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[Draugoth]

CD Projekt: "We need to fix the relationship with our players"

CD Projekt on the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, rebuilding gamer trust, the new expansion and the future of the studio

www.gamesindustry.biz

"The biggest thing was standing up and saying 'we have to do it'. Yes we were expecting a different launch for Cyberpunk, but now we have another chance in front of us. For me, as the person responsible for communication, I want to rebuild the connection with gamers, because we had people following us for years and they were disappointed. That's, for me, is the biggest thing. We have to make the game for them."

Platkow-Gilewski says there is now an entire team dedicated to improving life within the studio, and that includes putting an end to excessive working.

"Work-life [balance] is really important to us. It always has been but it was hard to maintain the balance. I'm enjoying my private life now way more than I used to. We are improving, rebuilding, reshaping the studio on so many levels that it's hard to say precisely what's happening. But work-life balance, how we work together, how we empower even smaller teams, what are the pipelines, how we speak with management, all that... it's constantly changing.

"There are a group of people responsible only for transformation. They are not responsible for the quality of what we are delivering, but what's going on in the studio, including creating new spaces so it's way more comfortable to work. The whole COVID situation hit us as well and we had to figure out how to work [with people at home]. On the one hand, we are missing our colleagues because we don't see them so often, but on the other hand we learnt how to work with digital tools to make sure that everyone knows everything.]

"All this mess started when we were still making Cyberpunk, but now we have the time to work on these tools to develop them, to create best practices… it's an interesting time."

 

[GrayChild]

This time we mean it guys. For real.

 

[Rush2112]

If they were truly sorry, the expansion would’ve been free.

 

[nightmare-slain]

If they were truly sorry, the expansion would’ve been free.

No.

 

[Silver Wattle]

I hope they do treat their employees better, but I don't believe them.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

I liked Witcher 2 and 3, but even glitchyness aside, I didn’t like Cyberpunk all that much. I got it on sale for like $20, played about 20 hours of it, and got bored. The most fun I had was driving the bike and weaving in and out of traffic from destination to destination.

Like Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba are cool guys who doesn’t afraid of anything, but cameos don’t really get me excited when I don’t like the game that much to begin with.

 

[Fake]

Speak less, do more.

 

[Sacred]

I still love CDPR, they have released super high quality titles DRM free in the past. They have spent alot of time fixing Cyberpunk. However, release the expansion and future games in a playable state and we are good.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Keep cutting Keanu those checks and all will be forgiven

 

[nightmare-slain]

Keep cutting Keanu those checks and all will be forgiven

I hate that he's in the game. Same goes for that Idris guy. They better not ask either of them back for the Cyberpunk sequel.

 

[SJRB]

I like how the title is "We need to fix the relationship with our players" but everything posted is about how they're dealing with their employees.

 

[adamsapple]

TBH they did really good with all the work they've done on 2077 since release, but yeah, year 1 of that shitshow tarnished a lot of good will they got from TW3.

 

[Gambit2483]

Based on what I've seen and read on Phantom Liberty this is shaping up to be the real deal redemption story that No Man's Sky was.

No it's not going to be an entirely different game like FF14 Realm Reborn but it's definitely doing a lot of things on the surface and underneath to make it feel like a much much more solid complete experience.

Mods even managed to re-input the train/transit system so hopefully they will officially add that back in a future patch.

 

[Krathoon]

CD Projekt has always been good about bouncing back. It is their thing. They did the same with the Witcher. It had a rocky start.

 

[Neolombax]

Release a really good playable game and the goodwill will eventually come back. PR talk wont do much I'm afraid.

 

[balls of snow]

Preordered phantom liberty. My love is undying.

 

[StueyDuck]

Make the game you advertise then

 

[Long Far Gone]

You can start by not lying through your teeth for years on end. They were insanely deceitful in the dev diaries during the run-up to release, as if no one would call them out once the game was in the wild; a truly disgusting studio. I will not be buying this meagre expansion.

 

[Hudo]

Rule #1: Don't go back to your ex.

 

[Loomy]

I like how the title is "We need to fix the relationship with our players" but everything posted is about how they're dealing with their employees.

That's where the change needs to start. The culture at that studio was obviously not the best. Fixing that and making sure the people working there actually want to be there and want to be creating games for CDPR is where it needs to start.

Can't deliver goods to the next port if your ship is built with rotting timber and is leaking all over the place.

 

[ClosBSAS]

lol people getting all offended cause of the launch state of cyberpunk. gamers are getting worse by the day. imagine being so offended that now you doubt one of the best companies out there cause of one mistake.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

For Gamers, CDPR had without a doubt the most praise of any studio in the industry. They burned all of that good will with the release of Cyberpunk. They purposely did not send out review copies of PS4/Xbox1(most gamers bought on those consoles)versions of the game. They knowingly launched such a shitty game that Sony was forced to offer refunds. Even if the game wasn't such a completely buggy mess at launch, the marketing of the game up until release misrepresented so much of what was in the game. It was so deceitful and scummy. CDPR needs to do more than just release good DLC to make up for that

 

[nowhat]

I liked Witcher 2 and 3, but even glitchyness aside, I didn’t like Cyberpunk all that much. I got it on sale for like $20, played about 20 hours of it, and got bored. The most fun I had was driving the bike and weaving in and out of traffic from destination to destination.

