GamesRPGThe WitcherBioWare “missed our big opportunity to be Steam” and sell The Witcher: “We’re kicking ourselves about it now"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGThe WitcherBioWare “missed our big opportunity to be Steam” and sell The Witcher: “We’re kicking ourselves about it now"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
BioWareopened its own digital storefront back in the early 2000s, and the legendary RPG studio had even briefly considered selling third-party games on that store - including The Witcher.
Part of the hesitance, it seems, was fear about how copyright law would affect digital distribution. “Likewise with Apple’s App Store and the idea of a free-wheeling marketplace for indie games,” Bartel said. “The Live Team wanted to go down that route but the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was still very new and had limited precedent so our legal team was worried about the potential liabilities.”
BioWare launched its digital store in 2004 to sell DLC modules for Neverwinter Nights - back when DLC was still a very new concept. The notion of a publisher store directly competing with Steam might seem laughable today, given the reputation platforms from publishers like EA andUbisofthave always held among PC gamers, but remember: in 2004, Steam was seen as little more than an annoying DRM measure for Half-Life 2. It’s easy to see a world where some other company might’ve figured out the allure of digital distribution before Valve got it right.
These days, Jade Empire is largely remembered as a footnote in BioWare’s history, while The Witcher would set CD Projekt on the path to becoming one of the most notable studios in the industry, and I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if that association had stayed a little closer.
If you want to know about all theupcoming CD Projekt Red games, orThe Witcher 4in particular, you know where to click.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”