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[Fahzgoolin]

The impressions posted in this thread have restored my interest in this game...Probably gonna have to get it now lol

 

[RedAssedApe]

Welp. Hope it's good.

 

[Confused Cheeseburger]

I feel like I still don't have a full grasp of the game. I know connecting lines isnt the sum total of this game and I've actually seen some of the ways the puzzles expand with new interesting twists. I feel like this game is still submerged in so much mystery.

 

[TetraGenesis]

Has there been any word of this supporting PSVR? I know it has Oculus support, but since the game runs at 1080p 60fps on PS4 it seems like it'd be an easy conversion.

I'm buying the game day one, but I'd wait to actually play it in VR if it's happening.

Hopefully Sony helps Blow adapt it for VR. I feel like he'd shy away from doing it himself. I don't know what they'd do for navigation though.

 

[Tizoc]

Sounds like this years first GOTY contender.

2nd at best considering dragon's dogma released before it
Unless you mean entirely new game then on that i would agree :3
Really hope it will deliver xo

 

[EdibleExplosives]

It won't. Some early impressions have already gotten out pre-embargo

Well, now I need to play this.

 

[More_Badass]

This podcast was posted in the other Witness thread, it's from 2011 and Blow is talking about the game and his thought process behind it and such

As if I couldn't get more intrigued. His design philosophy makes this game so so exciting

Now, remember this is from 2011, when he was thinking the game would be releasing in a year, so those spoiler-tagged bits might not be in the game now, but they give some nice examples of the ideas behind the puzzles

"I had this idea, and it was a grand idea, it was very complicated, and it had to be 3D.... And not only was it going to be hard to program, but just design-wise, it's very ambitious"

"So you go to a location like a

Spoiler

desert ruin

, and you wander into this area. You get in through the front door by solving some puzzles, and you get into a basement, then you get into the sub-basement, and then you get deeper and deeper. Eventually you get to the end, where you can trigger something significant. And as you work your way through that area, there will be some audio logs, some...obvious in place and some that you may have to look harder for."

"When you look at the puzzles in The Witness, they are, in many ways, sort of the answers to 'What If' questions, but also like 'Look what happens when':

-

Spoiler

look what happens when perspective is used in a certain way because that's just what happens in 3D space

-

Spoiler

look what happens when light travels in a straight line and then reflects off surfaces and creates glare

-

Spoiler

look what happens if you have this mathematical abstraction where there are these very simple symbols that behave in a certain way and you combine them in the same domain and they interact with each other

So this goes to the title of the game. There's something about your role as the player, as being an observer of these things."

"The thing I want to preserve [from adventure games] is something I feel is being lost a lot in modern games, and that is having puzzles that are actually puzzles. What I mean by that is that a legitimate puzzle is something that you might never figure out unless you do a good job. Because if you're guaranteed to figure it out, then it's...more like an exercise, I guess.

There just aren't many games made that are legitimate puzzle games anymore...and I feel like there's a vast richness that we sort of used to have, that is no longer being tapped. This idea that you run an Infocom adventure and if you looked at the manual, maybe you have a little bit of guidance on how to talk to it, but the majority of the gameplay experience was you're like Robinson Crusoe on this island and you have to make the best of it and figure it out. It's not going to tutorialize you all the way through."

 

[antitrop]

"What I mean by that is that a legitimate puzzle is something that you might never figure out unless you do a good job. Because if you're guaranteed to figure it out, then it's...more like an exercise, I guess."

Good quote.

 

[Azriell]

I remember being at work, listening to the cast of 1up Yours ladling praise all over Braid. That game was something incredible when it came out. Seems like only yesterday. Eight fucking years, man.

 

[farmerboy]

Im buying the shit outta this but I'm under no illusions.

I will need a guide to finish it.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I am way too excited for this game.

 

[captain_skyhawk]

Can't believe it's been that long. I hope for Blow's sake that its fantastic. You can't really develope something for 8 years with out getting close to running out of money.

 

[More_Badass]

Can't believe it's been that long. I hope for Blow's sake that its fantastic. You can't really develope something for 8 years with out getting close to running out of money.

