Remedy defends new XBLA Alan Wake game

gillri on 4 Nov '11 said:

you cant sell your game on once you completed it or rent it instead, I like alot of people wil be waiting for a deal of the week depending on its price

svd_grasshopper on 4 Nov '11 said:

"It's structured like a full release complete with a pretty damn impressive storyline that expands the originals in some interesting ways"

so why no full release?

the original failed to give MS its return, and now you are paying!

don't dare try making games without guns and explosions!

MS are about as creative as a brick. they only back proven sure-things, and poach IP's off people only once they sell millions. don't expect investment or faith.

socheeky on 4 Nov '11 said:

Errr, why is no one happy that it could be a quarter of the original's price on Live? Unless it's episodic content, then they are proper paking the tiss

gearyboy on 4 Nov '11 said:

Depends on you where you're coming from really.
If you're not a great fan of the original then it's a take it, wait for an offer or leave it option.
If you were a fan of the first game then it's good news that something like XBLA exists in order to get this game to you as, based on first game sales, the 'sequel' would never have seen the light of day as a retail release.

I liked the first game (despite the clear flaws) and am just relieved to hear that it (hopefully) hasn't been dumbed down to an overview 'gauntlet' style experience but rather an extension of the original approach.

Still, lot more info needs to come out about this....can't believe it's taken so long following the initial rumours earlier this year.

Black Mantis on 4 Nov '11 said:

Internet masses getting ahead of their station again! I'm pleasantly surprised that it's going to be familiar territory (game-play wise) to AW fans, can't wait to see what's in store.

richardgeefe on 4 Nov '11 said:

I have an Xbox but no intention of joining Live. I've had a PS3 since 07 and I play that 90% of the time because the online is free and I know so many more people with it. Plus, Microsoft are known for their "all DLC must charge at a premium" and I like how I can just....you know, buy something with actual money on PSN and charge it straight to my card.

no disc - no sale.

WHERESMYMONKEY on 4 Nov '11 said:

"It's structured like a full release complete with a pretty damn impressive storyline that expands the originals in some interesting ways"

so why no full release?

the original failed to give MS its return, and now you are paying!

don't dare try making games without guns and explosions!

MS are about as creative as a brick. they only back proven sure-things, and poach IP's off people only once they sell millions. don't expect investment or faith.

Go back to your cave troll. there's been more exclusives poached off the 360 than the other way around and most of them are pretty damn creative.

I'm happy we're getting anything at all and it just seems like a new trend of putting bigger games that wouldn't do well at retail on live for less money. First crysis, then I am alive and now another alan wake. Arcade will probably end up equating to GOD at a reasonable price.

The only reason its not going to be a full retail release is that last time people didn't buy it. Its not MS's fault its the publics fault for not playing it.

killerkeiron123 on 4 Nov '11 said:

I don't see what the ploblem is, AW was a great game and now their giving you a XBLA AW what will most likily be 1200msp at most and also keeping the same gameplay and hopefully provide more answers to the story.

ricflair on 4 Nov '11 said:

I have an Xbox but no intention of joining Live. I've had a PS3 since 07 and I play that 90% of the time because the online is free and I know so many more people with it. Plus, Microsoft are known for their "all DLC must charge at a premium" and I like how I can just....you know, buy something with actual money on PSN and charge it straight to my card.

no disc - no sale.

Points can be annoying, but buying points from Zavvi etc for £14-15 makes XBL cheaper than PSN in the vast majority of cases I've seen. I think even if you pay £17 or whatever the official rate is, stuff is still often cheaper on XBL. From Dust was £11.99 on PSN/1200MSP on XBL, which equated to about £8 for me.

ingy on 4 Nov '11 said:

"It's structured like a full release complete with a pretty damn impressive storyline that expands the originals in some interesting ways"

so why no full release?

the original failed to give MS its return, and now you are paying!

don't dare try making games without guns and explosions!

MS are about as creative as a brick. they only back proven sure-things, and poach IP's off people only once they sell millions. don't expect investment or faith.

Damn it, you're spot on with this, the first game was brilliant, but was too much hard work for the mainstream shooty crowd, and was ignored by most, 'shame on you' but this isn't Microsoft's fault, they are just giving most of you what you want.

Beetle Bum on 4 Nov '11 said:

i predict when this game is finally released it will sell at least for £44.99 or more for the first few weeks or months rather than £39.99

Prince PS3 on 4 Nov '11 said:

I always thought it a little ironic that a game punning on the word “awake“ was actually more likely to send people to sleep!

And having a protagonist called Alan lol. Could‘ve at least called him Alvin or...er...Anthony.

And on the topic of points, they annoy me so much having returned to the 360 after an absence of several years - just highlights how much better the PSN system works. I just want to buy something outright not buy some silly tokens and have some left over - funnily never quite enough to buy anything with them.

And wtf is “structured like a full-release“? It‘s either a proper game or not...

bennyt on 4 Nov '11 said:

Shame, as an non online gamer, was kinda hoping it would be AW2 on disc...like the dev said though, there's still time and more info will be coming out, so who knows.

Still, as an single player experience, it would be great to have via disc.

