author: Bart Swiatek
CD Projekt Explains Cyberpunk 2077 Situation at Conference With Board Members
CDPR organized a special conference with members of the board, at which representatives of the company answered the most pressing questions about the launch and current condition of Cyberpunk 2077.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- Console editions of Cyberpunk 2077 were patched up literally to the last minute;
- CDPR wants to fix the game and hopes that the players will allow it to regain their trust;
- Cyberpunk on PS4 and Xbox One will become much better, but players should not expect it to match the PC release or the game on PS5 / Xbox Series X / S;
- The game has sold well, but developers are aware that this situation could affect the interest of players;
- There is no special Cyberpunk refund initiative - refunds can be made based on the normal rules of the store;
- For the time being, it is not clear whether the need to work on patches will affect the release date of DLCs and multiplayer mode;
- According to CDPR, problems with AI and NPC behavior are bugs.
A few days ago, the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt RED finally debuted on the market. Unfortunately, not everything went perfectly - the game is in a poor technical condition, and the versions for last-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) are especially bad. Developers are releasing subsequent patches, but the overall situation doesn't look good for the Polish company, especially in terms of image. Therefore, CD Projekt organized a special conference with members of the board, at which CEO Adam Kicinski, Piotr Nielubowicz, Marcin Iwinski and Michal Nowakowski calmed down the mood and answered investor questions.
Cyberpunk 2077 - PS4 and Xbox One versions were created to the last minute
One of the most interesting information that is in the transcript of this conference is that the versions of Cyberpunk 2077 dedicated to last-gen consoles - and in particular the base versions of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One - were polished to the last minute before the game was released.
"We’ve actually shown console footage, but never on the last-gen consoles. The reason is that we were updating the game on last-gen consoles until the very last minute, and we thought we’d make it in time," said Iwinski.
In turn, Kicinski admitted that the developers focused too much on finishing the PC edition and did not pay enough attention to the consoles.
"(...) the initial feedback from those playing it on the oldest last-gen consoles is way below our expectations. CD PROJEKT is a team that puts all their efforts and hearts to deliver amazing games. So how was it even possible that it has come to this? After 3 delays, we as the Management Board were too focused on releasing the game. We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues, we ignored the signals about the need for additional time to refine the game on the base last-gen consoles. It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy. On top of that, during the campaign, we showed the game mostly on PCs," said Kicinski.
The company does not want to lose its good name and hopes that the players will give it a chance
CD Projekt is aware of the fact that the situation may hit its image of a player-friendly company, for which it has worked for many years. The company wants to focus on regaining users' trust. The way to do that is to be through further updates, which will make the game better and better. Last-gen console owners can't expect Cyberpunk 2077 to work as well on them as on a powerful PC, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but it will certainly become a much better production than it is now.
"We are concentrated on fixing Cyberpunk on last-gen consoles. The first substantial set of fixes was released over the weekend. The next set of fixes will be released within the next seven days. Big updates are planned for January and February, together with smaller fixes. Of course, PC gamers will also be getting regular updates and fixes to improve the game. We will do everything possible to prove that we stick to our values. We truly hope that our efforts will let us rebuild the trust we have lost," said Kicinski.
"(...) where we want to go with the PlayStation and Xbox – as stated in the statement made public today in the morning, we are planning to get the game in much better shape than it is now, of course, and a lot of that is going to be happening in December. Come January and February you’re going to see larger improvements – which we’ve stated already. We have also stated that if your expectation is that the game is going to be equal to, say, nextgens or PC in terms of performance, that definitely isn’t going to happen. Having said that, I’m not saying it’s going to be a bad game – but if you’re expectations regarding, say, visuals or other performance angle, are like this, then we’re openly stating that’s not going to be the case. It will be a good, playable, stable game, without glitches and crashes, though," said Nowakowski.
The game sells well - details before Holidays
Despite the problems and controversies of CD Projekt is satisfied with the sales of Cyberpunk 2077, especially on PCs. More data will be presented before the Holidays.
"We definitely saw good initial sales, especially on PC. Obviously, the current situation will cause console sales to drop, but at this moment on Monday it’s far too early to provide detailed feedback on that; we’re still collecting data, especially from retail channels (...) As we promised prior to this call, we plan to release sales numbers before the holiday break," said Piotr Nielubowicz.
Speaking of refunds, it is worth noting that, contrary to earlier reports, neither Sony, Microsoft nor CD Projekt are organizing any special refund action. The game can be returned based on normal company policy in such situations, although the creators of Cyberpunk 2077 declare that they will try to help those who have encountered problems. The exact number of refunds is not known yet - the studio will have this data in a few days.
"We are not encouraging gamers to return the game; we hope they’ll give us a chance to improve it on old-gen consoles. (...) but there is an option, obviously, and the easiest way is to ask the retailer for a refund. If that’s not possible, we also provide help," noted Iwinski.
"One has to understand: Microsoft and Sony have refund policies for every product that is released digitally on their storefronts. Despite several articles I’ve seen that things are being set up just for us, it’s actually not true – these policies are in place and have always been in place; they’re not offered specifically for us. Anyone who has purchased any title on the PlayStation network or the Microsoft storefront can ask for a refund, and if it’s made within certain boundaries, usually related to time, usage and so on, can ask for that refund. Our procedure here with Microsoft and Sony is not different than with any other title released on any of those storefronts," said Nowakowski.
It is worth noting that CD Projekt also does not plan to change the price of last-gen console versions of Cyberpunk 2077.
CD Projekt doesn't want to talk about DLC and multiplayer for the time being - patching the game has priority
The problematic may, in theory, delay the release of planned DLCs or the multiplayer mode, but it is too early to talk about it.
"To be honest, it’s too early to judge. At the moment please let us handle the situation, and please let us make some more assessments – that’s still ahead of us; we don’t know yet, and we’re now focused on improving Cyberpunk. We’ll discuss this early next year (...) We’re in an unanticipated situation and we’ll have to reassess. This is planned for January," said Kicinski.
What's interesting is that problems with AI and NPCs behavior, ridiculed by many players are considered by developers to be bugs.
"To be honest – these are the same for us, from the production standpoint AI and NPC behavior fall within the general category of bugs," said Nowakowski.
