Remedy considers digital distribution for next-gen PC title

Remedy Entertainment has revealed that it may consider the use of a digital distribution model, similar to the Steam content download service Valve uses for its Half-Life titles, for the PC version of its next-generation action-adventure Alan Wake.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer published today, the game's design lead Petri Järvilehto said: "That's something we're looking into," but also said that the company wanted to offer "a good boxed copy with manuals and all that as well".

Järvilehto also indicated that he didn't share Half-Life developer Valve Software's level of enthusiasm for the idea. Valve has increasingly marginalised its efforts with regard to boxed copies, constantly bickering with now-former publishing partner Vivendi-Universal Games, launching Half-Life 2 with just an A5 sheet of paper in place of the traditional game manual, and promoting its Steam download options heavily.

Järvilehto, however, thinks that full-on digital distribution without boxed copies is some way off. "As of now, I don't think that digital distribution-only would be an option," he told Eurogamer.

It's an opinion that many seem to share. Even Valve, which recently confirmed to this website that it does plan to release a boxed copy of forthcoming Half-Life 2 expansion Aftermath after all, despite initially suggesting that it would release the game exclusively through Steam.

Remedy has yet to announce a publishing partner for Alan Wake, which is due out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, but says it is in discussion with "the key players", and will "lock down the right partner once the time is right for that".

You can read the full Remedy interview here.