The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 to be Distributed in NA by Warner Bros.

A press release just came in announcing that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is CD Projekt RED’s partner for the North American distribution of the Xbox 360 version of their sequel to The Witcher, the release of which is planned during Q1 2012. Here are the details:

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment To Distribute Xbox 360 Version Of (The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings) In North America

Burbank, Calif., October 21, 2011 Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and CD Projekt RED, developers of the blockbuster Witcher franchise of video games, announced a distribution agreement for the upcoming Xbox 360 release of (The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings) in North America.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will distribute (The Witcher 2) on Xbox 360, contributing sales and marketing resources.

The console version of (The Witcher 2) is an adaptation of the hit RPG fantasy game on PC. (We have added significant enhancements to the Xbox 360 version of ‘˜The Witcher 2,’ going far beyond simply editing the code to run on a new platform. Thanks to one of the world’s newest game engines, the RED Engine, it will be one of the best-looking games ever released on Xbox 360,) said Adam KiciÅ„ski, President, CD Projekt RED.

The story is dedicated to mature players and offers over 40 hours of non-linear gameplay. Starting from four possible beginnings, (The Witcher 2) leads players through different gameplay paths to 16 different endings making it one of the most non-linear and complex storylines ever brought to the console market.

Additionally, the game features a dynamic combat system, which fuses battles with RPG mechanics, giving access to a vast array of different fighting tactics.

(We are very pleased to partner with CD Projekt RED to bring ‘˜The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings’ to consoles in the United States, Canada and Mexico,) said Kevin Kebodeaux, Senior Vice President, Sales Americas, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. (Witcher is a AAA franchise that fits well with our strategic distribution of high quality games, making it a great addition to our 2012 line-up in North America.)

(We are sure that this partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, with its strong position in the entertainment sector and particularly in the video and games distribution market in North America, will help us to achieve even bigger success in the most important market for Xbox 360 games. This is also a big distinction for us, that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment recognizes ‘˜The Witcher 2’ as a rare example of a game with world-class production values, which merges a very ambitious and complex approach with big commercial potential,) said Adam KiciÅ„ski.

Release of (The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings) on Xbox 360 is expected in Q1 2012. More information about the project can be found here: www.thewitcher.com.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About CD Projekt RED
Developer of the blockbuster Witcher games RPG franchise, CD Projekt RED is a games developer based in Warsaw, Poland and founded in 2002. Their already-released PC titles (The Witcher) and (The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings) have won substantial critical and commercial acclaim. CD Projekt RED is part of the CD Projekt RED group, a publicly traded company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Considering the ongoing legal case with Namco Bandai, I admit being a little surprised about seeing an announcement like this before it’s cleared up.