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Alan Wake PC recoups costs in 2 days
- Thread starter prodystopian
- Start date
So on today's issue of "Wow, even really late, budget priced PC ports make sense.", we learn that Alan Wake made back all its expenses and marketing within 48 hours.
Source: http://forum.alanwake.com/showthread.php?p=141586#post141586
Source: http://forum.alanwake.com/showthread.php?p=141586#post141586
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
Good news, but you can't help but feel annoyed it didn't happen day 1, not years later.
Publishers poison developers
SafeinSound
Member
So people are still bitching about this huh? Apparently you missed the part where the port is very good.
whalleywhat
Member
Making this 360 exclusive was never about sales. MS wanted a prestige title for their platform.
Which is funny in hindsight because when I think "360 heavy hitter", I don't think Alan Wake.
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
No you weren't, but there were quite a few of us who did enjoy it. It was a very different experience than what most console games were going for. It had it's short comings, but overall it was one of my favorite games that came out that year, top 5 for sure.
This is a pure port of the 360 version, not what Alan Wake was originally supposed to be, that is an open world game.
I finished it on the 360 last year, and I don't have any intention of replaying it. While it was good, it was also totally linear, and more importantly very repetitive in it's gameplay. It seemed like it had been compromised from the original idea of what it was supposed to be.
It just wasn't a very good game. If I had paid more than 15 for it I would have felt ripped off. A bad Stephen King novel is exactly what it is.
whalleywhat
Member
I didn't say it was a good idea.
Especially given that Remedy built a loyal fanbase on the PC, but it looks like we didn't go anywhere.FYI in case anyone doesn't have it yet, Just Cause 2 is $5 today.
On topic: yeah this game is great, I'm trying to play it slowly. I agree that there is a little too much exposition from Alan, explaining every little thing. Looks phenomenal on my plasma at 1080p60.
Lasthope106
Member
You know Dennis, it wouldn't surprise me if Remedy releases an HD texture pack in a few months. This game will sell well specially around the Summer and Holiday sales. It's going to have a really long tail.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
It's not like the consoles prevented them from making it open-world. There's tons of massive open-world games on consoles.
Robot Pants
Member
Sweet. As if AW2 wasn't coming already, now it surely will be. Color me pleased.
It was probably more due to Remedy being a fairly small developer. Have anyone watched the credits on games like GTA and Saints Row? It's like a 1000 names.
GotEmRunnin
Member
With this type of success the game should come to PC day and date with consoles. Especially if MSFT doesn't publish it. I hope they Mass Effect this IP.
Robot Pants
Member
Yea but way better than any real exclusive they have currently (see: Gears 3)
Lasthope106
Member
Oh God NO! If you mean dumbing it down for mass market audience.
reptilescorpio
Member
I agree that it was Microsoft who blocked the PC version up until this point. Remedy were perfectly able bringing the Max Payne series to multiple platforms and part of my frustration was that they signed away the game to an exclusive console rather than go with a publisher who would have allowed the title on multiple platforms.
Hopefully American Nightmare is a different situation and we will see it on PC sooner rather than much, much later again.
Already done before release no? From open ended interesting, tehcnology intensive game to ambience scripted console game?
I don't quite see what there would be to dumb down in Alan Wake, it's not an especially deep game and the vast majority of the pop culture references are already forced down the player's throat, the FBI agent going through authors names to call Alan every time he speaks being particularly bad.
In saying that I'm really enjoying the game so far and it looks amazing maxed out. I'm happy that Remedy is making the money it deserves off of it and I hope this means pc gets more Wake in the future
// also comfy couch jokes are really not funny at all
darkpaladinmfc
Member
I think he's talking about how ME1 was 360 exclusive, then later was released on PC and now the whole Mass Effect series is on PC Day 1.
I'm not sure what they were thinking, since it was originally supposed to be a game that was going to compete with Crysis in graphical ability. They made a big deal of taking advantage of multicore systems. When it finally released on the 360, no one really cared by that point because it just became another linear survival horror title.
Honestly, I hope MS stays the fuck away because they might force GFWL into it or something. The reception Alan Wake's received may catch their attention and make them approve American Nightmare, and especially an Alan Wake 2 earlier on PC, but I can't help but think the only reason they allowed Remedy to self-publish on Steam was because they didn't think there was money to be made.
Robot Pants
Member
YO!...uuuuggghhh
Diatribe1974
Member
This isn't a "Port". This is the PC "Version" wherein you can see improvements in the game over it's original console offerings.
reptilescorpio
Member
The bolded was very surprising, I at the very least expected GFWL but it seems like Remedy talked them around from that approach. Quite rightly considering the response from PC gamers, any sales from now is just tasty, tasty gravy.
Hopefully they can take that very impressive statistic of 'profitable in 48 hours' and point at how American Nightmare could be the same kind of money earner if Microsoft push to get the port done sooner rather than later. I'm not 100% on the situation regarding funding for AN and whether or not Remedy can take it to PC again on their terms.
More ammunition for a fully fledged sequel to release at the same time on PC too.
540p.
It's the equivalent of the PC version on mostly low with a couple medium settings, running at 540p at an unstable 30fps with massive screen tearing.
Ben Pierce
Member
Oops.
Ben Pierce
Member
I'm still bitter Remedy gave up on Max Payne to make an inferior franchise, but it's great to see they're doing well.
But none that are graphical showcases like what Microsoft wanted Alan Wake to be. Not to mention the single player shooter market on consoles is heavily skewed towards tight linear designs.
a lot of developers have realized this. I htink bethesda being the latest one with skyrim. I bet they didnt htink it would sell over 2 million copies. Deus ex, alan wake, valve games, bf3, witcher 2 have all done agreat job. Borderlands 2 an dhitman absolution have been confirmed to have their own PC ui and assets and the fact that we have more exclusives than xbox this year and it is in fact pcs best year since the doom and half life years, i have no doubt pc gaming is thriving once again. Lets not forget about steam either.
Nitro Games "assisted" with the port, doing what Remedy referred to as the "heavy lifting". The latter likely had some sort of auxiliary team supervising/assisting Nitro with the job.
Given Nitro Games employs "around 20 people", assuming that means closer to 30 than 20, I'd say that the port was a 35~40-man job all up.
Given Nitro Games employs "around 20 people", assuming that means closer to 30 than 20, I'd say that the port was a 35~40-man job all up.