Market research and consulting firm, DFC Intelligence, believes that CD Projekt RED has become an “acquisition candidate” following Cyberpunk 2077‘s botched launch.
As spotted by Video Games Chronicle, DFC published a lengthy analysis of the situation on its website, arguing that despite its efforts to placate customers and investors, CDPR’s reputation has been tarnished. According to the firm, Cyberpunk 2077‘s bugs aren’t as much of a problem as CDPR’s handling of the issue has been. It’s clear from all its haphazard moves that the studio lacked any PR direction, and DFC is of the view that the disaster would have been managed better by a more experienced company.
DFC wrote:
Releasing the console versions filed with bugs would have even been okay if consumers knew what they were getting into. In today’s market video game consumers are smart and willing to accept early access to games filled with bugs. However, they want to be told upfront that they are playing an unfinished product.
CD Projekt stock dropped 50% in December. This is unacceptable for a company launching a flagship, defining product. A larger public company would have been able to avoid this with basic public relations and marketing. The irony is that while CD Projekt’s reputation has been stained, Cyberpunk 2077 is likely to still be a huge long-term success. Unfortunately, CD Projekt’s reputation has been tarnished. The company now becomes one to watch as an acquisition candidate. This was clearly the case where the marketing and publishing of a larger company would have worked wonders.
Cyberpunk 2077 remains suspended from the PlayStation Store.
