Historically, it takes developers time to max out a new video game console. CD Projekt RED isn’t your run-of-the-mill developer, though, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt isn’t your average game.
During a recent IGN interview with studio CEO Marin Iwinski, we learn that his team has already come close to tapping 100% of the new console’s capabilities. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are powerful systems but these guys need almost every ounce of that juice. Said Iwinski:
“There is a lot of power in these machines, and I don’t want to say we’re using them to their capacity, but we’re fairly close to doing so.”
A few days ago, the boss was quoted as saying that it’d be “impossible” to put The Witcher 3 on the PS3 or Xbox 360, and now we know why. Had they tried to do so, the developer would’ve been forced to sacrifice “nearly half” of their ambitious vision.
Elsewhere in the interview, Iwinski referenced the game’s gargantuan size and length. He said there were 36 different endings available (good luck seeing them all!), and the game would offer over 100 hours of gameplay.
This generation will be different
Because developers can easily access most of the power of these new systems, you won’t see the same drastic increases in graphics. In previous generations, launch titles look nothing like games released later in the console’s lifespan. Look at the PS2: Compare the likes of Tekken Tag Tournament, Summoner, Unreal Tournament, and Fantavision to Final Fantasy XII, God of War, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
This time around, though, CD Projekt RED aims to show that the progression won’t be as drastic.
