CD Projekt Red recently announced that Cyberpunk 2077 would be delayed from April to September 17, 2020. Given Cyberpunk 2077's new release date is just a couple months shy of the release of the next-gen consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X, the timing may appear strange to both gamers and industry observers alike.

It might make more sense for CD Projekt Red to just wait slightly longer to release Cyberpunk 2077 during the holiday season, so that fans have the option of playing the game in the best way possible on next-gen consoles. By releasing the game simultaneously on both current generation and next-gen consoles, it will truly present Cyberpunk 2077 as a next-generation title. This would throw the game a further lifeline into the next-generation of games, rather than quickly leaving the game behind, given that it may be viewed as a last-generation title at the end of the PS4 and Xbox One lifecycle.

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For a game that is being hyped up by the gaming community as the next Skyrim or Witcher 3 in caliber -both of which are massive open-world games people continue to play to this day in mass- it is important that Cyberpunk 2077 also gets the proportionate sell life it needs and deserves to secure itself as the next big thing to come to massive open world gaming. Also, Cyberpunk 2077 looks and is interpreted as a truly next-generation game, and given its perceived caliber, a quick release on the next-gen consoles could also get serious gamers on board to purchase the next-generation of consoles quicker. This could potentially be a healthy business move for the entire industry potentially.

CD Projekt Red could always release the game on next-generation consoles later on after its initial release, but it could risk its reputation of quickly appearing as merely a port from the previous generation, which could undermine its true potential with a stigma it does not deserve. After all, perceptions and impressions matter in business.

However, there is still some hope, as a port of one of the last-generation console's most acclaimed games, The Last of Us Remastered, came out on PS4 later on and appeared to be successful as well. The Last of Us launched near the end of Playstation 3's lifecycle, five months before the launch of Playstation 4. However, Cyberpunk 2077's release, just two months before the release of the next-generation of consoles, may still be a little too close for comfort. Two months is still a huge difference from nearly a half-year in the case of The Last of Us.

There is also the possibility that Cyberpunk 2077 could be such an impressive graphical example of current technology, which it certainly is appearing to be, by which it could undermine both itself and the launch of next-gen consoles to a degree. For some gamers, it may give them less of a reason to move on to the next-generation of gaming by which the pace for gaming development can quickly take off.

For other types of gamers who perceive the latest and greatest graphical technology as the best use of their time, they may quickly forget about Cyberpunk 2077 as they engross themselves in the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and whatever launch titles that may present themselves. And there are some impressive launch titles certainly, including the PS5's Godfall.

On the other hand, there is something to be said from a development standpoint: there may not be enough time to drastically improve the graphics and make a truly noticeable difference between current-gen and next-gen versions for the more casual eye. For more hardcore gamers, any difference, even a slight improvement, could be enough of a selling point for them.

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But, in general, these same points are often made by some gamers at the start of most console launches in general, since launch and early titles do not make full usage of the console's powers, while the games near the end of the previous generation of consoles have fully capitalized on the hardware by then. This makes the technological gap often appear closer together during the early period of a new console's launch.

No matter what, a September release date for Cyberpunk 2077 is truly a difficult time for any game to launch themselves, but it is even more difficult for a game being billed as potentially the next greatest thing in gaming. Either way, Cyberpunk 2077 is almost guaranteed to be a huge success in the eyes of most, but these nuances in the release windows can certainly be defining points in factoring in degree points of its potential success in the long run.

At the very least, it would probably be a worthy idea for CD Projekt Red to keep the September 17 launch date, but also announce well in advance a confirmation that the game will be released on next-generation consoles, with an exact date or timeframe if possible. This will give certain gamers, perhaps those with more patience, the option of waiting and spending their hard earned money to explore Cyberpunk 2077's world on the console they truly want to play it on in the long run and well into the future.

Such a decision would also be viewed well from an ethical standpoint, as gamers often times do not take well to feeling pressured into buying the same game a second time, especially given that their saved games may not transfer. For a game as enormous and time consuming as Cyberpunk 2077, many gamers would certainly feel more than just a financial burden if they had to start all over on a newer version of the game ported on next-generation consoles.

Overall, Cyberpunk 2077 will certainly be an amazingly successful game by most observers' opinions. Yet, Cyberpunk 2077 can maximize its potential, while proving itself to be a console seller, by releasing as holiday title for both the Xbox Series X and PS5, Launching on current-generation consoles and giving players the option to enjoy it in full would be welcome, especially for those who may not be able to afford the next-generation consoles immediately.

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently in development and is set for release on September 17, 2020 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.

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