I think the problem with Cyberpunk was that is wasn't that great of an RPG. Sure, you have three backgrounds to pick from, but in the end, apart from the few intro quests, that matters very little. One can pick certain dialogue options later on, but I'm not so sure that they matter that much. In terms of the main story, it's all quite linear no matter what you do.

As an open-world sandbox, it fails as well. As a FPS, yeah, no, given the enemy AI. It's not like Deus Ex either - there are a few ways to approach any given mission, but the options are limited and there are no rewards for going one way or another. I played through it twice when it was released, the second time I tried to get all the cyberpsychos without killing them. Did that, apart from one (it was not my fault, the other enemies set out an explosive killing the target and I didn't bother to reload the mission). So now, there's the payoff. I get a call, "we should meet".

...and the payoff is "we're still not sure what's going on. Here's some credits." Like, really. This is why I was so cautious with non-lethal ammo?

I really like the world and the ambience. But there's so little to do with it. I felt I had much more say in what my character does as Geralt (which is an established character) instead of as V (which should be a character of my own making).

 

[FoxMcChief]

You good CD Project. You just keep doing you. I absolutely loved Cyberpunk 2077.

 

[Winter John]

It's funny how these companies all of a sudden start caring about their customers right before their next product is due out

 

[StueyDuck]

lol people getting all offended cause of the launch state of cyberpunk. gamers are getting worse by the day. imagine being so offended that now you doubt one of the best companies out there cause of one mistake.

They've made a grand total of 4 games. 3 of which launched poorly, witcher 3 is even arguable considering it's day 1 performance.

I'm not quite sure where this "the best company" narrative comes from? (People clearly werent there for day 1 on the witcher 1 and 2, CDPR were one of the OGs when it came to Eurojank) Because they put a little thank you note in your witcher 3 box?

People were/are offended because they spent $60 on a game that straight up didn't work at launch on consoles and wasn't even a tiny bit close to the product they promised...

All the hate they get they've earned 100%

 

[Skull-Knight]

I hope they do treat their employees better, but I don't believe them.

wtf

 

[MrStauf]

I hate that he's in the game. Same goes for that Idris guy. They better not ask either of them back for the Cyberpunk sequel.

Totally agree, they should use the money to improve the game.

 

[Tsaki]

Just make an actual worthy successor to Witcher 3 and I'll forget everything about December 2020.

 

[Husky]

If they were truly sorry, the expansion would’ve been free.

That's what Assassin's Creed Unity did. Pretty cool of them. CD Projekt's expansion packs are way bigger though, it's probably totally unfeasible for them not to charge for their work. Just one Witcher 3 expansion pack might be bigger than every AC expansion combined—maybe except Freedom Cry? I'm not certain how big that one is. Its HowLongToBeat times are a fraction of the length of Blood and Wine.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Speak less, do more.

.

 

[Tokio Blues]

CP2077 was a great game, dont understand the hate. It was really good!

 

[Loomy]

They've made a grand total of 4 games. 3 of which launched poorly, witcher 3 is even arguable considering it's day 1 performance.

Yeah, Witcher 3 launch was not great. People remember the game for what it is now, not the shitshow it was at launch.

 

[LordCBH]

If they were truly sorry, the expansion would’ve been free.

What a retarded take.

 

[AlphaMale]

They should appologize for using celebs to market the game. It doesnt't need it and, in fact, lessens the game for me.
Save the money on hiring celebs and use it to make the game longer with more polish.

 

[64bitmodels]

just make the expansion good and all will be forgiven.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

CP2077 was a great game, dont understand the hate. It was really good!

Aside from th fact that the game launched in a broken unfinished state and was unplayable on PS4/X1....yet you don't understand the hate....

 

[Bartski]

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

If they were truly sorry, the expansion would’ve been free.

No.

All they have to do is just do better. And that they even acknowledge they have fucked up, is more than can be said about most devs/publishers.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

I just wanted to sit in a train...

 

[Mr Hyde]

Haven't played Cyberpunk yet, opted out of it when it became clear what a shit show it was. I never really bought into the hype, I rarely do for a game, but the way CDPR handled the PR for console ports, and the state they released in, is one of the most disgusting things I've seen in modern gaming. After TW3 I fell in love with CDPR, thinking they were a consumer friendly company who cared for their fans. All of that shattered within minutes because of Cyberpunk. For me, even if CDPR makes up for this mistake, I will never buy any of their games at launch or at full price. I will never trust this studio no matter how much they say they have fixed their shit. They stabbed their fans in the back and thought they could get away with it. I think their reputation will always be soured because of this and no amount of goodwill will ever fully repair it. That's the harsh reality they will have to deal with for fucking up this badly.

