CD Projekt Red’s games – think banger RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 – perform quite well on consoles… and even though such platforms have hit a bit of a wall costs-wise with the RAMpocalypse and what have you, the studio isn’t worried.
Michał Nowakowski, joint CD Projekt Red CEO, explains as much in a new interview with The Game Business, describing how he believes console brands like Xbox and PlayStation will live on despite RAM shortage struggles and other roadblocks – and his own company’s games’ potential performance on such platforms in the future is not a concern at this point.
“I’m not worried,” as Nowakowski says. “Consoles are still necessary to broaden the audience on the casual or semi-casual level. It’s important to have easy to plug in and enjoy gaming.”
I suppose he’s right there. Although I’m more of a PC gamer myself, I can appreciate the moments I kick back to play on my Switch 2 for a change. It’s a matter of convenience – and, yes, price… even if consoles are hiking their own price tags.
Regardless, Nowakowski doesn’t see them going anywhere.
“I’m a big believer that they’re going to weather the storm,” he admits, going on to say he’s aware of the “the objective challenge” that is pricing – and the rumors of next-gen consoles being delayed.
I mean, Sony’s CEO couldn’t give a release date for the PS6 last month, and the ongoing shortage of hardware components isn’t helping settle consumers’ concerns. But, does it really matter either way?
Nowakowski thinks not.
“How we reach gamers is a little irrelevant. Content is the king. And if the content is right, people will find a way to play it,” the CD Projekt Red lead says. “When we launch, if PS5, Xbox Series X/S is what people are playing, we’re going to be there. We’re going to find a business model that’s going to work for us, that’s going to be fine for players, and that’s it.”
Sounds pretty good, if you ask me… deliver to the players, wherever they may be.
“If the next-gen gets delayed, it could be the case that some ideas are put on a shelf for the future,” Nowakowski concludes. “We’d have to adjust. We’re not worried on the commercial side. Consoles are here to stay” – and, you know, something tells me he’s right.