Alan Wake 2 will be a digital-only release to keep price down
Remedy claims nixing physical editions of Alan Wake 2 helps the studio reduce costs, among several other reasons.
In an interesting new move following the latest reveal of Alan Wake 2 yesterday, Remedy Entertainment and Epic Games also announced that they wouldn’t be producing physical copies of the game for launch. Alan Wake 2 will be a digital-only release and the developers have released a FAQ webpage going into some details on why. Mainly, not producing physical copies of Alan Wake 2 will supposedly help them keep the cost of the game down from the $70 premium price that has been contentious among buyers as of late.
Remedy Entertainment and Epic Games Publishing released the FAQ webpage for Alan Wake 2 following its trailer in the PlayStation Showcase 2023 presentation on May 25, 2023. A good way down the list, Remedy addresses the matter of Alan Wake 2 being a digital-only release in detail:
Source: Remedy Entertainment
Remedy goes on to add that, given the trend of day-one patches and other fixes that come shortly after or on the day of release, it didn’t want to ship a disc which would have players downloading further content anyways.
“We did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game — we do not think this would make for a great experience either,” Remedy explained.
It’s likely to be a stick in the craw of collectors who wished to have Alan Wake 2 on their shelf in addition to being in their gaming libraries, but it also doesn’t seem like something Remedy is going to change its mind on immediately. With an October 2023 release date set for the game and a gameplay showcase confirmed for Summer Game Fest 2023, stay tuned for more Alan Wake 2 coverage as it drops, right here at Shacknews.
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replyTJ Denzer posted a new article, Alan Wake 2 will be a digital-only release to keep price down
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They should use this as an opportunity to experiment and release it on Steam for $70 too. That would cover the 30% for the Steam tax similar to the console fees, Epic would still take away ~$50 as they would selling direct on the EGS.
I just hate digital exclusives no matter who is doing them, Epic, EA, Ubisoft, etc, but I know they're funding most of Remedy's stuff going forward. Just want the option to buy it and have it in my library of choice, especially that's where my other Alan Wake games reside. Shit, all my Remedy games for that matter. Max Payne 1&2, Quantum Break, and Control as well. -
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I’m sure the supply chain issues/crisis are at least partially to blame, but yeah, the only thing I’ve ever ordered from them was the cart version of Quake 1 for the Switch and it took like ten months to deliver. People who bought the super duper versions waited more than a year and a half. If nothing else, I don’t think I have the stomach to drop a ton of money on something with them and have it just tied up like that for so long.
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Lol...to keep price down.
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A $50 game sold on EGS with 12% take is $44 vs a $60 game on Steam with 30% take is $42.
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PC version will be $50? Neat
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I guess we'll finally see prices falling now that digital is a possibility!
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Price aside, Alan Wake 2 looks fucking sick. Like...the best possible blend of Remedy games with Resident Evil. It might be a rare day 1 purchase for me if reviews are solid. Perfect October horror gaming!
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