 

[winjer]

I'm still waiting for an option for toggle ADS. Despite there have been many people on the CDPR forums asking for it.

 

[Kurotri]

Been a massive fan of them since the very early days in 2007 with the first Witcher, when people thought calling it The Bitcher was peak comedy. It was surreal to see such a tiny studio just make massive strides with each entry, Witcher 2 was huge and then obviously their behemoth hit that was Witcher 3 put everyone to shame. Unfortunately W3 was so big that people forgot the other 2 games, suffering from success and all. I was enthralled by the Cyberpunk hype like everyone else, and just like most fans I was disappointed with the launch.

At that point I had already preordered the game but the whole shitstorm surrounding it saved me from actually opening the thing up because it was still sealed. I did something I never really did before and just send it back in the same condition it came to me.

Then I waited for the next-gen patch and it was on sale to boot....and I will abso-fucking-lutely die on this hill: Cyberpunk 2077 is a fantastic masterpiece in every way and CDPR is just as great as they have always been. Same level as W3 for me. I can't wait for Phantom Liberty. The Cyberpunk world that they have created is so insane that I'm longing for a sequel to it way more than another Witcher entry. So seeing that they have taken steps to prevent shitty launches like that happening again is just a cool thing to see, so go CDPR!

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

I think the problem with Cyberpunk was that is wasn't that great of an RPG. Sure, you have three backgrounds to pick from, but in the end, apart from the few intro quests, that matters very little. One can pick certain dialogue options later on, but I'm not so sure that they matter that much. In terms of the main story, it's all quite linear no matter what you do.

As an open-world sandbox, it fails as well. As a FPS, yeah, no, given the enemy AI. It's not like Deus Ex either - there are a few ways to approach any given mission, but the options are limited and there are no rewards for going one way or another. I played through it twice when it was released, the second time I tried to get all the cyberpsychos without killing them. Did that, apart from one (it was not my fault, the other enemies set out an explosive killing the target and I didn't bother to reload the mission). So now, there's the payoff. I get a call, "we should meet".

...and the payoff is "we're still not sure what's going on. Here's some credits." Like, really. This is why I was so cautious with non-lethal ammo?

I really like the world and the ambience. But there's so little to do with it. I felt I had much more say in what my character does as Geralt (which is an established character) instead of as V (which should be a character of my own making)

You make some good points. I’m not really sure what exactly made me drop it really. Theoretically I should like it since I like Bethesda games (and open work RPGs in general), and I like Deus Ex.

Usually in RPGs of this nature I go stealth, but stealth just seemed janky as fuck; like jankier than most games. And playing melee didn’t end up being as satisfying as I thought it would be. Also the romance options seemed half assed compared to 360 era BioWare games, so that wasn’t much of a draw. I played a dude so the only logical option was Panam, though I preferred Judy.

Like honestly the game was about as good as Outer Worlds. It’s not bad but I feel like I’ve played better games of the same genre before.

 

[Last Hearth]

Based on what I've seen and read on Phantom Liberty this is shaping up to be the real deal redemption story that No Man's Sky was.

No it's not going to be an entirely different game like FF14 Realm Reborn but it's definitely doing a lot of things on the surface and underneath to make it feel like a much much more solid complete experience.

Mods even managed to re-input the train/transit system so hopefully they will officially add that back in a future patch.

I don't think the game can fix it's fundamental problem for me.
The game was marketed on a " do whatever you want" game, but the game is completely unreactive to player's actions, it basically plays the same way regardless of your choices and actions, except for a few flavor texts in conversation.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Putting the game on last gen was a huge mistake. They've continued to work on it since then so that deserves some recognition at least.

 

[night13x]

From what I've read and understand, post cyberfucked 2077 launch, CDPR basically restructured the patch / expansion / sequal team to lead the future. The patches lately have been on point and seems like this new team is working hard like they have something to prove. I think cyberpunk is in great hands for the future despite the trip over the log at the beginning.

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

They messed up so hard by hiring a bunch of Americans and I doubt they will recover.

 

[EviLore]

Game was more or less fine on PC at launch aside from some bugs, which got patched fairly quickly. I don't have any animosity toward them, but they should've been more responsible with their last-gen console versions instead of Sony having to step in to refund players.

Still, CDPR delivers unique experiences and the industry is much better off for their existence. I won't preorder Phantom Liberty but I'll almost definitely buy it.

 

[gaming_again]

lol people getting all offended cause of the launch state of cyberpunk. gamers are getting worse by the day. imagine being so offended that now you doubt one of the best companies out there cause of one mistake.

This lol. Some of these guys sound more spiteful than i did after the first time I got dumped.