CDPR wants TW3 to be better than Skyrim and Dragon Age

[archaven.84]

CDPR wants TW3 to be better than Skyrim and Dragon Age

Hey all. Just found a new article over VG247.
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/12/witcher-3-dev-wants-game-to-topple-skyrim-dragon-age-sale-figures/

Not sure if it has been posted but apologize if it has. One highlight and main concern here is that how does CDPR define better than Skyrim & Dragon Age? To me Witcher series is a different tier or category of RPGs where it has difficult choices and is catered for mature audience (i'm talking about rape(Ves), torture (Philippa's eye ripped off), etc.).

If CDPR is comparing to themselves to Skyrim and Dragon Age then i would say i'm a little disappointed. They have been CONSISTENTLY mentioning about making it more accessible to more audiences (hence more sales).

And that means casualizing (means the content will be toned down and probably catered for kids?). I really HOPE i'm being proven wrong though. But time will tell if TW3 is staying true to it's core roots.

 

[kaghal]

I really pray slay crave high hope you are wrong

 

[archaven.84]

I really pray slay crave high hope you are wrong

I'm not being negative. I'd be happy IF i'm wrong too . I think they should stick to what they do best.

 

[whiplash27]

Sad part is that both games are already better than Skyrim and Dragon Age. I hope they don't radically change the game in order to appeal to a wider audience.

 

[Kallelinski]

The article is based on that video here
http://en.thewitcher.com/forum/index.php?/topic/33997-news-new-video-on-gi-the-business-of-the-witcher-and-cd-projekt-red/

They aren't talking about making games like Dragon Age or Skyrim, but making games as successful as them, but in their own way and they believe in that.

“Our target is to be better, always. We always had ambitions to be at the top level in terms of quality of build, but also to be independent. That’s very important for us.”

The whole discussion about "we want the xyz audience" is ridiculous in my opinion, they never said that or any comment implied that.

 

[Zanderat]

If CDPR is comparing to themselves to Skyrim and Dragon Age then i would say i'm a little disappointed. They have been CONSISTENTLY mentioning about making it more accessible to more audiences (hence more sales).

And that means casualizing (means the content will be toned down and probably catered for kids?). I really HOPE i'm being proven wrong though. But time will tell if TW3 is staying true to it's core roots.

This is a concern of mine. Other "hardcore" series have unfortunately gone down this route and it ruined them. Still, I have faith that CDPR won't muck it it up,

 

[Aditya]

I find the TW1 better than skyrim and both DA games all combined and they don't even compare to TW2. Sure I enjoyed all of them (except for the DA2 fuck up) and I would prefer all than one, I don't see the need for CDP to compare themselves with them. Skyrim and the previous TES did open world right, but then AC3 took their queue and skyrim looks shit in front of it now. DA had lot of things right but that is all covered by others.

While the article speaks about sales and not the games exactly, that is the point. Of course they need to make more money, but that doesn't amount to success. Look at the shit which the music industry for example, I don't even need to give further examples.

 

[SkycladGuardian]

It's PR/marketing talk. Skyrim and Dragon Age are the big names of the genre, so it comes natural that CDPR want to compete with them and expand their marketshare. This does not mean that TW3 has to become a "Skyrim/DA with Geralt". The only similarity is that all three are Fantasy RPGs.
I wouldn't get worried or upset.

 

[wichat]

CDPR wants TW3 to be better than Skyrim and Dragon Age

I don't not why but I've NO doubt it will be.

 

[Agent_Blue]

Ambition, it's a good thing.
Wanting to be better than Skyrim and Dragon Age requires The Witcher to be different from both. I wouldn't be so worked up over this article. It's essentially a rehash of legitimate GameInformer material.

 

[goopit]

"This is tantamount to declaring war"

 

[Mihura]

If CDPR is comparing to themselves to Skyrim and Dragon Age then i would say i'm a little disappointed. They have been CONSISTENTLY mentioning about making it more accessible to more audiences (hence more sales).

And that means casualizing (means the content will be toned down and probably catered for kids?). I really HOPE i'm being proven wrong though. But time will tell if TW3 is staying true to it's core roots.

I am sorry but rape, torture, gore, sex...etc do not make a game mature, what makes the game mature is how you deal in that type of content, which on the witcher was not that great in my opinion, what is great about TW 2 is mostly politics and difficult choices. Also DA and Skyrim have all of that too, where did you get that idea that this games were pg-12?

And people are right this is a marketing technique they are associating their brand to this games because there are potential buyers there but this does not mean the game is going to be "casualizing".

 

[goopit]

I am sorry but rape, torture, gore, sex...etc do not make a game mature, what makes the game mature is how you deal in that type of content, which on the witcher was not that great in my opinion

how would they make it better?

 

[Username.]

TW2 is tons better than DA/DAII and Skyrim. Aim higher.

