Atari signs The Witcher, coming Fall 2007

[Vault Dweller]

Tom Ohle was kind enough to let me know that Atari will distribute The Witcher in North America starting Fall 2007.

NEW YORK, February 5, 2007 – Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world’s most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, and game developer CD Projekt Sp. z.o.o. today announced that the companies have entered into a publishing agreement for The Witcher, whereby Atari will market and distribute CD Projekt’s upcoming fantasy role-playing game (RPG) throughout North America. The Witcher is scheduled for release on Games for Windows, the new brand optimized for Windows XP and Windows Vista, in North America in Fall 2007.

The Witcher transcends traditional fantasy role-playing by throwing players into a unique world rife with political intrigue, in which the lines between good and evil are blurred. Based on the world created by best-selling Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, The Witcher casts players as Geralt, a legendary monster slayer and master swordfighter with supernatural abilities and reflexes. The Witcher presents a fresh approach to traditional role-playing, blending an expansive, twisting plotline – in which the impact of individual decisions can drastically alter the outcome of the game – and fast-paced combat against a wide variety of foes. Using advanced graphics and physics systems, The Witcher delivers brutal action, multi-faceted RPG options and an intriguing story to engulf all players who dare.

“The Witcher is a tremendous game that has been on everyone’s radar since CD Projekt began development,” said Jeremiah Cohn, Product Manager, Atari, Inc. “With this publishing deal, Atari continues its quest to bring highly impressive titles to North America and we have our sights set on making The Witcher one of the most anticipated RPGs of the year.”

“We are delighted to begin a mutually beneficial relationship with Atari, a publishing partner that shares our commitment to delivering a top-quality role-playing game,” said Michal Kicinski, Joint CEO of CD Projekt. “We are very much looking forward to working with Atari to bring this distinctive fantasy world that we love to a broad audience.”

2007 is looking better already.

Thanks, Tom

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Atari

Anyways, fall? Thats a fuckin long time. I hope the polish version comes out significantly earlier. Its very good they take their time, but I'd like to play the game already goddamnit.

[JrK]

We don't want Gothic 3.2.
_________________
We must construct additional pylons.

[Bluebottle]

[Major_Blackhart]

Awesome. But at the same time, I worry if the Witcher will be allowed to put out patches and fixes in a timely manner and all that crap. Will they have to rely on Atari's Q+A? Also, is there a chance that they really need Atari's funding? If so, is there a chance that Atari, in their own pissy financial situation, could pull funding?
Don't take this as a blessing. Take it with a grain of salt.
_________________
Well, it's not quite a mop, and it's not quite a puppet, but man oh man.
Nicolai wrote "You are the worst person ever, Blackhart."
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7018/rexsig24nq9ky.png

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

[suibhne]

Ja wohl!

Yeah, it looks to me like this is similar to Atari's publishing relationship with Bioware: Atari is putting the boxes on the shelves, but CD Projekt is funding its development from non-Atari sources. That means, I hope, that patches and support will also be funded from non-Atari sources ('cause Atari sources aren't likely to fund them anywhere close to adequately).
_________________
Spazmo: RPG Codex is just like LARPing except we yell "STRAW MAN! STRAW MAN!" instead of "LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!"

[hiciacit]

Does Atari handle the publishing for Europa as well?

[Dagon]

[The Brucolac]

[Durwyn]

Yeah, english version for sure. Just can't wait...
_________________

[Jasede]

Will the English version have Polish voice-acting? I am kinda fond of Polish, even if I don't understand a word, but if it does, I would really enjoy that. And subtitles make one learn quite a lot of words really quickly.

[Durwyn]

Propably no. I saw movies from The witcher, where voice-overs were english. To make things worse, Geralts voice was max faggish!
_________________

[Dagon]

[Elwro]

[don_tomaso]

I thought they said they wouldn´t have voice acting, but text only!? Anyway, I hope the translation is made by someone native english, so the risk for "This it swords is the powerful, yes?" is minimized..

Who is Tom Ohle anyway? A dev? Pr-guy?

[Dementia Praecox]

[Claw]

Hahaha. Owned.
_________________
"I wish I had some formaldehyde."

[RGE]

[denizsi]

There wouldn't be a possibility to play it with Polish voices and English subtitles, right?
_________________
RPG Codex: putting the "Retards" back with Perverts & Gays.

Spiralling to the ground below, like autumn leaves left in the wake to fade away
Waking up to your sound again, and lapse into the ways of misery

Two to one... from pain to fun

I see the sign, it's on the road, and I think it's crazy

qbdjotld

[doctor_kaz]

This fucking sucks. Why did it have to be Atari? Atari is the worst publisher in gaming. They are as worthless as a used condom buried in a pile of shit. Every game that they publish is poorly marketed and pushed out the door too early. They have all but destroyed D&D as a gaming license and every game that they publish is riddled with bugs.

[Kraszu]

[Elwro]

A new "NPC response" screen:

http://www.thewitcher.com/inc/show.asp?n=884&t=1

And the standard "no, really, it's not Drizzt but we should get the Drizzt loving folk to buy the game" screen:

http://www.thewitcher.com/inc/show.asp?n=885&t=1

edit: spotted at RPGWatch
_________________
Strong winds bring sea spray. I stand on the cliff, trying to endure the pain within me, growing stronger. Ever stronger

-Tyrax Lightning

[Morgoth]

Looks fucking amazing. After the disappointing NWN2 and Gothic3, it's now TWs turn to show that the genre isn't quite dead yet. If that fails, there's still Dragon Age, if that one fails, I'm gonna buy a console and become an Akshun-player for eternity!

[Elwro]

Actually, I don't think we'll be able to enjoy The Witcher without evoking the akshun-player from the darkest recesses of our soul; at least judging from the fighting videos.
Not that it'll be bad, I have high hopes for the game.
_________________
Strong winds bring sea spray. I stand on the cliff, trying to endure the pain within me, growing stronger. Ever stronger

-Tyrax Lightning