Game news Cyberpunk 2077: an industrial disaster for the better?
The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 is considered a disaster in the video game industry. Two years after its release, we take stock of the impact that this incident may have had at CD Projekt. Let’s go !
Summary
- The money
- To put out the fire
- Regain public trust
- Rev up the hype
- The future of CD Projekt?
The money
Since the launch of its production Cyberpunk 2077 is a star at CD Projekt. The first teaser was unveiled in 2013 for an official release in 2020! There are countless announcements or reports that have accumulated over the years, but these smallest details were around the web in seconds at the time. The lucky ones who touched the game during E3 also quickly realized that it was not a “GTA Like”, contrary to what marketing could promise us. The real curse when it was released was the discovery after 8 million pre-orders that the title was full of bugs, mainly present on PS4 and Xbox One versions. Requests for refunds multiplied and Cyperpunk 2077 was withdrawn from sales. A sad fate for the Polish studio, which was nevertheless at the height of its glory.
To put out the fire
As a misfortune never comes alone, CD Projekt is subsequently the victim of piracy. The data is then stolen and probably resold on the dark web. Investigations are also being set up to denounce the exploitation of employees, a situation which would have led to their physical and psychological exhaustion. The managers, on the other hand, are denounced for their incompetence and the marketing department is blamed for all the lies surrounding the promotion of the game. If the multiplayer mode was envisaged, the project quickly fell through to (re)focus on the essentials: turn this failure into success. Everything needs to be reviewed internally to repair this disaster, which has tarnished the reputation of the studio.
Regain public trust
Delicate operation on the side of the studio itself: accepting its mistakes and regaining the trust of users. There was a major cleaning internally, to save the furniture as they say. To restart the machine, a new work strategy is put in place, the AGILE method! The concern of the management was quickly fixed to motivate the new teams and there it was again! New patches are emerging, admittedly with a bit of a delay, but they correct the errors of the past. If that’s enough to reassure the public, probably not. But CD Projekt has redeemed itself recently by narrowly recovering Cyberpunk console, while providing after-sales service, well helped by its derivative productions…
Rev up the hype
It is often said that you have to let time do things. In this case, Netflix has given a little boost with its series cyberpunk edge runners. Indeed, it helped to wipe out the first disappointment of the launch. Made by the Japanese studio Trigger and released more than a year and a half after the game, the animated episodes have miraculously revived the hype! It seemed unexpected, but the new patches provide a much more reliable and dynamic gaming experience for players. Still in the improvement box, we highlight the new-gen update on PS5 and Xbox Series, which allowed many of you to play without the slightest frustration.
The future of CD Projekt?
After all these adventures around Cyberpunk, what about the future of CD Projekt? According to the latest news, the studio has just discontinued its mobile game The Witcher. Monster Slayer. The title is about to leave the iOS and Android stores on January 31. Its access will be completely deactivated in June 2023. We assume that the success was not there… Otherwise, there is Orion ! This is the code name for this project directly inspired by the world of Cyberpunk, still in preparation. Finally, there remains Polaris, this time linked to The Witcher 4! After a teaser last March, the game is described as a new chapter in the saga, centered around a new school of witchers. In retrospect, Cyberpunk’s launch mess is a blessing in disguise.