He ran out of money. He spent all the millions he made from Braid and then borrowed more to make this. I read the budget was around $5 million

 

[sja_626]

Excited for this. Hope it can match The Talos Principle.

 

[Tar-Miriel]

Excited for this. Hope it can match The Talos Principle.

No doubt it will outmatch The Talos Principal.

 

[hughesta]

I've been frothing at the mouth for this game for years now, and I'm so glad I'm only three work days away from owning it and making my eyes bleed.

 

[More_Badass]

Going by the $5 million budget figure, did some math. At $40, the game needs to sell 125,000 copies to make back its budget

Braid sold 55,000 in its first week.

Given that 1) it's releasing on more platforms at launch, 2) has way more hype and anticipation due to Braid's success, and 3) is leaning towards having a very very postive critical reception given the early impressions, are we expecting The Witness to sell better than Braid in its first week?

For comparison in regards to other indie sequels that released on PC/PC4, SOMA sold 92,000 copies in 10 days and Transistor sold 600,000 copies in eight months

 

[Remembrance]

60fps on PS4 confirmed: https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/691131508325679104

 

[captain_skyhawk]

He ran out of money. He spent all the millions he made from Braid and then borrowed more to make this. I read the budget was around $5 million

That's actually not as much as I thought it would have cost to be honest.

My main concern is that all the devs on this get to keep their jobs.

 

[TimeEffect]

60fps on PS4 confirmed: https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/691131508325679104

Now is it 60 FPS with no dips?



And amazing quote on puzzles feeling like exercises. And while it's a totally different game, Uncharted's puzzles were just that: exercises! I wished they would be more puzzley, but admittedly, it seemed like it existed just for the pacing and not to legitimately challenge players.

Anyways, I think people who end up liking Witness should try out Talos Principle. T.P was really great and I loved that game after being hesitant on it, and it has made me so much more excited for Witness

 

[TimeEffect]

Is Sony going to advertise it or anything? Maybe a PS+ discount? Any kind of marketing/partnership, or are they just along for the ride?

 

[liliththepale]

I'm so psyched for this! I like to think I'm still able to appreciate something even if I have a walkthrough helping me, but I'll give it an honest try first.

That's actually not as much as I thought it would have cost to be honest.

My main concern is that all the devs on this get to keep their jobs.

It'll be interesting to see what that even means should Blow go forward with his plans to develop the programming language full time. Does Thekla go on without him? Do all the employees get a nice bonus and severance package? Hmm.

 

[mattiewheels]

The panel tracing I've seen makes me wonder if they used the PS4 touchpad at all, or if that would even be a preferable input method to analog stick for drawing.

 

[More_Badass]

The panel tracing I've seen makes me wonder if they used the PS4 touchpad at all, or if that would even be a preferable input method to analog stick for drawing.

Game is coming to iPad, so I wouldn't be surprised since the tracing already works on touchscreen

 

[schuey7]

I just brought it on steam for the equivalent of 13.5usd .This game is definitely going to be great for the price.I live in India so its cheap here.Now I am just hoping for preloading.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Nice quotes, More_Badass.

For an example of what Blow may have been talking about with the perspectives in the environment being important, pause the release date trailer at 1:05 or so.

 

[Death Metalist]

This made me laugh.

Well, I hope it came together well. In any case it'll be a testament to dedication.

You should watch this then.

 

[prettyvacant77]

Any word on this coming to Xbox or is it locked down for PS4/PC? Seem to remember some animosity between Blow and MS around the time of the the game reveal

Mulling over a new gaming pc, this might push me over the edge...

 

[TimeEffect]

Any word on this coming to Xbox or is it locked down for PS4/PC? Seem to remember some animosity between Blow and MS around the time of the the game reveal

Mulling over a new gaming pc, this might push me over the edge...

No Xbox version currently in development...but Im guessing it will come after.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Any word on this coming to Xbox or is it locked down for PS4/PC? Seem to remember some animosity between Blow and MS around the time of the the game reveal

Mulling over a new gaming pc, this might push me over the edge...

He hasn't ruled it out and had the ESRB rate it for Xbox One as a preemptive measure; Sony is not publishing or financing. They did PC and PS4 for launch so they could get it out the door on a manageable number of platforms given the size of the team. Nothing is announced yet, however.

