Why won’t Alan Wake II be released physically? Its creators answer

Alan Wake II This is one of the biggest games of this year. Continuation of the cult Alan Wake will be released on Xbox X | S, PC and PS5 on October 17 and it’s a fact that It will only be available as a digital download.. The decision, which, although part of an increasingly important trend in the industry, caused quite a bit of public outcry.

Knowing that the decision would cause controversy, representatives from Remedy Entertainment issued clarifications. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Sam Lakeresearch leader and Kyle RowleyDirector Alan Wake IIexplained why they decided to do without physical format versions for the platforms on which it will be available.

Those responsible for the anticipated video game indicated that despite several factors tipping the scales in favor of a 100% digital release, strategy gives them more time to optimize it before launch.

“Obviously, going digital gives us more time as creatives to fine-tune the game. In fact, a significant number of weeks. to release something that we were not proud of and would not want players to play, so hopefully in this way we can give them the best version of the game, ”explained Rowley.

Lake, for his part, pointed out that both Remedy and Epic Games, publisher Alan Wake Ithey felt that it was the perfect moment focus on a launch that wasn’t tied to the usual physical format.

Alan Wake I it will be 100% digital

Comments from the creators Alan Wake I They supplement what is published in the FAQ of the game. In the Q&A section of the new action and psychological horror movie, its developers expected a 100% digital release He also answered a question about costs..

Remedy Entertainment explained that not releasing the physical version helped them keep prices down. Added to this is that offering games only as digital downloads is becoming more and more common, up to existing consoles – Xbox Series S and PS5 Digital Edition – without a disc reader.

Justification of the creators Alan Wake I it has logic. But it also makes them come up with a proposal it really suits the occasion. If a new Remedy video game comes out with mistakesor requires an additional download, once it is properly installed, any attempt to legitimize the lack of a physical version will be in vain.

Debate about digital downloads and ownership

It is clear that the case Alan Wake I it is not unique or exceptional. We mentioned that there is a growing trend in the video game industry that is looking to move away from physical publishing for good.

In fact, some AAA franchises have been “cheating” with their disc versions for some time now. when it was released Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2For example, the PS5 version only included a 70MB license file. The rest of the game, over 100 GB in size, was downloaded to the console. Starfield It’s another great game that won’t come in physical format either, at least not in all of its versions.

A great selling point for digital downloads is that you can buy the game, whether Alan Wake II or another, directly from your PC or console. It’s fast, simple and, most importantly, convenient.. And if it’s cheaper, it’s much better. The problem is that over the years gamers have lost a sense of ownership over the games they buy.

The download of digital video games takes place within an ecosystem tightly controlled by the platforms. Something that is seen mostly in the console realm. So, if tomorrow it occurs to them to close online stores or catalogs of certain models of equipment, users will eventually losing access to games they theoretically boughtbut that they cannot export anywhere.

Something similar to what happens with video games that require a constant internet connection even for individual campaigns. What happens when servers go down or go down? The concern of the players is justified, no doubt.

Prices Alan Wake II

When Alan Wake II, we’ll see if its digital release lives up to Remedy and Epic Games’ promises. The expectations of the public are really important as they have been waiting for this release for over a decade.

What’s going on with prices? The standard PC version will cost $49.99 and £39.99. It will be available on consoles for $59.99 or £49.99.

For its part, the Deluxe Edition Alan Wake II it will cost $69.99 and £54.99 on PC. While on PS5 and Xbox Series X | S it will be available for $79.99/EUR or £64.99.