It has its own completely new entry with the ESRB (it now lists “Nudity” instead of just “Partial Nudity”, for example), so they must have gone through the whole process again and this is the ESRB’s current rating for it, not something past it.
This. The Director’s Cut was submitted to the ESRB and garnered an M rating with slightly changed descriptors.
Right. But how does that work when a system like Steam automatically patches the game to include the risque content? I doubt anyone buying The Witcher is going to be turned away by the sudden appearance of nude models and art, but let’s say someone bought the game on Steam specifically to avoid the European content. Wouldn’t the addition of content beyond what was originally rated in the game violate some kind of consumer to ESRB trust?
I’m just wondering how allowing more content is allowed if the buyer didn’t actually “sign off” on it when they purchased it. Wasn’t that part of the public hullabaloo over Hot Coffee? That suddenly there was content that was beyond what the buyers knew about?
The hidden content in “Hot Coffee” changed the rating from M to AO (whether it should’ve changed the rating or not is a separate issue). The fact that it’s going from one M to a slightly different M might mean it’s a different situation.
I think the Hot Coffee was far more problematic since it bumped the rating to AO, which every major retailer does not stock as a matter of policy. Even when Oblivion garned a rating change it wasn’t a big deal (relatively speaking) because it stayed below AO. If that game didn’t garner a wave of upset people, the Witcher gaining a few different descriptors won’t. Maybe some people will be upset about the change (I doubt it), but it translate into real trouble for the ESRB or CDProjekt.
I’m more upset with the term “director’s cut.” Isn’t that for movies? Can’t a game specific term be used like “developer’s burn?” How about something game specific, like “The Witcher: Even Witchier Version?”
sigh
Apparently this still isn’t available to me through Steam or GamersGate.
They probably can’t milk the editions much further, so it should probably be The Witchest.
We’re working on this. Essentially we have to provide people the ESRB info before (or as) they download the patch.
Could they set it up so that the Director’s Cut is a separate Steam entry that overwrites parts of the original when you install it? A few other games on Steam seem to work that way with their expansion packs.
Ah, thanks. That sates my curiousity.
Lum
1591
I’m actually kind of curious how I got the nude version off of Steam now. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s just a straight Steam install (I know because I just redid the OS under Win7 a while back) and I got the European skin-friendly cards and dryad model (but no extra modules). Maybe Steam thinks I’m in Europe!
Maybe Steam likes to fight the power. Fight the powers that be.
So are the downloadable retailers offering the DRM free version? Is that even possible with Steam?
If you count Steam’s offline mode, then sure, it’s possible with Steam. If you don’t count Offline mode, then no, I guess it isn’t possible with Steam.
Anyone know if this was still planned for consoles, or was that officially scrapped?
-Chris
Suspended, actually. Slight difference.
One final question:
I will now install my czech retail Witcher EE.
Then, I will apply patch 1.5 downloaded from here:
http://www.sciagnij.pl/programy/p/Wied%C5%BAmin_Edycja_Rozszerzona_Patch/8902/1
So this should be the final ultimate version, right?
Also, does anyone know if the “walk mod” (the one that enables walking in OTS mode) works with 1.5?
Lum
1600
Yes, European Witcher EE 1.5 is the final version that is being repackaged for the US market.
