14 DAY TRIAL // CD Projekt RED, the Polish video game developer that has gained worldwide renown for the The Witcher series, has announced that the Xbox 360 bound version of the second game in the series is now delayed to the first quarter of next year.
The game was originally set to be launched during the fall season.
The company says that the main reason for the delay is the need to further refine gameplay mechanics and make sure that console gamers can control the game as easily as those who enjoy it on the PC.
The developers emphasize the fact that the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is not a simple port, but a new experience that streamlines the game and adds content.
CD Projekt RED also says that its current legal battle with Namco Bandai about publishing rights for the video game is another reason for the delay.
Adam Kicinski, who is the president of CD Projekt RED, stated that, “We have decided not to withhold information and to tell our fans immediately of the Xbox 360 launch moving to Q1 2012.”
He added, “As the launch of the game approaches, we will be sharing more details how it will be released on Xbox 360. I trust that despite the release date shift, players will be satisfied with what we are planning for them.”
The first Witcher game was one of the more innovative games in the role-playing genre of the last few years and was based on a solid and engaging fiction background created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
The sequel launched earlier in the year on the PC and managed to deliver a revamped combat system and a narrative structure that included a series of very important choices, some significantly altering the way the game played out.
CD Projekt RED is also thinking about a PlayStation 3 version of the game.