Witcher 2 dev 'will never use any DRM'

Witcher developer CD Projekt Red is very much against digital rights management (DRM). Speaking today at the 2012 Game Developers Conference (via Joystiq), company CEO Marcin Iwinski said it will never again use DRM.

"Every subsequent game, we will never use any DRM anymore. It's just overcomplicating things," Iwinski said.

Iwinski also talked about the piracy behind The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. He said he was surprised to learn that the DRM-free Good Old Games version was pirated fewer times than the SecuROM retail version.

"We release the game. It's cracked in two hours; it was no time for Witcher 2. What really surprised me is that the pirates didn't use the GOG version, which was not protected," he said. "They took the SecuROM retail version, cracked it, and said 'we cracked it.' Meanwhile there's a nonsecure version with a simultaneous release. You'd think the GOG version would be the one floating around."

Last month, CD Projekt Red said it sold 1.5 million copies of Witcher games in 2011. That figure pales in comparison to the 4.5 million copies of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings that were pirated during the year.

"DRM does not protect your game," Iwinski told Joystiq following the session. "If there are examples that it does, then people maybe should consider it, but then there are complications with legit users."

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is due out on the Xbox 360 and PC in North America on April 17. That version of the game includes four hours of additional content, which features fresh characters to interact with and takes place in new locations.