 

[Shahadan]

It's so low on the steam top seller list that it's making my heart hurt already ;(

Can't wait for it to release, I've been waiting to play it impatiently for years now.

 

[BraXzy]

Nice quotes, More_Badass.

For an example of what Blow may have been talking about with the perspectives in the environment being important, pause the release date trailer at 1:05 or so.

I'm on my mobile and it's late, I'm afraid I'm missing whatever it is I should notice at 1:05. Am I just having a brainfart? :3

 

[GhaleonEB]

I'm on my mobile and it's late, I'm afraid I'm missing whatever it is I should notice at 1:05. Am I just having a brainfart? :3

Tip your head to the left. It's a sideways image.

 

[Squalor]

I'm ready to bear witness to greatness.

 

[hydruxo]

Tip your head to the left. It's a sideways image.

Oh shit, that's incredible. Didn't even notice that before haha. This game is going to be something special.

 

[Fletcher]

Really excited to try this, finally. I hope, for their sake, it turned out well.

 

[TheCarrotKiller]

I'm so glad the large shift in artstyle in 2012 happened, as the game is shaping up to be one of the most beautiful games ever with it's simple yet elegant design. According to me, of course. It will be a pleasure strolling around the island observing the architecture and environment, the many moments I have no idea what to do.

Tip your head to the left. It's a sideways image.

How could I miss this? Incredible!

 

[JaseC]

Going by the $5 million budget figure, did some math. At $40, the game needs to sell 125,000 copies to make back its budget

Don't forget that Sony/Valve takes 30%, so it's more around 180,000 (not taking into account, for the sake of napkin maths, regional price differences or Humble's 5% [widget]/25% [store] cut). Unsurprisingly, the game is low on Steam's Top Sellers list (presently #53 on the US store), but I imagine positive word of mouth post-release will go a long way.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

That trailer looks absolutely stunning. So excited to play this. Not sure if I should get it on ps4 or PC

 

[JaseC]

That trailer looks absolutely stunning. So excited to play this. Not sure if I should get it on ps4 or PC

Buying the PC version (Steam key) via the official site nets Blow 95% of the purchase price compared to 70% on PSN and Steam, for what it's worth.

 

[Trouble]

Buying the PC version (Steam key) via the official site nets Blow 95% of the purchase price compared to 70% on PSN and Steam, for what it's worth.

I bought it on the Humble Store. Am I a monster?

 

[Fredrik]

This is going to be so awesome, can't wait to play it!
0126.2016, even the release date is like a puzzle.
But which version do I buy, PS4 or PC? Seems like it should play nicely with the mouse, but the PS4 version seems to be the primary version judging by the videos, no?

 

[Parham]

I bought it on the Humble Store. Am I a monster?

You may as well have stolen money from him.

 

[Shahadan]

I bought it on the Humble Store. Am I a monster?

I think it is the same thing as buying from the official website.

 

[Trouble]

I think it is the same thing as buying from the official website.

Some cut goes to a charity of the developer's choosing.

Edit: Looked it up.

We give developers 75% of the revenue, and 10% goes to the Humble Store charities. If you'd like to be featured in the store, the widget is the best place to start!

 

[viveks86]

Now is it 60 FPS with no dips?

The build I played more than a year ago was a solid 60 with rare dips. So I wouldn't be too worried about the final product

 

[JaseC]

I bought it on the Humble Store. Am I a monster?

Well, I bought the game on Steam directly, so you're not as awful as me.

 

[Shahadan]

Some cut goes to a charity of the developer's choosing.

I mean, the only pre order option I can see on the website is from a humble store widget.

 

[JaseC]

I mean, the only pre order option I can see on the website is from a humble store widget.

The site uses the widget, but the game is up on the Humble Store also. The two pay out differently.

 

[Trouble]

I mean, the only pre order option I can see on the website is from a humble store widget.

Apparently the widget has a different payout than regular store sales.

After deductions for payment processor fees (typically around 5%), the net revenue is split 95% to the developer, and 5% to Humble Bundle.