Alan Wake PC officially cancelled
Microsoft has officially cancelled the PC version of Alan Wake because the platform is "too intimate" for the game.
Although Alan Wake was originally announced as a PC exclusive title five years ago, Remedy announced it was changing focus to make the game an Xbox 360 title last July. Since then it's been unclear whether a PC version would also be released, until Microsoft gave a certain no earlier today.
Interestingly, Microsoft claims that the PC version has been cancelled because the PC platform is "too intimate".
"Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen," a Microsoft spokesperson told Strategy Informer.
"We ultimately realised that the most compelling way to experience Alan Wake was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform."
Microsoft announced a May 21st release date for the Xbox 360 exclusive earlier today.
Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyI was looking forward to this as well.
I am dissapointed. Alan Wake was marketed as "the first game to need/benefit quad core", and now they are simply canceling it.
Given the original game was a halo child for the Quad core CPU this seems odd.
No doubt some excuse about piracy will be used.
Next week they'll probably announce that Windows is no more and they are giving up the OS business to focus on 360.
Are you f*@king kidding me?
It's a game, I want to play it on my damn PC.
Which, have you know is connected up to a big HD monitor, that I was going to sit back and play on using the damn Xbox controller.
This is bullcrap.
I'm only speculating (and we probably won't know for quite a while) but I think this could be a turning point for the PC platform. The gaming industry is going to see Microsoft's "too intimate" comment for the nonsense it is, and presume that yet another PC gaming evangelist is jumping ship. Essentially if it's okay for Microsoft to ditch the PC, then why should they risk it?
Hopefully I'm wrong, but it's saddening just now many story driven, single player only games are avoiding the PC. With the sales numbers speaking for themselves, I just wish there was a way to entice publishers back to the PC (which doesn't involve MMO's or FPS's).
Utter shite. I hope it flops. Nothing more to say.
The PC is more intimate, yes. That's why I like it. That's especially why I'd like it for a game like Alan Wake, where a lot of work has presumably gone into the plot and characters and story. I want to fully immerse myself in that and I want to be intimate with the fiction. I don't see why you think it is better to provide a less intimate experience, where I'm not as involved with or attached to the characters. You're essentially saying that you want people to play it on the Xbox 360 so that they can like it less?
There are a lot of good reasons to avoid a PC release. You might be worried about piracy. You might decide you want to target a more casual audience, or that the game is of a type which just wouldn't work well with a keyboard. You might just want to give the Xbox 360 a highly anticipated These reasons are fine. Please though, don't treat me like an idiot and don't just make things up. Give the real reason and respect your audience more.
Also, make GFWL actually work or just GTFO.
Yours,
Joe Martin
so no suprise ;)
What's the saying?
Something about counting chicks before they hatch???
Its a game. Its their game. Until it is released it is not for any platform. Of course I am just as disappointed as many others are as I do not and will not have an Xbox 360 so I won't be playing Alan Wake now. But so many people are reacting like they have had their favourite toy ripped away from them. PC gaming will continue... or it won't. Crying about it certainly won't change anything. It baffles me that people seem to think that these companies have a responsibility to us. THEY DO NOT. They DO have a responsibility to themselves as a company and to their shareholders. They also have a responsibility to the people who actually BUY the games they produce, represented as patches and fixes for bugs and errors but that is it. Until we hand over our money we mean nothing to them.
While other developers are seeing the financial benefits of going multiplatform, Microsoft are getting more and more desperately obsessed over the sales of XBOXs.
The only surprise I got from this story is the BS explanation the spokesperson gave. It's incredible that someone with half a brain could give this crap 'intimacy' excuse and expect people not to say BS.
It's a good job most of the games I like are on PC, because I would be p1ssed!
Idiots
I don't see how it would be a turning point. This is a trend which has been steadily increasing for a number of years, and if it was a turning point, then surely GoW 2 or Halo 3 (which were even bigger titles than this) would have been too?
/nuff said.
