The Witcher 3 dev explains visual downgrade

[AverageNinja]

CD Projekt Red sits down with Eurogamer to talk about The Witcher 3's visual downgrade after all the criticism they received.

Read more on the interview with CD Projekt Red.

 

[ShaunB-91]

I think its very naughty and misleading, same stunt as Ubi pulled with Watch Dogs. If they bring out a patch then thats great, but will it look how it did two years ago? Probably not.

 

[Snortan]

IMO people are blowing this out of proportion, just looking for any reason to argue about a product that wasn't finished in the first place.

Just played a few hours and the game looks absolutely gorgeous and runs smooth at 60fps with most settings on ultra without skipping a beat on a 290.
So for me they haven't done anything wrong, they released a polished game, that runs smoothly and doesn't crash, so far at least. As far as I'm concerned top job CDPR.

Maybe they shouldn't have hyped that first trailer so much but I'm not one to judge unfinished products.

 

[SPS]

This is how it works - eventually people will realise.

 

[Warchild]

IMO people are blowing this out of proportion, just looking for any reason to argue about a product that wasn't finished in the first place.

Just played a few hours and the game looks absolutely gorgeous and runs smooth at 60fps with most settings on ultra without skipping a beat on a 290.
So for me they haven't done anything wrong, they released a polished game, that runs smoothly and doesn't crash, so far at least. As far as I'm concerned top job CDPR.

Maybe they shouldn't have hyped that first trailer so much but I'm not one to judge unfinished products.

Agree. Nasty little bastard trolls are everywhere ready to whine about anything they can. They game looks beautiful. A polished product from Poland. Most that whine are often running mainstream cards that cant cope with the high detailed they complain is missing anyway,

Watchdogs was a different case since gfx were downgraded but also features like wind were removed. CDPR has done a great job here. If only all AAA were released like this.

 

[Dicehunter]

Agree. Nasty little bastard trolls are everywhere ready to whine about anything they can. They game looks beautiful. A polished product from Poland. Most that whine are often running mainstream cards that cant cope with the high detailed they complain is missing anyway,

Watchdogs was a different case since gfx were downgraded but also features like wind were removed. CDPR has done a great job here. If only all AAA were released like this.

Agreed the game does look great and it performs great aswell, As long as you have an Nvidia card.

I would have liked there to be the same fidelity they showed in their original ingame demo but as CDPR have already said they can polish it further through patches.

Need to finish the first 2 before I play anymore though ^_^

 

[Legacy-ZA]

To those that defend this kind of behavior, I just don't know.... Really? Are you going to bury your heads in the sand? :/

"If the consoles are not involved there is no Witcher 3 as it is. We can lay it out that simply. We just cannot afford it, because consoles allow us to go higher in terms of the possible or achievable sales; have a higher budget for the game, and invest it all into developing this huge, gigantic world."

Then why were those amazing graphics in the trailer to start with? It is misleading, a lie and false advertising.

"Developing only for the PC: yes, probably we could get more [in terms of graphics] as there would be nothing else - they would be so focused, like if we would develop only on Xbox One or PlayStation 4. But then we cannot afford such a game."

Again, if you can't afford it, then why were those amazing graphics in the trailer to start with and if it wasn't going to be in the final version? Also, how come there is a patch that will miraculously upgrade the graphics if they couldn't afford it in the first place? See the lie?

In all probability; they saw that with those graphics, that most PC's and consoles wouldn't be able to run it with acceptable frame rates on Ultra even though the system requirements they posted made it as if you could... and proceeded to scale it down. See the lie again? As most have realized, the game in it's current state, is very taxing on hardware if you use ultra settings, even if you use a GTX Titan X. They most likely have very powerful computers which they develop and play on. So they realized this mistake at the end. But hey, you know what? Not every gamer can afford such machines.

All I see... is lies and then they try to apologize... mmmm Somehow it doesn't seem sincere to me...

They can learn a thing or two from Gabe Newell from Valve. However, I will say this; at least they are going to try and correct their mistake by improving the graphics with a patch. I will give them that... (Cut content, *cough* couldn't help myself)

 

[barnsley]

They can learn a thing or two from Gabe Newell from Valve. However, I will say this; at least they are going to try and correct their mistake by improving the graphics with a patch. I will give them that... (Cut content, *cough* couldn't help myself)

You say all that then say they could learn from Valve?

