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Sapkowski (author of The Witcher universe) wants ~16 million USD from CD Projekt

Alienous

Alienous

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Oct 25, 2017
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adrem007 said:
Fuck that, Sapkowski hates the games and doesn't give a shit about the franchise, he only wants the money. And it's not some ''sharing success'' feel good stuff, the dude wants literally millions of dollars
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It seems like his ignorance of video games was exploited. I would be resentful of the games too in his situation - this isn't 'Tom Clancy's...' situation, and I seem to recall him voicing frustrating at, at times, not being seen as the primary creator of The Witcher due to the popularity of the games.

Given how Mike Pondsmith was brought to my attention by Cyberpunk 2077 media, but I thought The Witcher was an original game series for the longest time, I can understand the problem he has with it.

As far as I see it CD Projekt used Sapkowski as a rung on a ladder to success, and by any reasonable standard haven't appropriately credited or compensated him. They might legally be in the clear but it still seems scummy to me.
 
Jamie

Jamie

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Oct 27, 2017
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ZeroX said:
He's doing it for a settlement that'll be much less, and they'll probably do it to save time and potentially money. Just get him to sign an NDA so he can't keep running his mouth.
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That's pretty much what I was just going to post, it's a win win for everyone involved. They could just beat him straight forward, but better to just nip this in the bud and not let it fester.

Will see what they do.
 
Prine

Prine

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Doesnt have George Lucas head for business I see.
 
Last_colossi

Last_colossi

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Oct 27, 2017
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Australia
I don't think he needs the full $16mil upfront but if CDP made another deal that they think is fair like maybe a percentage of royalties?

(I'm talking like 1 - 1.5% here)
 
Henrar

Henrar

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Nov 27, 2017
2,185
He admitted in one of his past interviews, that CDPR offered him a deal that included a profit share, but he declined, because he believed the game would fail.
 
SimpleCRIPPLE

SimpleCRIPPLE

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Oct 28, 2017
4,238
A bad deal is still a deal. Just because he had little faith back then, doesn't mean he gets to renegotiate now.
 
ElBoxy

ElBoxy

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Oct 25, 2017
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GhostTrick said:
Imagine creating something and in the eyes of the world, when someone talk about your creation, the first name that comes to mind isnt yours but the people who you've sold your rights years ago for nothing ?
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It's justified saltiness. He fucked up but he still deserves to get paid.
 
TheBrokenMan

TheBrokenMan

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Oct 25, 2017
1,163
Baba is You. Baba Is the Baba Who Sold The World.
This reminds me of Ronald Wayne. Guy sold 10% of his Apple Shares for $800 in the early 90's.

So after spending a mere 12 days with Wozniak and Jobs, Wayne had his name taken off the contract and sold his shares back to his co-founders for $800. Wayne's decision to leave the start-up cost him big. Today, a 10 percent stake in Apple would be worth more than $95 billion.
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Now 10% of Apple shares are valued at $95 Billion USD. That's enough for you to educate your entire family tree through the Ivy League Universities for at least 7 generations.
 

Deleted member 11018

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A deal's a deal, until CDPR transfers to another company (in which case the deal won't stick).
I am sure the success of the game was beneficial anyway, they had to have sold tons of books thanks to the game's exposure... unless he screwed up on his rights with the editors as well.
 
Sedated

Sedated

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Apr 13, 2018
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He might get it as cdpr do want to make more witcher games. Even if he doesn't get this sum I'm expecting some deal or the other to take place nonetheless.
 
Tregard

Tregard

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Oct 27, 2017
5,221
He took $9,500 outright instead of a cut of the profits? He didn't even think he'd make shy of 10k?
 
Atom Heart Mother

Atom Heart Mother

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Oct 25, 2017
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AgainstTheCurrent said:
He screwed himself over.

Plenty of authors know the value of their work and get paid a lot. This guy made a bad deal. That's business. Tough luck.
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Yeah, the author of the Metro games is very involved in the games and probably made a good deal on the license. Witcher author just fucked up and can't deal with it.
Last_colossi said:
Would you say this about Stan Lee if he made a similar deal in the past?
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Yes.
 
Chainshada

Chainshada

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Oct 25, 2017
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Should Telltale be able to get refunds on the licenses they paid through the nose for but failed to find an audience with? They both made bad deals, wasn't Don Adams mocked for taking a cut of the royalties for Get Smart instead of a lump sum?
 
Terranigma

Terranigma

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Oct 27, 2017
966
GhostTrick said:
Imagine creating something and in the eyes of the world, when someone talk about your creation, the first name that comes to mind isnt yours but the people who you've sold your rights years ago for nothing ?
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He did that all himself, by waving away a percentage of the profits, that CDPR offered him, because he didn't think the games would do jack shit saleswise ( because he was dismissive of gaming on a whole), and opted himself for a 1 time payout beforehand.
He didn't get cheated or anything, it is all his own doing.
 
Lich

Lich

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Sep 24, 2018
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This just makes me wish that Cyberpunk sells extremely well and pushes CD to create their own IPs.
 
Alienous

Alienous

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Oct 25, 2017
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MikeNeko said:
A deal's a deal, until CDPR transfers to another company (in which case the deal won't stick).
I am sure the success of the game was beneficial anyway, they had to have sold tons of books thanks to the game's exposure... unless he screwed up on his rights with the editors as well.
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Based on Geralt in Soul Calibur V the deal might stick. They seem to have a generous amount of control over The Witcher character's video game appearances.
 

