PlayStation and Xbox fans usually have trouble tempering their massive expectations whenever a new showcase for their console of choice is announced.
This isn’t too surprising, given that such broadcasts can offer the chance to get a fresh glimpse of a highly-anticipated title like Starfield or Final Fantasy 16, as well as the possibility of seeing a beloved dormant series be resurrected by a new entry.
While last night’s PlayStation showcase certainly delivered some existing reveals and trailers for fans of Metal Gear Solid, Assassin’s Creed and Destiny 2, the release plans for another of the big games featured in the broadcast have left some of its fans a bit frustrated.
What do you think of Alan Wake 2 receiving a digital-only release?
The title in question, Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2, received a striking gameplay reveal trailer, which you can check out below, during the show, giving fans plenty of reason to start getting hyped up for its release on October 17 this year.
However, some of this excitement was quickly tempered by the reveal in an FAQ post from its developers that the game won’t be receiving a physical release, meaning that the only way to get your hands on it will be digitally, via the PC store of its publisher Epic Games, or the digital storefronts on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
In terms of the reasons behind this choice, Remedy outlines in the post the increasing numbers of players seemingly shifting to digital-only consumption, the idea that not offering a physical release can help keep the game’s price down, and that shipping a disc that still required you to download the game wouldn’t “make for a great experience”.
The decision doesn’t seem to have gone down too well with fans of the series on ResetEra, with user cloudisback declaring: “Ok, this is a bummer,” and Fukuzatsu adding: “I'm not buying any AAA games digital-only.”
“This is a slippery slope for such a big game to bypass a physical release, removing choice is never good for consumers,” argued user Indelible, while kodax_shc asserted: “There's gotta be a physical release eventually with all the DLC. I'll wait for that. If it never materialises then I'll wait until the game is $9.99 years from now.”
On the other hand, some prospective players look to have welcomed the move, with many citing its PC price point of £40/$50 as being a pretty tempting proposition.
Regardless of whether you’re planning on grabbing Alan Wake 2 digitally as soon as it releases or waiting in the hopes that it eventually does get a physical release, make sure to follow us for updates on it and the other games shown off and announced during the PlayStation broadcast.