Published Date: 2020-12-14
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077 happened in December 2020 [108649]. 2. The incident continued to be addressed in January 2021 [110171]. 3. The game was recommended to be played on PS5 or PS4 Pro in June 2021, indicating ongoing issues [115853]. |
| System | 1. PlayStation 4 2. Xbox One 3. Base PS4 model 4. Original 2013 model of PS4 5. Base PS4 and Xbox One hardware 6. Microsoft's Xbox Series X 7. Sony's PlayStation 5 8. Console version of Cyberpunk 2077 [Cyberpunk 2077: How to get a full refund before the Dec. 21 deadline, #110171, #108649, #115853] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. CD Projekt Red - The software failure incident in Cyberpunk 2077 was primarily caused by CD Projekt Red due to the game's poor performance, bugs, and issues on various platforms [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Gamers who purchased Cyberpunk 2077, especially on last-gen consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [108649, 115853, 110171] 2. CD Projekt Red, the game developer, faced backlash and had to issue apologies and refunds due to the software failure incident [108649, 115853, 110171] |
| Software Causes | 1. Lack of attention to making the game play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms [108649]. 2. Unfixed bugs leading to dramatic performance problems on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5 [110171]. 3. Challenges with the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles due to the densely packed city in the game and limitations in disk bandwidth [110171]. 4. Underestimation of the task to adjust the game for consoles, especially older ones, after focusing on making it look epic on PCs [110171]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Poor decision-making in not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before its premiere, leading to uninformed purchases [108649]. 2. Underestimation of the task to adjust the game for consoles, especially older ones, after focusing on making it look epic on PCs [110171]. 3. Challenges brought on by COVID-19 work-from-home restrictions, leading to lost dynamics and communication issues within the team [110171]. |
| Impacts | 1. Significant performance issues and bugs were experienced by players on last-gen consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, leading to a rocky launch of Cyberpunk 2077 [108649, 115853, 110171]. 2. CD Projekt Red had to issue apologies to gamers for not showcasing the game's performance on base last-gen consoles before its release, leading to dissatisfaction among players and the need for refunds [108649, 110171]. 3. The game was removed from digital marketplaces like the PlayStation Store due to major bugs and issues, impacting its availability and sales [115853]. 4. Sony and Microsoft had to offer refunds to unhappy customers due to the problems encountered with the game on their consoles, affecting the reputation of the game and the developer [115853]. 5. The software failure incident led to a delay in the release of the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X, as the focus shifted towards fixing the issues on last-gen consoles first [115853]. |
| Preventions | 1. Conducting thorough testing on all platforms, especially on older consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, before the game's release could have prevented the software failure incident [108649, 115853, 110171]. 2. Prioritizing optimization for all platforms equally during the development process to ensure a consistent and high-quality gaming experience across different consoles [108649, 115853, 110171]. 3. Implementing a more robust in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles to handle the densely packed city environment of the game without performance issues [110171]. 4. Maintaining effective communication and collaboration within the development team despite COVID-19 work-from-home restrictions to address and resolve issues promptly [110171]. |
| Fixes | 1. Implementing updates and patches to address bugs, crashes, and other issues in the game [108649, 110171]. 2. Releasing two large patches in January and February to fix the most prominent problems gamers are facing on last-gen consoles [108649]. 3. Recommending playing Cyberpunk 2077 on PS5 or PS4 Pro rather than the base PS4 model to improve stability [115853]. 4. Continuously improving the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles to address performance problems [110171]. 5. Regularly rolling out patches to fix bugs and crashes across platforms [110171]. | References | 1. CD Projekt Red [108649, 115853, 110171] 2. PlayStation Store [115853] 3. Xbox Store [108649] 4. Sony [115853] 5. Microsoft [115853] 6. Marcin Iwinski [110171] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - CD Projekt Red faced a software failure incident with Cyberpunk 2077, where the game had major bugs and issues, especially on last-gen consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [108649]. - The incident led to the game being pulled from the PlayStation Store due to performance issues, and CD Projekt Red recommended playing it on PS5 or PS4 Pro instead of the base PS4 model [115853]. - CD Projekt Red's co-founder acknowledged that the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard they wanted, leading to dramatic performance problems on various consoles [110171]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - Sony and Microsoft both removed Cyberpunk 2077 from their digital stores and offered refunds to customers due to the game's rocky launch and problems, particularly on base PS4 and Xbox One hardware [115853]. - The incident with Cyberpunk 2077 highlighted issues with software quality and performance across different platforms, impacting multiple organizations involved in the distribution and sale of the game [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) In the case of the software failure incident related to the development phases, specifically the design phase, CD Projekt Red acknowledged that the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard they wanted it to meet. The co-founder mentioned that they initially focused on making the game