A look into the future: "Cyberpunk 2077 Enhanced Edition"

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CDPR have now silently, by posting a picture, announced that the next-gen upgrade will be coming in Q1 2022.
And I'm calling it: It won't. In May 2022 Marcin Iwinski will step in front of some cameras and tell us this:

"We are deeply sorry for making you wait so long and not communicate more. AT CDPR, we are in our heart still a small company and Cyberpunk 2077 is our biggest project yet. We wanted the best for you and in trying to deliver it, we almost broke the company and the people who work very hard for us and for you.
These people have been working relentlessly to make the game of our and your dreams, and it's taking more time than anyone of us could have predicted. It's very hard to change a running system patch by patch. And therefore we have made the decision to make a brand new version of CP2077 which will have changes to the AI, a better designed character system, flawless next-gen graphics, more player-driven narrative choices and even more which we will talk about in the coming months.

This will of course take time, but it will still be way shorter to make everything from scratch than to patch small things on the fly. So we cannot announce a release date yet, but to get back to the start of our journey to Night City; Cyberpunk 2077 Enhanced Edition: Coming when it's ready!

In the meantime, we thank you for your continued support!"

Oh, and by the way, after some people will ask: What about the PS4 version, they will say: The game is functioning in it's actual state. We cannot make announcements about upgrades for older systems at the time...

– – – – – –

You don't need to say anything. I'll remind you all of this post in May 2022. In the meantime: CDPR, if you need a new marketing representative, consider this post my application.
 
My prediction:

A patch arrives in February, this corrects some legacy issues and bugs that 1.31 brought, but breaks something else. Everyone is too busy with Forbidden West and Elden Ring, etc. to give it much notice.

Next-gen version delayed further.

Complete radio silence in general, also regarding free DLCs and expansions.

Q4 they announce that after much consideration, forthcoming expansions will not be made available for older consoles.

Prove me wrong, guys.
 
My prediction:

A patch arrives in February, this corrects some legacy issues and bugs that 1.31 brought, but breaks something else. Everyone is too busy with Forbidden West and Elden Ring, etc. to give it much notice.

Next-gen version delayed further.

Complete radio silence in general, also regarding free DLCs and expansions.

Q4 they announce that after much consideration, forthcoming expansions will not be made available for older consoles.

Prove me wrong, guys.
It would be a dream if they decide to make expansions only current gen available! But they really need to justify this with one BIG expansion, almost a cyberpunk 1.5 :D
 
I won't be surprised if an enhanced edition is marketed at some point, but it 99.99999% will be free for whoever has the "base game" already. Surely with no significant gameplay changes, just quality of life, graphics and performances. And not on old gen.

Or they ask for money and get an even bigger shitstorm. :shrug:
 
CDPR has already confirmed that the Next-Gen Update will be free for both PC and console users who already own the game. It will also be optional. The update will simply be included with all future purchases of the standard game for players that don't own it yet. No additional charge.

If the games are re-bundled as a "Enhanced Edition" or something in the future, that will be a separate product, just like it was for TW3. This isn't a "marketing scheme". It's something that's required by platforms such as Steam, GOG, Origin, Microsoft Store, Sony Store, etc. Each product that will be given a different title needs its own product ID for purposes of identifying and licensing it on the platform's database, tracking purchases, gifts, returns, support, etc. Whether you have a copy of the individual products (ala. TW3, Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine, and 16 Free DLC), or you have the "Complete Edition", it's the same data. There's no need to re-purchase the game aside from convenience.

There is absolutely no reason to believe that this will be any different for Cyberpunk.
 
Each product that will be given a different title needs its own product ID for purposes of identifying and licensing it on the platform's database, tracking purchases, gifts, returns, support, etc. Whether you have a copy of the individual products, or you have the "Complete Edition", it's the same data. There's no need to re-purchase the game aside from convenience.
Well, not for Control from remedy. Different ID and you need to buy it again if you want it. 505's decision.
I agree that it would be weird from CDPR, given its history, but it is possible to make enhanced editions and "normal" edition 2 completely different games. As I said, almost impossible to see it happening for cp77.
 
