CD Projekt Statement on Witcher 2 and DRM

This is why I like these guys!

http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Witcher_Wiki
from GalCiv2 Forums

User blog:Ausir/CD Projekt on DRM and patches

From Witcher Wiki

In response to rumors about The Witcher 2 DRM, the following has been posted in the official forum:

1. We believe that the chief way to achieve favorable sales of legal game copies is to establish the right relation between game price and product quality. In our opinion, it is more important to encourage acquisition of original game copies than to punish those who play pirated copies.
2. Copyright protection cannot impede or hamper the use of legally acquired game copies. In particular:
  • Games that do not require an Internet connection for gameplay reasons should not require an active Internet connection for normal use.
  • Game installation should in no way be limited, neither as regards the number of repeated installations on a given system, nor in terms of the number of systems on which a game can be installed.
  • Internet-based registration of game copies is advisable only where the developer makes available, free of charge and via the Internet, additional game content or other services requiring an Internet connection.
  • Traditional forms of copy protection like CD-check and serial numbers are acceptable provided they are highly stable and reliable.
3. All patches and updates should be made available free of charge as additional services provided to consumers who acquired original game copies. Charges can be applied only to completely new material providing additional gameplay time.
Our chief aim is to provide our customers with a positive and satisfying game experience. We strive always to remain true to our principles and find solutions that enable CD Projekt to operate effectively in the games industry while allowing us to pursue our stated aim.
176,957 views 36 replies
Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Take my MONEY! (See this system works!) :thumbsup:

TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

If this is on Impulse, CD Projekt has my money too.

Reply #4 from Demigod Forums Top

I might have to get around to grabbing the first one.  Have to support to the good guys.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I dont think it will be as good as gragon age but The Sexer Witcher 2 is a garunteed buy for me anyway.

Edit: Yes I spelt it Gragon... somehow

err...

 

Wuvly wittle dwagons?

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Meh, Dragon Age claimed to be dark fantasy (blood much?). But The Witcher managed to capture the feeling of dark fantasy correctly.

Reply #8 from Demigod Forums Top

This is a nice statement of principles by the developer, but the proof of the pudding will be the DRM that actually ships with the game.  If they go with the light DRM that was in the first game (I think that it was just a disk check), then I'm fine with it.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Didn't they release a patch for the first Witcher that removed the DRM completely? Anyway, I'm only partway into Dragon Age but Witcher seemed a better game; Dragon Age feels like a copy of it having a similar setting but being less developed and less mature. Of course Dragon Age has a party, and stronger RPG elements, and Witcher more of an 'action' feel. Dragon Age still feels more juvenile (Blood! More blood! FOUNTAINS of blood!) and Witcher a more advanced game in a more plausible, complete world.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

"In our opinion, it is more important to encourage acquisition of original game copies than to punish those who play pirated copies."

Does that read sorta weird to anyone else?

Intrusive DRM only punishes Buyers, the Pirates always find ways around it anyways.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

It does read weird but they were trying to say they would rather make the game less intrusive than worry about pirates. 

Didn't they release a patch for the first Witcher that removed the DRM completely?

The game is available on impulse so the cd check must have been removed at some point.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

The game is available on impulse so the cd check must have been removed at some point.

How are the two related? Impulse doesn't only sell DRM-free games.

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

All over it, I will reward any company that makes this stand.  In fact, I think I'll get the first Witcher right now as I've never played it.  :)

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

So looks like Tages or something similar will be back for the retail version.  I was quite suprised after how long the game had been out that they put out a patch to remove the DRM.  Not to be misunderstood, it shows that smaller studios are pretty good about customer service - not a case of release and forget about it.  Even after quite a bit of time.  Too many games are released and abandoned as the market moves on to the next distraction.

Looking forward to W2!

 

 

 

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Anyone know if the Witcher 2 will be offered thru Impulse?

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Might be too early to know.  I'll probably go retail - I could start and finish the game in the time it took to download 13 gig last time.

Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top

You bought the Director's Edition off Impulse?  Yeah, that thing includes like 5-6 extra localizations, with full speech and subtitle files for each of them.  And what sucks is that unlike the retail version you can't pick and choose which localizations you want to install, so you're forced to install gigs of data you'll probably never use.

Reply #18 from Elemental Forums Top

I realize the Witcher 2 turned some heads at E3 but I was fairly dissapointed with the original even once it had it's makeover. Gameplay is meh, graphics are meh, and performance is meh. The only thing I liked about The Witcher is it had a distinct european feel to it. So aside from it being a bit different I really wasn't impressed. Why they chose the Aurora engine I will never know. Wouldn't have been my first choice.

I want to buy Dawn of Discovery. It's a UBISHIT game that is on STEAM and ALSO has Tages LOL. God that company is just braindead I wish they would just go away. I'm dying to try this city builder but I refuse to touch anything with DRM other than my account information in STEAM or whatever. Laughable how Ubisoft wants you to be connected to their login server to play. Looking at their forums you can see just how stable that server or network is heh.

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting KWAiRT, reply 18

I want to buy Dawn of Discovery. It's a UBISHIT game that is on STEAM and ALSO has Tages LOL. God that company is just braindead I wish they would just go away. I'm dying to try this city builder but I refuse to touch anything with DRM other than my account information in STEAM or whatever. Laughable how Ubisoft wants you to be connected to their login server to play. Looking at their forums you can see just how stable that server or network is heh.

Ubisoft removed Tages and all DRM from Dawn of Discovery DVD version in a patch sometime last year.  I believe it's still on the digital version (Steam, Impulse, GG) though.

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting bonscott, reply 19

Ubisoft removed Tages and all DRM from Dawn of Discovery DVD version in a patch sometime last year.  I believe it's still on the digital version (Steam, Impulse, GG) though.

Did they? Well that makes it worth another look.

Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I know my version of Dawn of Discovery is the pre perma-internet conenction version.  Good thing too.

 

And yes-I would give me moneys to them for NOT making it a internet-required game (it's single player, duh!)  The director's version is also waaaayyyyy better, just the fact that the loading time is cut by 90% is a God-send (I got turned off by the Witcher during chapter 2 in the city: all those 5 minutes loading time going into a building, talk to some guy, then out, then into another building killed the beat of the game.)

 

As for Dragon age, I got turned out seeing that Wizard woman wiht the super-loose top..AGAIN a game with some scantly dressed magic user, and the limited number of races, classes and the like, but still with that D&D flavour, but without calling it D&D.

 

Cat's a cat, dog's a dog, none of that purring canine business for me.

Reply #22 from Elemental Forums Top

As long as they change the combat system I'd definately get it now. Dragon Age harped on about being 'dark fantasy' but it was dark in a way that a Christian school teacher would write i.e not very. Very overrated game IMO.

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I suppose they were riding their name's wave.  "We did awesome games before, we invested alot, we can't possibly fail"

 

Kinda like Wall Street: so much money it can't fall

 

oh wait.

Reply #24 from Elemental Forums Top

Except Dragon Age didn't fail, and didn't come anywhere close to. It was hugely successful. Doesn't mean everyone liked it, but hey, GTA 4 is hugely successful and I can't stand it - doesn't make it fail. And yep, I loved Dragon Age.

Reply #25 from Elemental Forums Top

Personally, I don't think Bioware quite understand what 'Dark Fantasy' means.  Scantily clad women and blood on your characters doesn't make a bevy of RPG cliches instantly fresh and appealing.  Dragon Age was a great game, it just wasn't the game it promised to be.