Alan Wake on PC was so obscure that I didn’t know it was supposed to be happening, but now it’s definitely not. It was revealed that the “psychological action thriller” from Remedy was no longer coming to PC, as previously promised, and that just sucks.
A PC version was expected to arrive after the launch of the Xbox 360 version, but Microsoft has confirmed that such plans are now scrapped. The decision was apparently based upon atmospheric, rather than logistic concerns. Alan Wake just plays better on a couch in front of the TV screen, claims the publisher.
“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,” states Microsoft. “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.”
Of course, many PC gamers can and will argue that it’s not very hard to play PC games on a TV while sitting on the couch, but I wouldn’t expect Microsoft to listen. Like Dead Space 2, this is yet another game deemed too good for the lowly PC crowd. It’s looking like a worrying trend could start.
Microsoft: Alan Wake will no longer be coming to PC [Strategy Informer]