Interviews and Articles - 2015

[DBag]

How CDPR localized The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Let me try to rephrase (as in, try to be excessively politically correct), since my comment was deleted.
I generally dislike censorship. I find what CDPR is doing for the Arab market as unnecessary. It is a shame, IMHO, that CDPR caters to audiences that have vast ideological and cultural differences which clash with the form of the original story CDPR is trying to tell. Instead of censoring nudity, verbal and physical violence, I think it's best keep your product intact, as intended, and allow purchase for the intelligent Arab gamers via other means. And regarding translation - I think translating to Arabic as close to source material is better than what they're doing right now.

A shame.

 

[TheEvilChris]

There are countries, such as ones in the middle east or Germany for example, that require changes made to games to conform to local laws. If companies do not conform to local laws, their games cannot be sold in those countries. It then becomes a decision by the company involved to keep the game "intact" and not sell in those regions or to make changes and sell there. Obviously it would depend on the degree that the game needs to change and how the studio feels about the changed content.

For further discussion on this topic, please use this thread

 

[Blooddrunk]

Let me try to rephrase (as in, try to be excessively politically correct), since my comment was deleted.
I generally dislike censorship. I find what CDPR is doing for the Arab market as unnecessary. It is a shame, IMHO, that CDPR caters to audiences that have vast ideological and cultural differences which clash with the form of the original story CDPR is trying to tell. Instead of censoring nudity, verbal and physical violence, I think it's best keep your product intact, as intended, and allow purchase for the intelligent Arab gamers via other means. And regarding translation - I think translating to Arabic as close to source material is better than what they're doing right now.

A shame.

You do realize they have done this before with TW2.

 

[Shavod]

Let me try to rephrase (as in, try to be excessively politically correct), since my comment was deleted.
I generally dislike censorship. I find what CDPR is doing for the Arab market as unnecessary. It is a shame, IMHO, that CDPR caters to audiences that have vast ideological and cultural differences which clash with the form of the original story CDPR is trying to tell. Instead of censoring nudity, verbal and physical violence, I think it's best keep your product intact, as intended, and allow purchase for the intelligent Arab gamers via other means. And regarding translation - I think translating to Arabic as close to source material is better than what they're doing right now.

A shame.

But it's not a choice between we do or we don't, but between we sell the game in this region or not. If they didn't do so, they wouldn't release the game there at all. Not to mention they did it in the past with both Witcher games so far. Xbox 360 edition of The Witcher 2 was released in Japan with censored sex scenes and reduced violence (PC version was uncensored, but that's because PC market is almost non existent in Japan anyway, so no one even bothered). The Witcher 1 was released in Germany and US with censored sex cards, reduced violence and heavily reduced profanity (with botched translation to boot). It sucks they were forced to do that, but if they never did it, I doubt we had more then one Witcher game. So I think it's better to play a censored game (on PC with unofficial uncensoring patch), then not play it at all.

About translation, no one said that they're not going to stick to the source as much as possible, but it's impossible to do so without any changes. Even Polish and English version, while preserving the same overall meaning, differ in many places, because there are always some limitations or sentences that wouldn't sound right when translated word for word.

 

[TKone84]

Well..the germans....since a while I have the feeling our controll unit for games (USK) is becoming less strict. I see lots of games being released uncensored which would have to be censored a few years ago. I was surprised W3 comes uncensored even with all that bloody mess and cutting arms and legs from bodies. Of course it has 18+ but that is almost standard for "adult games". Kids don't need to play that. Good thing we never had a big problem with Sex. W2 was 16+ in Germany and somehow I doubt that we had censored sex cards in W1. But I will recheck that.
The USK is working closely together with most publishers to find out about potential problems from the start. I think this is the key reason that the censoring is becoming less and less strict (except of Nazi stuff...this is definitely a nogo). As mentioned before this is a very subjective impression. The guys understand each other better and can react faster. Of course this is a long process and it may be not valid for all institutions in other countries. But if the publisher/developer try to work together with these institutions it might lead to a positive effect for later games even if it might be a long road to go. So if they have to cut a game to be able to release it in a specific region and they are ok with that and it might be worth it, they should try it.

 

[TheEvilChris]

One last time: Take this discussion to the thread I indicated and use this thread for articles & interviews.

Please and thanks.

