Legal Battle, Polishing Both Factor In Witcher 2 Xbox 360 Delay

Polish developer CD Projekt RED has delayed the Xbox 360 version of its RPG The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, noting that the game will now be released in Q1 2012 due to a legal battle with Namco Bandai and a need for further polishing. Originally released for PC a few months ago, The Witcher 2 was to receive an Xbox 360 edition in the fourth quarter of 2011, but has now been delayed, allowing the team to concentrate on polishing it better. "The Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2 is an adaptation of the game to the new platform," states a press release from the developer. "This means that the process involves significant changes and improvements for the Xbox 360 console version - not a typical port of the game, which is usually much simpler and faster. The move of the release date allows the team to spend more time expanding and polishing certain elements of the gameplay." Adam Kicinski, president of CD Projekt RED, explained further, "We have decided not to withhold information and to tell our fans immediately of the Xbox 360 launch moving to Q1 2012." "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 company noted that the ongoing legal battle with Namco Bandai has also been a factor in the decision to delay the Xbox 360 version. Namco Bandai filed suit against CD Projekt Red parent company Optimus SA last month over a dispute on the European publishing rights for The Witcher 2.