If you are unfamiliar with The Witcher gaming franchise, you are missing out on one of the most fascinating virtual universes that exists outside of the VR market. The brain-child of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher has ran for nearly two and a half decades and transcended multiple media platforms in this time. Including literature, graphic novels, film and video game, this immersive franchise has captured the imagination of individuals from around the world.
This franchise is now set for a new and exciting instalment, with the third and critically acclaimed adaptation having recently being released on the consumer market. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has already made something of a splash among gamers, despite the considerable levels of expectation and anticipation which were built prior to the game’s release. With evolved gameplay and far greater online interaction, The Witcher 3 promises to represent the crowning glory in the franchise.
In simple terms, the narrative arc of this instalment follows the titular Witcher, who serves as a skilled and genetically enhanced human with unique powers. Early buyers and fans of the third instalment will have noticed two key elements about the game, however, which are likely to have a huge impact on their long-term enjoyment of the game. The first is the development of advanced graphics, which creates a more realistically paced and authentic experience when interacting with others.
The second, and by far the most striking, is the development of a larger landscape and a bigger online community. This is crucial in the modern gaming market, especially with new sites such as Twitch.tv drawing players together and creating networks in which knowledge and data can be shared. A larger community creates more immersive and engaging gameplay, which in turn attracts wider playing demographics and enables them to enjoy the game on a schedule that suits them.
While the concept of generating interaction within an online community is nothing new, it is only recently that it has been deployed with tremendous success within the gaming market. This is thanks primarily to the rise of online casino games, where large-scale online casino platformshave achieved success through live casino gameplay. By replicating real-time games online among a dedicated community of players and delivering increasingly authentic graphics, developers are able to attract larger audiences that are willing to spend more.
The idea of creating a community of gamers is central to continued success for developers, while the benefits of this are also supported by cross-platform gaming technology and live streaming services. Community-driven gaming, when hosted across a host of seamlessly interchangeable platforms, blurs the boundaries between alternative genres and makes it easier for individual titles to draw a larger group of players. This is a trend that is being empowered by The Witcher 3 instalment and one that will continue to be influential in the future.
