The sequel to Remedy's acclaimed action-adventure meets horror title Alan Wake 2 was featured at the recent PlayStation Showcase which gave players a new look at what they can expect from the upcoming game. While the game features the titular character, author Alan Wake, it appears that new characters will be playable and the game will lean harder into its horror side than the previous title. However, one aspect that may be controversial among fans is the digital-only release for Alan Wake 2 across both PC and consoles, a move that may have its upsides along with some potential issues.
Many gamers are becoming more resistant towards the trend of digital-only releases with the closure of digital storefronts like the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops giving digital game purchases an expiration date. There are also issues with digital games having the possibility of being pulled from storefronts due to a variety of issues such as music licenses expiring or contractual disagreements between developers and publishers. Although the waters of digital-only games seem murky, there are plenty of upsides to the practice that Alan Wake 2 seems to take advantage of, but it still has the potential to fall victim to its problems.
Alan Wake 2's Pricing Shows the Appeal of Digital-Only Releases
Although the announcement of a digital-only release will likely spark some backlash, fans might be happy to know that Alan Wake 2 will be launching at a cheaper price than most major titles in this current generation. The PC version of the game will cost $49.99 / €49.99 and the console version will cost $59.99 / €59.99, about $10/€10 less than most new games. Remedy cites the prevalence of digital-only consoles like the PS5's Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S, as well as the pro-consumer benefits of a cheaper retail price across the board for their decision to go digital-only.
Another factor that could play into this decision is the deal formed between developer Remedy Entertainment and publisher Epic Games. Remedy formed a partnership with Epic Games for the development of Alan Wake 2, as well as Alan Wake Remastered, and while that title received a physical release, Alan Wake 2 will not go that same route. This decision could be due to poor sales figures for Alan Wake Remastered and Remedy wanting to cut production costs on Alan Wake 2 in order to earn as much as it can from its 50/50 profit split with Epic Games.
Alan Wake 2's Digital-Only Release Could Doom it to Repeat One Mistake from the Original
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While a slightly cheaper launch price for Alan Wake 2 is nice for players who don't care about digital exclusivity, others who are wary of the practice know the risks it runs. In fact, the first Alan Wake game ran into its own problems in 2017 that resulted in the game being pulled from digital storefronts. Due to expiring music licenses, Remedy was forced to removed Alan Wake from storefronts like Steam and the Xbox 360 Marketplace on May 15th, 2017. However, the game was restored to those storefronts in 2018 after its music usage rights were renegotiated.
Even though Alan Wake eventually returned to storefronts, it was still unavailable for purchase for nearly 17 months while its music licenses were up in the air. With Alan Wake 2 going for a digital-only release, another issue like this sometime down the line could render the game unavailable indefinitely as there would be no option for a physical purchase. There is a fine line Remedy needs to walk with Alan Wake 2 to balance the benefits of a cheaper product from a digital-only release with the risk of having it completely inaccessible for potential players in the future should the studio fail to renew the game's copyrighted music licenses.
Alan Wake 2 releases on October 17 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.