The Witcher 2 developer CD Projekt RED is planning two “AAA+” games for a simultaenous PC and next-generation console release in 2014/2015. One of them is The Witcher 3. The other is a new property.
“We are definitely starting for new consoles,” managing director Adam Badowski told Eurogamer.
“The market is ready for something new, for something faster, more powerful,” added marketing head Michal Platkow-Gilewski.
According to Badowski, the “most powerful” platform will act as lead in development, because it offers “the freedom of creation.”
Work has already begun on CD Projekt’s engine for next-generation consoles. A backlog was prepared “quite a long time ago,” Badowski revealed.
“You probably know that we’ve decided to develop our new engine that is called Red Engine, so we’ve prepared a long-term plan for that engine. So we are yes, yes we are developing some features just for the new…”
Platkow-Gilewski interjected: “We are anticipating what the new generations of consoles may be.”
Both of the developer’s game projects are currently in the “pre-production” stage. The new IP is a “mature RPG and story-driven game.” The developer would not say whether it was “high fantasy” or not.
In addition to the company’s 2014/2015 releases, it is also working on three other projects.
Two of the projects are “A” games.
“The definition of product A is that this is a good quality game for a single platform which doesn’t involve enormous effort on our side,” Platkow-Gilewski explained. “This is our internal definition. After the first surprise, maybe we’ll reveal some information about the second surprise for this year.”
The first “A” game due in Q1 2012. It’s not a mobile game – CD Projekt RED will not take that route. It will be revealed “in the following two months.” The second “A” game is scheduled for later this year.
The third project is an “AA” game due in 2013.
“AA” titles are “big games with good scores” of 85 per cent or higher on Metacritic, we were told. “They have some selling potential, but they don’t require more than two years of our work,” said Platkow-Gilewski.
Asked if it was an expansion pack to The Witcher 2, Platow-Gilewski said, “Let’s release the game first and we will see.
“The thing is, we have to measure our capabilities, and we have big plans for the future.”
“Believe us,” he urged, “we want to do as much as possible.”