Cyberpunk 2077: Poland’s Punk project punished

Polish software group CD Projekt’s much-hyped game Cyberpunk 2077 was expected to sell around 30 million copies at $60 each. But Sony pulled it from stores after it was fund to be full of bugs.

Sony has “stunned” the gaming world by deciding to remove Polish software group CD Projekt’s game Cyberpunk 2077 from its online PlayStation store, say Leo Lewis and David Lee in the Financial Times. 

The game, “one of the most expensive and anticipated titles in industry history”,Polish software group CD Projekt’s much-hyped game Cyberpunk 2077 was expected to sell around 30 million copies at $60 each. But Sony pulled it from stores after it was fund to be full of bugs.; eight million people pre-ordered it. But when it was released on 10 December it was lambasted for being full of “crashes, visual glitches and malfunctioning mechanics”.

The hype surrounding the game caused CD Projekt’s shares to double in 2019 and gain “more than 50% this year”, despite “hiccups” resulting from three delays, says Kasper Viita and Piotr Bujnicki on Bloomberg. The surge saw the company exceed the value of the top European developer Ubisoft Entertainment SA. However, the stock has now slumped by 50% in a matter of weeks amid fears of a brutal backlash. Even if the firm can fix the bugs and persuade Sony to sell the game again, its image has been “seriously damaged” and it will take time to regain consumers’ trust.

The immediate future looks “dark”, say Mike Isaac and Kellen Browning in The New York Times. Already there has been “infighting and finger-pointing”, with staffers blaming executives for “unrealistic deadlines and false promises”. Many gamers are ditching Cyberpunk 2077 until it fixes all of the problems. Refund requests are “pouring in by the thousands” and lawyers are contemplating a class-action lawsuit, claiming that the group has engaged in potential “criminal misrepresentation in order to receive financial benefits”.

Recommended

The top funds to invest in
Funds

The top funds to invest in

Investors continue to favour passive funds in April though figures reveal an actively managed money market fund also caught their eye. We look at wher…
3 May 2023
How to invest in ChatGPT and other AI tech changing the world
Tech stocks

How to invest in ChatGPT and other AI tech changing the world

Technology, like ChatGPT, is changing the way we live and work, and this new tool could have a huge impact on the tech industry says Dominic Frisby.
23 Jan 2023
Cheap and cheerful or reassuringly expensive?
Sponsored

Cheap and cheerful or reassuringly expensive?

Many investors aim to pick up “cheap” shares. But cheap does not always mean good value, says Max King. Quality comes at a price.
21 Dec 2022
Profit from patience
Advertisement Feature

Profit from patience

Smart investors will reap the rewards by staying focused on the long-term, research from Alliance Trust shows.
9 Dec 2022

Most Popular

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?
Savings

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?

Two fortunate NS&I Premium Bond winners are now millionaires. Find out here if you’re one of them.
1 Jun 2023
Housing slowdown ‘deeper than anticipated’ as property sales slump
House prices

Housing slowdown ‘deeper than anticipated’ as property sales slump

New data from HMRC shows a fall in property sales - now experts predict a delay to the housing recovery
1 Jun 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
2 Jun 2023