And before you whine about consolfication killing PC gaming-- get over it. Atari and Nintendo were around ages before PC gaming came into any reasonable existence. Even then we're talking Oregon Trail. Everything might not be Ninten-hard anymore, but there's two main reasons for that:
A) Video Games have gone mainstream. There are going to be more games marketed to more audiences. Surely you don't like every movie to hit the theaters. Same with games. For everyone who hates Guitar Hero/Rock Band -- 40 people love it. Just because it isn't your thing doesn't mean its BAD. Not everything has been over-simplified.
B) Our expectations have risen. Just because there's a lot of fodder out there doesn't mean there aren't gems too.
and fck Remedy for being sellouts.
Or in other words, "PC users are more discerning and will spot the game's deficiencies in a flash"
Apparently, many are commenting on how in the years since that initial Intel demo, Alan wake has lost its graphical "wow factor" over successive trailers and screenshots . No doubt regressing as the lower tech limitations (esp. vram , gpu) of the console started to really impinge on the artists creativity while they try to keep fps up.
Sadly this is part of a huge, game studio wide trend at the mo, to the point where Nvidia and Ati might have to get their feet wet and become actual game developers or subsidise production more if they want to shift their HW. Recent examples include Bioshock 2- no graphical improvement, Dead space 2 cancelled on PC. Cries of "console port" are being heard everywhere with every new release it seems.
Fixed;)
this
i dont see this as the end of pc gaming or anything, just that this game needs to make some money QUICK.
also has anyone thought that the release of Hard Rain may have something to do with this? a PS3 exclusive with new gameplay mechanics? hmmmmm
*ptooey*
Probably right, Remedy seem to have been developing this game forever, posters joked it looked as though it was headed down the DNF path towards vaporware status. If finished two years ago though, it's a pretty safe bet it would've been on PC too.... changing times.
I would not be surprised if it's released for PC after a few months, it looks like a way to maximize profits and avoid as much piracy as possible.
Shame really good single player games can sell quite well on PC look at Stalker that just came to steam with a superb deal a few of my mates have said they like the loyalty deal so much that now they can afford it they bought it rather than pirate it. Mind you I was giddy as a school boy last night when it came out I bought it right away that might have helped. Also Metro 2033 seems to be selling well. But I guess as usual us paying customers are in the minority.
As for the whole intimacy argument well to be honest for a game based on stories and characters as Joe said the intimacy would really help that along. Seems other reasons are afoot obviously and this half hearted cover up just stinks of the bullshit it is. I guess if thats where Microsoft and Remedy want to go then fine.
On that note, review STO, BT.
Over hyped.
No devlopment details.
No Clue.
I'd given it up as a lemon, I expect that explains the xbox only side.
Microsoft want more PC gamers to buy XBOX consoles
True, you have piracy on the XBOX.
However, I don't think it's so much about piracy that Microsoft are worried about.
Their main focus is to shift more XBOX consoles.
So they want as many XBOX exclusive games as possible.
It doesn't matter that they can make more money by putting the game on all consoles (incl. PC).
What counts for them the most, is that they have a game that many people want, and that the only way to own the game is to first buy an XBOX console.
Which then means you are quite likely to buy more XBOX games in the future. Then Microsoft receive more payments from subsidies as part of the retail price of third party games.
Like others have said, I also have an XBOX. But I still much prefer to game on my more powerful PC connected to the same HDTV and played with the same Microsoft XBOX 360 Controller for Windows, while sitting and relaxing to PC games from the same "non-intimate" couch.
Fact.
I wanna dissect those brains to see what they are thinking!
Pc gaming is so awesome now....
Talk about biting the hand that feeds
Although they pretty much set off their own bomb.
another reason to boycot the xbox
... well, here you go kids, MS has just inserted a rather large phallic symbol up your proverbial's and they've rammed it right on home.
Microsoft have basically issued a statement to say "fk PC gaming, fk PC gamers, we own you all, and you will all buy Xbox 360's because we're ending PC gaming as you know it". They've also sold us Win7 with DX11 and then said "fk you all!"
http://www.pcgamingalliance.org/ - MS chair this crock of ****.
This has made my blood boil. I'm fking angry.
