The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Retail PC Version FAQ

[arkhenon]

@Doctalen It's not there to prevent pirates from playing it ever. It's there so that paying customers won't be the last to play the game, in case of a leak. If it were there to block the pirates from playing, there would be the same necessity in the copies that are produced "after" the release as well. There is not even a serial key requirement...

The only thing that I can call "DRM" is the necessary GOG.com activation to download patches and DLCs. But that's actually not exactly DRM per se. They are giving a free GOG.com copy of the game to you, and they are trying to add value to the original copy. The base game is there to play to your heart's content, if you are pirating (I'm assuming the game itself without any patch will be playable without so many game crashing bugs). But if you own a legitimate copy, you can have software support and free DLCs.

 

[Charcharo]

I have 2 questions:

1) Will my retail pre-order copy, after I reclaim it on GoG, give me the same digital extras as the GoG-bought copies?

2) Will the expansions also, eventually, get a retail release?

 

[AutumnalWanderer]

There is no answer yet. so I ask again. I have already the game on GOG.com, but I would like to use the retail copy of the game, I still need to use the activation code which included in the box? On the other way, I will be able to use my retail code if I have already a GOG.com copy?

 

[arkhenon]

@Charcharo I think so, yes. It's a GOG.com code nonetheless. Of course I cannot answer the second question

@AutumnalWanderer You basically get a GOG.com game code. So if you already have a GOG.com copy, you won't need it. As far as I understand from what Marcin wrote, the GOG.com key is just for patches, digital goodies and DLCs, which you will be able to get from the website with your GOG.com copy anyway. He says that the game will be able to be used without a GOG.com activation. That means that you can use the retail as an installer disk, and download the patches and etc. from GOG.com with your digital copy.

Of course these are by no means official answers. Just trying to help with what I understood.

 

[AutumnalWanderer]

@arkhenon I suspect this one as well, but some official word would be nice

 

[May17th]

@Marcin Momot, will we get software support, updates and achievements, stats on Uplay or Steam if we buy the game there or must we use GOG/GOG Galaxy?

For instance, if you buy Tomb Raider on Uplay, you will be able to download the game there but then you must install Steam and enter a code to play the game from Steam.

 

[Charcharo]

@arkhenon
Yes that makes sense.

I really do hope there are retail Expansion Packs for W3.
So far GoG is pretty nice to all of use and gives us the same digital goodies. I hope it is so !

 

[dragonbird]

@Marcin Momot, will we get software support, updates and achievements, stats on Uplay or Steam if we buy the game there or must we use GOG/GOG Galaxy?

For instance, if you buy Tomb Raider on Uplay, you will be able to download the game there but then you must install Steam and enter a code to play the game from Steam.

Not an official answer, but I think it will be this:

If you buy from Steam, it's a Steam game. You will install in Steam, you will use Steam for Achievements and so on. It will have no connection with GOG.

If you buy from Uplay, or Origin, or other such services, they are actually selling you the GOG version. (The Uplay store "extras", apart from the Ubi game they're giving away, are actually the GOG "extras"). Uplay and Origin are simply acting as a retail outlet, selling you a product. They may or may not be forcing you to use whatever client system they have, but I doubt if there's any connection when it comes to things like achievements.

I avoid Uplay like the plague, so I'm not that sure how they handle non-Ubi games, but if they force you to use their client for anything more than just the initial download, I'd be wary of using them for TW3.

 

[echohaxorelite]

By how long? There's a risk of leak at any stage from manufacturing to the end-buyer, which means they'd have needed to delay by weeks to avoid it. I think that the number of people who will have problems downloading a small file, and who didn't expect to download a day 1 patch, is a LOT smaller than the number who would be seriously and justifiably upset if they had to wait weeks longer than other buyers.

Hey, I just read what Marcin said, and does this mean "Pre-Ordered" Retail version NEED a code to *play*? or just for the updates and DLC?

 

[dragonbird]

You need to download the extra file to play.
You need to activate, with the key, to get patches and DLC.

 

[aerosquid]

So buying it from steam screws mw out of all the dlc and assorted goodies???? NO FAIR! I trust steam with my money...nothing against GOG but i preordered from Steam!

 

[arkhenon]

You'll get the DLC on Steam though... You might not get digital goodies such as soundtrack, artwork etc. Those aren't subtracted from Steam, those are "added" to GOG. GOG always adds digital goodies to any game you bought from there. It's their selling point. The DLCs will be free everywhere. The necessity for GOG.com activation for them is for the retail copies. (Hence the topic of the thread: "Retail PC Version FAQ". Steam is not retail)

 

[Doctalen]

So buying it from steam screws mw out of all the dlc and assorted goodies???? NO FAIR! I trust steam with my money...nothing against GOG but i preordered from Steam!

