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Unfinished Business 2.18.2008 1:53pm
Today CD Projekt announced they will be releasing an "enhanced" version of their hit RPG The Witcher from 2007.
From the Press Release: "Loading times, which will be reduced by 80%, the stability of the game on different PC configurations, as well as an array of smaller fixes that will increase interactivity and precision in combat. ... over 50 new supporting character models will be added, so that the player won't run into the same person too often. The inventory panel will be re-designed and improved ... characters will get over 100 new animated gestures which will make their body language during conversations much more natural..." They also talk about how the English language version had a whole crap load of text cut out and now that is being put back in.
I have two very opposite feelings about this news.
On the one hand it's awesome that a developer listens to its community and responds accordingly by releasing a cleaned up version of their game and gives out free to people who already bought it. To not abandon your product after launch is something that gamers really appreciate.
On the other hand... every single thing listed as a 'fix' should have been in the first release of the game. Why weren't animations fluid during conversations? How come text was left out of the English release? You're adding 50 new character models?! 50!!? So how many were there before, like 2? I bet it was confusing seeing the same two guys everywhere you went! Also "precision in combat"? So you would miss things a lot? How did that problem even get through testing?
It sounds to me like they didn't actually finish their game when it went to release. And I would be damn angry if I bought a game that was short 50 character models and a chunk of the story. The whole thing just sounds really sloppy. It really pisses me off that more and more games are coming out unfinished and relying on DLC to fix problems that should never have been an issue. The Witcher hasn't even been out four months and it is already getting a huge overhaul.
Game developers, please, please just finish your games before you release them. I am a firm believer that game delays are a good thing. It means problems are getting fixed. I buy games when they come out. You don't help me 4, or 6 months later when you release a patch fixing all the things you left out of your game. I have already moved on.
All you have to do is include everything you are going to include in your patch, in the retail version of the game. That makes gamers happy. Also way, when your next game comes out we will be sure to pay attention because your previous endeavor was well polished and fluid.
