Remedy "Very Pleased" with Alan Wake Reception, Says Title Seems to "Have Legs"

Remedy Entertainment has told Shacknews the studio is "very pleased" with Alan Wake's critical and commercial reception following an eighth place NPD debut, saying its long-in-development title entered a "very competitive launch window, with some games dominating with extremely aggressive marketing spends that were hard to match." Alan Wake sold 145,000 units between its launch on May 18 and May 29, the final day for NPD monthly sales tracking in May 2010.

In response to a laundry list of questions regarding the game's debut and how it affects the intellectual property's future, Remedy's Oskari Häkkinen told Shacknews that the company sees a "growing interest" in Alan Wake and that the psychological thriller "certainly seems to 'have legs.'"

Häkkinen said that the game's marketing approach, using a series of short live-action webisodes, "supports the ideology that Alan Wake is not a come and go title, rather something that grows in interest through experience." Häkkinen did not respond to specific questions regarding how sales will impact future content or potential sequels for the Alan Wake "franchise."

The first downloadable content for Alan Wake, titled "The Signal," will arrive on July 27.

The complete response provided by Remedy Entertainment can be found after the break

Overall we have been very pleased with the reception of Alan Wake with both the press and the fans alike, people compliment the story first and foremost, but love the characters, the combat and of course the setting also. There is no doubt that Alan Wake hit the shelves during a very competitive launch window, with some games dominating with extremely aggressive marketing spends that were hard to match.

However, we've always tried to stay unique and do something new and different in video games. This breath of fresh air for gamers seems to now be working in our advantage as those that have already enjoyed Wake are clearly inspired to talk more about the game, and tell their fellow gamers to try it also, the word of mouth phenomenon is very apparent with Alan Wake. There has been a growing interest in the title and it certainly seems to "have legs" to sustain.

The Bright falls webisodes are a great way to get a taste of the stylization, an introduction to some of the characters and the fiction. Even non gamers have enjoyed them and I highly recommend those that haven't spent the 30 minutes watching the six 5 minute episodes to dive into them, we were really pleased with this marketing approach and it supports the ideology that Alan Wake is not a come and go title, rather something that grows in interest through experience.

- Oskari "Ozz" Häkkinen, Head of Franchise Development at Remedy Entertainment