Cyberpunk 2077 and the hype surrounding its release might seem like the only CD Projekt Red topic at the moment but let’s not sleep on some of the Polish publisher’s other notable properties, like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The Nintendo Switch version of the immersive, action role-playing-game released on October 15th, 2019 and was one of the major contributing factors to CDPR’s increased revenue last quarter according to CDPR president and joint-CEO Adam Kiciński. Kicinski also cited the popularity of the The Witcher series on Netflix and the coronavirus pandemic forcing people to stay inside at home as factors to CDPR’s and The Witcher 3 on Switch’s earnings success as well.
“First of all, The Witcher franchise got more popular,” Kickinski said in CDPR’s latest earning call, “thanks to The Witcher series release on Netflix. Secondly, we had the pandemic situation, which in general supports sales of video games. And that was one of the few forms of entertainment available to people being locked down at home.
“And thirdly,” Kicinski added, “at the end of last year, we’ve dropped the Witcher 3 on Switch. That was a nice revenue driver for us and that performed really well comparing to the previous times.”
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition was developed by Saber Interactive in close cohesion with CPDR and was released nearly four years after the game’s original release on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC; many fans believed prior to the game’s release that due to its impressive visuals and enormous size, the game wouldn’t translate well to the Nintendo Switch, the last console generation’s least powerful system, but Saber was able to prove the naysayers wrong with a strategically trimmed-down version that retained all the magic of the PC, Xbox One and PS4 versions.
The last official sales report from CDPR indicated that The Witcher 3 on Switch sold over 700,000 copies (back in April, 2020) so it’s safe to assume those numbers have increased substantially six months later. The Witcher 3 on Switch included all the game’s post content and was available for $49.99 upon its release. An optional update was made available after the game’s launch which ameliorated the game’s visuals and performance.
Are you surprised that The Witcher 3 on Switch sold so well? Does the portability option for the Witcher 3 on Switch make it that much more viable thanks to the ability to play it on the road or away from home? Let us know in the comments.
Ninja Gaiden was my rite of passage at an early age. After finally beating that game (and narrowly dodging carpal tunnel) I decided to write about my gaming exploits. These days I enjoy roguelikes and anything Pokemon but I'll always dust off Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country and StarFox 64 from time to time to bask in their glory.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login