CD Projekt RED Has Been Making Games for Nearly Two Decades
With its latest video game release, Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED is making a name for itself. However, the company has been making games for two decades.
Dec. 10 2020, Published 11:31 a.m. ET
What started as a video game distribution company soon turned into a full-on developer enterprise. CD Projekt RED is the development studio arm of CD Projekt — a company started in Poland in 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński.
Iwiński and Kiciński started developing in their studio in 2002. At the time, they didn't have any experience in the trade. However, they acquired the rights to the Wiedźmin (The Witcher) story and TV show franchise anyway and got to work.
Cyberpunk 2077 puts CD Projekt RED on the map
Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest video game from CD Projekt RED. The game has an official release date of Dec. 10, although gamers have already been playing for a few days. The game is a sci-fi, open-world, and role-playing game. It's compatible with Microsoft Windows, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
So far, the reviews for Cyberpunk 2077 are mixed. Some people say that it lives up to the hype, while others suggest that it's overrated. One thing is for sure — players are seeing glitches with framing rates, pop-ins, and more on last-generation consoles.
Developers have also announced that they are working to add an epilepsy warning for the game. Game Informer posted an article warning players about the numerous epilepsy triggers they found in the game. In addition to the warning, CD Projekt RED aims to develop a more sustainable solution.
What was CD Projekt RED's first game?
Technically, CD Projekt RED has been making games for nearly two decades. Adam Badowski works as the head of the CD Projekt RED studio. He said that the company's first game was "a piece of crap." It was a demonstration game developed from the same game engine that developed the popular game Mortyr. Even after pitching the demo, the team couldn't place it and ended up abandoning it.
Over the next few years, the studio worked to bring The Witcher to an international audience with the help of game publisher Atari. The game was officially released in 2007 and was compatible with macOS and Microsoft Windows.
Other games from CD Projekt RED
After publishing The Witcher in 2007, CD Projekt RED made eight more versions of the non-linear role-playing game including The Witcher Adventure Game, The Witcher Battle Arena, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.
Cyberpunk 2077 was the first to break the chain for The Witcher productions.
Does CD Projekt own The Witcher TV show?
The Witcher was released on Netflix in December 2019. However, CD Projekt doesn't own the rights to the TV show. Recently, the company settled a dispute with the author of the original stories, Andrzej Sapkowski.
CD Projekt retains its rights to the story for video games, graphic novels, board games, and merchandise. When the company initially approached Sapkowski about using his story for its games, it paid him an upfront fee. Sapkowski didn't expect them to be so successful and later requested the Polish equivalent of $16 million in royalties.
The new agreement may not have given Sapkowski his full $16 million, but CD Projekt assures audiences that "the agreement satisfies and fully clarifies the needs and expectations of both parties, past and present, and sets out a framework for the future cooperation between the two sides."