Alan Wake 2 Developer Explains Why Game Will Be Digital Only

Alan Wake 2 will be a digital only title when it releases later this year. Alan Wake 2 is one of the many fabled gaming sequels that gamers have waited a long time for and even thought it may never happen. The first game came out in 2010 and it was pretty clear a sequel was not happening after Remedy moved on to other projects but after securing funding a couple of years ago, it was able to make this dream a reality. The game is finally almost here and we got our first look at Alan Wake 2 at the PlayStation Showcase and it looked great.

Unfortunately, if you're a die hard fan, you won't be able to get a physical copy. Remedy confirmed that the game will only be available digitally, a decision the studio arrived at for a variety of reasons. A large portion of players now buy games digitally which has led to consoles being made without disc drives. It will also mean that players will get the game at $60 on consoles and $50 on PC, something that wouldn't be possible if they had to pay to produce discs and boxes. It also means that there's no risk of selling a physical copy that still requires a download to play due to patches and whatnot. You can read the statement below.

"There are many reasons for this," said Remedy. "For one, a large number of have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft's Xbox Series S is a digital only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only. Secondly, not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99 / €59.99 and the PC version at $49.99 / €49.99. Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game — we do not think this would make for a great experience either."

Ultimately, it's a bit of a bummer for those that like a disc or don't have internet. Perhaps a big version of the game with future expansions and such will be released later, but as of right now Remedy notes it has no plans to make a disc version of the game. Either way, it may be signaling a change in the industry as digital games become more embraced.

What do you think of this decision? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.