the-witcher-2-assassins-of-kings posts

The Witcher 2 is shaping up to be quite the third-person action RPG, and this trailer just adds to the list of things we can look forward to. Multiple play styles in a single game is one of our favorite styles of design, and the Polish developers at CDprojekt really want to impress that Witcher 2 will be guided more by the players expectations than a developer-forced linearity. There's lots of information about the three major tree here, and it shows each in action: swords, alchemy, and magic. Tons of information, a large amount of in-game footage, and plenty of combat makes this a great trailer.

Download the The Witcher 2 Dev Diary #5
Check out all The Witcher 2 downloads

Developer CD Projekt Red gave gamers a pleasant surprise when it announced that any copies of The Witcher 2 bought via its own GoG.com PC game download site would be free of any DRM set-up. It also offered up some cool pre and post-release extras. Now the site has added another pre-release pre-order bonus for the game.

Anyone who pre-orders The Witcher 2 from GoG.com will now get five exclusive concept artwork pieces that can be downloaded immediately. That's in addition to the previously announced four MP3 music tracks, 10 HD wallpapers, 10 avatars and a photo tour of the development team's offices. That doesn't include all of the post-release extras that you will get when the game is released this May.

The Witcher 2 may be released without any DRM set ups on GoG.com but that doesn't mean the game's developer CD Projekt Red doesn't care that its long awaited RPG could be pirated. Eurogamer reports that the developer plans to fine anyone it believes has download the game illegally and could even take those people to court if they don't pay the fine.

CD Projekt's co-founder Marcin Iwiński states, "I'm sure you've heard about stories in the US when recording companies were chasing people. We don't want to be so harsh, but there is a chance that this might happen to some people if they download illegally. There will be an initiative." The game itself is due for release in mid-May 2011.

The Witcher 2 is due for release on May 17, 2011 and today Eurogamer is reporting that the downloadable version of CD Projekt Red's upcoming RPG sequel is going to be the first such game that will be sold on CD Projekt's GoG.com download service. Normally GoG.com sells older retro games for between $5.99 and $9.99 but this will be the first AAA game that will be offered on the PC game download service at the same time the game ships to stores.

Furthermore, the GoG.com version of The Witcher 2, like all the other older game on the online service, will be sold with no DRM set-up. The developer will be holding an online press conference later today to talk more about its plans for The Witcher 2.

It looks like Ubisoft's DRM "always on" internet set-up for its PC games has at least one publisher's support. Computer and Video Games is reporting that Namco Bandai believes that Ubisoft's set-up is best because, according to them, there's nothing else that will work.

The company's VP Olivier Comte is quoted as saying, "I will be very honest. I think it's a good [approach] for one reason: I have no alternative today." Some companies and publishers might disagree with that attitude, and Comte himself states, "Is the best one? Certainly not ..." However he adds, " ... as of today if I can make something else I'll do it, but it's better to do something than not do something."

Earlier this week one of the worst kept secrets in PC gaming was finally admitted as developer CD Projekt announced their fantasy RPG sequel The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. This week the developer released a couple of new videos promoting the game. One of the videos is an example of an in-game engine cut scene from the trailer that shows off some of the game's storyline and a couple of its monsters.

The other video, which you can see after the jump, is the first developer's diary for The Witcher 2 as the dev team (speaking in their native Polish but with English subtitles) go over their goals in the making of the game.

Download HD The Witcher 2 Real-time Cutscene (152 MB)
Download HD The Witcher 2 Developer Diary (197 MB)
Check out all The Witcher 2 downloads

While as of the posting of this article the official Witcher web site still has that number "2" and nothing else, the folks at GameTrailers managed to jump ahead of everyone else and get access to the first true teaser trailer for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

The trailer for developer CD Project's next game in the mature fantasy RPG series certainly looks a lot better than its predecessor. In addition to lots of bloody battles there's more than a hint of some sexual content in this trailer as well. There's no word yet on a release date for the game. You can check out the full version after the jump:

Update: A post on the game's message board by CD Projekt's PR head stated they are looking for a first quarter 2011 release timeline for The Witcher 2.