What would Geralt say about this $h!t?
Ah, sorry. I don't remember, then. Let us know if you find out, though, because I'm curious as well.@Snowflakez Thanks for the clarification, but my question was more about what CDPR preferred at the time. Royalties or one time payment.
I use the same open sources. I agree that one-time payments are harder for start-ups. But we won't know for sure unless CDPR clarify this.Ah, sorry. I don't remember, then. Let us know if you find out, though, because I'm curious as well.
If I had to guess, I'd assume they would have preferred a percentage deal. One-time payments are tough for start-ups, and if reports that they "offered multiple times" to give him a percentage are accurate, that's probably what they would have wanted.
I just have one question about this: Why did he wait until now to do this? Why wait until the company is on the verge of launching another successful IP to demand royalties for the existing one? And I don't think Thronebreaker has anything to do with it.
The Management Board of CD PROJEKT S.A. with a registered office in Warsaw, Jagiellońska 74, hereby announces that on 1 October 2018 the Company received an official demand for payment filed by plenipotentiaries of Mr. Andrzej Sapkowski.
It's not an excuse. Deal is a deal. This is how he valued his own creation at the time. This is how much faith he had in it. You need to think further than the tip of your nose when you make this kind of deals.He couldn't possibly predict the success. The first time a gaming company tried to make a Witcher game, they didn't even finish it (and the horrible movie and graphic novel adaptations were a huge flop). And CDPR was an even more inexperienced company at the time.
They're making millions because they made a great product based on the license they lawfully acquired. Not because of AS' mistake. You also try to make it look like CDPR deceived the poor man. They agreed to his terms and allowed different options. It's not like money fell on CDPR as soon as they bought the rights. They spend 15 years and plenty of money building the franchise it is today. 7 years to make the first game. They were on the verge of bankruptcy during the development of The Witcher 2.But speaking from a moral standpoint, is it moral for CDPR to make millions upon millions of dollars from the IP, because of an old man's mistake? And it's not just the games, apparently he didn't get a cent from all the comics, guide books and merch that they released. The deal sounds ridiculously disproportinate, so if the law allows for him to get his fair share, I say more power to him.
This is how much faith he had in it.
They're making millions because they made a great product based on the license they lawfully acquired.
You also try to make it look like CDPR deceived the poor man.
Another question is what's the point in deals like this if one side can ask for change of conditions.
Yeah, sure, quick buck on some losers. Smart man. How could anyone imagine people dedicating themselves to making a great product?This is how much faith he had in a no-name company.
Fair enough.Well, the last part is up for a debate now, since the lawyers claim they only acquired the rights for the first game. But of course we don't know who's in the right here.
This is where I have the problem with the situation. Are you sure one time payment wasn't harder on the company at the time than potential royalties? And why would they approach him with a different deal? The deal was made, they earned their success on their own. They didn't strip the author of his works or his name. More of that, they made him more famous and boosted book sales.That's not what I'm saying at all. They couldn't possibly predict their own success. But his mistake sure saved them tons of money, especially considering their potential bankruptcy. I don't think they had any malicious intent, business is business, but they sure didn't lose any sleep over it. They never tried to approach him for a better deal, despite milking his IP way beyond the games, so they have no moral high ground here.
CDPR wasn't one when they made the deal. They didn't just sit on a pile of money they stole from the author. They earned it.I guess the point of the law is to protect artists from being exploited by multi-million dollar companies
Yeah, sure, quick buck on some losers. Smart man. How could anyone imagine people dedicating themselves to making a great product?
And why would they approach him with a different deal? The deal was made, they earned their success on their own. They didn't strip the author of his works or his name.
More of that, they made him more famous and boosted book sales.
CDPR wasn't one when thy made the deal. They didn't just sit on a pile of money they stole from the author. They earned it.
Still not an excuse. You have to do your research if you sell rights to your IP. He probably isn't psychic, but there's a serious chance his arrogance and ignorance will cost him so much.How could he imagine after being burned by the godawful graphic novels, movie, tv series and unfinished game? He's not psychic. He's an old man who doesn't know anything about video games.
Main reason is that they worked their asses off. It's not the question of "deserving". It was a business decision, not some friendly project based on good will.Out of graditute? His IP is the main reason they are who they are now. Saying he doesn't deserve more than 10 000 for this is unethical.
Not without him, but without his work he willingly sold on his terms. The books most likely helped sales in Eastern Europe, because that's where the author was known at the time. But in the end Sapkowski and Witcher books became famous worldwide thanks to the games. Looks like a greater pay off.That goes both ways, considering that without him the games simply wouldn't exist. Plus, his popularity in Eastern Europe helped with the sales of the first game quite a bit.
Let's see if general applies to the situation at hand.I was speaking in general.
It was a business decision, not some friendly project based on good will.
Or until now AS enjoyed the increased sells of his books, but now he see CDPR goes wild with the witcher universe (TW3/gwent/thronebreaker) he feels CDPR grew over his head and he feels pushed aside?