Some fans are disappointed that there will not be a physical release forAlan Wake 2,and the developer has now revealed the logic behind the decision. There has been some discourse arounddigital-only releases for AAA games likeAlan Wake 2, with many fans being concerned by what appears to be a growing trend with big-league developers.
Some of the main concerns around digital-only releases are well-established. Somewhat ironically,the originalAlan Wakewas pulled from digital storefrontsfor over a year due to music licensing issues. While it was eventually made available once everything was ironed out, the fact remains that nobody could buyAlan Wakefor 17 months. Game collectors and preservationists are generally outspoken about the importance of physical releases; there is always a possibility that a digital storefront will be closed at some point, and physical releases are a way of ensuring that a game is available to play if this ever happens.
RELATED:Stephen King Gave a Famous Quote to Alan Wake for Almost Nothing
Kyle Rowley, the game director forAlan Wake 2,has defended the digital-only release of the game. In an interview with Eurogamer, Rowley explains that taking the digital-only release route allows the team “more time to polish the game” and explains that the game that goes on a physical release would need to be playable without a patch several weeks ahead of launch. This is termed “going gold,” which refers to a version of a game (the “gold master” version) that the publisher deems complete and ready to ship. By skipping out on this step and going with a digital-only release, Remedy can essentially keep working onAlan Wake 2until the day it launches.
There are a few ways fans ofAlan Wakecan look at this news. The first one is in the light of optimism; it certainly would be remiss ifAlan Wake 2was immortalized on a physical medium in an unplayable state, and it would also be in poor taste to ship a physical copy of the game that is little more than a DRM key on a disc. Remedy has done well to temper fans' expectations, but Rowley’s words mightexacerbate some concerns aboutAlan Wake 2after its Summer Game Fest trailer was a little light on gameplay.
It could be that digital-only releases are becoming a third option for developers who are deciding between releasing a game that they don’t feel is ready or delaying it. That said, thedevelopers ofAlan Wake 2have spoken confidentlyabout their work in the context of its October release, with the month typically being saturated with exciting horror releases in the build-up to Halloween.
Alan Wake 2is scheduled to release in 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:How the Remedy Connected Universe Will Likely Impact Alan Wake 2
