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Good Old Games Beta Launches
Posted by Mike Fahey at 2:20 AM on September 11, 2008
Several of you have written in this morning to let us know that the early start beta for CD Projekt's DRM-free classic PC game store Good Old Games (GOG.com) is now live, with one helpful reader sending us a screenshot of the games currently available via the service. When I first heard about the website my first thought was a giant "Why?", but now looking over the list I begin to see their point. There is definitely potential here for me to spend a great deal of money. Descent 3 plus expansions for $US 5.99, without having to dig through a giant bin at a CompUSA somewhere? Definitely a good deal.
Consider me intrigued. Also consider me not going anywhere near the service, because I have a buying disorder that doesn't register how many times purchases under $US 10 occur, leading to some surprising and painful math lessons once the bank statement hits. Slots are still available, so hit the link below to sign up today.
Good Old Games [GOG.com - Thanks to Paul for the Pic!]
It seems that European publisher-distributor CD Projekt (The Witcher) have come up with a new site where you can buy DRM-free games from the '80s, '90s and early millennium. You know, old games. The site promises good ones, though - it's called 
Last week, Gamasutra ran an interview with Tom Ohle, vice president of PR & marketing for CD Projekt, creators of The Witcher. They obviously get to talking about games PR, and in particular some of the challenges facing a public relations team when deciding how to market a game. While I don't agree with many of their points (Ohle's or that of the interviewer), especially that "major blogs just don't really cover" the PC that much (we try to give it it's due whenever & wherever possible), it's still an interesting read, if only for Ohle's idea that even a site with just one reader's worth taking care of, because that's still one potential customer.
The company behind the PC RPG The Witcher is taking another stab at the swords and sorcery gig as Funcom announces a fully localised Polish release for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures to be handled by CD Projekt, due out in the second half of 2008. The Polish developer, publisher, and distributor will handle the localisation and running of the game, including customer service, in-game support, websites and the game's community, while Funcom handles the back end. Age of Conan will be the first subscription RPG to be fully localised in Polish. Says Michał Kiciński, joint CEO of CD Projekt:
From the creators of The Witcher PC RPG comes The Witcher: DuelMail, a turn-based fighter that plays in your web browser. The game's simple mechanics conceal its addictive nature. Basically you choose one of three character types - witcher, sorceress, or frightener - select a series of attacks and defensive moves, and then hope your moves counter the ones your opponent has picked. Battles play out in your web browser, with the victor receiving experience points and gold to spend on new moves and equipment. Once a fight is finished you can copy the link for the fight to share your victories and defeats with your friends. Developer one2tribe Company has big plans for DuelMail, including special events and constant updates to keep things fresh. Open beta starts April 7th, when thousands of players will discover just how damn addictive this little web game can be. 
The best PC RPG of 2007 is about to get better. CD Projekt Red has announced The Witcher Enhanced Edition, an update of the game due out this May that seeks to completely quash any qualms players may have had with the original title - in essence, they listened to our bitching and fixed stuff. Small tweaks like shortening load times and increasing combat accuracy are just the beginning. The English language version of the game has been completely reworked to include text left out of the initial release, while the German version is getting redone voice overs. CD Projekt is adding over 50 new supporting character models to further immersion, with 100 new animated gestures added to make conversation flow more naturally. 
Action RPG The Witcher is saucy. And has the censored dialogue to prove it! The English version is way toned down to the Polish original. Writer Sande Chen conceedes, saying "My writing partner and I worked on the English adaptatioin of the script (based on the translation from the Polish script). It was edited down considerably, not because of censorship, though." Then why? Oh right, for shits and giggles. TTLG Forums have compared the translated Polish to the watered down English. The differences are striking. That, after the j-u-m-p. 
Since I saw CD Projekt's PC action RPG The Witcher in action at the Atari room during E3 this year, I've been eager to get my hands on the title. Based on a series of short stories and novels by Poland's premier fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski, the title promised a rich, atmospheric world, statless leveling, an interesting, combo-driven combat system, and decision system that blurs the lines between good and evil. Happily the final title delivers, albeit with a few minor flaws and one relatively major one. If not for the absolutely staggering loading times, The Witcher would have easily been one of my top PC RPGs of all time. 
