5343

Yeah, happened to me with Triss aswell, at another place though. Reloading and then ensuring that she can’t block the same spot fixed it for me…

5344

Same. I was thinking “Rats,” (literally) when it happened. I actually saved right there. Then loaded that save, fixed.

5345

Yep, that’s the spot. Save right where you are, reload. Fixed.

5346

Uhhhh…

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/rumor-cd-projekt-red-to-sign-a-publishing-deal-or-be-bought-by-electronic-arts/

CD Projekt RED’s employee provided us with his payslip in order to prove his identity, so this is – most probably – the real deal.

“I’m employee of CDProjekt Red and I have some bad news to share with you. Our management is probably talking with Electronic Arts about potential take over. Electronic Arts representatives are currently visiting our studio and meeting with top management. We are not going to release any game soon, so for sure it’s not about any publishing deal, so the only possible reason for EA guys being here is that they want to buy us.”

Note that the employee could be wrong about the executive visit entirely, or he could be right, but they’re there for a different reason, etc.

5347

This doesn’t really have to be the worst thing ever. Who knows? Maybe not having to deal with publishing stuff would free up resources to put a bigger focus on their… oh, I can’t even finish that thought. Goddammit. This would probably be awful news if it turns out to be true. :(

5348

so the only possible reason for EA guys being here is that they want to buy us.

It’s not “the only possible reason”, not by a LONG margin. There are tons of possible reasons, and spreading that kind of rumor does no one any good whatsoever.

5349

FWIW, Marcin Momot (CDPR community lead), Marcin Iwinski (the founder, president) and Miles Tost (Lead level design) seem to be poo-pooing this rumor, for instance:

@Marcin360
@astreamz Just bumped into Marcin Iwiński - it was new to him. I guess the “informer” has better insight than the @CDPROJEKTRED founder. :)

5350

There is no way they would admit to this if true though.

5351

Oh, good deal.

Crap. Good point. Though, to be fair, I don’t think he would out-right LIE like that, he’d probably just say nothing. Maybe?

5352

Yes, but “news to me” isn’t the typical non-denial. Normally, it’s just “no comment” or “we don’t confirm or deny rumors” or just saying nothing at all.

That plus the fact that EA buying CDPR is a long shot anyway, and I think you can chalk this up to a zealous CDPR employee talking out of turn on something he misinterpreted. I could believe that they might entertain the idea of hooking up with EA on Cyberpunk for a distribution deal.

5353

Just because EA would want to buy them doesn’t mean CDProjekt wants to sell.

5354

Of course they would. They would likely be obligated to not discuss it and some people say things like “I have no idea what you’re talking about” because they think it’s less suspicious than “we cannot comment at this time” etc.

Man, this would be really awful news. The independent creativity and lack of inhibitions that CDPROJEKT has would just be muted by EA.

Everybody wants to sell. They just may not realize it until they hear the requisite price. And certainly nobody would host a meeting for that discussion without it being a possibility.

But I think this rumor is a little overwrought - there are obviously other reasons that they may be meeting with EA, beyond a potentially pending sale. Potential distribution, promotion, or just generally getting to better know a crew in the same industry that you’ve grown to respect to open the doors for future collaboration.

5355

Knowing EA’s track record and the positive vibe surrounding CDR is probably reason enough to believe the rumour.

5356

  1. If I were at CDPR and even the mildest talks of purchase were made, even just an investment was discussed, I wouldn’t say jack about it if I were Marcin Iwinski. Especially not to my community manager. I would lie to that person’s face, if need be.

  2. CDPR is publicly traded in Poland, I believe, or CDP, the parent company that owns the CDPR design studios and GOG is. Believe they’re on the Polish stock exchange, but I don’t know what kind of stock equity and stake the major partners of the company have. They may control far more than 50 or even 60% of the stock in the company.

  3. As others have noted, there are a gajillion reasons for EA to be there. If I were EA, I’d absolutely send some of my RPG project managers to Warsaw to spend a week with CDPR, asking them questions about everything.

5357

Yeah. I think it’s FAR more likely that EA wants CDPR to develop a game in one of EA’s franchises/IP.

In fact, I can’t get out of my head that EA actually wants CDPR to make a game in the Dragon Age universe. I know it sounds completely crazy…

5358

Dream idea: I’d love to see CDPR take a spin at a Mass Effect spin off. Have them be like Obsidian was for KOTOR. That’d be a cool thing. Obviously their writers and story designers are a few cuts above industry average, so it’d be great if that were to start to spread elsewhere.

Having EA emulate CDPR in some aspects would be great. EA buying CDPR and forcing them to emulate EA designs would not be. Not sure I’d worry too much about that though, the reception to W3 means they probably have no urgency to pursue such a deal currently.

5359

Exactly. And with Cyberpunk 2077 in the oven (and most of its tech in place), they have no urgent need for EA or most anyone else for that matter.

5360

I don’t think it’s part of EA’s strategy any longer to purchase console/PC studios that produce “core” titles. If you look at the last 5 years or so of EA’s acquisitions, it consists of social and mobile companies.

5361

Very good points.

5362

I’ll be interested to see how much, if any, of the Witchers’ writing quality was driven by having the books to work from. I’d be surprised and impressed if Cyberpunk keeps that up, and can’t at all see them achieving anything similar with some videogamey franchise like Mass Effect.