Namco Bandai Takes Witcher Creator To Court Over Publishing Dispute

Namco Bandai has filed suit against CD Projekt Red parent company Optimus SA over a dispute on the European publishing rights for RPG The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Namco Bandai is the distributor of the PC version of the game in Europe. According to a report on Giant Bomb, Namco Bandai is claiming that THQ's distribution deal for the Xbox 360 version of the game goes against its contract. The company is also claiming that CD Projekt Red further broke its contract by releasing the PC version of The Witcher 2 without digital rights management. According to reports, Namco Bandai is withholding payments of 1.225 million Euros (about $1.75 million) while the complaint is processed. Optimus claims that the complaints are "unfounded." Neither Namco Bandai nor THQ responded to Giant Bomb's requests for comment. The Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2 was announced last month. Atari will distribute the game in the United States.