Interview The Witcher Enhanced Edition first audio samples at GameCyte

Tags: CD Projekt; Witcher, The

A site called GameCyte has an <a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/2008/08/09/not-content-to-cash-out-cd-projekts-the-witcher-enhanced-edition/2614">interview</a> with Maciej Szczesnik (project lead on The Witcher) and Tom Ohle (CD Projekt RED VP of PR and Marketing) concerning the Enhanced Edition of the game.<blockquote><b>GameCyte: How is the Enhanced Edition being funded?</b>
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MS: We sold our cars, and houses, and had a little whip-round. Unfortunately I also had to sell one of my kidneys. What can I say… life is hard. Of course the truth is different. Together with our very supportive publishing partners, we have been able to fund the title rather easily. Our fans’ opinions are most important for us. I know it’s not popular business thinking, but this is what we think is really important.
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<b>GameCyte: Why spend more money to improve a title that is ostensibly already complete?</b>
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TO: As gamers, we thought about the situation and the response was obvious. The team has always stated that The Witcher was to be used as a way to introduce the brand to a global audience; this wasn’t some one-off game that we’d use to make some quick cash to fund our real passion for Barbie-doll dress-em-ups. We want people to remember The Witcher, and we want them to like us as a company.
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<b>GameCyte: What challenges or obstacles were involved in reworking the game?</b>
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MS: The most challenging thing during the process was the re-recording of all German voice-work and lots of English voices. It was hard because of tight deadlines. But Arek Trojanowski, our producer, managed to find a new, very good studio, and we did everything on time. The new voice-overs really fit well.</blockquote>It's not just an interview, there are also screens and 2 newly recorded audio samples.
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<b>“Let’s go to the Circle of Elements…”</b>
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<a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lets-go-to-the-circle-of-elements-old.wav"><b>Before</b></a>/<a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lets-go-to-the-circle-of-elements-new.wav"><b>after</b></a>
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<b>“Quick, to the Laboratory!”</b>
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<a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/quick-to-the-laboratory-old.wav"><b>Before</b></a>/<a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/quick-to-the-laboratory.wav"><b>after</b></a>
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Read the whole thing <a href="http://www.gamecyte.com/2008/08/09/not-content-to-cash-out-cd-projekts-the-witcher-enhanced-edition/2614">here</a>.
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Thanks, <b>Tom</b>!

More posh accents = better game.
Same goes for prettier prostitutes.

But seriously, you simply got to admire that CD Projekt are not only willing to acknowledge that their game got rushed out the door, but are actually going to great lenghts to improve it - for free! The cynic in me knows that they're only doing this because they still need to establish themselves in the international market (compare: Bioware, Bethesda), but if they plan to accomplish that by building up a reputation for intricate writing and technical polish, I got no problems with that whatsoever.

Yep, this is incredible dedication and customer support. And I don't really care about their motivations (which are certainly not entirely selfish), only about the result.

However, I was expecting expanded dialogues, not changed voices.

I'm pretty sure the dialogues are expanded, too. Maybe Tom will confirm this later

The hair seems better on the old prostitute (assumeing left is old, the pictures aren't marked) other wise better.

I don't like the prostitute makeover. She looks like a modern model complete with plastic surgery and a heavy doses of modern make-up. I don't think that really fits well in the setting.

Don't you just love it when the Polish polish a game.

"At retail, TWEE comes with [...] a host of audio and subtitle options."

Does that mean one could, for example, combine polish voiced dialogue with english subtitles? I also hope they found new voice actors for the more annoying characters, like Jaskier.

Yes, it means so iirc.

WhiskeyWolf said:

Don't you just love it when the Polish polish a game.

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Yes.

I stopped playing The Witcher in act II for numerous reasons, one of them being the incredibly boring characters. The main character Geralt has all the personality of a breeze block. Does the extended edition go some way into fixing this?

Jedi_Learner said:

I stopped playing The Witcher in act II for numerous reasons, one of them being the incredibly boring characters. The main character Geralt has all the personality of a breeze block. Does the extended edition go some way into fixing this?

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The dialog will be improved. Other than that if you hated the game you probably will still hate the extended edition. The story didn't start shining until after Act 3 imho. Unfortunately I just couldn't deal with the fucking loading times any longer and stopped playing, gonna wait for extended edition.

somnium said:

I don't like the prostitute makeover. She looks like a modern model complete with plastic surgery and a heavy doses of modern make-up. I don't think that really fits well in the setting.

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She could use some more tacky makeup, but other than that she looks alright. It's been awhile, but if I recall correctly the conclusion to that particular Prositute's questline(forgot her name) came complete with it's little concept art with geralt narrating the outcome. And she looked totally different from her in-game model, which I assume why they took the time to give her a new look which was probably meant to be in the original.


I'm a little disappointed with the demo dialog changes. The voice certainly sounds better than the previous angsty teenager, but at the same time seems a little too "old" for the character he's meant to portray. And the fact that they didn't demonstrate any lines that were expanded upon has the cynicism in me bubbling up to the surface. Hopefully they did indeed expand upon dialog where there was obviously pieces of the puzzle missing.

I want to hear some of the extended dialogue examples too.

I am also not so impressed with the new voices, even if they are a bit better. I don't know of this is correct, but isnt there still a trace of american english? I find this always a big turnoff in RPGs.

I don't know why they just don't give us the original voice talent with subtitles.

I thought they were.

DefJam101 said:

The dialog will be improved. Other than that if you hated the game you probably will still hate the extended edition. The story didn't start shining until after Act 3 imho. Unfortunately I just couldn't deal with the fucking loading times any longer and stopped playing, gonna wait for extended edition.

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Nah, if he didn't like Act 2 he won't like the game. Acts 2-4 are the real meat of the game, it's too bad it started so slowly.

Jedi_Learner said:

I stopped playing The Witcher in act II for numerous reasons, one of them being the incredibly boring characters. The main character Geralt has all the personality of a breeze block. Does the extended edition go some way into fixing this?

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Emo kid.

Jaime Lannister said:

it's too bad it started so slowly.

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Decline of the codex.

Zhirzzh said:

I don't know why they just don't give us the original voice talent with subtitles.

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They actually do. Any language/subtitles combo will be possible.

Any new quests, areas, items?

2 additional mods, I'm not sure about the main story though - I don't think it's changed.