A LEGENDARY VIDEO GAMES PUBLISHER “CDP” WENT BANKRUPT

It became known that the “CDP” company went bankrupt in Poland - it is the oldest publishing company, engaged in the distribution of the computer video games. A veteran of the gaming business, according to several experts, has been finally drowned in debt the by the transfer of the release of the game "Cyberpunk 2077" (Cyberpunk 2077) from April to September 2020. But in general, everything turned out to be much worse.

The company was founded by two Polish entrepreneurs, Michal Kichinsky and Marcin Ivinsky, back in 1994. Then it was called “CD Projekt” and was engaged exclusively in the distribution of the games from foreign manufacturers (such as “Activision” and “Blizzard”). As the business expanded and the company began to develop the legendary series for “The Witcher” game, it was renamed the “CDP”.

However, after the former managers (Michal Gembitsky and his partner Marcin Vesolovsky) bought the “CDP” as a separate company from the founders, the companies continued to cooperate. A little later, the activity on publishing computer games, having separated from the parent company, passed to the “Klabater” company. The online store cdp.pl also ceased to be owned by “CDP”, and was bought by the “Merlin” company.

The financial difficulties at the “CDP” publishing company have begun to arise a long time ago.

The company received the information about the transfer of the release of “Cyberpunk 2077” game from its manufacturer, “CD Projekt”, on January 16th.

At the same time, a series of layoffs began, which many experts attributed precisely to the postponement of the release time (about 30 employees worked at the company before the layoffs began). A number of Polish media even referred to the fact that “CDP” employees managed to prepare a significant amount of materials for promotion (gadgets with the April release date, posters, boxes, etc.), and therefore are faced with the serious losses.

The company management had to make an official refutation of the information that the dismissals were caused by the postponement of the release.

“Such a behavior,” stated a representative of the company, “corresponds to the practice of informing, adopted in the market.”

However, in fact, the agreement on the publication of the “Cyberpunk 2077” video game was transferred to another company (to “Cenega” in Poland and to “SoftKlab” in Russia).

As a result, the “CDP” co-owner Michal Gembitsky told some media that the company would seek for the new strategies to adapt to the situation that had developed in the distribution market of the computer games. Now, apparently, the search ended in bankruptcy - an interim manager has been appointed by the company, who will try to save the remaining assets.