It may be surprising to hear that author Andrzej Sapkowski doesn’t make any money from the games based off of his novels. The Witcher author, however, hasn’t seen a dime since the games began development. In an interesting twist, this has little to do with CD Projekt Red however as Spakowski opted for a lump sum when originally approached about the idea.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Spakowski opened up about the deal and negotiating with CD Projekt Red. The Witcher author said that all he really wanted was a “big bag of money”. That was exactly what he got, but he hadn’t foreseen the success of the adaptation. In light of this, the writer admits it was a poor decision:

I was stupid enough to sell them rights to the whole bunch. They offered me a percentage of their profits. I said, ‘No, there will be no profit at all–give me all my money right now! The whole amount.’ It was stupid. I was stupid enough to leave everything in their hands because I didn’t believe in their success. But who could foresee their success? I couldn’t.”

While he states his foolishness in the choice quite clearly, the Witcher author was quick to note that he is pleased with the quality. With the wild success of the franchise, it says a lot about Spakowski that he is not frustrated with the deal or harboring any regrets. Here’s what he had to say about the games:

“The game is made very well, and they merit all of the beneficiaries they get from it. They merit it. The game is very good, well done, well done.”

While Spakowski doesn’t play games himself, the Witcher author doesn’t have anything against games or those who play them. You can read his full interview here and we have to say – it is well worth it! With the game having its final installation with The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Red is moving on to new ideas with Cyberpunk 2077 due in the future.

What do you think about Spakowski taking a “big bag of money” over a profit-sharing deal? Do you think you would have made a move similar to the Witcher author if you were in his shoes? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below or start your own on our Disqus! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!