As a follow up to Cyberpunk 2077’s delay there was a CD PROJEKT RED conference call, where investors & journalists could have their questions regarding this change in plans answered by CD PROJEKT RED, so this video will be going over those details.
If you missed the prior announcement, CDPR took to twitter to say “Cyberpunk 2077 won’t make the April release window and we’re moving the launch date to September 17, 2020. We are currently at a stage where the game is complete and playable, but there’s still work to be done. Night City is massive – full of stores, content and places to visit, but due to the sheer scale and complexity of it all we need more time to finish playtesting, fixing and polishing. We want Cyberpunk 2077 to be our crowning achievement for this generation and postponing launch will give us precious months we need to make the game perfect. Expect more regular updates on progress as we get closer to the new release date.
We’re really looking forward to seeing you in Night City, thank you for the ongoing support”
This was echoed in the first few minutes of the investors call.
The first question received was in regards to if this new date is set in stone and if there are fears, that it may take even more time to perfect.
The studio responds saying that they know where they stand, and which aspects of the game need work and that they are confident about September 17th.
Regarding feedback on testing and the implication this delay has on future post release content and games, they mention that Feedback has been promising, and they are of course eager to deliver the game, but expectations are high and that they are also aiming quite high.
There will be a shift in the post release content and games naturally with the shift in the release of Cyberpunk.
In regards to September being a more competitive window in the gaming space, CDPR responds by saying that there will always be competition in the gaming space and they don’t see September as any more threatening than April or any other release window. A big single player RPG will find its place regardless of the date and other releases.
They move onto mention concretely that the other Triple A release they are working on is Cyberpunk Multiplayer, and that 2021 now seems unlikely for it.
When asked to elaborate on the reasons for the delay, Adam Kicinski mentions that it’s mainly due to technical and polishing needs. The game is complex and there are glitches but its nothing fundamental. With the level of complexity, polishing is even a complex task. There wasn’t anything unexpected, but they are constantly evaluating the task, and the decision was unanimous as 5 more months would help deliver a perfect game.
While this helps alleviate crunch, the final stages of game development always has this to some degree.
In regards to if this will effect this years E3 and Gamescom presence, CDPR mentions that they will have some sort of present at both, but it’s early to comment on this and there is no full strategy.
When it comes to regular updates, they mention that much of their marketing operates on surprises, but that they have begun pushing the game to rating agencies in PEGI and the ESRB boards.
They mention that they are very very happy with the story and dialogue, but they don’t want to tarnish this with technical glitches.
Distributors seems to be on board and supportive of the delay, but they will continue to talk to them as early as tomorrow.
Hands on previews and impressions were originally slated for February and March but those will be pushed back as well, to give media and journalists something that the studio is happy with.
With games having poor launches in Summer, a question was asked about the real amount of time needed to finish up the game versus a strategic launch in September. CDPR mentions September as being a more effective natural choice and aligns with the time needed to finish.
When it comes to cross gen, or next gen release, bothing has changed on this front. The game is developed with next gen in mind, but their ocus is on current gen.
They mentioned that with 3 months left, they felt this was the last moment for a delay announcement.
Inwinski Intro Video Source 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiN9WibHcS8
Iwinski Intro Video Source 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5dVjZnH_a0
CDPR Conference Call: https://www.cdprojekt.com/en/wp-content/uploads-en/2020/01/telekonferencja-16012020.mp3