocy".

He stated that expressly on expanding non-literary fictional universes with novels, not the other way around (which would be shooting himself in the foot). Which is kinda true empirically, we all know how D&D fiction, star wars/trek fiction, movie novellizations et al are universally appalingly awful.

Beyond that, he is not the first antique thing who believes his own archaic line of work is and all newish forms of entertainment are beneath his fists.

 

[Kz3r0]

Stephen King believes that Shining, the movie, is a sub par adaptation of his novel, he even made a more faithful movie of it.

Edit:
Not a movie, a TV series.

Inspirations

The creation of this miniseries is attributed to Stephen King's dissatisfaction with director Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film of the same name.[1] In order to receive Kubrick's approval to re-adapt The Shining into a program closer to the original story, King had to agree in writing to eschew his frequent public criticism of Kubrick's film, save for the sole commentary that he was disappointed with Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance as though he had been insane before his arrival at the Overlook Hotel.[2][3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(TV_miniseries)

 

[abnaxus]

By comparison, my country's crowning achievement in the gaming world is this. I know which one I'd prefer.

I'd rather nominate Age of Wonders than that.

 

[Gerrard]

The thing is, his direct environment probably tells him this is right, because the books, if I'm not mistaken, are wildly popular in Poland and some other Eastern European countries. So one can understand why he'd get the impression his popularity would drive the game's popularity. Though he doesn't have to sound so much like a dick about it.

But for the rest of the world, truth is most of us never heard of the Witcher before the games hit. If there's any interest in reading or hopefully translating and properly releasing his novels in English, it is likely to be pretty much completely due to the games. I don't see how that's a bad thing, but he sounds pissed off about it.

In 3 months after the release of the first game, it sold 140K copies in Poland and 200K copies in Russia, then there were other EU countries in which the books were already known for a good while. At the same time, the sales in the US were pitiful. So yeah, tell me about the book not driving the success of the game.

He's also right about the "convergence of media" being a terrible thing, as well as the books being published with game artwork on them, making people think they are based on the games.

And he's always a dick and always was.

Sapkowski said previously that he won't be writing any more Witcher, but now that games sold shit loads of copies he's writing more? Hypocritical bastard.

Don't remember that. He did say that Geralt's story was finished and that he wouldn't go back to it.
And until the book is actually out I would take everything he says about it with a grain of salt.

 

[Brother None]

In 3 months after the release of the first game, it sold 140K copies in Poland and 200K copies in Russia, then there were other EU countries in which the books were already known for a good while. At the same time, the sales in the US were pitiful. So yeah, tell me about the book not driving the success of the game.

Sure, if you want me to. Those 340K copies account for only slightly more than half the copies sold at that point, 600K. You are also misstating a bit, 200K was everything sold by Novyi Disk, which spans the entire CIS and Baltic states if I recall correctly. Then factor in that games are sold at a significantly lower price in Poland and Russia. I haven't checked in ages, but what does a new game go for now in Poland? 30 euros? 35? It's about 20-25 euros in Russia. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm going off quick Black Ops II price-checks here.

Then note how you talk about US sales, whereas the US is not the most significant market for these types of European made games/RPGs, the Eurozone is (and GB). "Other" (non-Eastern European) sales over this time account for 250K. If even 200K of that is sold in Europe, then the amount of revenue generated by that already matches if not outpaces the 340K copies sold in the former Eastbloc, simply due to the significant fullprice difference. Then factor in that the initial sales will indeed be primarily be in countries that know the IP, but that since then the franchise as a whole has sold 4 million copies. How much of that do Poland and other Eastern countries account for? Do you think the Witcher would be the success it was if only fans of the book bought it?

I'm just playing around here mostly, I do realize CD Projekt used the franchise for a reason and the "known sales" for selling to an established fanbase is a huge factor. But it is also a factor that is limited to certain markets, markets that are very much so secondary to the Eurozone for a developer/publisher like CD Projekt. I can understand why a curmudgeonly old man like Andrzej would not realize that (and he does sound very much like a Codexer), but for others it should be fairly self-evident.

 

[mondblut]

It's about 20-25 euros in Russia.

10 and less actually. 20-25 is for junk like collector's editions. Mostly games are sold in plain jewel cases for about an equivalent of 10$.

 

[Brother None]

Yeesh. Well then just flush those 200K sales from Novyi Disk down the toilet, because that's some discount barrel pricing right there.

Is that legally? I remember back when I lived in and later visited Russia seeing a lot of those stalls where you could buy CDs and DVDs for like 50 rubles, but somehow I don't think any of that money ever made its way to any publishers, haha. As one can imagine, Russia is not a very popular market for video game publishers. Go figure, right?

 

[Gerrard]

Do you think the Witcher would be the success it was if only fans of the book bought it?

No. But I know it would be nothing if it weren't for the books.

 

[Brother None]

Ooof. I don't think you can possibly defend that statement. RPG developers have launched original IPs with a lot less production value and popular appeal than the Witcher successfully, like Gothic. It wouldn't be as safe a bet without the IP, but *knowing* it would be nothing if not for the books? I think that's indefensible. Tho' I know Sapkowski would like to believe so.

 

[Wise Emperor]

Meh, it would be nice if CdProjekt made cRPG based on andrzej Pilipiuk's character Jakub Wędrowycz. Dark comedy crpg would be cool.

 

[evdk]

Meh, it would be nice if CdProjekt made cRPG based on andrzej Pilipiuk's character Jakub Wędrowycz. Dark comedy crpg would be cool.

o_O

 

[Wise Emperor]

Yeah, yeah, its infantile and retarded but after masterpieces as Dragon Age and Skyrim would it be something worse?

 

[Mrowak]

Meh, it would be nice if CdProjekt made cRPG based on andrzej Pilipiuk's character Jakub Wędrowycz. Dark comedy crpg would be cool.

Can you imagine what the gameplay would look like? An adventure game - maybe. But an RPG?