Deleted member 4021

Oct 25, 2017
1,707
There should probably be a law that requires any licensing deal to include royalties.
 
Eumi

Eumi

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Nov 3, 2017
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Dude made a bad deal and has to live with it.

I find it hard to see this as anything other than greed when it's almost certain he's making more money now than if he had never made the deal. I mean, he's got a Netflix series coming! And I can't believe that that isn't thanks to the games.
 

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Tregard said:
He took $9,500 outright instead of a cut of the profits? He didn't even think he'd make shy of 10k?
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knJQPwY.jpg

cd projekt at e3 2004
 
Strings

Strings

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Oct 27, 2017
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Bedameister said:
He's really mad he made that deal. But he only has to blame himself. Neither him nor CD expected this thing to become this huge. I think this law-suit is stupid.
He actually should be happy the games were so successful. I'm sure his book sales sky-rocketed because of it and he will get a good pay from the TV series.
Just live with it.
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Yeah, basically. This sort of thing happens all the time - the owner of the source material either makes out like a bandit when the property bombs, or they start kicking themselves after it performs above expectations.
 
Edgar

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Didn't witcher games, especially 3rd one boosted his book sales? And didn't he sigened contract with Netflix for live action Witcher? Didn't he also thinks games have no artistic merit and people who like em, might be less bright? And I thought he has masters degree in business and economics?
 
Sedef122

Sedef122

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Nov 7, 2017
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Too many people here acting like "he dun goofed, fuck him!" Yeah we get it, you rate the games over the books and that's cute and all but he deserves more than he got. Why do any of you seem to want to shit on him for at least trying to get more? He created the world and the characters and CD Projekt made their name on his IP and they can afford it.
 
defaltoption

defaltoption

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Oct 27, 2017
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Sucks but it's his own fault, I think I remember reading he wanted nothing to do with games and wanted everything up front. I don't remember exactly where I saw that but if true that's what happens, if they wouldn't be doing well this dude would be laughing his ass off. What he should be doing is asking to get back in on future games with writing credits rather than burning all bridges. Maybe join the team. Maybe small ownership at reduced cost, whatever. Demanding money isn't the right way, what happens if the next game becomes even more popular does he come back again for more. I mean how book sales must have gone up but I bet he doesn't acknowledge the reason why.
 
John Konstantin

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Oct 27, 2017
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Killyoh said:
He sold the license for only 9,500$ so I can understand he's trying to get the money he deserves but yeah he made a really bad deal.
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Wow, if that number is true, the deal was ridiculously bad for him. I can understand choosing getting paid in advance vs getting a percentage of profits, but 9500$ is absurdly low. I'm guessing he made the deal himself instead of paying an agent (if he paid one, that's the one who should be sued). That's a life lesson for everyone, always pay for expert advisement before signing big stuff.
 
.exe

.exe

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Oct 25, 2017
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Feel like he got that money back and then some with how the games popularized the books.
 
Innuendo84

Innuendo84

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Oct 27, 2017
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Sedef122 said:
Too many people here acting like "he dun goofed, fuck him!" Yeah we get it, you rate the games over the books and that's cute and all but he deserves more than he got. Why do any of you seem to want to shit on him for at least trying to get more? He created the world and the characters and CD Projekt made their name on his IP and they can afford it.
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He's an asshole. He got what he bargained for.
 

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Mifec said:
He got paid what he deserved. He deserves no more.
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That's not how it works.
CD Projekt made tons of money thanks to the material of that guy. He needs to be paid period.

He was paid peanuts. Deal can be remaid or re-arranged. It happens all the time ! Creators needs to be protected. And he will be paid, I can garantee you that. It's just common sense... He will get a deal as Tom Clancy received from Ubisoft.
 
gundamkyoukai

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Oct 25, 2017
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John Konstantin said:
Wow, if that number is true, the deal was ridiculously bad for him. I can understand choosing getting paid in advance vs getting a percentage of profits, but 9500$ is absurdly low. I'm guessing he made the deal himself instead of paying an agent (if he paid one, that's the one who should be sued). That's a life lesson for everyone, always pay for expert advisement before signing big stuff.
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Seem to be more of a case of him thinking games were trash and the game would bomb .
Even back then games were big and he should ask for % even if cd projekt was small back then .
 
adrem007

adrem007

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Nov 26, 2017
2,679
Alienous said:
It seems like his ignorance of video games was exploited. I would be resentful of the games too in his situation - this isn't 'Tom Clancy's...' situation, and I seem to recall him voicing frustrating at, at times, not being seen as the primary creator of The Witcher due to the popularity of the games.
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I'm seriously asking you to explain how one can exploit someone's ignorance of video games. There was no duress, he accepted a deal and instead of being glad that the games made Geraldo a superstar he shat on the devs along the way. I hope he doesn't get a penny
 
matrix-cat

matrix-cat

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Oct 27, 2017
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daxy said:
Feel like he got that money back and then some with how the games popularized the books.
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Yeah, seriously; it's not like the guy is penniless here. Assuming he hasn't made a similarly bad deal over the rights to his books, CDPR's games have likely made him a mint by introducing his stories to a far wider audience than any other Polish fantasy series could hope for. There'd certainly be no Netflix deal without the games. It'd be a nice gesture on CDPR's part but it's really not necessary.
 
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