If the Enhanced Edition (EE) of The Witcher -- which included way too much stuff to be free for original purchasers -- wasn't enough for you, The Witcher: Enhanced Edition 1.5 will be releasing shortly in the form of a patch, hosting everything included in the EE, as well as five fan-made adventures (very cool!).
Publishers CD Projekt (CDP) note that even more importantly, with 1.5, the game will be completely digital rights management (DRM)-free, meaning no more TAGES and no more disk check ("annoying copy protection", they call it). Previously CDP affiliates Good Old Games noted the team couldn't get its publisher Atari to agree to a DRM-free version initially, but it appears they've let up now that the game's been out awhile and has sold quite well.
As such, we'd like to thank Atari for being reasonable -- if DRM really is a necessary evil in the face of piracy as so many publishers believe, it doesn't seem to serve any purpose once the protected game is cracked and widespread, so a patch at some point like the one included in this new version of The Witcher should really be mandatory for those which don't like DRM. This way, everyone interested can enjoy the game in the end, and support the teams involved, too.
All versions of the game will be upgraded, and the patch can be downloaded free from the official website when the time comes ("soon") for all registered The Witcher and The Witcher: EE players.
The team is also announcing The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut for North Americans, which will incorporate the patch, and what sounds like previously removed "adult content", including references to homosexuality, rape, domestic violence, etc. No word yet on when this will arrive in shops (digital or retail), but check the official site linked below in the coming weeks for further details.
