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There should be little doubt in anyone’s mind that Alan Wake 2 is one of the most unique and greatest games of this console generation. Cerebral, horrific, and at times charming, there’s simply nothing quite like it in the gaming space at the moment.
That said, what’s frustrating is that, despite all the acclaim the game has received, it has only now, nearly a year after its release, managed to recoup most of its development and marketing costs. Due to this, for many people, Remedy’s future as a constant innovator in this space remains unsteady and shrouded in mystery.
Remedy’s newest title is a game made with the sole objective of leaving you with more questions than answers, irrespective of which playthrough number you may be on. Unfortunately, the biggest question surrounding the game isn’t within it but within our own reality, as fans continue to wonder why it continues to suffer from poor sales.
The game studio’s earnings report from January to June reveals that the game has now reached its breakeven point in sales but has yet to generate any profits. At the same time, the studio has painted a positive picture of its other projects, with Codename Condor and the Max Payne remakes now in Full production.
Alan Wake 2 is still not profitable
While the situation isn’t as harrowing as it may seem to some, especially considering that the studio was in this exact same position at the time of Control’s release and managed to stay afloat, the game’s fans do seem a bit disappointed with the gaming community in general.
At the same time, the studio seems stuck due to its exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store on PC, severely limiting the game’s reach on the platform. Granted, it’s thanks to Epic’s funding that the game came into existence smoothly, but its storefront doesn’t have enough users to make the required sales.
With a film and TV collaboration tied to Annapurna now on its way—rest in peace, AMC’s TV Show—and with them also co-funding the development for Control 2, Sam Lake and his team will undoubtedly still be in the light, and there are still a few ways Wake can save himself from the IRL Dark Presence that is poor game sales.
Perhaps the first move for the game would be to go all in on physical copies across all platforms. It’s most certainly an expensive move, but it’ll also help sell more copies of the game, and people will buy it, considering its status as a must-play for all fans of the thriller and horror genre.
The next, and perhaps the most important move on the PC side of things, would be to bring the game to Steam alongside the release of the TV show and film. Most PC users like to store their games on a single platform, and it is doubtful that said position would go to any platform other than Gabe Newell’s storefront.
Now, there’s no telling when all these RCU cross-media projects will fall into our hands, but if Remedy can stay out of the red zone with these simple steps, then it most certainly should take them.
With that said, what are your thoughts on Alan Wake 2’s sales? Are PC storefront limitations the only reason for its poor sales? Let us know in the comments below.
“}]] Despite its status as an instant classic, Alan Wake 2 is still struggling to generate profits for Remedy, making it clear that something needs to change. Read More