If you were one of the millions of CD Projekt Red fans awaiting the release of Cyberpunk 2077 in February 2022, then you might have also been of the millions sorely disappointed by the product when it was released. While the game developer had been creating hype around this title since 2012, casual gamers and critics alike were disappointed to receive a game that felt incomplete. Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to gain the same kind of praise CD Projekt Red had with the success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Instead, a mass number of consoles were crashing, glitching, and freezing to the great dismay of the video game company. Although critics have been outwardly critical of the way Cyberpunk 2077 graced the market, some supporters such as Michał Platkow-Gilewski, Vice President of Public Relations and Communication for the developer, feel differently.
Platkow-Gilewski in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, explained that he believes the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was not nearly as bad as the way it was received by the fanbase. The CD Projekt Red employee further stated that he believes a lot of negative feedback associated with the game was due in part to the build up of hate for the product. He explained:
“…it became the cool thing not to like it. We went from hero to zero pretty fast.”
Platkow-Gilewski’s interview indicates he was not the only employee who felt like the game was ready for public release. He and others were confident that the game they had worked so hard to develop over nearly 6 years deserved to be given the benefit of the doubt. Although it was certainly going to need patch work, those who created the Cyberpunk 2077 felt like it had an unfair reception.
Should Game Developers Release Titles Like Cyberpunk When It Is Clear a Slew of Patches Will Be Necessary?
The Cyberpunk 2077 disaster creates a larger question concerning whether game developers should be releasing titles before they are complete. Platkow-Gilewski would certainly point to the critical acclaim surrounding the game’s story and atmosphere, proposing it is alright to leave some bugs behind. However, there is a major difference between the occasional glitch and a game that is not capable of being played for more than ten minutes without crashing. Although Cyberpunk 2077 is a more playable title now that CD Projekt Red has worked overtime on patch work, this is in large part to the demand for repairs.
One thing to consider, however, is a fine line between a call to action and a fanbase outright bullying a game developer. While there should certainly be incentives for developers to patch major mistakes, and this can take the form of an upset fanbase, sometimes gamers can go too far. It is important to remember that most of the people who work on these projects are doing the best they can with hefty time constraints. They care about their product and deserve to work without fear of hate mail and death threats. CD Projekt Red was seeing a rise in impatient gamers desperate to play Cyberpunk 2077 and pushed the game out before it was finished.
SEE ALSO: Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Director Will Jump Straight into Sequel After Expansion Drops
Situations where games are released prior to their completion are unfortunately becoming more and more commonplace in the industry. The most recent example of a AAA title failing to meet the demands of a fanbase was Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Respawn Entertainment is still working to patch bugs that are preventing players from experiencing the game as it was intended to be played. Some of these bugs have prevented gamers from accessing entire side missions or obtaining achievements for the work they have put into the game.
CD Projekt Red definitely felt the effects of its fans, which led to refunds and the PlayStation store even removing the title from its listings. The developer appears to have since learned from the mistakes of the past and with Cyberpunk 2077’s DLC release, Phantom Liberty, coming later this year, fans can expect a more careful launch.
Should CD Projekt Red and other game developers continue to release games with full knowledge that a great deal of patch work will be necessary? Respond in the comments and tell us what needs to change!
Source: gamesindustry.biz
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
