Get ready to sharpen your swords and polish your silver, because Geralt of Rivia is about to have a new contender for his affections. In the upcoming expansion, “Songs of the Past,” it seems our favorite witcher will be able to pursue a romance with at least one new character, adding another layer of complexity to an already rich tapestry of relationships.
Meet Lilla: A New Flame for Geralt?
The “Songs of the Past” expansion, launching 11 years after the initial release of The Witcher 3, whisks us away to Letten, a picturesque region in the north. Why are we there? Because Dandelion is! Some family business has brought him back to his ancestral home, where he’s surprisingly well-established. Part of that family business is his cousin, Lilla – a fiery and adventurous woman who immediately catches Geralt’s eye. Never one to shy away from romance, it seems Geralt is already smitten.
During a hands-off gameplay demo shown at Gamescom, I witnessed Geralt accompanying Lilla on a scouting mission to a mysterious grove filled with sentient thorns and other nightmarish creatures. As the quest progressed, Lilla was injured by some thorns and fell. When Geralt went to help her up, several options appeared, including one to hug her. “Come on, I’m Team Yen,” joked Miles Tost, level design lead at CD Projekt Red, as he nudged Benji Hanussek (playtester and QA analyst), who was piloting Geralt to make a more chaste decision.
“Did I see a romance option for Lilla in the demo?” I asked Jakub Rokosz, CEO of Fool’s Theory, after the demo. His response? “Ehhhh…” followed by nervous laughter from everyone in the room. A classic dodge! While not a definitive yes, it certainly leaves the door open for a potential romance arc with Lilla.
The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past is slated for release sometime in 2027, even though the story was written “years ago.” Get ready to choose your Geralt-Lilla moments wisely!
Xbox’s Generational Leap: Your Discs, Digitized
In a move that’s sending ripples of excitement (and relief) across the gaming community, Microsoft has announced a groundbreaking new feature for Xbox consoles. This feature allows players to digitize their physical game libraries, effectively removing the need to insert discs while still retaining access to those games.
“Today we are introducing a feature that brings the benefits of digital to physical discs, giving players more flexibility in how they access and play supported games across the Xbox ecosystem,” explained Jason Ronald, vice president of “next generation” at Xbox. This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation. As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.”
Here’s how it works: when you insert a supported game disc into either an Xbox One or Series X console, you can choose to claim a digital license for that game. This entitlement means you no longer need to insert the disc each time you want to play. It also unlocks all the other benefits of digital ownership, such as Play Anywhere on PC and streaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming where supported.
The physical disc continues to work, meaning you can sell or trade it. The initial report indicated that the digital license would be revoked when the disc is inserted into a different console, allowing the new owner to claim it. This ensures everyone gets a fair chance to enjoy their games.
Your physical game library is more than just a collection of discs; it’s a repository of memories and stories worth preserving. Starting next week, Xbox Insiders can unlock this digital entitlement for supported physical games. Microsoft plans to start with thousands of titles and add more as they become available. pic.twitter.com/XATsa8sjBt
“Most Xbox One and Series X disc-based games support this new feature,” Ronald concluded. He also appeared on the Xbox Gamescom broadcast to elaborate on the reasoning behind this game-changing feature.
This announcement arrives amidst growing frustrations from consumers about their vanishing rights to own the media they buy. Many see Sony’s bombshell decision to end PlayStation disc manufacturing in January 1998 as confirmation that the PS6 will not offer a disc drive. Sony’s bombshell decision to end PlayStation disc manufacturing in January 1998
The move to end discs has sent ripples across the industry, and while Xbox hasn’s discussed plans for its next-gen console Project Helix, the disc-to-digital feature at least offers players a way to keep their existing libraries across two generations of Xbox. This is a stark contrast to Microsoft’s initial plans for Xbox One, which significantly limited what players could do with their physical and digital copies. This new feature is no doubt inspired by some of that work, though it’s obviously far more consumer-friendly.
Source: Eurogamer
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