Hi, Jesse. I am enjoying listening to this episode but there are some details that are incorrect. Remedy did not buy back rights to Alan Wake 2. This is a popular misconception.
Remedy always owned the IP rights to Alan Wake. Microsoft only had an exclusive publishing license to AW1 and AWAN. Technically then, there was nothing preventing Remedy from making an AW sequel other than investment. For years, Remedy went and pitched Alan Wake 2 to various publishers but nobody wanted to do it at the budget they had in mind until around 2018.
In 2019, Remedy received a royalty payment of 2.5 million euro as a one-time income. In connection with this, the publishing rights to Alan Wake and American Nightmare reverted to the company. Remedy has not revealed the details of what happened, but I'd bet it terminated its original publishing licenses with Microsoft early for those two games.
Remedy also didn't buy back anything related to Quantum Break. This is still an IP wholly owned by Microsoft, which is why AW2 introduced alternate reality doppelgangers of its key characters, remaking QB within the Alan Wake franchise.
Hi, Jesse. I am enjoying listening to this episode but there are some details that are incorrect. Remedy did not buy back rights to Alan Wake 2. This is a popular misconception.
Remedy always owned the IP rights to Alan Wake. Microsoft only had an exclusive publishing license to AW1 and AWAN. Technically then, there was nothing preventing Remedy from making an AW sequel other than investment. For years, Remedy went and pitched Alan Wake 2 to various publishers but nobody wanted to do it at the budget they had in mind until around 2018.
In 2019, Remedy received a royalty payment of 2.5 million euro as a one-time income. In connection with this, the publishing rights to Alan Wake and American Nightmare reverted to the company. Remedy has not revealed the details of what happened, but I'd bet it terminated its original publishing licenses with Microsoft early for those two games.
Remedy also didn't buy back anything related to Quantum Break. This is still an IP wholly owned by Microsoft, which is why AW2 introduced alternate reality doppelgangers of its key characters, remaking QB within the Alan Wake franchise.