look epic on PCs and then adjusting for consoles, especially older ones. However, they underestimated the task, particularly in constantly improving the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles due to the densely packed city in the game and limitations of old-gen consoles in terms of disk bandwidth [110171]. (b) Regarding the software failure incident related to the operation phases, particularly the operation or misuse of the system, players encountered major bugs and issues with Cyberpunk 2077 on the base PS4 and Xbox One platforms. This led to significant performance problems on these consoles, prompting CD Projekt Red to recommend playing the game on PS5 or PS4 Pro instead of the base PS4 model. The developer also acknowledged that users may continue to experience performance issues with the PS4 edition while they work on improving stability across all platforms [115853]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: - The software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077 was primarily within the system, as acknowledged by CD Projekt Red. The issues stemmed from the game not meeting the quality standard on consoles, especially older ones like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [108649, 115853, 110171]. - CD Projekt Red admitted that they initially focused on making the game look epic on PCs and then adjusting for consoles, particularly older ones, which led to underestimating the task of optimizing the game for all platforms [110171]. - The primary issue was improving the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles, as the game's densely packed city posed challenges due to limitations in disk bandwidth on older consoles [110171]. - The company faced difficulties in testing and identifying the issues players later experienced, indicating that the failure was rooted within the development and testing processes [110171]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident in Cyberpunk 2077 was primarily due to technical issues and bugs in the game itself, such as performance problems on older consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [108649, 115853]. - CD Projekt Red acknowledged that the game did not meet the quality standard they wanted it to meet on consoles, especially older ones, and struggled to adjust the game for these platforms after focusing on making it look epic on PCs [110171]. - The challenges with the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles, the densely packed city environment, and limitations in disk bandwidth were key technical factors contributing to the software failure incident [110171]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - CD Projekt Red's co-founder Marcin Iwinski publicly apologized for the software failure incident in Cyberpunk 2077 and took responsibility for the launch issues, stating that the leadership team was deeply sorry for the situation [110171]. - Iwinski explained that the studio underestimated the task of adjusting the game for consoles, especially older ones, after focusing on PC performance initially [110171]. - The impact of COVID-19 work-from-home restrictions was also cited as a challenge that affected the development process and may have contributed to the software failure incident [110171]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The software failure incident with Cyberpunk 2077 was partly attributed to hardware issues, specifically on older consoles like the base PS4 and Xbox One models [108649, 115853]. - CD Projekt Red acknowledged that the game did not meet the quality standard on older consoles and struggled with performance problems on both old and new devices [110171]. - The game's city being densely packed and the limitations of old-gen consoles in terms of disk bandwidth were highlighted as hardware-related challenges that affected the game's performance [110171]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident with Cyberpunk 2077 was primarily due to software issues, such as unfixed bugs and performance problems on various platforms [108649, 110171]. - CD Projekt Red admitted that the console version of the game did not meet the desired quality standard, indicating software-related issues in development and testing processes [110171]. - The need for constant improvements in the in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles and the challenges faced in testing that did not reveal all the issues were mentioned as software-related factors contributing to the failure incident [110171]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The articles do not indicate any malicious intent behind the software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077. The failures were primarily attributed to technical issues, bugs, and performance problems rather than intentional actions to harm the system [108649, 115853, 110171]. (b) The software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077 was categorized as non-malicious. The failures were acknowledged by CD Projekt Red as stemming from technical challenges, underestimation of tasks, and difficulties in adapting the game for different platforms, particularly older consoles like the base PS4 and Xbox One models [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions, accidental_decisions | (a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions: - CD Projekt Red apologized for not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before its premiere, leading to players not being able to make an informed decision about their purchase [Article 108649]. - CD Projekt Red wanted to make the game look epic on PCs first and then adjust for consoles, especially older ones, underestimating the task of adapting the game for consoles, which ultimately led to performance issues on consoles [Article 110171]. (b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions: - CD Projekt Red acknowledged that the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard they wanted it to meet, indicating that the issues were unintended and not due to deliberate decisions [Article 110171]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the case of the Cyberpunk 2077 launch by CD Projekt Red. The co-founder Marcin Iwinski