MrPirtniw on 4 Nov '11 said:

Awesome. More AW the better- regardless of what form it takes. Gotta love the Sony trolls who always seem to jump in on any 360 related news. Deep down I think they secretly love the console- why would they be here reading about a game they'll apparently never play when they should be busy playing Uncharted 3? The mind does boggle

Drusus on 5 Nov '11 said:

I always thought it a little ironic that a game punning on the word “awake“ was actually more likely to send people to sleep!

And having a protagonist called Alan lol. Could‘ve at least called him Alvin or...er...Anthony.

What are you babbling about? Alan Wake was brilliant, the story was Stephen King and Twin Peaks love child and it had a real 'just ten more minutes' vibe to it, I loved it.

Ah but of course it didn't give you a UAV every three kills and no major landmark exploded in it, plus it tried to make you think, silly devs, don't they realise all your brain cells go into desperately turning every piece of news into anti 360 propaganda.

Don't worry dude, when I play through this you'll still get to play COD, it won't affect that but if it makes you feel better you can always pop in and tell me I'm not enjoying the things I'm enjoying every now and again.

Toasted_PSP on 5 Nov '11 said:

Ah but of course it didn't give you a UAV every three kills and no major landmark exploded in it, plus it tried to make you think, silly devs

This pretty much sums up the problem with Alan Wake, the vast majority of gamers just want bloody shooters (and even more so with 360 gamers) the original really needed to be multiplatform to stand a chance of making its investment back.

Legend Turtle on 5 Nov '11 said:

don't dare try making games without guns and explosions!

Alan Wake had guns and explosions in. Good ones too.

I liked it, and as everyone else here seems to agree, although it is disappointing there won't be a boxed version (which usually indicates increased longevity) an xbla release is better than nothing.

I just hope that there really is somewhere interesting left to go with the story

Obscure_Metaphor on 5 Nov '11 said:

XBLA basically just means standalone DLC. so whats the problem? XBLA could just be evolving into a steam-like service.

jtthegame on 5 Nov '11 said:

I personally am glad to see a new alan wake game. don't care how it is distributed

The_KFD_Case on 5 Nov '11 said:

you cant sell your game on once you completed it or rent it instead, I like alot of people wil be waiting for a deal of the week depending on its price

Precisely, so yes, fans and critics alike can already now judge and rightfully state they are not getting the same value for their money as with the first game (which they could trade in or sell-on privately if they so desired). Personally I wasn't all that impressed with AW and the news that a second game set in that franchise will be XBLA only means that the slim chance I might have purchased it has now dropped to zero.

The_KFD_Case on 5 Nov '11 said:

Errr, why is no one happy that it could be a quarter of the original's price on Live? Unless it's episodic content, then they are proper paking the tiss

Because to date that is not how MS does business on XBLA bar the odd clearance discount sale. On the contrary, XBLA sales (the same goes for Steam and other digital game sales portals) tend to be more expensive than retail copies. Ass backwards but then again the gaming industry isn't known for sound common sense.

silent moose on 6 Nov '11 said:

I don't know whether I'll be buying this not because its an xbla game but because the first alan wake even though I liked it was a dissapointment it did horror very well but the gameplay became repetive and you spent half the game in forest environments that looked almost identical to each other and the story was masterfully told in a really interesting way but the actual story itself was garbage it stephens kings the dark half meets twin peaks with the smoke monster from lost randomly thrown in and much like lost it builds anticipation and intrigue and then it all amounts to nothing "its not a lake its an ocean" could you elaborate on that please.

silent moose on 6 Nov '11 said:

im sorry remedy please forgive me

Prince PS3 on 6 Nov '11 said:

Ah but of course it didn't give you a UAV every three kills and no major landmark exploded in it, plus it tried to make you think, silly devs

This pretty much sums up the problem with Alan Wake, the vast majority of gamers just want bloody shooters (and even more so with 360 gamers) the original really needed to be multiplatform to stand a chance of making its investment back.

That's why I've always said that Alan Wake would've fared better as a PS3 exclusive.

The Japanese market is far more survival-horror orientated that the Yankee shooter market is and as has been noted Sony are much more known for their risk taking and tendency to think outside the box - hence gamers who want something different are more likely to buy a PS3.

Flamestrike on 6 Nov '11 said:

XBLA could just be evolving into a steam-like service.

XBLA runs off a closed system and so will never be like or as good as Steam.

As its already been said Alan Wake, while a great game, should have been a multi-format release to get the credit it clearly deserved as the Xbox 360 crowd just aren't interested in games that don't features guns, explosions, more guns, and marines. Oh and football.

MrPirtniw on 7 Nov '11 said:

As its already been said Alan Wake, while a great game, should have been a multi-format release to get the credit it clearly deserved as the Xbox 360 crowd just aren't interested in games that don't features guns, explosions, more guns, and marines. Oh and football.

But I can't stand realistic CoD type games or football games... Or any other sport related games for that matter and I still buy more games on my 360 than my ps3. Go figure.

Legend Turtle on 12 Nov '11 said:

(...) it builds anticipation and intrigue and then it all amounts to nothing "its not a lake its an ocean" could you elaborate on that please.

Yeah - the dark entity is really the despair squid from red dwarf and you've been playing a computer game all along...