Remedy Has High Hopes for Alan Wake 2

[Andy Chalk]

Remedy Has High Hopes for Alan Wake 2

Remedy Entertainment [http://www.remedygames.com/] has already settled on the plot for Alan Wake 2, and now the studio just hopes it will have the chance to actually make it.

Things are looking pretty good for Alan Wake [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=76175] at this point. After more than a half-decade of development, the game is finally on the cusp of release and the critical response has been very positive. But the question of a sequel hinges on sales, not review scores, so Remedy is still keeping its collective fingers crossed for big dollar signs and the chance to do a follow-up.

"Well, it's certainly no secret that we'd love to make a second one if the first one does well," Remedy's Mikko Rautalahti wrote in the Alan Wake forums [http://forum.alanwake.com/showthread.php?p=79709#post79714]. "But since the game isn't even out yet, it's really up in the air."

"Clearly, it's been a critical success; the fact that some people feel differently about it doesn't change the fact that of the scores listed in the first post of this thread, there are eight perfect scores, and over 40 give us a 9 or a better. Only 7 reviews have given us a score of less than 8," he wrote. "That tells us in no uncertain terms that there's a lot of love for Alan Wake out there, and we'd have to be complete goddamn idiots to not be satisfied with that. I mean, sure, the next time, we definitely hope to top that, it's nice to have something to aim for, but we're pretty damn far from disappointed."

The studio already knows what it wants to do if a sequel does get the green light, which we can only hope means we won't have to wait until 2016 to play it. "We do know where season two is going to go," Oskari Hakkinen told CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=245877]. "Season one will have a conclusive and satisfactory ending but we will leave doors open for season two and we know where we're going to take the story."

Alan Wake comes out on May 14 in Europe and May 18 in North America.



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[Fraught]

I don't have nearly any money to regularly buy games, so I'm probably going to have to pass on this one. Though I have great fear for it not selling enough.

It is, after all, a critically acclaimed game that isn't 'popular FPS series X'. We must be very afraid (or, at least, those of us who will like Alan Wake).

AH! I was also wondering about the title. It seems like they have decided on the plot, but in what sense do they exactly have 'high hopes' for it?

 

[Pipotchi]

Do close to Read Dead Revolver for me, two good games out in May but one one has Cowboys.

Case closed

 

[Sonicron]

I'll rent it first. If I really, really like it I'll buy it once the price drops a little, seeing how the future of the studio hinges on this title selling well.

 

[oliveira8]

Maybe this one will be out for the PC....More compelling...

 

[Jared]

Lets hope that been rel;eased around do many other big names wont kill off those chances.

Looking forward to this game though!

 

[-Drifter-]

Seems that these days just about everything gets a follow-up. Must everything have a sequel?

 

[The DSM]

Shouldnt you see how the first one is recived before you even start planning a sequel? I would work things people liked about the first one into the plot of the second.

Wasnt very intrested in it anyways, the hype never caught up to me.

 

[Therumancer]

Do close to Read Dead Revolver for me, two good games out in May but one one has Cowboys.

Case closed

Well, to me this is how things are supposed to be. However I feel that in cases of such competition the companies should ultimatly be lowering their prices and such to compete with each other for the audience. In general the game industry does not work that way. I suspect the games are going head to head instead of seeing release date changes due to the respective developers feeling that the generes are differant enough that they won't clash that much... otherwise it would be like MW 2 and how everyone did a coordinated changing of release dates.

That said, I find it a bit disturbing that they are already thinking about a sequel/franchise to a game that is not even out yet. Something that makes me concerned
that the product won't be self-contained enough. I think developers starting a new franchise should work on making an entirely stand alone product, and not even consider sequels until after it has succeeded or not.

This kind of attitude seems to be what fuels "sequel-mania" as much as anything, rather than working on unique properties.

That said it took some doing, but I have managed to pre-order both "Alan Wake" and "Red Dead Redemption", that's two BIG games in one month. Ironically this has meant passing on "3D Dot Heroes" which might be hard to find later... this is unusually ironic given my general RPG fandom.

 

[scnj]

Seems that these days just about everything gets a follow-up. Must everything have a sequel?

At least they've said it'll have a satisfying ending. At least it shouldn't be a 'finish the fight' sort of thing.

 

[Tommy T.]

Get the PC version out first you gits.

Fcuk M$ and their "no plans for PC release".

 

[Andy Chalk]

Shouldnt you see how the first one is recived before you make a sequel?

Did you even read the post, or did you just feel like upping your post count a bit?

 

[Kenjitsuka]

I'm sure it'll sell well enough.
And when it's about 15 or 20 euro's I'll pick it up

My days of tons of cash and frivolous overspending are over for now...

 

[The Root Beer Guy]

It's sad that a developer as talented as Remedy has to struggle to get their games out. Apparently, the in game advertising for Alan Wake is pretty ridiculous. Hopefully they won't have to do the same if they make a sequel.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

Maybe this one will be out for the PC....More compelling...

Sadly, if they were willing to drop PC development of the original so close to release, I seriously doubt they are going to be willing to even develop the sequel for the PC to begin with. So while we might still see a release of the original (afterall, "it is still on their hard drive"), I seriously doubt Remedy will even consider developing the sequel for the PC.

But I suppose suprises do happen, so we won't know until they officially announce the project.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Shouldnt you see how the first one is recived before you make a sequel?

Did you even read the post, or did you just feel like upping your post count a bit?

To be fair, my first thought when I read this ways, "Haters gonna say FFS THE GAMES NOT EVEN OUT YET!"

Seeing the reviews it's getting, and how long they've been working on this game, I don't think it's silly for them to want to get a franchise out of it. They are a business, and, they are also excited nerds, both of which lead into conversation about how "awesome/profitable/awesomely profitable it would be if we just..."

So, ease off. They made a cool game where your weapon is a flashlight - okay, and a smith and wesson. But mostly the flashlight.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Already pre ordered my limited version copy.


*Squeals*

 

[Mr. Mike]

Seems that these days just about everything gets a follow-up. Must everything have a sequel?

At least they've said it'll have a satisfying ending. At least it shouldn't be a 'finish the fight' sort of thing.

Yes that's nice and all, but seriously, when people look back at this time in gaming, they'll dub it the "Age of the Sequels" and wonder why there are no truly treasurable gems that stood on their own as great games instead of having to stand as a trilogy.

 

[kibayasu]

Seems to me if you want to get a sequel to something you care for, you put it out on every platform available. Oh well!

Still, the 360 has enough penetration at this point that even lower tier exclusives like Wake (as opposed to the Halo's, Gears of War's, and Fable's) have a good chance to make enough.