 

[BlackWolf500.298]

There are countries, such as ones in the middle east or Germany for example, that require changes made to games to conform to local laws. If companies do not conform to local laws, their games cannot be sold in those countries. It then becomes a decision by the company involved to keep the game "intact" and not sell in those regions or to make changes and sell there. Obviously it would depend on the degree that the game needs to change and how the studio feels about the changed content.

For further discussion on this topic, please use this thread

Wait Germany, what about Germany, does this mean I do not get the full version in Germany?
Well, then I have to preorder from the UK, that's for sure, I don't give a sh*t about German laws, am an adult and older than 21, they can't prohibit me from consuming the content I want to.

One last time: Take this discussion to the thread I indicated and use this thread for articles & interviews.

Please and thanks.

Oh, sorry, will do =>

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

Code Team, may the FORCE be with you!
Fix those nasty pop-ups, you can do it. You are guys are amazing.

 

[SkycladGuardian]

Oh man that is so rich: Official FB account of TW3 links to an article which basically just copied & pasted the Gamestar Q&A summary by Scholdarr.452 and myself:
http://www.pcgamer.com/new-witcher-3-details-ciri-cities-real-time-beard-growth/
EDIT. Correction, it was the official GOG account on FB, not the TW3, but it's funy anyhow

 

[TKone84]

New shorty from Gamestar including the just released screens Seems they throw some information out day by day, even if it's nothing new.
http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/news/the_witcher_3,49062,3084166.html

Really nothing new but to have it short:

Spoiler

- On first screen Geralt is provoked by deserters
- It has a big effect for later quests how you handle these deserters
- Gamestar was amazed about the different NPC's. They didn't notice a lot of look-a-likes even in Novigrad.
- The second screen is a merchant in Novigrad
- Besides steel and silver swords you can buy different crossbows and bolts
- Strongest items by crafting but you need a plan, correct materials and a master blacksmith often accompanied by quests you have to do for him first.

 

[lexaran]

Guys please use the spoiler thing. All is leaking now, here is the only safe place because of the spoiler thing, use it.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

Oh man that is so rich: Official FB account of TW3 links to an article which basically just copied & pasted the Gamestar Q&A summary by Scholdarr.452 and myself:
http://www.pcgamer.com/new-witcher-3-details-ciri-cities-real-time-beard-growth/
EDIT. Correction, it was the official GOG account on FB, not the TW3, but it's funy anyhow

CDPR forums -> Neogaf -> PC Gamer/PC Games/other outlets

Chain of copying...

 

[TheEvilChris]

Guys please use the spoiler thing. All is leaking now, here is the only safe place because of the spoiler thing, use it.

If it is material from an interview done at the studio with the team by a reputable news site, it isn't a leak. It is information we want out there. It may be considered "spoilers" by some, but we do not. The use of spoiler tags is fine, but not required.

 

[SkycladGuardian]

CDPR forums -> Neogaf -> PC Gamer/PC Games/other outlets

Chain of copying...

Yeah, I almost feel bad that the stuff I've quickly written down while watching the Q&A is now part of an "official" article....

 

[JackalJ]

If you don't want spoilers don't visit a information thread... The chance of 'spoilers' is always present on a forums, especially in the Interviews and Articles thread.

 

[BlackWolf500.298]

Interesting.... got some more infos...

Spoiler

- If guards see you stealing they attack
- Geralt can refuse payment for good deeds or quests like in previous games
- There seem to be a lot of people along the way that want to provoke Geralt
- No info but Zoltan looks AWESOME

 

[Scholdarr.452]

Interesting.... got some more infos...

Spoiler

- If guards see you stealing they attack
- Geralt can refuse payment for good deeds or quests like in previous games
- There seem to be a lot of people along the way that want to provoke Geralt
- No info but Zoltan looks AWESOME

First two points are known since January, mate...

 

[Riven-Twain]

Spoiler

And of course Zoltan looks awesome -- he's a Dwarf!

 

[BlackWolf500.298]

First two points are known since January, mate...

I didn't know the thing with the stealing.
Oh well, I guess everyone misses facts here and there along the way.......

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

Yes!
Even more things to scratch off my W3 wishlist now.
I'm stoked, that all npc's are all different and that dead bodies decompose and it attracts monsters and wild animals.
This game is so going to rule when it's done!