REALLY

 

[Warchild]

Snip*

They can learn a thing or two from Gabe Newell from Valve. However, I will say this; at least they are going to try and correct their mistake by improving the graphics with a patch. I will give them that... (Cut content, *cough* couldn't help myself)

DEMO are made to show off as much as possible. When you visit a car show and see the new Ford Focus concept and are amazed, but then see a different version released to the public, do you go shouting and crying to Ford because that isnt what you saw at the show? Products change overtime, the important thing is that the scope of said product doesn't change, and that is what they provided. I honestly don't understand how there can be complaints about the graphics in Witcher 3. It is outstanding.

I still can't run Witcher 2 on max settings with ubersampling and that is with 780sli. And please tell me how Gabe can teach them a thing or two?

I think CDPR has made a great release, very successful too. They even kindly asked those who pirated the Gog version to buy the game, they didn't block it in anyway, and even whole heartedly admitted pirate versions got the day one patch also. They were aware of online pirated versions well before launch day and did not bother trying to stop it, instead they politely asked not to use it. This kind of honesty is what I will happily support.

 

[Fetchez La Vache]

Just to burst a few more bubbles for those that don't seem to know how real life works:

That model in the glossy magazine? - airbrushed, a lot
The trailer for the film you're all excited for? - those are the only good bits
That picture a Big-Mac? - won't look anything like the Big-Mac you'll be getting
A car that does 100mpg? - on a rolling road being driven like your grandmother/father

It still amazes me that people are suprised the end product differes from an unfinished one shown 2 years prior, but here we are.

 

[Warchild]

Just to burst a few more bubbles for those that don't seem to know how real life works:

That model in the glossy magazine? - airbrushed, a lot
The trailer for the film you're all excited for? - those are the only good bits
That picture a Big-Mac? - won't look anything like the Big-Mac you'll be getting
A car that does 100mpg? - on a rolling road being driven like your grandmother/father

It still amazes me that people are suprised the end product differes from an unfinished one shown 2 years prior, but here we are.

This is exactly my point. they do it to sell the end product. Unreal Engine IV is a nice example in the game world too.

 

[NeverBackDown]

...

This post made me LOL literally..

Again, if you can't afford it, then why were those amazing graphics in the trailer to start with and if it wasn't going to be in the final version? Also, how come there is a patch that will miraculously upgrade the graphics if they couldn't afford it in the first place? See the lie?

Trailer is NOT THE SAME as gameplay. They have even said this and anyone with a brain knows this too. Because it was two years away from release and not finished? They are allowed to change it. They said they needed to because the previous render technique wasn't ideal. They never said it was because of money. Changing it in the first place cost money. The GAME ITSELF wouldn't have happened due to money if it was released on PC ONLY. The release on Consoles allowed them to increase the scale and ambition because they could have afforded it. No one is lying. It's just people complaining over nothing as usual.

In all probability; they saw that with those graphics, that most PC's and consoles wouldn't be able to run it with acceptable frame rates on Ultra even though the system requirements they posted made it as if you could... and proceeded to scale it down. See the lie again? As most have realized, the game in it's current state, is very taxing on hardware if you use ultra settings, even if you use a GTX Titan X. They most likely have very powerful computers which they develop and play on. So they realized this mistake at the end. But hey, you know what? Not every gamer can afford such machines.

All I see... is lies and then they try to apologize... mmmm Somehow it doesn't seem sincere to me...

No one is lying. You can't speak for them and say they scaled it down due to graphics. They scaled the game UP to make it what it is. Only reason they scaled it up was because they made it for consoles too which gave them more revenue and thus a game of this scale. LOL have you even played the game? Taxing on Hardware my ass. It's pretty optimized. I run an old 7950 and play on High with Ultra textures and avg 45FPS and never dip below 38FPS. That card can be bought on Ebay for $140.

They can learn a thing or two from Gabe Newell from Valve. However, I will say this; at least they are going to try and correct their mistake by improving the graphics with a patch. I will give them that... (Cut content, *cough* couldn't help myself)

The best part of the post! Gabe Newell.. No please don't bring him up, he's not the PC Master Race king nor the Father or whatever social media calls him these days.

Cut content really? Because I mean the game wasn't done about a month before release and they worked on patches and tiny bugs.. no not at all. FYI The 2nd patch is already out and a previous one on release day. Yep that's cutting content alright! Besides all DLC for the game will be free. Who cares if they cut back on it.. they aren't getting paid for it anyway. They also have two planned expansion. Fair to say they are adding more content.. not cutting back. Please don't say the "expansions were cut from the game". They were announced even far in advance and don't actually do anything to the core story.

If you take offence to this post. Well sorry, but with that kind of thinking...