Or is this a mountain out of a mole hill?
Oooooh I could crush a grape!
My 360 is hooked up to my central 22" monitor and the same 7.1 speaker system as my PC. Sorry, what was your point again? I appear to have missed it.
Alan Wake was one of the DX10 poster children, a reason to "upgrade" to Vista. Dropping it for the PC now just shows how much was hype and how little was substance. Something of a shame as I was rather looking forwards to this one and anything even remotely RPG/story based I prefer to play on the PC.
I think the most interesting point made so far is that regarding Nvidia and Ati. If these to companies began backing games studios to produce great games for PC first (and so their products) and consoles second then gaming across all platforms would be richer for it while Ati and Nvidia protected their bottom line.
Ah well, more money for those who do good games for PC....
There has always been gaming on personal computers, with the sinclair zx81, bbc micro etc, these type of systems are in my opinion the forerunners of the personal computer we know and love today.
Although i have never really cared about this title, it still shocks me that a title that was suppose to use all the power of as quad core cpu and having been announced way back at E3 2005, has had its pc version shelved this late in its development, and for such a poor reason if you believe the press statement.
Saying that, if the game was going to be released on the pc still it looks as if it was going to be another crappy console port so meh.
Also yes, i am a pc fanboy, i feel out of love with consoles having been a fan since my first atari and master syster. Always loved commodore 64's, amiga's and then PC's tho X;
Will this announcement mark the end of mainstream developers making games for the PC? I doubt it, but maybe more crappy console ports can just stay on consoles and not be ported, then developers who actually want to develop for the PC can take advantage of the vastly superior hardware and shake of the constraints of consoles when making games.
I stay away from console games because I detest those controllers so much. If motion sensing becomes the norm then I may just make the switch.
What I really wonder, is why people thought PC owner as a demographic are generally thick enough to buy such blatant bunk. Now console owners... I really wanted to play this game too. *******s.
p.s. Ok, I didn't really mean that about console owners. Some of by best friends have Playstations. Honest.
All in there that needs to be said.
DAAAAAAaaaammmmmnnnnn!!!!
So let me get this straight, you hate the controllers so much that you'd rather act like a mime in front of your TV? Bwhahahahaha!!!
But, well, too late -_-
EDIT: Lets not turn this thread into a PCvsConsole debate.
agreed, let's not
*looks at warrior
Please tell me you actually sent that to Microsoft! That would be awesome, if somewhat futile...
I was looking forward to Alan Wake but you can think again if you're expecting me to pick up a 360 for it. Why on earth would I want to spend money on an american electronics product (console) when I've already got a perfectly suitable japanese model?
That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard. Most new TV's give you inputs for HDMI, DVI or VGA and even the average laptop can output using one of these connectors. The days of your TV being just for your console are well behind us. I'd say I speak for a lot of people who hook their PC's up to a big TV and surround sound system for their gaming. What's the REAL reason Microsoft...?
tbh my money is on it being that heavy rain comes out on the ps3 around the same time. I'm also betting that serveral magazines will be getting under the table handjobs to give top reviews as well.
/me feeds crazyceo an energon stick.
so what if heavy rain comes out on the ps3 ? It's not like a released of the same game on two platforms would hurt the sales or something. What is your point exactly ? :)
He gave me an energon stick!
What ?
It's actually because PCs are cheaper and it's also because it's what most of the people started using first and therefore they keep buying what they know.
Show people how to learn something and they will use it and ditch whatever they were using before. Firefox is a good example of that over IE. The same could happen with Windows if macs weren't so ridiculously expensive
As stupid as the consumer is, when you have millions of them looking for the best product, eventually they will find it and ignore what they used to use. Another good example of this is the PS2 players switching to the 360 even though they thought the original Xbox was crap
You and I are also part of this. I use a PC because I am used to Windows and hate the mac interface (I tried it a few times and thought it was incredibly bad) BUT who knows what I will do in the future. Maybe at some point I will be forced to work on a mac and then learn to like it and ditch the pc
CzE2BoNW6bc
its only the best goddamn film of all time!