acknowledged that the console version of the game did not meet the quality standard they aimed for, leading to dramatic performance problems on various platforms, especially on older consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One [Article 110171]. The studio initially focused on making the game look epic on PCs and then adjusting for consoles, underestimating the complexity of the task. Testing did not reveal many of the issues players later encountered, indicating a lack of thorough quality assurance processes [Article 110171]. (b) The software failure incident also had accidental elements, as CD Projekt Red faced challenges brought on by COVID-19 work-from-home restrictions. The dynamics that are normally taken for granted in a studio environment were lost over video calls or email, impacting the coordination and communication necessary for successful development and testing [Article 110171]. Additionally, the studio had to constantly improve its in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles due to the densely packed city in the game and limitations of older console hardware, indicating a struggle to adapt to unforeseen technical challenges [Article 110171]. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077 can be considered as temporary. The issues with the game's performance, bugs, crashes, and other problems were acknowledged by CD Projekt Red, and they actively worked on releasing updates and patches to address these issues. The company offered refunds to dissatisfied customers and outlined plans to fix the problems through downloadable patches [108649, 115853, 110171]. The temporary nature of the software failure is evident from the fact that CD Projekt Red released updates to address bugs, crashes, and other issues within a short timeframe, with plans for more significant patches in the following weeks. The company also acknowledged the quality issues with the console versions of the game and expressed deep apologies for the launch problems, indicating a commitment to improving the game's performance across platforms [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, value, byzantine, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident related to Cyberpunk 2077 can be categorized as a crash. Players reported bugs, crashes, and other issues, especially on the PS4 and Xbox One platforms [108649]. The game debuted with many unfixed bugs, leading to dramatic performance problems on Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One [110171]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. CD Projekt Red apologized for not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before it premiered, which did not allow players to make a more informed decision about their purchase [108649]. (d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. CD Projekt Red acknowledged that the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard they wanted it to meet, leading to performance problems on various platforms [110171]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident can be categorized as a byzantine failure. The behavior of the system was inconsistent across different platforms, with significant issues reported on base PS4 and Xbox One hardware [115853]. Sony and Microsoft removed Cyberpunk from their digital stores and offered refunds due to the game's rocky launch and problems particularly evident on base PS4 and Xbox One hardware [115853]. (f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as other due to the challenges brought on by COVID-19 work-from-home restrictions, which impacted the dynamics of the development process [110171]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident in the provided articles [108649, 115853, 110171]. (b) harm: The articles do not mention any physical harm caused to individuals due to the software failure incident [108649, 115853, 110171]. (c) basic: There is no indication that people's access to food or shelter was impacted by the software failure incident [108649, 115853, 110171]. (d) property: The software failure incident did impact people's material goods or money as customers were offered refunds for the game Cyberpunk 2077 due to its performance issues [108649, 115853, 110171]. (e) delay: People did have to postpone their gaming experience or decision to purchase the game due to the software failure incident as they were offered refunds and advised to wait for fixes and updates [108649, 115853, 110171]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted by the software failure incident as the game Cyberpunk 2077 experienced bugs, crashes, and other issues affecting gameplay on various platforms [108649, 115853, 110171]. (g) no_consequence: The software failure incident did have real observed consequences as players reported bugs, crashes, and other issues with the game Cyberpunk 2077, leading to refunds and fixes being offered [108649, 115853, 110171]. (h) theoretical_consequence: The articles discuss potential consequences of the software failure incident that did not occur, such as the game developer's plans to release updates and patches to address the issues faced by gamers [108649, 115853, 110171]. (i) other: There are no other specific consequences mentioned in the articles beyond those related to refunds, delays, and impacts on gameplay due to the software failure incident [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
| Domain | entertainment | (a) The failed system in question is related to the entertainment industry, specifically the video game industry. The software failure incident pertains to the highly anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077 developed by CD Projekt Red, which encountered significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues upon its release [108649, 115853, 110171]. The game's launch on various gaming platforms, especially on older consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, was marred by technical problems, leading to a wave of dissatisfaction among gamers and prompting the developer to issue apologies, offer refunds, and commit to releasing updates and patches to address the issues [108649, 115853, 110171]. |
Article ID: 108649
Article ID: 115853
Article ID: 110171