CEOInterviews.AIWywiad z Adamem Badowskim z CD Projekt RED - gram.pl

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Interviewer0:12

Mysg.pl Adam Badowski. Exactly, we wanted to talk today about your plans because there was a conference where you announced a long-term strategy covering four years. So the first basic thing: we're most interested in the games you'll create at Red Studio. Interestingly, on the chart that was presented, there were several items. Your portfolio will be enriched with not only one but several others. One of the first items was labeled 'A' – a single small supporting product. Can we assume it's about DLC for The Witcher? No, it's not about supporting sales or PC players? That's a different plan. It's about a game released on a single platform and distributed digitally. Some suggestions pointed to a boxed add-on. There are supposed to be two products next year – one before The Witcher on Xbox, the other a bit after. Will they be related to the Witcher brand or something completely separate?

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Adam Badowski1:58

They will be products related to the brand. They are smaller titles that are expected to sell around 30,000 to 100,000 units over their lifecycle. That's all I can say today. They are independent of the main game; you don't need to own The Witcher 2 to use them. But those are far-reaching speculations I can't confirm.

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Interviewer2:32

Okay, next thing: the console version of The Witcher. There was information that its premiere is planned for the first quarter of 2012. Do you foresee something happening? There wasn't 100% certainty in everything.

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Adam Badowski3:00

We all said it will happen. The premiere of The Witcher on Xbox 360 will be in the first quarter of 2012. We just signed a contract with Warner Bros. for North America, which we're very happy about. Nothing indicates any changes. We're working hard on debugging the game now. Everything is in perfect order.

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Interviewer3:30

Next, another new product type at Red Studio is labeled with two letters, 'a'. Will it be related to the Witcher brand or something completely new?

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Adam Badowski3:49

Let's gradually move from product labels to games. They are all games. Will it be related to the Witcher brand? Probably yes, and I think many people guess what it is.

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Interviewer4:03

Now the two most important things: games labeled AAA with an additional plus – super productions from you. Two titles with close planned release dates. We can guess one might be The Witcher 3. I'm referring to the second product – you're working on both simultaneously, right?

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Adam Badowski4:35

Yes. Triple A plus is a codename. It refers to games we've never made before – a multi-platform release. These will be the first and second such games in the studio's history. We have high hopes, not only sales-wise. They are RPGs for adult players, complex, with a developed story layer – that's our specialization. Both games will be of that type.

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Interviewer5:29

You used the word RPG – that caught my ear. One game is likely The Witcher 3 or a game in the Witcher world. Can you reveal anything about the second title? Will it be related at all, or something original with a completely different atmosphere?

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Adam Badowski5:50

Yes, it will be a game with a completely different atmosphere. First, most companies making RPGs have two different game types and worlds. It's refreshing for our talented team and allows us to leverage the experience from The Witcher 1 and 2. That setup lets the games complement each other not only in sales but also in production, and release dates are less distant. Two new RPGs that are different but still RPGs.

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Interviewer7:04

Will both games run on the same engine, the one from The Witcher 2, presumably upgraded? Technology moves forward, and you aim for 'best game of the year' titles. Will you develop the engine further or license something?

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Adam Badowski7:33

We've been developing the engine for four years – a lot of time and money invested in our own technology. The most important thing on the production side is the tools for creating games, tailored to our needs for complex RPGs. We want to use that, so we will definitely use the same platform. It will be modified and fine-tuned, getting better. It's our engine, our foundation for making future games. It gave us independence from external licenses and gives us an edge over the competition.

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Interviewer8:30

Now, are both new titles being developed simultaneously for at least two platforms? You announced that each future premiere will be on at least two platforms. I mean, are you working on Xbox and PC versions in parallel? Will the premieres be simultaneous or with a delay like with The Witcher 2?

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Adam Badowski9:06

No, no. We're developing The Witcher simultaneously for both platforms. We built a modular engine that has foundations for multiple platforms, but initially we worked on PC first, then Xbox. Now we'll have simultaneous releases on different platforms. That means CD Projekt Red has four times more work than before. The PC version of one game is out, the Xbox version is coming soon, and we're already working on two titles for at least two platforms each – so four versions in total. But the experience from previous PC and Xbox debuts gives us knowledge to avoid the same mistakes. We're also expanding the team – we invite all talented people to apply to CD Projekt.

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Interviewer9:53

So in short, you'll have four game versions to work on simultaneously.

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Adam Badowski10:00

Yes, we've learned from the previous PC and Xbox releases. We'll know how to handle it best. We're continuously building up the team.

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Interviewer10:28

Regarding the engine: The Witcher 2 was hailed by some reviewers and magazines as the best-looking RPG ever. Have you received any proposals to license the engine? Do you consider it?

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Adam Badowski10:44

That question has come up several times. The answer is simple: we've had many inquiries, but we need to further polish the engine and tools. It's not ruled out that we'll license it in the future.

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Interviewer11:00

In your four-year calendar, there's also something called 'consumer events'. Can you elaborate? It sounds enigmatic.

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Adam Badowski11:18

It's simply about supporting players. An example is the Enhanced Edition for The Witcher and The Witcher 2. We should expect more such events. As we've always stated, the player is most important. PC gamers will always be cherished and will receive at least the same as players on other platforms.

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Interviewer12:12

On the chart I saw, the first such event was in Q1 2012, just before the console release. Can we expect an even more improved, 'pimped' version of The Witcher 2 on PC?

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Adam Badowski12:34

Yes, in the first quarter of next year there will be such an event. However, we'll talk about it next year because now we're focusing on the Xbox version and want people to be well-informed about that. At the beginning of next year, we'll announce when and what kind of expansion or modification we're dealing with.

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Interviewer13:10

After the Xbox release and perhaps an ultimate director's cut version of The Witcher 2, do you plan further support for the title, like DLC or expansions, or will you focus on the new products?

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Adam Badowski13:38

There's no limit in the pursuit of perfection, but our calendar for the coming years is quite full. We'll try to support PC players who already bought the PC version. We'll inform about details next year. Thanks.