CD Projekt Red's winning formula: focus and respect
Marcin Iwinski, co-founder of CD Projekt Red, says his company has a pretty straightforward recipe for success: Stick to what you know and respect your audience.
"You will not see from us a lot of diverse stuff. We will not suddenly start making racing games, because I do not think that is where our strength is," Iwinski told Gamasutra. "At the end of the day, what really matters is the experience which you are having with the game when it's out. And this is the one unique moment which defines us. If it's an average experience, pretty much what we are doing every day doesn't make sense."
Iwinski also said respecting gamers has a direct correlation to sales, using CD Projekt Red's handling of The Witcher series as an example. CD Projekt Red produced the first game then The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, followed by The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition. Rather than charge PC players for the Enhanced Edition content, CD Projekt offered the DLC up for free. Iwinski said this choice was made because "we think we could have done better" so "here it is."
Iwinski added that gamers "appreciate" that approach and "they tell their friends we are doing a good job and we respect them. And ultimately it will result in a sale." Some may wonder why CD Projekt Red would offer the content for free and not charge for it, to which Iwinski replies, "I think the value in the whole proposition is that we are honest, straightforward, and fair, and this pays back. So you can call it a business model, in a way."
