remedy entertainment
Latest
Report: 'The Writer' is final Alan Wake DLC
Alan Wake's "The Writer" DLC may be the last we see of Mr. Wake in downloadable form, according to Evil Avatar. Remedy head Matias Myllyrinne apparently told the site that The Writer would "conclude things" (Evil Av's words) and, like the last DLC episode, would feature "intense action" (Myllyrinne's words). Remedy has yet to confirm the report as of publishing. Even if the Writer is to be the last DLC for Alan Wake, Remedy has expressed interest in an episodic, digitally distributed release of the full game at some point. Additionally, a recent interview with Remedy resulted in a fuzzy answer to the question of additional Alan Wake DLC beyond The Writer. With any luck, Remedy will paint a clearer explanation soon.
Upcoming Alan Wake DLC features a song by a band you know
We find ourselves in a bit of a precarious situation -- we've always thought the songs that play at the end of Alan Wake's episodes are delightful little treats, so we don't want to forecast the ending track of the game's upcoming DLC chapter, "The Writer." We do know what said track is, though, and we desperately want to tell you. If you don't mind the minor spoiler, continue reading past the jump.
Remedy discusses next Alan Wake DLC, 'The Writer'
Outside of the knowledge that a second episode of DLC for Alan Wake -- titled "The Writer" -- will be coming sometime this fall and that it will cost 560 MS Points ($7), little else is known about the developer's plans for the future of the series. Though head of franchise development Oskari Häkkinen didn't get too specific, he told Eurogamer that the second DLC may not necessarily be the last we see of Mr. Wake on Xbox Live Marketplace. "I can't confirm whether this is going to be the last one or not. There are some things in the pipeline that we're looking at, and we're balancing out how we will move on with this," Häkkinen said. In terms of "The Writer," though, Remedy ... writer Mikko Rautalahti added that gameplay will skew towards the type found in the first DLC ("The Signal"), while level design errs more on the side of fantasy than the first. "You will be seeing a lot more weird stuff. And we've learned quite a bit from making 'The Signal,' and we'll be applying that to 'The Writer' quite a bit," he said. Both Häkkinen and Rautalahti remained relatively tight-lipped on the subject of an Alan Wake sequel, with Häkkinen only allowing, "I don't see any reason why we wouldn't continue with Microsoft with a full-blown sequel for Alan Wake. We definitely want to do it. We have great ideas for it. I can see Mikko here twiddling his thumbs with his ideas for Alan Wake 2. There's certainly a want, and that want is I believe from both sides." He did, however, add, "Right now I can't confirm anything." Given our feelings on the game (and the first DLC), we've got all our fingers and toes crossed for more.
Buy Alan Wake for $30 and get back in our good graces
Listen, America. We know our relationship has been strained these past few weeks. It's just that ... well, you didn't buy Alan Wake very much, did you? If you want us to forgive you, you might want to spring for GoGamer's $30 sale on the literary thriller.
Gears of War, Max Payne and Bioshock added to GFWL Games on Demand
Better late than never, right? Gears of War ($20), Bioshock ($20) and Max Payne ($10) have been added to Games for Windows Live's Games on Demand service. [Thanks, TheWeaponeer]
Alan Wake original score available at retail, digitally on July 20
While you probably know about Alan Wake by now (we liked it a lot), and you probably know about the game's unconventional soundtrack, full of licensed tracks from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to David Bowie, you may be less familiar with the game's original score by Finnish composer Petri Alanko. In short, it's not what you'd expect from a "psychological action thriller." Instead, you'll find something far more "romantic," Alanko says; a wistful arrangement with piano and strings that's a little more light than dark. If you enjoyed Mr. Alanko's work and – especially if you didn't get the Collector's Edition whose soundtrack disc contained five tracks from the score – you'll be pleased to learn that Sumthing Else Music is releasing the full original score on July 20, featuring 18 tracks of orchestral music. You can pre-order the CD on Amazon now or, if you prefer the digital route, wait until the 20th and hit up Sumthing.com or iTunes.
Alan Wake DLC episodes priced at $7 each
Remedy's imperiled author sim, Alan Wake, will be extended in two downloadable episodes later this year, with the first set to launch on July 27th. Entitled "The Signal," the first add-on is available free to players who purchased the game new. We met up with Remedy's Head of Franchise Development, Oskari Hakkinen, and ascertained that the episode -- which should last around 90 minutes -- will cost 560 MS Points ($7) on the Xbox Live Marketplace to those who purchased the game sans shrinkwrap. The second downloadable episode, "The Writer," will also cost 560 MS points ($7). According to Hakkinen, the $10 price seen within Alan Wake's DLC menu was meant to be a placeholder.