Well, not for Control from remedy. Different ID and you need to buy it again if you want it. 505's decision.
I agree that it would be weird from CDPR, given its history, but it is possible to make enhanced editions and "normal" edition 2 completely different games. As I said, almost impossible to see it happening for cp77.

That's an entirely different company that cdpr has no control over... and I'm not even sure what your point is.
 
That's an entirely different company that cdpr has no control over... and I'm not even sure what your point is.
My point is just saying that if you want you can have a paid enhanced edition not compatible with the base one. Also, I said I don't think CDPR will do that.
 
Well, not for Control from remedy. Different ID and you need to buy it again if you want it. 505's decision.
I agree that it would be weird from CDPR, given its history, but it is possible to make enhanced editions and "normal" edition 2 completely different games. As I said, almost impossible to see it happening for cp77.
That's an entirely different company that cdpr has no control over... and I'm not even sure what your point is.
My point is just saying that if you want you can have a paid enhanced edition not compatible with the base one. Also, I said I don't think CDPR will do that.
I still think there's confusion over how the marketplaces work. I'll just use make believe titles and Steam, as an example:

+ If I upload...say..."The Big RPG" -- that's given a product ID by Steam. Like, #2217891
(Remember this is all arbitrary nonsense for the sake of understanding the concept of how the marketplaces work.)

+ I then upload a patch for "The Big RPG". No change to product ID. It's a universal change to the core product. Same thing.

+ I then upload a DLC pack: "DLC Pack 1" for "The Big RPG". That's a new product, sold separately. New product ID: #2217892

+ I then release two more DLC things, each of which will now be given its own product ID, so that the system can track each of them being sold separately. So, we how have 4 products for sale on Steam:
The Big RPG -- #2217891
DLC Pack 1 -- #2217892
DLC Pack 2 -- #2217893
DLC Pack 3 -- #2217894

+ Some months later, I offer a "definitive edition", which includes the main game and all 3 DLC packs. New product. There are now 5 products on Steam:
The Big RPG -- #2217891
DLC Pack 1 -- #2217892
DLC Pack 2 -- #2217893
DLC Pack 3 -- #2217894
The BIG RPG Definitive Edition -- #2217895

I can't get around this. The platform needs to be able to tell the difference between a user buying just the base game and a user buying the Definitive Edition package. The whole point of offering the package is to make it more convenient for users that just want to buy everything, but I can't just cut out all the users that already bought everything individually, either. So, all products must remain active on the platform as separate purchases.

There's also legality to worry about. If I buy a product on Steam (or other online marketplaces), I'm not buying the game -- I'm buying the license to use the game via that platform. Neither the platform nor the studio can just overwrite or evaporate the product that I legally have a license for. What I have a license for will be dictated by the product associated with the ID I originally purchased, not "what the product is called".
 
There will be NO "ENHANCED EDITION" until all of the DLCs & expansions released. It always have been that way since Witcher 1.
 
i remember hearing, or rather seeing, a rumour about a new cyberpunk game in development, considering how apparently nothing more is coming for 2021, there is a big chance that this is just a definitive edition, with all the yet-to-be-released dlc bundled in, like a season pass, where you get the dlc for free as soon as it comes out.
 
I still think there's confusion over how the marketplaces work. I'll just use make believe titles and Steam, as an example:

+ If I upload...say..."The Big RPG" -- that's given a product ID by Steam. Like, #2217891
(Remember this is all arbitrary nonsense for the sake of understanding the concept of how the marketplaces work.)

+ I then upload a patch for "The Big RPG". No change to product ID. It's a universal change to the core product. Same thing.

