If you are in the U.S. and want the European version which shows some boobies and has better packaging and paper manual go to gogamer.com ($54 with shipping)If you just want the game as quickly and as cheaply as possible without packaging, you can download now from a 3rd party downloadable game vendor such as http://www.direct2drive.com/6763/product/Buy-The-Witcher:-Enhanced-Edition-Download ($39.99)If you want retail packaging in the U.S. for the cheapest price, order from Amazon now they are shipping on the 18th. ($36.99 with free shipping)If you want to pay retail vs. amazon and possibly receive it sooner, then wait until the stores start getting it in stock, possibly not until the 23rd. ($39.99 plus sales tax)Caveat above, I can't find a single retail location around me that carries it. We have at least 8 gamestops, 3 walmarts, 2 kmarts, 3 targets, 2 Best buy, 2 circuit cities, etc and nobody has it yet. The "16th" doesn't seem to mean much in this case other than downloading. The retail release seems kind of screwed up at this point because tuesday is the official release day for games.
No, sorry, that is incorrect. Atari is handling distribution. It's just that the 16th was held up as the big release day, when, in reality, it was just the day that Atari shipped the games to the retail outlets. No big deal really, but it made for some frustrating attempts to get the game.CharlesX said:
Stating the obvious and discussing valid points is not whining. It is in fact telling the developers what we think. If they are smart they will read, listen and learn. To the people who state that games always have a release date and that is the date that they are shipped is just plain incorrect. Every game i have purchased for several years now put out a release date and they plan around it so that the product is at the retail outlets the date that is listed as the release date. There are very few exceptions to this; I believe Atari is the only company that appears to not understand this. Therefore when it is stated that the download is to protect retail outlets that just makes no sense at all because you can still download it prior to when you can actually buy it at a store. Then it comes down to what incentives do I have to purchase it, again. Remember, most of us already purchased the game in good faith and felt it was a good effort, but there was something lacking. The Developers understand this and honestly showed good faith and good business sense and announced the EE. In essence it is the same game, only enhanced. This is good, but why should I pay again for the same game? Well the package they are showing on their web site looks great. I would probably pay again for the added items in the package. That is a good incentive. Digital download... why? I get nothing other than what I get for free and what I should have gotten the first time around a long time ago. North American package; from what I have now come to learn I would have been very upset if the local stores actually had it the 16th and I ran out and bought it. It does not include what is pictured and what is sent in the European version. Why? The explanation makes no sense to me at all; the same principles and examples of shelf space would apply in Europe as in North America. Also, a package like that would sell fast, therefore retailers would rather have larger boxes that sell, even if cheaper, than smaller more expensive boxes that do not sell. There are tons of examples of larger boxes that sold great. SWG Deluxe, Age of Empire Deluxe, Diablo II package still sells, Spores; in fact almost every deluxe package that comes out. So the explanation makes no sense.I also have a feeling that the stores in Europe will actually have the games for sale this weekend while a vast majority of the NA retail outlets will not.I really wanted to buy the retail package.... however with this cut down, censored and delayed release in NA I probably will not. Honestly, a great idea to take care of your fans has fallen flat on it's face by not thinking it through and by not offering the same package in all regions. Why does the NA package not include all the extras, and why is it censored. Don't even try to say because the US maturity ratings would cut into sales. Age of Conan has naked female boobs all over the place and yet there are multiple times more of these on the shelf in my local BestBuy then any other game.
That makes a little sense but why would they then not offer a full, uncencored version in the US. Why do we have to look for imports. I very much prefer to go inot a store, pick up the product, look at the package and walk out with it if i choose. i am deffinately not a fan of waiting for something to be shipped, especially from over seas.Is there any place where an uncensored version can be didgitally downloaded. I would probably actually buy that.
Age of Conan has naked tits all over the place, live action, etc., not just cards. It is not flagged as adult. Crysis, Age of Conan, and many many other games have adult dialogue, including the F word and all of them are sold at local stores, and are not flagged as adult (I heard a Korean solder call me a F'n ass in Crysis). Therefore the examples show that the game would not get flagged as adult and would be sold in it's full version just fine. Or, like they do with DVDs, they sell uncensored versions. Hmmm... seems like these sell a whole lot more than the censored versions.