Alan Wake wanders into 'WAR,' a Poets of the Fall music video
We speculated that the live-action Alan Wake teaser that surfaced last week was promoting a new commercial or web short. It turned out to be a slick music video for "WAR," a song by Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall -- and one of the licensed tracks to feature in Remedy's atmospheric action game. The video features Alan Wake as portrayed by actor Ilkka Villi, who's basically the Milli Vanilli companion to voice actor Matthew Porretta. Head past the break to see Wake freak out to musical accompaniment, ponder his mysterious manuscript pages ... and wonder why the world's worst cameraman is stalking him and his wife through a field. [Seen Above: The first image from the upcoming Alan Wake DLC, "The Signal."]
Alan Wake spotted in live-action teaser
Remedy has released a creepy, cryptic video for Alan Wake. So, it's a lot like every Alan Wake video, but it's especially like the Bright Falls prequel series in that it's composed of live-action footage. The only thing that looks unrealistic, really, is the imperiled author's jacket-hoodie combination. We're impressed by how well the video captures some of the Xbox 360 thriller's imagery -- such as the blinding flares and the mysterious manuscript pages -- and we suspect it's part of a live-action commercial (much like those made for Microsoft's Halo franchise) or another web short. We'll be sure to bring you more information next week.
Red Dead Redemption, Split/Second debut on UK charts
Rockstar's dusty western, Red Dead Redemption, has taken the top spot on the UK software sales charts -- Take-Two's first multiplatform title to do so since Bioshock 2, according to Chart-Track. it's also the first top multiplatform title for Rockstar since the debut of GTA IV way back in 2008. That's not to say there weren't other highlights in this week's dog and pony show. Coming in second was 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, while Ubisoft's Just Dance managed to move to the beat of third. Black Rock Studios' Split/Second also managed to make an appearance at the fifth spot, while European developer Remedy Entertainment's psychological thriller, Alan Wake, was pushed back into the shadows down to the eighth spot -- a major drop from its previous second place spot last week. Source - Red Dead Redemption takes top spot on GFK Chart-Track Source - GFK Chart-Track's top-selling titles for the week ending May 22
Alan Wake DLC called 'The Signal,' coming July 27
Have you already managed to complete Alan Wake's narrative arc, and now you're jonesing for more episodic storytelling in the Bright Falls universe? First of all, unless you live in Europe, holy crap you're fast. The game's only been out in the U.S. for half a day! Second of all, you now can look forward to the release of the game's first DLC pack, titled "The Signal," which Microsoft recently announced will launch on July 27. If you bought a new copy of the game -- which, again, we're assuming you did, since it's been out for a few hours -- you've already got a coupon code that will let you grab the new content for free. Of course, we have no idea what that that content will actually entail. We're assuming that signals will be involved, and will somehow be directing our attention towards things that are scary.
All six episodes of Bright Falls now available online
If you're hoping to get acquainted with the world of Alan Wake before the game's extremely imminent release, you may want to watch the six-part mini-series Bright Falls, all of which is now available on Machinima's YouTube channel. Regardless of whether or not you understand a lick of what transpires during the Twin Peaks-esque series, it's still a really well-made tie-in, and gives a great sense of the unsettling environments the titular Wake will be exploring. If you want more information about Bright Falls after viewing the series, we suggest checking out our interview with co-writer and director Phillip Van. Watch: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6
Alan Wake add-on sees the light in July
Alan Wake won't be exploring the darkest corners of your Xbox until next week but developer Remedy has already announced via Twitter the release date for the game's first DLC episode: July 27. ... Or is it July 28, as seen on promotional dashboard show Sent U A Message host Daniel Maher's Twitter account? We're just as confused as you presumably are and have reached out to all parties (including Microsoft) to help us cast some light on things. Inconsistent release dates aside, users will be able to access the DLC through the included token download card packed in with all new copies of the game. No word yet on how much the DLC will cost those of you who go the used games route. [Via XboxGaming]
Remedy looking to improve facial animation for Alan Wake DLC
Zombies may have been the scariest things in (the truly excellent) Alan Wake. No, we're not talking about the shadow-infested Taken but rather the main characters themselves. While Remedy Entertainment's Markus Maki admits in a forum post that "it's a complex problem trying to dodge the Uncanny Valley," many of the characters in Alan Wake's cutscenes land squarely in the Valley, giving them that just-this-side-of-creepy zombie death mask that we all know and love. Now for the good news: Remedy "definitely learned a lot doing Alan Wake" and is "using some of the improvements in the DLC production already." And, in case you think it's as easy as checkin off the "make less zombie-like" box in GameDeveloper 7.0, Maki says, "It's not alone a matter of the method how or where the facial capture is done, it's about the run-time animation techniques available, skeleton setup and so on." Skeletons, too? We told you Alan Wake was creepy! [Via G4]
Bright Falls director Phillip Van explains how to create a fictional town
Since last week's release of the first two episodes of "Bright Falls," the six-part prequel to Alan Wake, we've been feverishly wondering how a live action video game tie-in could be so ... non-abysmal. To find the cause of this phenomenon, we went straight to the source: the series' co-writer and director, Phillip Van. Check out our interview with Van just past the jump to learn about the thematic inspirations and environmental tribulations that went into the creation of "Bright Falls."