+ I then upload a DLC pack: "DLC Pack 1" for "The Big RPG". That's a new product, sold separately. New product ID: #2217892

+ I then release two more DLC things, each of which will now be given its own product ID, so that the system can track each of them being sold separately. So, we how have 4 products for sale on Steam:
The Big RPG -- #2217891
DLC Pack 1 -- #2217892
DLC Pack 2 -- #2217893
DLC Pack 3 -- #2217894

+ Some months later, I offer a "definitive edition", which includes the main game and all 3 DLC packs. New product. There are now 5 products on Steam:
The Big RPG -- #2217891
DLC Pack 1 -- #2217892
DLC Pack 2 -- #2217893
DLC Pack 3 -- #2217894
The BIG RPG Definitive Edition -- #2217895

I can't get around this. The platform needs to be able to tell the difference between a user buying just the base game and a user buying the Definitive Edition package. The whole point of offering the package is to make it more convenient for users that just want to buy everything, but I can't just cut out all the users that already bought everything individually, either. So, all products must remain active on the platform as separate purchases.

There's also legality to worry about. If I buy a product on Steam (or other online marketplaces), I'm not buying the game -- I'm buying the license to use the game via that platform. Neither the platform nor the studio can just overwrite or evaporate the product that I legally have a license for. What I have a license for will be dictated by the product associated with the ID I originally purchased, not "what the product is called".
I think you're confusing a Definitive Edition with an Enhanced Edition. The EE for TW1 and TW2 were esentially just (massive) patches for the main game, so you wouldn't need a new store ID. What you're referring to is the GOTY/Complete/Definitive/Whatever-Marketing-Felt-Sounded-Hip-That-Day Edition, which is just a bundle of the main game + paid DLCs.

On a CP2077 EE, I don't know if CDPR would do this, although they have released Enhanced Editions for TW1 and TW2. In TW2's case, it added a lot of extra free content, mostly in the final chapter of the game, which was previously criticised for being too short. In TW1, it featured a lot of VO improvements, dramatic reduction in loading times, better cutscenes, more varied NPCs etc.

I can see how CP2077 could benefit from such improvements, although they wouldn't necessarily need to officially call it an Enhanced Edition, similar for how TW3 had some major improvements through patches, but the final patched-up version was never marketed as an Enhanced Edition.

With some of the bad press CP2077 has gotten though, branding a major patch as an Enhanced Edition may be of marketing benefit, assuming the patch is significant enough. Otherwise, they run the risk of the rebrand backfiring, if the version isn't perceived to be "Enhanced" enough, as it would likely also receive more scrutiny.

Even if CDPR do announce an EE, I doubt it would follow the fanfic-esque script described by the OP though (I can only assume it's not meant to be taken seriously). Just missing fireworks going off in the background while Keanu jumps out of a cake in a Johhny costume, announcing a cross-promotion with the Matrix 4.
 
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I think you're confusing a Definitive Edition with an Enhanced Edition. The EE for TW1 and TW2 were esentially just (massive) patches for the main game, so you wouldn't need a new store ID. What you're referring to is the GOTY/Complete/Definitive/Whatever-Marketing-Felt-Sounded-Hip-That-Day Edition, which is just a bundle of the main game + paid DLCs.

On a CP2077 EE, I don't know if CDPR would do this, although they have released Enhanced Editions for TW1 and TW2. In TW2's case, it added a lot of extra free content, mostly in the final chapter of the game, which was previously criticised for being too short. In TW1, it featured a lot of VO improvements, dramatic reduction in loading times, better cutscenes, more varied NPCs etc.

I can see how CP2077 could benefit from such improvements, although they wouldn't necessarily need to officially call it an Enhanced Edition, similar for how TW3 had some major improvements through patches, but the final patched-up version was never marketed as an Enhanced Edition.

With some of the bad press CP2077 has gotten though, branding a major patch as an Enhanced Edition may be of marketing benefit, assuming the patch is significant enough. Otherwise, they run the risk of the rebrand backfiring, if the version isn't perceived to be "Enhanced" enough, as it would likely also receive more scrutiny.

