From manhole covers to street lights and more, CD PROJEKT RED wants the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel to be as authentically American as possible. Evidently, following some past Reddit posts, CD PROJEKT RED has concerns regarding the level of authenticity of the first game and is having its new Boston studio focus on ensuring the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel resembles America as closely as possible.
Associate Game Director Paweł Sasko and Acting Executive Producer Dan Hernberg were guests on this week’s AnsweRED Podcast by CD PROJEKT RED where they shared details regarding the opening of CDPR’s new Boston studio. The topic of visual authenticity came up and Hernberg then emphasized why it’s important the new studio is the perfect place to work on the next game.
I think Cyberpunk is obviously a uniquely American story. It’s got a lot of like punk energy, and it was written by an American, so it just seems right to do it in America.
Dan Hernberg – CDPR Acting Executive Producer
Associate game director Paweł Sasko expressed concerns regarding visual details in the original game. Sasko noted how designs for street objects such as manhole covers, signs, hydrants, and more largely originated from European versions. Apparently, at some point after the first game launched there were Reddit posts made by folks complaining about German manhole covers. Some of these posts were sincere in their displeasure of the non-US imagery. In contrast, others ran with it and had fun with it by noting how particular manhole covers were of the incorrect rating and possibly the reason so many NPCs often fell through or disappeared from the street.
Per Pawel Sasko (via WccfTech):
“There’s this interesting story after the release of Cyberpunk 2077 that blew up on Reddit at some point, and it’s the manhole debacle. Like, the manholes that are covering the roads, right? There was this post with the guy saying that there is this immersive breaking bug in Cyberpunk, and the bug was about the fact that the covers for manholes for a sewer were the manholes that you use normally in Europe, in Germany, for a pavement. Those are not manholes that you normally cover in America on the streets.”
“Our curbs are different, our color is different on all of our signs. Everything’s just slightly different. It doesn’t break immersion, but it’s just that little thing where you’re like, “Well, maybe this wasn’t made by people who live here or people who fully understand all of American culture,” added Hernberg.
It can be questionable and entirely subjective as to whether or not such details truly decrease a player’s level of immersion in a game but CDPR has taken notice of the internet postings and is working to ensure such things are not misrepresented again.
Discussion (17 replies)
Join Discussion →More auth.. me it's supposed to be such a integrated melting pot race is barely a thing.
I honestly didn't have a problem with any of it. I kind of sort of noticed it but didn't care. I figured it's the future and rolled with it. I found the overall design to be spot on with everything I've seen here in the southwest from Denver to Albuquerque to Phoenix and Los Angeles. It actually made me a little depressed because of how accurate it was and all of the present/past things relating to homelessness, drug addiction, prostitution, gang, political, and other crimes but that is the point of the game and my hat's off to CDPR for their accurate portrayals. Geographically accurate street objects were nowhere on my radar for things to care about.
None of that stuff bothered me.
Yes, it was supposed to be set in the U.S, but it is a post-apocalyptic U.S. where it is not unrealistic that someone might have gotten a cheap order of stolen/leftover manhole covers from somewhere else, and installed them in a way that was not intended.
Anyway, I'm interested about this Boston studio. I did not know CDPR had a Boston studio.
An acquaintance's wife was doing some contract art work for an - at the time - unannounced CDPR title, but I got the impression she was a remote contractor working for the main CDPR studio in Poland. I never discussed specifics with her though. (And as with all of these things, there is only so much they can share anyway)
I don't even know if she is still involved with that project. It was probably 2 or 3 years ago I last spoke to her.
Not something I would pay much attention to and as someone not from the US things that seem off for you guys might seem normal for me. + it's sci-fi enough to barrely mattering anyways.
One of the splinter cell games had Hungarian manhole covers in the mission that took place in Georgia. I thought it was funny, and it took away nothing from the game.
This need or desire that only those people are allowed to depict something who experienced it first hand, is a cancerous outgrowth of political correctness (and people with no imaginations).
My excitement for this game just dropped from 80 to about 40%.
I think CDPR is just scared of upsetting even more folks after the way the 1st one launched. A shame really since I believe/hope they learned their lessons from it and shouldn't be worried about such petty things like this and instead just launch a good solid game.
Given the time it takes them to make games I'm not sure I'll be still around once the next one launches and they have to make it mostly bug free.
Could have elder scrolls VI and fallout 5 by then and tired of those
Yeah, kind of feeling the same.
I'm pretty much done with Bethesda though. I've given enough of my money and regret most of it.
Same here.
What is this fatalism? I expect to be still around at the end of the decade, which is when I'd guess this will get a release. 2028-2029 is the window.
Hoping to make it to my 60s, maybe 70s, but lately feeling like I'm working myself to death, literally, at the day job. Goal is to retire in the next 7 years or so, if I make it.
Took them around 12 years to get CP2077 to where it is now so you think they can make a better working game done from scratch with a new engine in 1/3 of the time? (or half if they have been at it for a couple years in secret already)
All of this, exactly. They're worried about the authenticity of a futuristic city that doesn't exist in real life?! Give me a f*cking break.
Oh shiiiiat, that's pretty interesting!
It's far different ballgame to work with a turnkey game engine instead of having to do everything yourself, because you are developing your own engine.
A big client like CDPR can get epic to do custom work for them too, so even if something is not in it right now it likely only takes a phone call, to get them on it.
I don't think you can count CP2077 as being in full development until after the Witcher 3 was shipped, so 2015. (or 2016 if we count blood and wine). So it took roughly 5 years to get from there to release date. So I don't think 2028 is unreasonable. Unless they want to put out Witcher IV or whatever that is called first , that changes things.