As per the other thread, my thinking is that the publishers did not want to risk an AO rating which is very difficult to get reduced (as they would likely needed to have to censor even more than if they had brought it slightly censored in the first place). That's of course speculation 
That is good news, I registered my version early as I suspected that it would go by CD key, I look forward to downloading the material when it becomes available.Seeker said:@ rcardon its in stores in the NA on the 16th and as far as I know it will be a few days when the Red team puts it up on the site for the members for the free DL @ jaedwards70 Its my understanding that it goes by the CD Key so if your game is from the UK just like mine is it should be fine that if your getting it from the Red-Team DL when they put it up and Happy Birthday
Speaking as someone who knows, it isn't Wal~Mart. They have an issue with ratings, but not stock. If Wal~Mart doesn't carry it, it's because of the rating; not the packaging.~ Roxyjtabler said:
Kudos to those here that have demonstrated some reason in their arguments.For fans of particular software, this release date thing can be very frustrating. However, the world, small though it may have become through technology, is still a large place, and there are differences between areas. When you, as the maker of a product, have to deal with other companies to get that product out, you are basically at their mercy as to when that will happen.It was said here that sometimes software release dates are the dates it actually appears on shelves, while other times it refers to the 'ship date'. All software I have ever tried to buy at a local retailer here on the USA West Coast has been a victim of the ship date versus the actual shelf date; in addition, often the retailer does have the product on the advertised release date, but 'warehoused' ( still in the packing boxes in a stock room ) but will not actually have it on the shelf for sale for several days. It depends on the retailer, it depends on the market they are in, and it depends on what they already have on shelves that may or may not be selling well.What I am trying to say is that one should not blame the developer; they have no control over these decisions, there are just too many other companies involved in the distributing process. This includes the principles at the point of purchase, which can vary from market to market. For example, yesterday I checked the Gamestop web site; they list the EE as available to order online, with shipping within 24 hours. But entering my zip code showed no stores within 100 miles of having the EE in stock. From this, I can speculate the following ( and it is just speculation ):1. Gamestop has the EE in their main distribution warehouse, ready to ship to buyers.2. They either (a) have already shipped to stores but the stores have not yet 'stocked' it, or (b) they are in the process of shipping it to the stores.That has notihng to do with the developer. Only a developer who has the ability to both publish and distribute their own product can be 100% accurate on the date the product will be available. And in those cases, if you want to go directly to their offices, I am sure they'd be happy to sell it to you that day. One other note, about the patch to bring this up to the EE; for one, it is free to exisitng owners. If you think about it, you can see why the release dates must be met before the patch can be made available. The EE is being released as a 'complete' product, with some added physical bonuses. With two release dates three days apart, why would any retailer even carry the EE if, on the 16th, any owner of the original release can bring that copy up to the EE? All one would have to do is go out the week before, buy the original ( probably online, or in a bargain bin, negating any benefit to the developer ), and wait for the 16th. That would drastically affect sales of the EE when it hit the shelves, so, why carry it? Then, all the extra goodies that current fans would like to get and want to purchase the EE to have would not be available, except by individual purchase. It is strictly a marketing decision, and the developers are at the mercy of the marketing policies of those who distribute their product.There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes of these actions, all legalese and marketing gobbledygook, but I try to keep all that in mind. Is it frustrating? Sure....but it is both frustrating to the fans and to the developer who has given us a product that we have become fans of. As for the censorship -- I own both the NA original and the UK Import original, though I registered only the import, and it is the version I play ( now in my I-Lost-Count-Of-The-Number replay ) but I can say there is not a LOT of difference between the two. The rating system here in the U.S. is a odd one, and often makes no sense whatever, but it is treated as Gospel by retailers; if you want stores to sell your product, you want the rating that will get that product on the most shelves. The fact that a 'heavier' rating might actually outsell a lighter rating is actually a moot point, as people with common sense are not consulted in these decisions, and those responsible for ratings expect that to happen, as it proves to them that we the gamers are all evil deep inside and of course we will 'give in to temptation'. Thus, it is their sworn duty to remove that temptation, and any retailer courageous enough to ignore it faces a media blitz of negative publicity. Retailers don't like negative publicity; it hurts sales.I hope I haven't rambled so much that my point is lost. That point being, we have a great product already; we are getting a improved version of that product ; it is done, and the time of waiting for news is over. Now the wait begins to actually have it; it is no longer a wait of months but of days, and perhaps hours. I am a impatient person, a vice I have had for all of my 59 years, but I can hold out for a while longer. Hope you can, too.