Even if CDPR do announce an EE, I doubt it would follow the fanfic-esque script described by the OP though (I can only assume it's not meant to be taken seriously). Just missing fireworks going off in the background while Keanu jumps out of a cake in a Johhny costume, announcing a cross-promotion with the Matrix 4.
There's no confusion with this. There is no Cyberpunk 2077 Enhanced Edition. As you state, the Next-Gen Update is a patch. It will be included in (or as a default downloadable option for) the purchase of either TW3 or CP2077. It's similar to the "Hi-Res Texture Packs" that have been released for other games in the past, although more than just textures have been addressed in the Next-Gen Updates.
 
There's no confusion with this. There is no Cyberpunk 2077 Enhanced Edition. As you state, the Next-Gen Update is a patch. It will be included in (or as a default downloadable option for) the purchase of either TW3 or CP2077. It's similar to the "Hi-Res Texture Packs" that have been released for other games in the past, although more than just textures have been addressed in the Next-Gen Updates.

But, for Skyrim, Greedfall and Marvel's Avengers on ps5, you had to use the ps store. It wasn't an update say from the ps4 version of those games.
 
But, for Skyrim, Greedfall and Marvel's Avengers on ps5, you had to use the ps store. It wasn't an update say from the ps4 version of those games.
Weird, all my games already installed on my Series X have received a "simple" update (Skyrim, Greedfall, Subnautica, Ark, Borderlands 3, AC-Odyssey, Grounded, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NMS...). And after the updates, all of my games have a "simple" S/X on their icons to show they're optimized for. I suppose, it can depend on the "store" system :)
(PS and XBox "work" in a different way apparently)

Now, there are some games who have a completely different version for XB1 and Series, but they were released after the Series X/S release and it's clearly noticed on the store. I also suppose (I never tested) that if you buy and install the XB1 version on your Serie S/X, it will work without problem but you won't receive a "free" update (opposite to the games above who only have one version : XB1 - optimized for S/X)
 
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Not sure what next gen update is gonna improve for PC xD

I mean sure on consoles, there space to expand to (getting closer to what PC players have) but PC? So far via optimalisation is actually getting bit downgraded here and there.

Look at Death Stranding Director's cut. basically nextgen update for latest consoles improving visuals and performance ... that PC already have from the start and so they didn't even dare to release for PC, cause the main bulk is just not there for PC and 3 missions and several gameplay gimmicks wont cut it.

So from the day I heard about CP77 next gen update, I right away assumed that's for consoles and solely for consoles.

There are places the game could get improved without adding new features. As example every time when NPC drives you somewhere, the car is on rails, with what almost sounds like placeholder engine sounds and rest of it all simply doesnt have any audio and it all looks very unfinished. And in this way, clunky animations without proper/any audio are most notable in the Queen of the road quest, where the train impact just doesn't have any umpf. and entire scene just slowly falls apart so terribly it looks like a mod. Which in reality is just quickly thrown together content. It woudl be fine if it didn't contrast so drastically with amazing and detialed other scenes.

I don¨t belive nextgen updaty will push these parts of the game to the level of quality the rest of the CP77 sits at. And without that, what good is few nicer shaders or more FPS?
 
But, for Skyrim, Greedfall and Marvel's Avengers on ps5, you had to use the ps store. It wasn't an update say from the ps4 version of those games.
So what? That was true for those games. This one will be included for anyone and everyone that purchases the game. (I'm reading your statement as alluding to the updates being "sold" instead of "free". They will be free. If you mean, "We still have to get them from the store," well...yes...obviously. The data will not simply and magically appear on your system. It will have to be downloaded from the same platform that you purchased the game on.)

Additionally, we have no reason to believe that the update applies to PS4 or XB1 -- it's a Next-Gen Update. It will apply to PS5, XBX, and PC.

Not sure what next gen update is gonna improve for PC xD
They make specific mention in one of the articles that the changes are likely to be far more noticeable on console, though they're still being included on PC. TW3's should be noticeable -- with the inclusion of ray-tracing alone. As for textures...well...we've already seen what's possible there!
 
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