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Cyberpunk Turns 30

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by R. Talsorian Games

Once upon a time Michael Alyn Pondsmith went to the theater to see Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. This one, simple Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. This one, simple Ridley Scott’s Blade Runnerfact would change the gaming industry forever. Inspired by the movie and the more literary side of the genre, he worked with Mike Blum, Dave Friedland, Will Moss, and Scott Ruggels to create the original Cyberpunk roleplaying Cyberpunk roleplaying Cyberpunkgame. Now commonly referred to as Cyberpunk 2013, the original version of the game hit shelves in 1988 and took the form of a boxed set of three books. In a hobby where hard science fi ction games in the mold of Heinlein and Asimov was king, the dark and gritty aesthetic of Cyberpunkproved to be a breath of fresh air which quickly became popular with gamers. “Mike Pondsmith killed my Cyberpunk character!” soon became a common cry on convention character!” soon became a common cry on convention character!”center fl oors.

Of course, R. Talsorian Games didn’t begin with Cyberpunk. They already had a reputation for innovation and unusual genre choices thanks to their anime inspired games, Mektonand Teenagers from Outer Space but neither attracted the attention or started a trend quite like Cyberpunk. Within the next few years, several companies released games in the cyberpunk genre and still others created cyberpunk-inspired supplements for their existing game lines. None of them were quite the same, though, as the Original Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future.

Cyberpunk 2020The original Cyberpunk didn’t just offer a unique setting but Cyberpunk didn’t just offer a unique setting but Cyberpunkinnovative mechanics via the Interlock system. The Lifepath tables helped players create character backgrounds which both fi t into the world and offered mechanical benefi ts. The famous Friday Night Firefi ght combat system was fl uid and deadly, combining realism with the tools to give players the narrative tools they needed to describe the action without falling back on a book full of tables.

Cyberpunk sold well and several supplements followed, including an adaption of the novel Hardwired by writer Hardwired by writer Hardwiredand game designer Walter Jon Williams. Learning lessons from those supplements as well as from the feedback of the thousands of gamers who had played the game, R. Talsorian released a second edition, entitled Cyberpunk 2020, in 1990. With updated

mechanics, more world lore, and more attitude than ever, Cyberpunk 2020 would become the defi nitive version of the game. As with the original, supplements followed,

ranging from the catalog-like Chromebooks to a sourcebook detailing original setting Night City to a book adapting the world of George Alec Effi nger’s When Gravity Fails. The GM advice book for Cyberpunk 2020, entitled Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads!!!! is still considered by many to be one of the best guides to running a game ever published.

Beyond 2020Other games followed Cyberpunk 2020. In 1993, Cybergenerationoffered the world a divergent future in which the question, “what do the children of cyberpunks rebel against?” is cyberpunks rebel against?” is cyberpunks rebel against?”answered. In 2005, Cyberpunk v3, a more transhumanist vision of a cyberpunk world ruined by corporate war. Both games had their fans but neither grew to the popularity of Cyberpunk 2020.

In time, the realities of life and the game industry forced R. Talsorian to scale back and Cyberpunk might well have Cyberpunk might well have Cyberpunkfaded away except for diehard fans but something amazing happened. Mike Pondsmith got a call from Poland.

Cyberpunk 2077The call turned out to be from a company called CD Projekt Red, already well known for the fi rst Red, already well known for the fi rst Red Witcher video game. Witcher video game. WitcherIt turned out they had played Cyberpunk 2020 before the fall of the iron curtain and now wanted to turn it into a

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video game. Mike met with them and, impressed by their work, agreed. Contracts were signed and CD Projekt Red announced their upcoming video game title, Cyberpunk 2077in 2012. They then put their head down and went to work, consulting regularly with Mike to ensure Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn’t be just “a” game set in the “a” game set in the “a” Cyberpunk universe Cyberpunk universe Cyberpunkbut “the” game set in the “the” game set in the “the” Cyberpunk universe.Cyberpunk universe.Cyberpunk

E3 and Gen Con 2018Except for a cinematic teaser trailer released in 2013, things remained quiet for quite a while. Like R. Talsorian, CD Projekt Red believes in taking their time and letting the Projekt Red believes in taking their time and letting the Projekt Redgame be done when its done. That changed at the 2018 E3 conference. There, in the year of Cyberpunk’s 30th anniversary, CD Projekt Red released a new, much longer CD Projekt Red released a new, much longer CD Projekt Redtrailer and offered journalists a peek at nearly an hour of actual game play. News went out quickly and interest in Cyberpunk exploded. Gamers old enough to have played Cyberpunk exploded. Gamers old enough to have played Cyberpunkthe game were reminded about it and wanted to play again. New gamers wanted to fi nd out what all the fuss was about. Journalists and video gamers wanted to learn as much about the lore and world background of the upcoming video game as the possibly could. R. Talsorian Games had been keeping the game in stock and selling it in both digital and physical form all this time but suddenly they couldn’t keep up with orders. Interest only increased after CD Projekt Red released CD Projekt Red released CD Projekt Redthe previously “journalist only” gameplay footage into the “journalist only” gameplay footage into the “journalist only”wilds of the internet. Between the renewed interest and the release of a new roleplaying game, The Witcher TRPG, R. Talsorian ended up as one of the buzzes on the convention room fl oor at Gen Con 2018 where there were often long lines to make a purchase.

The Future is RedR. Talsorian Games isn’t content to rest on their laurels. Currently, they’re working on putting as much of the original Cyberpunk supplements back into circulation as possible, Cyberpunk supplements back into circulation as possible, Cyberpunkin both print and digital forms. And they aren’t just looking to the past. Currently, Mike is working on a new edition of the game entitled Cyberpunk Red, which will update both Cyberpunk Red, which will update both Cyberpunk Redthe mechanics and the world lore of Cyberpunk 2020 to help bridge the gap between the pen and paper game and the video game. Where Cyberpunk v3 was one possible branch of the Dark Future, Cyberpunk Red will be the Dark Future, Cyberpunk Red will be the Dark Future, Cyberpunk Reddefi nitive guide to the timeline between the classic RPG and Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk 2077

Currently being designed, Cyberpunk Red does not have a Cyberpunk Red does not have a Cyberpunk Redhard release date but should be coming in 2019 in order to mark the start of the next 30 years of Cyberpunk. The Dark Future never looked so bright.