I'm being patient overall, as there are many other PC games out there to play at the moment, and I love the original game. I appreciate very much what the developers are doing here.However, this release date BS is a little irritating. I've been an avid PC gamer for over 10 years at this point; over the last five at least, with almost no exceptions, "release date" has referred to store availability, not shipping - and I'm the kind of person that buys big games on day one. I don't know what kind of software you guys generally buy, and maybe things are done differently outside of the US or in less populated areas, but everywhere I've been that's how it is. If a developer/publisher is talking about a shipping date, they call it "going gold."Certainly in many cases the developer has little to no control over this, but they have notifications everywhere stating that the game has been released and is available as of yesterday. It was bad enough to me that I personally would have to wait three more days to download and install the patch, but to (apparently) have no availability whatsoever is a little ridiculous, and the issue needs to be addressed. At this very moment, the community website has "The game is already available in North America!" in bold lettering, which is a flat out lie. Whether or not it's in their control, they could at least clarify what they mean instead of bending the conventional definitions of 'available' and 'release date.'Nealg49 said:
There are a lot of good points being made, and I totally understand the point about distributers, however i have to agree with NYHouston, saying already available and release date, etc. is not being up front and honest with your loyal customers. In fact the game was not available in NA on the 16th.Anyway, my local BestBuy just called me and said they just received a copy for me, so we will see if they got the correct version.
Hello,I have another couple of questions Is there any Downloadable version of the game that is uncensored?Does the Downloadable game lack any features that the boxed copy has such as the DVD, Soundtrack, extra adventures, etc? (I don't need a physical medallion or map.. but I'd like to watch and listen to the soundtrack and doovde I mentioned).It seems outrageous that Atari is not selling the uncensored version on their website. Since they can set the rules for that version, why not sell both censored and uncensored copies?I just want to buy myself a great 'complete' version of this game that I have heard so much about over the past year. I'm finding it difficult to find the right copy, despite being internet-savvy and having cash-in-hand ready to pay someone, anyone, for the game. And buying a boxed copy from europe... let's just say it'd be nice to avoid that if possible. I don't want to pay exorbitant customs fees and play this in October, if you understand my position..Also, do the North American boxed copy, or the Atari download version include Polish dialog as well as English dialog? I'd like to improve my Polish language by playing the game in both English and Polish. Do not double post please
Is there any Downloadable version of the game that is uncensored?Does the Downloadable game lack any features that the boxed copy has such as the DVD, Soundtrack, extra adventures, etc? (I don't need a physical medallion or map.. but I'd like to watch and listen to the soundtrack and doovde I mentioned).It seems outrageous that Atari is not selling the uncensored version on their website. Since they can set the rules for that version, why not sell both censored and uncensored copies?I just want to buy myself a great 'complete' version of this game that I have heard so much about over the past year. I'm finding it difficult to find the right copy, despite being internet-savvy and having cash-in-hand ready to pay someone, anyone, for the game. And buying a boxed copy from europe... let's just say it'd be nice to avoid that if possible. I don't want to pay exorbitant customs fees and play this in October, if you understand my position..Also, do the North American boxed copy, or the Atari download version include Polish dialog as well as English dialog? I'd like to improve my Polish language by playing the game in both English and Polish. Do not double post pleaseJust got back from Wal-Mart in Peoria, Illinois. Which, by the way, is officially 50 miles from nowhere. They had several copies of Witcher Enhanced on the shelves and ready for sale. My copy reads:"RATED M for strong sexual content, strong language, violence, blood and gore, and partial nudity." I'd say CD Projeckt got as close to an AO rating as they dared.
Well, even though I have been very pro-active in pointing out areas where I feel that CDProjekt could have and should have done a better job I did in fact purchase the EE. Yes, I have put my money behind the company even though I feel that the release was not handled properly.The kicker for me, and the one thing that i have not seen being put forth in all of these discussions is that they have re-coded the game in 64 bit and coded to take advantage of multi-core systems. To me this is huge and this alone is worthy of my additional dollars.As a customer, now twice, I feel that I have every right to put forth my opinion, as long as I am fair, honestly and respectful.