Remedy Entertainment's upcoming survival-horror game "Alan Wake 2" has a strange release strategy: Not only is it a big-budget, high-profile sequel that's completely skipping a physical release (a rarity for AAA blockbusters), but it's also throwing prices back in time.
The game will cost $60 on consoles, as opposed to the new standard of $70 -- and it's launching at $50 on PC. The old tradition of PC games costing $10 less than their console counterparts hasn't been respected by many publishers and developers for a long while, so Remedy going rogue here is . curious.
Remedy explained the contemporary decision to skip physical releases on its "Alan Wake 2" FAQ, stating that the existence of digital-only PS5s and the Xbox Series S is proof enough that physical's on the way out. They also explained that skipping physical will help them keep prices at $60 on console and $50 on PC (they're using the new-school approach to justify old-school pricing). The company also mentioned that a physical copy would still require a game download, which somewhat defeats the purpose of tangible media in the first place.
Also read:
Microsoft's Head of Xbox on Why They're Losing the Console Race: 'Not in the Business of Out-Consoling Sony'
Remedy Entertainment did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
In any event, it looks like physical collectors who still have their original, shiny "Alan Wake" game cases won't be able to add the sequel to their shelves. And on the flip side, gamers who are irked by the industry's new $70-per-release strategy will have something to look forward to, doubly so for PC players who'll only have to shell out $50 for a AAA game as though they've been teleported back to the early 2010's.
In short: Expect "Alan Wake 2" to cost $50 on PC (Epic Games Store only, at this point) and $60 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X & S. It arrives October 17, 2023. It's a horror game centered around the titular writer, Alan Wake, and his quest to scribe his way out of a surreal prison of nightmares before he goes insane.
Also read:
'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' for PS5 Gets First Footage, Showcases Kraven and Lizard (Video)