You'll get DLC and patches on Steam. GoG only has a few exclusive goodies (Paper toys, two comics you can buy elsewhere, free copy of Neverwinter nights, 4 exclusives songs.) These are the goodies you get on Steam according to the store page.

 

[arkhenon]

Oh, so they give these to pre-purchases? Interesting.

Don't know... I'd assume they'll give them to all purchasers... they have the right to distribute them with each "game" I'd have thought, just as GoG does... however they may hope for more pre-orders and day one sales if there is a veneer of exclusivity. (doesn't say exclusive content if you preorder... just preorder to receive...).

CDP might gave the rights for digital goodies distribution for only pre-purchases on Steam, I don't know I would have used the goodies to add value to my own distribution network (considering they are not in-game items, I don't think it would have been too huge of a problem). I guess CDP is too nice to push a little aggressive advantage? Which is nice, don't get me wrong.

 

[Lieste]

Don't know... I'd assume they'll give them to all purchasers... they have the right to distribute them with each "game" I'd have thought, just as GoG does... however they may hope for more pre-orders and day one sales if there is a veneer of exclusivity. (doesn't say exclusive content if you preorder... just preorder to receive...).

Maybe I'm old and cynical (or old and too trusting...) sometimes hard to tell the difference.

 

[dragonbird]

So buying it from steam screws mw out of all the dlc and assorted goodies???? NO FAIR! I trust steam with my money...nothing against GOG but i preordered from Steam!

If you buy it from Steam, the DLC and patches get downloaded via Steam instead of GOG. You still get them.
As far as "assorted goodies" are concerned, are you talking about the pre-order bonus? The lists from Steam and GOG were fairly similar, but I think GOG got a couple of extra items.

 

[Lieste]

@Dragonbird the difference was that GoG offer bonus content. Steam offer pre-order content.

I think this is semantics and an incorrect description from Steam, but if I am wrong then the GoG deal is much better for future purchasers - as their bonus content is available to all purchasers (or recipients of game codes from hardware purchases) whether pre-order or post launch.

The wording of the Steam store appears to offer "pre-order content"... this may or may not mean that this content remains available post-launch to new customers.



In addition there is a small amount of GoG unique additional content (4 new tracks, flacs in addition to mp3s, papercraft, high res videos etc).

 

[aerosquid]

All I was concerned about was the DLC. Songs and a few pictures are irrelevant to me So all good then

 

[ilovelctr]

I've never heard of a single player game that required a day one patch to even be able to play on a console, that's why I want to know about this one. I more so ask this not because of DRM free claims, but because of leak prevention claims. If someone gets a hold of a retail copy of The Witcher 3 before release on Xbox One/PS4 , and it doesn't have the same thing as the PC version does to prevent leaks then what is the point? Either make all of them have this file requirement or make none of them have it.

As for piracy leaks, CDPR themselves said "Of course there will be people pirating games, but they wouldn’t buy those games any way, so they’re not your target audience. Let’s focus on real gamers, respect them and they will give it back." http://truepcgaming.com/2011/09/20/relive-the-classics-drm-free-gog-com-interview/

They know that this file requirement on PC won't halt pirates at all. So I'd assume their concern is plot/gameplay leaks and not piracy leaks. If it is plot/detail leaks then it only makes sense to have this file requirement on console as well as PC.

I can't agree more with Doctalen on this one. All pre-premiere versions, regardless of the platform, should be launched with this security check, or otherwise it's not only that it's a bit unfair for PC gamers, but also there could be a leak of console versions' gameplay.

For fans like me who are from China, it's very hard to buy physical copies of games but I love CDPR and what you've been doing for PC gaming, and I prefer physical copies to digit downloads because of their tangible nature - I want to own the game, to express my love for the masterpiece and souvenir it. In this particular case I do prefer the second-batch retail version after knowing the existence of such a small file, but for me, it's not easy to cancel the pre-ordered PC copy on amazon.co.uk, for fear that when I want to buy it later, they're not going to deliver it to China anymore, but instead, they will allow third-party merchandisers to sell it, fulfilled by amazon. And as previously discussed among other folk, we won't know when the copies in a particular retailer will be the 'more complete' edition.

But after all it's not much of a big issue because literally everyone who's able to play it on a rig powerful enough to run it, will very unlikely live with a poor internet. But I do hope that CDPR will include the security removal into the physical copies of upcoming expansions. I wish you'd take this into account. Thanks a lot.

 

[Flistex]

I have preordered the collector edition. I must buy the season pass or it is included?