This is what the 3rd QR code in Alan Wake sent me last night.

Another QR code, this one from Episode 2 of Alan Wake. It reads:

“Huh. Turns out this isn’t too bad even if you’re not sitting on a couch when you play it. Who knew!”

What do you mean, “Everything’s about to go horribly, horribly wrong”?

From Alan Wake for PC, now on Steam.

“This is not a gun, it’s a tool in the logical process of elimination.”

So yesterday I downloaded the new PC version of Alan Wake, which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Great price on a Complete Edition, too—only $30.

I’d seen on Reddit that there was a QR code hidden in the game…but I didn’t realize there was more than one. I didn’t expect to find a code until Chapter 2, but hidden away in the first few minutes of the game was the above. This one just takes you to the Alan Wake FB page but the other one I know of should be better. Stay tuned and I’ll find it!

(Funny, examining the picture again, I didn’t realize there was a reference to a later part of the game. Can you spot it?)

Whee! This is good news for people who like having boxes to put on shelves. Alan Wake’s upcoming PC release is not just a digital one. The option to buy a physical copy is available too. Says Lars Wingefors, CEO of Nordic Games GmbH:

“It goes without saying that we are very happy and proud to work together with some of the greatest talents and artists of the games industry. We are really looking forward to the PC version of Alan Wake, especially as we are talking about a fantastic PC adaptation thereof, rather than a mere porting of the code. We will talk about this in more detail in the upcoming weeks.”

Oh, and if you were wondering (I was!), both the digital and physical copies will contain the two DLC chapters “The Signal” and “The Writer”, making this not just an exciting release but a bit of a bargain too.

[GameInformer]

Microsoft has revealed the release date for the upcoming title Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. The game, set in the Alan Wake’s literary creation Night Springs, will come as part of the Xbox Live Arcade House Party from February 15 to March 13. Pick up the downloadable title on February 22 for 1200 Microsoft Points.

And don’t forget, if you buy all four titles during the House Party event (Warp, Nexuiz, and I Am Alive are also on the list), you’ll get 800 free Xbox Live points!

[GameInformer]

Remedy has confirmed a release window for the upcoming PC version of Alan Wake! On the forums yesterday a list of answers for their most frequently asked questions was posted, and among them, the date for Alan Wake’s Steam debut. Keep an eye on February 2012!

Some other details: no Mac compatibility, bundle deals are currently being worked on, the game will NOT use Games For Windows Live (Steam only!), it will be Xbox controller compatible, and there will be no demo version. If you want to check out more details, head over the Remedy forums.

[GameInformer]

Checking Steam registry files: it works. Remedy has confirmed that Alan Wake will be coming to PC (above, the first screen)! Just in time for my second playthrough, too—we should see this one early next year. No word yet on what they plan to do with the DLC. I’m wondering if it’ll come as a packaged deal or if we’ll still have to buy them separately…

[PC Gamer]

It’s been a long time since the disappointing news was dropped that Alan Wake’s PC version was dropped, but a faint glimmer of hope has just emerged. A Neogaf forum user recently spotted the game on Steam’s registry, raising speculation that Alan Wake may see a PC debut after all.

Is it possible? With the interest in American Nightmare and the future of the sequel, now may be the perfect time to reignite an interest in the series. I’ve already played it on Xbox 360, but I can see myself buying it again on my PC. I hope this rumor is true.

[Destructoid]

A teaser shot from the upcoming XBLA title and Alan Wake spin-off Night Springs has emerged! I can’t wait to see the full trailer during the Video Game Awards. Looks like we’ll be visiting the titular town as Wake in some form, and this time with… a nail gun?

[GameInformer]

According to a Tweet from Geoff Knighley, host of Spike TV, we can expect more about our tortured hero during the Video Game Awards:

“Alan Wake returns and Bioware unveils a new game from a new studio.”

Question is, will this be the side project, or will we actually hear more about Alan Wake 2? We’ll have to wait til the VGA’s December 10 premiere to find out.

[Joystiq]

The inevitability of Alan Wake 2 is pretty much a given, anyone who played the game and DLC (or read the developer comments/artist resume leak) can tell you. But a new piece of information may now give us a clue on the “when”. According to Xbox World magazine, a number of titles are already in development for the next gen Xbox, including the sequel to Alan Wake:

“We hear a number of Microsoft-friendly developers are hard at work on prepping next gen games as we speak. Could this be the reason why Remedy are so quiet about Alan Wake 2? (Yes),” the magazine responded to itself. “Rare, Lionhead and Turn 10 all have teams in place too. Rare, we hear, are even prototyping ideas for a new ‘mature title,’” the mag adds.

Lionhead, as you may know, is responsible for Fable, another installment of which would make perfect sense. Turn 10 likely means more Forza. As for Rare…who knows…their only mature franchises are Perfect Dark and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Whatever the case, Xbox 720’s 2013-2015 release window is a ways off yet, meaning we’ll be waiting for Wake for some time.

“Welcome To Bright Falls”, an Alan Wake inspired print available from GamerPrint.

Hot guys in costumes always make it better.