Downloadable content is a mixed bag, but CD Projekt RED is ”making a statement” that it can be a force for good in the world, and not a price-gouging torture. To that end we’ll be getting 16 DLC releases free.
That’s right, 16 extra pieces of content at no charge for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Does the studio have no business sense? On the contrary, the DLC is all free because we ”just paid full price” for the game.
Yes, those words we uttered in that order from a business person. ”We owe them,” said co-founder and CEO Marcin Iwiński of a company heading for bankruptcy, surely? It’s this kind of dangerous thinking that gets people believing they’re entitled to decent service and bug-free product launches.
The news of all this lovely free stuff was announced back in November, but it’s only now they’re coming out in so strong a terms as to why. ”Yeah, we are making a statement,” the madman continued.
“We, as gamers, would like to be treated this way, ‘Hey, give me free DLC.’ It doesn’t have to be something huge. And I’m saying we aren’t giving out huge stuff, we aren’t giving tens of hours of storyline here, we are giving small bits of pieces that don’t cost a lot. And I think people would feel better about our game, and, so, they will enjoy the adventure even more.”
”And maybe the ones who thought about pirating would not pirate it,” Iwiński added. “Maybe the ones who wanted to trade it back and get something else will keep it on the shelf. That’d be great, I would like this to happen and if not that’s fine as well. I hope they’ll have fun.”
CD Projekt RED is also ”not talking” to publishers anymore who say RPGs - being ‘hot’ again - should all be about multiplayer, multi-character selection and definitely having female characters.
”But we’ve always had a strong vision of what we want to achieve and even having that, it’s not easy. And overcomplicating it and adding something on the side, just because it looks better on the box, or maybe it works better in the press or promotion, was never our style.”
”And its truly a single-player game. And I think that’s what people appreciate, nothing artificially stuck on the side just to make it look better. It’s the story of Geralt, the professional monster hunter, and that’s it,” concluded Marcin Iwiński; defiant in the face of publisher might.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases on PC May 19th. There’s a Season Pass for $0, but it’s invisible, and gets added to your purchase whether you like it or not, forcing you to endure extra stuff for nothing.