Buy Alan Wake new, get first 'game add-on' free
Apparently EA's Project Ten Dollar has had an influence on other publishers, as Microsoft announced that new purchases of Alan Wake will come with a "token code card" allowing for the free download of the first game add-on (said to be coming "later this year"). The Bright Falls Bonus Pack was also detailed, with participating retailers divvying out Avatar gear (the 'I Am Awake' t-shirt) and a Bright Falls Xbox Live theme to those of you who pre-order (the Avatar shirt and Dashboard theme also come with the Limited Collector's Edition). And yeah, in fairness, Alan Wake isn't the first MGS-published title to get an incentivized new purchase plan (Gears of War 2 says hello), but it's certainly been some time since we last saw Microsoft employ the business model. No price has been set or release date given for the first bit of content, but we'll assuredly find out soon enough, as Alan Wake is set to arrive at retail in just a few more weeks on May 18.
Live-action Alan Wake prequel premieres on Xbox Live April 25
If Alan Wake's TV show-like presentation isn't, well, enough like a TV show for you, here's some good news: next week, the first episode in a six-part live-action Alan Wake series will be available on Xbox Live. Bright Falls, shot on location in Oregon, acts as a prequel to the events in the game -- which hopefully means that at least some weirdness was taking place in the game's location before the arrival of Mr. Wake. Otherwise, we'll be watching six episodes about a really pleasant town. Allaying the concern we just expressed, Microsoft promises that the series "evokes the same ghostly chills as 'Twin Peaks' did when it premiered 20 years ago this month." The first two episodes will be available for Xbox Live Gold members on April 25, for everyone else on Xbox Live on April 26, and on brightfalls.com on April 27, with one new episode releasing each week until May 17's two-part finale. That date happens to be one day before the Xbox 360 game's release date, at which point you'll get to see the rest of the story in the game -- and the short story included with the collector's edition.
Interview: Matias Myllyrinne on breathing life into Alan Wake
Founded in 1995, Remedy Entertainment is set to celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, along with the launch of its fourth game, Alan Wake. In contrast with many of the industry's studios, which are comfortable with putting out a new game every two years (if not more frequently), this Finnish game developer can't be rushed to completion. "Remedy is not a game factory," its website tells those looking for employment. The company's managing director, Matias Myllyrinne, wouldn't have it any other way. "You know, this is a labor of love, at least for us," he told Joystiq during an interview at the Game Developers Conference, held last month in San Francisco. After we discussed the game's technology, its cinematic aspirations and its carefully picked cast of actors, it became evident that Alan Wake -- despite lacking "buckets and buckets of blood" -- has a heart, transplanted from the people who made it. "It's almost like you need to see it through, for your own kind of well-being as a creative team," Myllyrinne said. Also, there definitely won't be an Alan Wake musical, so forget about it.
Interview: Remedy's Oskari 'Ozz' Hakkinen on Alan Wake
After five long years of development, Remedy Entertainment is weeks away from delivering on one of the "most anticipated titles of 2010." Alan Wake's long journey comes to an end on May 18 (in North America) and the Finnish developer is in full "promo" mode -- when it isn't partying it up, that is. During a press stop in Toronto, Joystiq pressed Remedy's head of franchise development Oskari 'Ozz' Häkkinen on the hard-hitting questions: How much like a homeless Vin Diesel does the new Max Payne look, and when can players expect Alan Wake Wars to ship? We also grabbed a few tidbits about Alan Wake's New York City flashback, dreams of Alan Wake 2 and more on Wake's planned DLC. If that kind of stuff is important to you. %Gallery-64691%
Remedy celebrates completed Alan Wake with new trailer, party
Here's something, at one point, we thought we'd never write: Alan Wake has passed Microsoft certification and is on track to release May 18. The news comes via Alan Wake's community forums, where community manager Pete Papadopoulos posted some pictures of the developers celebrating and opening up a bottle of champagne they bought during development, specifically for this occasion. Who knew they even made champagne back then? Jesting aside, there's some exciting new footage of Alan Wake -- including a rundown of its setting and combat -- just after the break. Source - Remedy celebrates Alan Wake passing certification Source - "Building the Thriller" trailer
