Alan Wake disappearing from digital storefronts soon

If you've never played Remedy's hit Alan Wake but have it on your wishlist, then you might want to pick it up as soon as possible. Remedy revealed today that Alan Wake will leave digital storefronts like Steam and Xbox Live next week. The reason for its removal centers on music licensing contracts, which expire on the date the game is scheduled to be removed.

Remedy announced today that Alan Wake will be leaving stores on May 15, just three short days from now. In a post to the company's forums, Remedy said that it's "looking into relicensing the music for Alan Wake, but have no timeframe for this." So, we may see the return of Alan Wake someday, but until the music used in the game has been relicensed, Remedy can't sell it.

Most people who wanted to play Alan Wake have probably done so by now, but if you missed out on it when it was new, this is your last chance to buy it. Luckily for you patient gamer types, Remedy will be hosting a 48 hour Alan Wake sale on Steam. The sale kicks off tomorrow morning at 10 AM Pacific and will see Alan Wake, all of its DLC, and Alan Wake's American Nightmare discounted by a whopping 90%.

It should be noted that Alan Wake's American Nightmare won't be removed from stores. Remedy says that while it didn't negotiate music licensing for the original Alan Wake, it took the reins with American Nightmare, so that game is safe. Another thing to note is the fact that Remedy only guarantees a 90% discount if you buy through Steam, saying it can't control what other stores price the game at (if they give it a discount at all).

It's certainly sad to see Alan Wake on the way out, but the fact that Remedy is working on relicensing means this may not be goodbye forever. With a 90% discount on the game and its DLC starting tomorrow, this is definitely the time to buy if you haven't yet already. We'll keep our eyes peeled for news of Alan Wake returning to Steam and the like, so stay tuned.

SOURCE: Remedy