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Alan Wake PC recoups dev and marketing costs in 48 hours
Alan Wake for PC took the road less traveled to launch, but all those yellow bricks are made of gold from here on out. Developer Remedy, which was also the publisher of the PC version, revealed the game recouped its development and marketing expenses during "the first 48 hours" after launch on February 16."We are very happy with the sales and hitting #1 on Steam at launch was nothing short of amazing," Remedy's Aki Järvilehto noted on the game's forum.Alan Wake returns this week to Xbox Live Arcade in mini-sequel Alan Wake's American Nightmare, which fans of the series will want to pick up. Thankfully, American Nightmare won't be the end of Wake's adventures on consoles, PC or any other future platform the writer finds himself surviving on.%Gallery-147824%
Deja Review: Alan Wake (PC)
We're of the firm opinion that your time is too precious, too valuable to be spent reading a full review for a game that was already reviewed many, many years ago. What's the point of applying a score to a game that's old enough to be enrolled in the sixth grade? That's why we invented Deja Review: A quick look at the new features and relative agelessness of remade, revived and re-released games. Alan Wake's development tale was almost as troubled as the ordeal faced by the game's titular character. After a long creation process, which included ditching a PC version that was always planned, Remedy's first original title since 2003 failed to light up sales charts (despite critical praise).For fans of Wake's story, its inability to reach 'best-seller' status raised fears of an end to his fiction. Developer Remedy Entertainment defied that notion, announcing Alan Wake's American Nightmare, which is set to hit Xbox Live Arcade later this month. Retaining rights from Microsoft -- its original partner in Wake's release -- Remedy finally made good on its promise to bring Wake to the PC, and Alan Wake's second-printing does little to disappoint.%Gallery-147824%
Alan Wake PC editions illuminated, not scary anymore
Nordic Games has revealed the contents of its Alan Wake PC editions -- collector's and standard -- which are set to hit Steam on February 16 and retail shelves on March 2. The standard edition includes the full game and The Signal and The Writer DLC packs on one disc, the original soundtrack on a second, six post cards, seven stickers, a poster and a manual.The collector's edition includes everything in the standard edition, plus audio commentary and background information from developer Remedy Entertainment that can be switched on during the main game. It also has "The Alan Wake Files," 144 pages of evidence complied by in-game author Clay Steward, and a third disc with a making-of feature, the history of Remedy, trailers and behind-the-scenes content.Alan Wake is set to hit Steam in downloadable form on February 16, at $30 for the standard edition and $35 for the collector's edition, though without the discs and "premium packaging" promised in both retail forms.
Remedy not done with Alan Wake
Remedy believes in a future for Wake.Matias Myllyrinne, CEO of Remedy, told us at DICE 2012 that the studio isn't done with its literary protagonist after launching Alan Wake on PC and Alan Wake's American Nightmare on XBLA later this month."We're crowd pleasers, we'll do what the audience wants, 'cause usually that's the good business move as well," Myllyrinne responded when we asked what's next for Wake. He also reconfirmed the studio owns the IP, so the future of Wake is theirs to write."Hopefully, we'll have one or two surprises. I don't know, I'm loving the digital [distribution] side and we'll see how that evolves, but just being able to give people quick access to bite-size chunks of gaming is maybe more fun than working for years and years -- taking the phone offline and closing the shutters-- at least, this way, you're able to react much more quickly to people's desires and wishes."With Remedy directly publishing Alan Wake on Steam, we wanted to know if the studio had an internal figure for sales that would dictate resources being put into a full-blown sequel."I don't know. I don't know if that would dictate it. If it bombs [laughs], then that's certainly a signal, but we're fairly confident that it'll do well. We'll certainly continue with Wake. Right now we're focusing on getting the PC out next week, then getting American Nightmare out. And it's too early to talk about what our next move is, but we've obviously put things into motion."
