Eurogamer

Struggling UK retailer GAME has some good news to celebrate after its recent stocking problems - publisher Namco Bandai intends for The Witcher 2, due out on 17th April, to be available to buy in its stores.

The pre-order version of the collector's 'Dark Edition' of The Witcher 2 on 360 (exclusive to the high-street chain) has now sold out, while pre-order boxes for the standard release 'Enhanced Edition' of the upcoming PC port will enter stores this week.

Speaking to Eurogamer, publisher Namco Bandai confirmed the supply situation.

"The Dark Edition pre-orders have gone better than expected and are now sold out in the UK," a spokesperson said.

"We have pre-order activity going into GAME this week, so we are planning to release the title across all channels at this time."

The Enhanced Edition features the game spanning two DVDs, a quest handbook, world map, game manual and a CD of the soundtrack. On top of all that, the Dark Edition also includes stickers, a medallion, artbook, and a making-of DVD - all wrapped up in a nifty cardboard box.

Namco Bandai's commitment to have The Witcher 2 in GAME comes at a time when it is struggling to stock new titles.

The biggest game of the year so far, Mass Effect 3, will not be on GAME or Gamestation store shelves tomorrow - a situation that could cost the retailer over £2.5 million in profit.

EA's other March games: FIFA Street, Tiger Woods 13 and The Sims 3 Showtime, and Capcom's Street Fighter x Tekken and Asura's Wrath, will not be sold by GAME either.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-08-the-witcher-2-360

Gaming Update

Call this a public service message for our European readers -- but if you are planning on scoring your Dark Edition pre-order you might want to get on it soon...

Over one month before its premiere on the 17th of April, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Dark Edition has already been sold out in pre-orders in Europe. The Dark Edition of the game is the richest version of the award-winning RPG for Xbox 360. CD Projekt RED studio has prepared a larger stock of this edition for their fans in Poland. That's why The Witcher's homeland remains the last European country, where the Dark Edition is still available.

"We are really pleased, that the Dark Edition was so well received by gamers. We're half way from the beginning of the pre-orders to the premiere and already European gamers bought all of the Dark Edition copies. You can still buy the Enhanced Edition of the game, which is more than a standard edition of an Xbox game containing the game, official soundtrack, quest handbook and world map," says Michał Nowakowski, member of CD Projekt RED's board.

The Dark Edition of the game apart from the Enhanced Edition contains an exclusive artbook, an additional making of DVD, a wolf-head Witcher medallion, 3 stickers -- all wrapped up in an beautiful box with an wolf head 3D print relief. You can watch the whole unboxing of the game here.

In The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings the player takes the role of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, a witcher. Entangled in the political turmoil that engulfed Temeria, Geralt helped quell the rebellion of the Order of the Flaming Rose. Soon after, he saved King Foltest's life when the monarch was attacked by a witcher-like assassin.

The game features an intense, emotionally-charged, non-linear story in which every decision may lead to dire consequences. The complex plot is crisped with spectacular, brutal and tactical combat mechanics. All this is set in a deep, rich game world where ominous events shape the lives of entire populations while blood thirsty monsters rage about. 

The gorgeous environments of the game look astonishing thanks to CD Projekt RED's in house engine -- the REDengine. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Enhanced Edition is one of the best looking RPG's ever to be released for the Xbox 360.

The console edition will add about 4 hours of new content, when compared with the initial PC release of the game. All this will be set in never-seen before locations. This version of the game will include about 36 minutes of new animations and cinematics. One of these movies is a CG intro, directed by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Tomasz Bagiński. The intro was viewed by over a million people in the first week after its premiere. All the additional content will be available for free download for current PC owners of the game.

You can pre-order The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition at: buy.thewitcher.com

Gaming Examiner

CD Projekt Red announced today, via press-release, that the ‘Dark Edition’ for their upcoming Xbox 360 title ‘The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings’ has already sold-out in the United States in Europe.

“It’s great news for us, that the Dark Edition was such a success worldwide. I hope players will appreciate the gadgets we prepared for them. We’d like to remind you that there are still remaining copies of The Enhanced Edition of The Witcher 2. By buying this version of the game you still get more, than you would expect from a standard Xbox game. Apart from the manual and the game itself it contains an official soundtrack CD, a quest handbook and a world map.” – said Michał Nowakowski, member of CD Projekt RED’s board.

http://www.gamingexaminer.com/the-witcher-2-dark-edition-sells-out-in-the-united-states-and-europe/14110/

Glad to see The Witcher 2 potentially still selling a load!

Glad to see The Witcher 2 potentially still selling a load!

Yeah we've been sold out of it as a retailer for a couple weeks now.

Its not going to be an uber massive launch or anything, but should sell well, certainly enough to post a nice profit.