Mark Darrah voices concerns
Mark Darrah, a veteran game developer known for his work on Dragon Age Origins and Anthem, has warned that CD Projekt RED's simultaneous development of The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 could put the Polish studio in a "dangerous position." His comments were published in the latest issue of Summer Eternal Anthology.Industry pressures highlighted
Darrah discussed the challenges facing the AAA video game industry, describing it as hyper-specialized and hyper-fragile. He used GTA 6 as an example, noting that a game of that scale must sell 50 million units to avoid financial loss. He also pointed out that The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 need to sell 15 to 20 million copies to be profitable, which he called a "very dangerous" situation.Risks of large development teams
Darrah emphasized the risks of managing large development teams, using The Witcher 4 as an example. The project currently involves more than 500 developers, and even a one-month delay could add five to ten million dollars to the budget. He noted that small issues can lead to significant delays for such large teams.Positive reception of past games
Despite the concerns, CD Projekt RED's recent games, including The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, have been well-received. The Witcher 3 remains popular 11 years after its release, and Cyberpunk 2077 has gained strong approval after the developers addressed initial launch problems.Alternative path for the industry
Darrah suggested that the future of the industry might lie with smaller, more agile teams that can work with measured budgets and allow for experimentation. He cited Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and Sandfall Interactive, a studio with only forty developers, as examples of such studios. Whether his predictions will hold true remains to be seen.
