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CD Projekt Red isn’t fussed that Half-Life: Alyx is releasing one month ahead of Cyberpunk 2077, as stated in an investor Q&A (via GamesIndustry.biz).
Valve revealed Half-Life: Alyx last week, and it’s the first game to be developed in the series since Half-Life 2 Episode 2. Understandably, it got a lot of fans all aflutter. This entry takes place between Half-Life and Half-Life 2 and puts players in the shoes of Alyx Vance. “It was really clear that Half-Life suited VR,” said Valve, and the game will riff off the quintessential Half-Life helpings of puzzles and action in equal measure.
Half-Life: Alyx will touch down on the Valve Index in March, 2020. It will be a VR experience exclusively, and for that reason, CD Projekt Red isn’t worried about the impact it will have on Cyberpunk 2077. “I think it was a surprise for everybody, but I think not in a way you are suggesting. VR remains an extremely nichey niche of the market, like it's very, very small,” explained Michal Andrzej Nowakowski, senior vice president of the studio. “That niche is very, very, very—and I could add a few verys here—small. So from the market perspective, are we afraid? No, because it's a very different niche.”
Nowakowski added that “other major publishers” aren’t seeking VR experiences, to his knowledge. “I have not heard of anybody building an actual solid business on VR so far,” he elaborated. “That may very well change in the coming years. Perhaps Half-Life will be this first stone that is going to turn into something larger as we go, but that's definitely not going to be the case come first half of the next year. I daresay it's probably not going to be next year.”
Message received. Cyberpunk 2077 will be released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in April, 2020.