I take it you're a 1990's kid?
It's the Universal greeting.
Thats 100% correct in my case. I mainly use my PC for Internet/Email, photo editing and gaming, plus a bit of the usual PC usage stuff. Being as my gaming on the PC has fallen into serious decline (stopped playing WOW and ARMA II as I dont seem to find the time to get on the PC with a new baby) I dont really have a need for a gaming PC. I could get a quieter, smaller nicer looking iMac for all the other stuff and drop the gaming (I also have a 360 for the odd bit of casual gaming).
The fewer titles come out on PC the more likely I am to drop the gaming hardware altogether to be honest, thus I no longer need Windows-whatever-version.
Powerful PSU's
Quality Cases
Powerful Mobo's
Powerful RAM
Powerful Sound Cards
Powerful CPU's
Fast HDD's
Faster SSD's
Powerful GFX Cards
Gaming Mice
Gaming Keyboards
Gaming Controllers
Gaming Flight Sticks
Gaming Steering Wheels
Gaming Headsets
Microphones
Headphones
Speaker Systems (2, 3.1, 5.1, 7.1 etc)
High Resolution Monitors
Augmented Reality Kits (like Novint Falcon & Brain Actuator)
3D Monitors
3D Systems
Gaming Laptops
What are the manufacturers going to do when we stop spending our money on their hardware? They make a huge amount of their income from selling the bog-standard stuff, but it is selling the top-of-the-line stuff that keeps them researching and moving forward and spending on R&D budgets.
Ain't gonna happen! Just because this game about some bloke called Alan doesn't get ported to PC, it doesn't mean the death of PC gaming!
Also, gamers across the X360, PS3 and PC spectrum should just flat out refuse exclusives because in the long run, its going to come back and bite all of us in the ass. If you run any of the gaming systems into the ground, the last system standing is going to be able to charge anything they want. Even dedicated console users NEED the other systems to keep it all competative. In fact I might even go so far as to say all gamers SHOULD pirate exclusives, just get the message across that we don't want this bulls*** anymore.
End rant.
They will have to set up a PC Gaming Alliance :)
Seriously, if things were to get too bad, then these manufacturers would have to take action to protect their income.
For as long as Microsoft are putting all their weight behind the XBOX, then they cannot (should not) have any membership with any kind of PC Gaming Alliance.
http://www.pcgamingalliance.org/
I never said it was. I agreeing with a previous poster that the only thing from keeping me tied into a PC is gaming, as everything else I could do elsewhere. As support for PC gaming is dropped by some (as it has been by others e.g. Epic and not just MS/Alan Wake) there's less and less reason for me to have a MS fronted PC.
Have you tried playing Halo2 on Windows 7?
Windows game=not compatible with windows. Nice!
F**k Microsoft.
edited for accuracy :|
Exactly right. Sitting it a PC with mouse and keys to control a game is as lame as sitting in front of a TV with a dumbass joypad. It only seems normal to you because you don't have anything better.
I think this has more to do with XBOX needing an Uncharted2 type 'exclusive'
how can PR types say those reasons with a straight face.
QFT!
It's the same with the bloody MP's. They get asked any difficult question and then spend the next 15 minutes waffling around the subject and not answering the question.
Why do these aholes think that is ok?
Looks like I'll be dressing i a penguin suit before long
this might actually be the reason that makes the most sense. I can't really imagine an engine being so good that 5 years later it would still be up to date
Crysis? Its still used as a benchmark now and thats getting on a bit.
something better looking will certainly be released before crysis is 5 years old unless of course there is some kind of reverted revolution that would stop evolution (like the consoles are doing, but worse)
Yeah, Crysis 2 most likely.
360 will get a boost from natal, but i am not so sure how much it can be used for hardcore games. the ps3 wand takes the natal plus point of camera sensing accuracy but also gives you buttons to press so it can be used for fps and other hardcore types of games. natal cant detect finger movements, so how do you fire a gun? shout boom boom? yes i am a ps3 fanboy but thats because i weighed up carefully the pros and cons of ps3 vs 360 and i easily chose ps3