Alan Wake dated, priced on PC
"Specificity" is such a succulent word. Alan Wake for PC has an official launch date of February 16 on Steam, with other digital distribution outlets following. The standard offering will be available for $29.99, which will include the core game plus "The Signal" and "The Writer" DLC.There's also a Limited Collector's Edition for $35. It includes the content found in the regular edition, adding the Alan Wake Files Book, developer commentary and extended soundtrack.On XBLA, Alan Wake's American Nightmare begins on February 22. Rampaging donuts and cholesterol-injecting nurses not yet confirmed.
Alan Wake getting boxed PC version from Nordic Games
For those not content with simply downloading the PC version of Alan Wake next month, Nordic Games has some good news. The Swedish publisher will be releasing a boxed version of Alan Wake's PC outing, with an official launch date to be announced in "the next few days."Like its downloadable cousin, the boxed version will also include both of Alan Wake's DLC episodes, "The Signal" and "The Writer."
Alan Wake alights on Steam in February, answers your FAQs now
Remedy Games is gearing up to launch Alan Wake on Steam this February -- the developer's first self-published title -- with a hefty FAQ session on its forum. Steam's Alan Wake will not be available on Mac, won't use Games for Windows Live and won't have a demo. It will use Steamworks, support keyboard and Xbox 360 controller input, and will include The Signal and The Writer DLC packs with the game.Alan Wake on Steam can support stereoscopic 3D through NVISION 3D, although it is performance-intensive, Remedy warns. For normal (see: "unfancy") gameplay, the expected system requirements are fairly standard, as you can see -- no flashlight required -- just after the break.
Surviving Alan Wake's American Nightmare
I'm pretty selfish. I know Alan deserves to be at home, sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Mad About You with his wife, but I prefer him on the front lines of the war against the forces of darkness. Who wants to play a game about a married couple being a boring married couple? I loved the original Alan Wake, but doubted the writer would ever return after the original's underwhelming sales performance. But here we are, and even though Alan Wake's American Nightmare isn't the direct sequel I'll always hope for, my brief time with the game gives the impression that I won't be disappointed.%Gallery-141956%
Alan Wake's American Nightmare begins 'mid-Q1,' new 'Fight till Dawn' mode announced
Alan Wake's been dormant since 2010, but he's not going to start dreaming until "the middle of the first quarter of 2012." That's the release window for his XBLA spinoff Alan Wake's American Nightmare, according to an announcement issued today. Also announced today: a new "arcade mode" called "Fight till Dawn," in which the beleaguered writer is swarmed by enemies over the course of a night, and attempts to build up a score by taking them out with a a variety of weapons, "from old stalwarts like the flare gun to wild new favorites like the nail gun and old school Remedy favorites like the Uzi." Online leaderboards will give you a chance to see who among your friends is best at withstanding psychological horror. We hope you never have a reason to use that information.%Gallery-141956%
Alan Wake tells his story on PC in early 2012
Remedy's hint for a PC port for Alan Wake was more than pillow talk, the developer has confirmed today. Alan Wake is slated to launch in early 2012 on the PC, right around the time Alan Wake's American Nightmare is planned for Xbox Live Arcade. Synergy! Both DLC episodes, The Signal and The Writer, are hitching along for the ride, included in the PC version for free. Finally, the cream of the 2010 crop comes to the PC two years later ... and it's not even from Ubisoft. %Gallery-141744%
Rumor: Alan Wake hiding in Steam registry, Remedy hints at PC release
Alan Wake may finally find the path to PC after almost two years of Xbox 360 exclusivity. Alan Wake forum users spotted telltale text in the Steam registry, indicating the game has (or had) some kind of presence on Valve's platform. This comes alongside Remedy's Executive VP Aki Järvilehto, passively mentioned the PC version to a Finnish website -- Just Push Start roughly translated him as saying there might be "some positive news to tell" PC fans in the near future. During Alan Wake's lengthy development there was much back and forth about whether the game would ever launch on PC, with the scales eventually tipping toward console exclusivity. Over a year later, and with a pseudo-sequel on the way for Xbox Live Arcade with Alan Wake's American Nightmare, we're hopeful for Alan's arrival on PC.
Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a spooky XBLA battle between light and dark
Looks like the rumors were right, at least partially: Alan Wake's American Nightmare will be an XBLA exclusive title wherein our titular hero is pitted against Mr. Scratch, an apparently egotistical and especially evil version of Alan. Evil birds, evil satellites and everything you'd expect lurks within the Spike TV Video Game Awards trailer, as well as in your very soul.
Alan Wake's Night Springs developer defends decision to go XBLA
There's been a not-insubstantial outcry of concern from fans of the Alan Wake franchise following the announcement that the series' next installment, Night Springs, would be an XBLA exclusive. Worried parties shouldn't fear a sea change in the original game's setup -- on the game's forums, Remedy community manager Peter Papadopoulos explained it will be "structured like a full release," asking posters to "wait for the official announcement before making up your mind." But ... but we've already rolled out our Jump to Conclusions mat! Remedy CEO Markus Mäki also chimed in on the forums, adding, "If you're thinking about this in terms of some kind of a, I don't know, super simplified 'we still use the name but changed everything about it' version of Alan Wake, let me just say that this is not the case. That's all I'm gonna say." Other than these defensive statements, all we have to go on is the meager announcement from yesterday, as well as the supposedly leaked title screen acquired by XBLAFans this past May, posted above. We'll have to wait until the VGAs to see the game in action -- or, as the title screen would seem to hint at, in "Arcade Action."
New Alan Wake is an XBLA game
The new Alan Wake game to be revealed at the Spike VGAs will be for Xbox Live Arcade. This was first noted as a correction in a tweet by Game Informer news editor Jim Reilly, who clarified that it's a downloadable game, and "not Alan Wake 2." The announcement was confirmed on the Alan Wake Facebook page, which also asks "Are you ready to become the Champion of Light?" We'll see the first screenshot on GI's website on Monday. These details are in keeping with reports we've received in the past. In May, Remedy head of development Oskari Häkkinen told Joystiq that a new Alan Wake project was in progress, but was not Alan Wake 2, and "neither will it be DLC." That report also offered a fall release window, which is seeming unlikely at this point. Later that same month, a rumor popped up outing the next game as "Alan Wake's Night Springs" for XBLA.
New Alan Wake, BioWare game, and MGS Rising details at VGAs
Geoff Keighley has begun ramping up the excitement for the VGA show coming December 10, revealing some of the surprises coming up at the Spike event -- but, of course, only enough that they'll still be surprises. "Alan Wake returns," he tweeted, "and BioWare unveils a new game from a new studio." In addition, Hideo Kojima will reveal "the truth about Metal Gear Solid: Rising." Man, remember Metal Gear Solid: Rising? Keighley isn't hogging all the exclusives for Spike, having graciously shared "teaser images" of the new announcements with Game Informer, who is itself no stranger to exclusives, for the December issue. Rest assured, we'll get you all the info as soon as the game media's "1%" allow it to trickle down to your prole pals at Joystiq.
PSA: Canadian 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with 5 games now available
Do you come from the school of thought that equates "free stuff" with "money saved"? Is a $20 gift card as good as $20 off? Did you buy that useless robotic vacuum dog because it was so steeply discounted you'd practically lose money not buying it? We understand your plight, friend. And if you're Canadian, we think we've got a deal for you. News broke yesterday that our gentle neighbors to the north would be alone in getting the above limited edition Xbox 360 bundle which, while still $300, manages to throw enough free stuff in there that we're actively considering a pricey Canadian road trip –-- we'd practically lose money if we didn't buy it! Your $300 nets you a 250GB Xbox 360 S console, and full game downloads of Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 3, Halo Wars, and the excellent Alan Wake. And, beginning today, it's available at Canadian retailers like Future Shop and Best Buy. It's not a price cut, but who needs cash off when you could get that much free stuff? [Thanks, MakoXL.]
Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only]
Reader Darren Christie tweeted a rather official-looking image of a new Xbox 360 bundle. According to the picture, taken at the Future Shop store in which Christie works, the new package includes a 250GB Xbox 360 console and download codes for five of its biggest games: Alan Wake, Halo 3, Halo Wars, Fable 3, and Gears of War 2. In addition to being big in terms of profile, they're also big in terms of file size, with the box warning that these games will occupy 29.51 GB on the hard drive. Christie told us that the bundle will be released tomorrow for $299.99. He is located in Canada, so it's possible this hardware package is a Canadian-only promotion. We've checked in with Microsoft to get the details. Just to be safe, maybe you should wait a day or so before buying an Xbox. Update: Shacknews received confirmation from Microsoft that this bundle is exclusive to Canada, out tomorrow, and available for a limited time.
Microsoft Studios hasn't signed next Alan Wake project, would 'love to work with Remedy again'
Oskari Häkkinen, head of franchise development for Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment, told Joystiq last month that, in fact, a new Alan Wake project was under development. Admittedly, we were getting a little ahead of ourselves when we arrived at E3 this year in full Alan Wake cosplay so the absence of the latest A. Wake project – rumored to be an XBLA title called Alan Wake's Night Springs – hit us pretty hard. So we tracked down Microsoft Studios chief Phil Spencer to grill him about Remedy's reveal and the dearth of Alan Wake games in Microsoft's E3 lineup. "I read that," Spencer said, laughing about the news. "I don't know that they've signed it with anybody." While Spencer told us that Wake "didn't sell as well as we would have liked," he was clear that it wouldn't affect their working relationship. "I'd love to work with Remedy again," he told us. "We have ongoing conversations with them." So if Microsoft isn't privy to what Remedy's working on, who is? "I think the stuff they're doing now they wanted to incubate, Mattias and the team," Spencer said. "They wanted to incubate internally. Like I said, I don't think they've signed it with anybody." Well, as long as that's the case, we'll have our Joystiq Publishing representatives get in touch with Remedy and work something out. Our backrub-heavy royalty system is an industry first.
Rumor: Alan Wake's Night Springs coming to XBLA
Alan Wake's Night Springs is the alleged name of an upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, reports XBLAFans. The site also obtained some screenshots, though their source asked for them not to be shared. This same informant outed Gotham City Impostors several months back. Night Springs is the name of the Twilight Zone-esque television show in the world of Wake. Though Remedy had no comment on this recent development, the studio did previously confirm to Joystiq that a new Wake was in the works, but that it would be neither Alan Wake 2 nor more DLC for the first game.
New Alan Wake confirmed, but it's not 'Alan Wake 2'
Remedy has confirmed that it's working on the next Alan Wake game -- but the "next" game is not the "Alan Wake 2" that was outed from an artist's resume. Oskari Häkkinen, head of franchise development for the Finnish developer, confirmed to Joystiq that a slice of the team is crafting "this next Wake installment," which is neither sequel nor downloadable content. "Fans of the franchise will be excited to learn that, yes, more Wake is coming!" he said. "But to be absolutely certain to avoid confusion, this next Wake installment will not be Alan Wake 2. But neither will it be DLC." The full explanation, "when we'll actually SHOW YOU," is being saved for the official announcement later. If it's not a sequel, then what is it? (What is it with you and confounding nebulousness, Alan?) "It's something that'll definitely give more to the Wake fans out there, but just as importantly, this installment will also give an opportunity for players who aren't familiar with the franchise to finally jump on board." Could it be an updated version of the original scary-forest sim, or an episodic continuation? Remedy is not announcing platforms or release dates yet, but told us that "Fall 2011 is probably a good guess." Also a good guess? Nowhere near a Rockstar game.
