„Cyberpunk" to najbardziej skomplikowany projekt w naszej 27-letniej historii. Ta premiera wiele nas nauczyła. Dała nam kopa i zmotywowała do zmian – mówi Adam
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Kiciński: CD Projekt wants to take over, but is not for sale itself
"Cyberpunk" is the most complicated project in our 27-year history. This premiere taught us a lot. It gave us a kick and motivated us to change - says Adam Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt.
Publication: 25/11/2021 21:00
Photo: press materials
Katarzyna Kucharczyk
Almost a year has passed since the louder release of "Cyberpunk 2077". How do you evaluate the game from the perspective of this time, what is its greatest asset and what has failed? What would the studio change if you could turn back time - would you wait with the premiere of the console version? for a later time, until these versions are better polished?
Cyberpunk 2077 is the largest, most ambitious and by far the most complex project in our 27-year history. We tried to go a step further in almost every aspect, just like we did with every new witcher game we released.
Releasing a game under a new franchise entails many challenges and risks, especially when the concept is so complex. We have brought to life the huge, futuristic Night City, bustling with life, in which non-linear stories of heroes take place. We are proud of many aspects of the game, but - as we know - not everything went our way. Nevertheless, the awareness of the Cyberpunk brand that we have managed to build is huge, and the game universe, its character and detail have fans all over the world. We believe that in the long term "Cyberpunk 2077" will be perceived as a very good game and, like our other titles, it will sell for years - especially as the equipment will be more efficient and the game will be improved by us all the time. , as well as the version for the latest generation of consoles.
Of course, the premiere taught us a lot. It gave us a kick and motivated us to make changes that will make us perform better in the future.
You mentioned the further development of "Cyberpunk". When will the next updates, additions and the version for new consoles be released? The postponement of the premiere of the next-gen version to 2022 was disappointing and there were voices that you will miss the good sales time associated with the end of the year. Was it really necessary to postpone the deadline to 2022? Will the premiere be in the first quarter or later?
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This year, we will no longer be releasing any updates to the game. We are working intensively on the version for the latest generation of consoles, which will be released in the first quarter of 2022 along with a major update - Patch 1.5.
The decision to postpone the next-gen version of "Cyberpunk" was difficult, but we are convinced that it was right, the more so because it clearly resulted from the recommendation of our development team. the quality was as high as possible.
Let's move on to your second flagship title
- "The Witcher". How is the work on the version of "The Witcher 3" for new consoles going? Was it necessary to postpone the premiere to the second quarter of next year? Analysts indicate that your company will not be able to take full advantage of the upcoming second season of Netflix's "The Witcher" series.
Work on the version of "The Witcher 3" for new generations of consoles is carried out by our proven partner, Saber Interactive - of course in cooperation with our studio.
We finished the production of "The Witcher 3" almost seven years ago - since then the technology has dynamically advanced, new solutions have appeared. Therefore, updating the game to the latest consoles takes more time than we expected.
We are happy that as part of the update we will be able to offer players something new in the form of free DLC. As previously announced, the additional content will be inspired by the Netflix series.
Are there any plans to add another, third large IP to the studio's portfolio, or will the group's operations continue to be based on the Wiedźmin and Cyberpunk brands in the coming years?
We are currently focusing on our two franchises. Both have enormous potential, so one of our strategic goals is to start working on AAA (large, high-budget productions - ed.) Projects in parallel within our IPs, which is expected to happen next year.
How many people does your group currently employ? What is the breakdown of the number of people working on individual projects, how will it change next year?
We currently employ over 1,200 people. There are about 660 developers in CD Projekt Red studios - less than a third of them work on updates and the next-gen version of "Cyberpunk 2077".
Every month more and more people are working on the first addition to "Cyberpunk", while the rest are working on "Gwent" and other projects.
Spokko studio belonging to the group, with 50 developers on board, is working on "The Witcher: Pogromiec Potworów", while the newly acquired studio The Molasses Flood has started work on a project based on one of our IPs.
Have you recently started to consolidate the market, do you have a lot of money in your accounts, will there be more acquisitions? Are discussions on this underway, and if so, are larger studies also involved? Domestic or rather foreign?
As part of the strategy update, we announced greater activity in the M&A area, which we confirmed in recent months with two transactions. Both fit perfectly into our development plans - the Vancouver team joined CD Projekt Red, while The Molasses Flood studio is working on the game as part of one of our franchises.
We do not rule out further transactions of this type in the future. The goal of our acquisitions is to strengthen development teams and obtain additional support in the implementation of our strategy.
Therefore, in this type of investments, we are most interested in experience and competences, and we attach great importance to whether a given team will fit into the culture of our group.
CD Projekt is also indicated as a potential acquisition target. Is the announcement of strategic options and finding an investor or the sale of some shares by existing shareholders not being considered?
We have been repeating for years that we plan to remain independent and do not plan to become part of a larger entity. We are also not looking for a strategic investor.
There were provisions in your company's articles of association protecting against hostile takeover. Are they still?
Yes, there are records that make enemy takeover much more difficult.
What is currently happening in relation to this year's hacking attack on your company? Are there still ongoing proceedings in this case? I guess it currently has the status of "in" and not "against", no charges have been brought against anyone?
The proceedings are pending, for the sake of the investigation, we do not provide detailed information on this subject.
And what about lawsuits from US investors that have appeared after the release of Cyberpunk 2077? Does your company perceive these lawsuits as a significant business risk, or is there no reason to do so?
In August, we filed a motion to dismiss, in which we commented on the charges presented in the lawsuit. In the next steps, the plaintiff's representative referred to our request, and then we referred to his letter - these are standard steps in this type of proceedings in the United States.
Finally, please tell me how you view the dividend. Is the management board considering recommending a payout in 2022, or will this year's profit go to reserve capital?
It is definitely too early to talk about next year's dividend. The time for analyzing our financial situation and issuing recommendations in this matter will come after the publication of the annual report for 2021.
Adam Kiciński
Adam Kiciński has been associated with CD Projekt from the very beginning of its existence. In the 1990s, he managed the chain of CD Projekt brand stores. From 2004 he co-directed and from 2006 he managed the work of the CD Projekt Red studio. Managed the merger with Optimus. After it was finalized, he joined the board of CD Projekt, and in autumn 2010 he became its chairman. The valuation of the studio on the stock exchange is currently PLN 19 billion, and its flagship games are "The Witcher" and "Cyberpunk".
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Source: Rzeczpospolita
Media video games
TL/DR
The good news seems to be that 1/3 of the developers are still workng on the patch and next gen.
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