Following the initial reveal of the fourth installment in "The Witcher" series at The Game Awards 2024, CD Projekt Red has gradually disclosed details about the game's development direction and the decision to feature Ciri as the new protagonist through interviews with various gaming media outlets. The studio harbors significant ambitions, aiming to deliver the "most immersive" RPG experience yet.
CD Projekt Red is acutely aware that the disastrous 2020 launch of "Cyberpunk 2077" led many players to adopt a "wait-and-see" approach, or even outright skepticism, towards their new releases. Having learned a painful lesson, the development team recently shared their reflections and adjustments to production and promotional strategies in an exclusive interview with IGN, aiming to ensure they do not repeat past mistakes.
Executive Producer Małgorzata Mitręga and Game Director Sebastian Kalemba emphasized that the primary objective is to ensure the "game content is fully complete" and to avoid "over-promising" to players during the promotional period, preventing another situation where expectations are not met.
"The most important thing is to make sure the game is fully complete," Kalemba stated. "Secondly, we've made adjustments to how we produce things, and we've made good progress. Specifically, we are now much more careful with how we plan each process, clearly defining each production stage, and meticulously reviewing to ensure the foundations are solid."
"In fact, this approach has already helped us achieve significant improvements in the development process, not only giving us more control over this extremely complex environment than before but also allowing everyone to work at a more stable and comfortable pace."
To foster a more stable working environment for the development team and ensure optimal game quality, CD Projekt Red has also sought to improve its long-controversial "crunch culture." As Sebastian Kalemba explained, clearer scheduling aims to reduce the overtime required from developers, while enhanced internal communication helps them achieve a better work-life balance.
via： IGN