The creator of “Cyberpunk 2077”, one of the most anticipated videogames of the year, told players they could ask for a refund because the initial version contained errors, a rare move for the major publisher and the latest sign in the project baset from launch delay.
The Verso-based CD project SAA said in a tweet on Monday that the Hollywood 60 game, which features Hollywood actor Keenu Reeves and came out last week, will not work properly on Sony Corp’s PlayStation 4 and Micro .ft Corp.’s Xbox One. The company apologized and said it had considered some issues with the latest updates and was planning more in the coming weeks.
“We would appreciate it if you give us a chance, but if you’re not happy with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can choose to return your copy,” the company said.
Analysts predicted that “Cyberpunk” would sell 18 million to 25 million copies anywhere in its first month. The day the CD project came out, it said the game had eight million pre-orders, of which about %%% or 7.7 million copies were for PC.
A spokesman for the CD project declined to comment further. Shares of the CD project closed at a market value of about 2 25.2 billion after years of trading closed on Wednesday.
“Cyberpunk” is still the largest and most expensive project for a videogame company more than two decades old. The co-CEO of the CD project told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that they had miscalculated how long it would take to complete the “cyberpunk” and that the coronavirus epidemic was hampering growth four years later, following the reproductive work that began around 2014.
Officials also said the company sank in an effort to make “Cyberpunk” playable on nine platforms at launch. This previously developed games for three platforms at a time.
It is unusual for game publishers to suggest that players receive a refund for their big-budget release. Usually companies will delay fixing before they let troubled games go on sale. One or two delays are relatively common, but not more. Still, in recent years players will enter the game with some imperfections and developers expect post-release updates to fix those issues through online updates.
“It’s a big misconception,” Jefferies analyst Ken Rumphe said of the CD project’s “Cyberpunk” release.
The game has received mixed reactions from professional critics as well as everyday players, with some complaining aggressively on social media. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has responded to a tweet from the CD project, which includes a screenshot of a message from an unknown author expressing frustration with PlayStation 4K with “Cyberpunk”.
“I took a week off work to play this game and I quickly realized that this is not the game I’ve been thinking about every day for eight years.”
Several other leading developers postponed games this year, citing domestic challenges caused by the health crisis as the main factor. For example, Microsoft in August withdrew the release of a new installment of its shooter franchise Halo until next year.
Being a “cyberpunk” hit is important for a CD project. The company has only one other major franchise, The Wicher, and its last major release is now five years old.
Bernstein analyst Mattie Littunen said Snefu could be a headache for the CD project as it looks to develop other following games on the road, including the itline multiplayer version of “Cyberpunk”, which he promised.
“Players have long memories,” he said.
Sarah E. Write to Needleman at [email protected]
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