 

[FoggyFishburne]

Perhaps they mean in the sense that they want to maintain the current level of quality (or exceed it) but merely focus more on visibility in the mainstream market? Though even if their marketing would make sure that everyone knows of the Witcher franchise, considering RED has been consistently producing high quality products, I think the lowest common denominator wouldn't really appreciate the depth that the Witcher series is known for.

It's a shame that inferior cookie cutter games are more successful than, say, the Witcher 2. But hey, that's the casual market for you.

 

[Ifrit30]

“There’s a certain amount of things which you can do with PR”,
said VP of business development Michal Nowakowski in a Game Informer video interview.

“Are we that much behind them in terms of the quality of the games? Of course we’ve got a lot to learn. We do know that,
but I really do think that we can deliver a game of at least similar quality, if not better of course.

I don't think that CDPR thinks they are inferior in terms of quality in their games,
but rather about marketing their games to reach much more people.

/e/: like .Volsung. said, skyrim and dragon age appeals to a wide audience, instead of the witcher who has more specific target audience

 

[volsung]

You guys are alarmists. Read that article again, this time patiently.

it’s really difficult to achieve numbers like some of our competition… Dragon Age, the Skyrim franchise and whatnot.

True that. It IS very difficult, because Skyrim and Dragon Age appeal to huge masses, while The Witcher does not. If CDPR had a fraction of the advertising budget of those games, perhaps more people would get to know about the deep, complex storyline of these games.

Are we that much behind them in terms of the quality of the games? Of course we’ve got a lot to learn. We do know that, but I really do think that we can deliver a game of at least similar quality, if not better of course.

They are being diplomatic here. They are simply acknowledging the quality of their work while, at the same time, underlining the economic success of those big franchises. It's all public relations.

Our target is to be better, always. We always had ambitions to be at the top level in terms of quality of build, but also to be independent. That’s very important for us.

And here they are simply stating that, while struggling to remain independent (creatively at least), they also want to aim high and create a top quality product.

So all in all, nothing to see here. It is what we already knew except this time it is directed at a different audience. They NEVER compared themselves to Dragon Age or Skyrim, except when they talked about the size of TW3's world and the economic success of these two series.

 

[Jack_in_the-Green]

I am sorry but rape, torture, gore, sex...etc do not make a game mature, what makes the game mature is how you deal in that type of content, which on the witcher was not that great in my opinion, what is great about TW 2 is mostly politics and difficult choices. Also DA and Skyrim have all of that too, where did you get that idea that this games were pg-12?

And people are right this is a marketing technique they are associating their brand to this games because there are potential buyers there but this does not mean the game is going to be "casualizing".

Well, I do think that in (e.g) the portrayal of prostitutes, Witcher games are FAR better than DA. Prostitutes are seen as "real characters", and have a presence and backstory in the games beyond their "activity" (Carmen in W1 and Margot the Madame in W2). Yeah, they are STILL side/characters, but nothing as flat as you see in DragonAge, where they are only props of a silly mini-game...

The general "tone" of the games are also different, and again, bringing up DA, you see (specially in the last full installment and DCLs) a tendency towards the "sitcom-quality dialogues" which hurt the experience IMO when the game suddenly wants to go serious... you cant do that without hurting the "suspense of disbelief" in a big way...

 

[braveheart111]

I'll take quality over quantity every time...LOVE the Witcher 2 and can't wait for W 3 /> !!!!

 

[vivaxardas2015]

Well, it is possible to understand this very simple - devs really want to get as much money as Skyrim earned. Gee, it's not a big news. I want it to.

But I think it is more then this. TW3 is going to be an open-world game, like Skyrim, and this is a big change. I love both TW3 and Skyrim, but they are as different as baseball and karate. Skyrim is a virtual world to live a second life, with a decent story. TW series is a book comes alive, an interactive novel game story-wise, but with possibility of alternative choices, and a multitude different endings. I do not even care about combat mechanics in TW, as long as it is serviceable. I want a world to live in - I play Skyrim. I want difficult fights - I play Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. I want a lot of interaction with NPCs, building of trust and such - I play DAO.

Now TW3 will not be just an interactive novel anymore, because when you can go in any direction, a narrative will loose psychological force. What if instead of going to Flotsam, we just say - screw it for no1!, would turn around and went to hunt monsters. Then we are back in 6 month, and gee, look, Letho is still there, patiently waiting for us. Total B.S.

So at this point I am extremely concerned with TW3. I know the devs can make a good game of TW1-2 kind, but it does not mean they are capable to make great open-world RPGs. Right now it looks like Gothic 3 all over again - ditch stuff that works - smaller locations, chapter structure, etc. and make a big-ass world just because Bethesda managed to make a successful game. Two Worlds and Gothic 3 were proclaimed Oblivion-killers in European press, when they were in development. We all know how it turned out. I used to call it "a curse of Bethesda", when a desire for Bethesda's fame and money blind smaller devs, they go all out, and as a result, crush and burn.

Plus development time is short, new technology is still not there, and would require time to get used to, and also they have another open-world game in development, at the same time. What is it - bout of greed leading to insanity, or they really that good? We'll see, but life sure isn't boring.