doops. Member Jun 3, 2020 5,012 View: https://bsky.app/profile/stephentotilo.bsky.social/post/3lomb2qrtg22c Remedy's next big game is being made for less money, but can still be great, CEO says The head of the studio behind Alan Wake and Control talks to Game File about Remedy's survival, a key cancellation, and getting game devs to think more about game business (but not too much!) www.gamefile.news I brought up the budget for Remedy's next big single-player game, Control 2, which the publicly-traded studio told investors is being developed for €50 million ($57 million), split between Remedy and the Hollywood movies and game production company Annapurna. I hadn't been sure what the development costs were for Remedy's last big singleplayer game, 2023's multiple Game of the Year award-winning Alan Wake 2. Then came the surprise. Alan Wake 2's budget, compared to Control 2's, Virtala told me, was "a bit higher." Click to expand... Click to shrink... And there we had it: In this era of ballooning game budgets, here was a rare instance of a development studio acknowledging that they'll be making their next big single-player game for less than their last one. (Note: There's a whole other Remedy game coming out before Control 2. The studio's debut multiplayer effort and first self-published game, FBC Firebreak, a co-op spin-off from Control, launches next month). Click to expand... Click to shrink... Virtala believes that €50 million is enough to make a great Remedy game. "I think with that we can create excellent games," he said. If the team sticks to that budget and the game sells two million units, "we are at break-even per game." He added: "That then builds the basis that, if we create an excellent game and it happens to sell four million or five million units, then we are really happy." Click to expand... Click to shrink...   J_ToSaveTheDay "This guy are sick" and Corrupted by Vengeance Avenger Oct 25, 2017 22,427 USA I'll be there no matter what. I want Remedy to be around in my gaming future, even if it means some scaling back.  southwest Member Sep 15, 2022 2,671 Makes sense, really. AW2 had Epic money didn't it?   ket Member Jul 27, 2018 14,958 Cool   Kickfister Member May 9, 2019 2,994 Control was already made on a shoestring budget and was still pretty amazing. That budget showed at times, but I'm all for it in the end. I also think Control has endured in the conversation enough that Control 2 could be a decent success for them.   Cameron122 Rescued from SR388 Member Oct 27, 2017 2,671 Texas southwest said: Makes sense, really. AW2 had Epic money didn't it? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward?  R3ndezvous Member Dec 17, 2024 1,227 The oldest house is probably still ripe for a lot of variety. Control is one of my favourite games :) Really looking forward to the sequel. Hope Remedy can go forward with a first day success  Pyro God help us the mods are making weekend threads Member Jul 30, 2018 18,720 United States So many bad takes will be derived from this lmao but I'm excited for Control 2 no matter what form it takes.   Zukkoyaki Member Oct 25, 2017 14,228 Makes sense. AW2 had a publisher while, to my knowledge, Control 2 will be self-published.   Transistor This isn't going to go the way you think Administrator Oct 25, 2017 41,516 Washington, D.C. I mean, it's Remedy. I'll be there day zero no matter the budget.   ventuno Member Nov 11, 2019 4,908 Still very excited for this! Control was too good not to be, I have faith in them!   Zebesian-X Member Dec 3, 2018 25,090 still a ways to go, but I can't wait for this game   SofNascimento cursed Member Oct 28, 2017 24,814 São Paulo - Brazil Just give me Jesse and I'll be there no matter what.   PucePikmin Member Apr 26, 2018 5,297 Not that surprising. The original Control lacks a lot of Alan Wake 2's bells and whistles, and it was pretty clear stuff like the game taking place inside a largely featureless concrete building was at least partly to save money.   PlanetSmasher The Abominable Showman Member Oct 25, 2017 132,140 Cameron122 said: I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Nope. That was just a deal for AW2. Remedy got a funding/budgetary agreement with Annapurna, I believe, but it's NOT a publishing deal.  Apollo Corrupted by Vengeance Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,956 Sounds amazing to me.   BrickArts295 GOTY Tracking Thread Master Member Oct 26, 2017 15,558 Cameron122 said: I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Max Payne Remakes are being funded by R* Control 2 and FBC will be self published with C2 being coproduced by Annapurna.  NinjaScooter Member Oct 25, 2017 60,496 Control was one of my favorite games of its era and one of my favorite metroidvania's ever. I'll be there no matter what the budget is.   I Don't Like Member Dec 11, 2017 16,752 I trust them. southwest said: Makes sense, really. AW2 had Epic money didn't it? Click to expand... Click to shrink... A Eurogamer article I found says the budget was "estimated" at around 70 million euros.  Uzupedro Member May 16, 2020 13,787 Rio de Janeiro Virtala referred to Remedy's plan, or company "pillar," as "smart creativity." Simply put, it means educating game makers about the costs of creating games. Developers across the industry aren't very aware of such things, Virtala said. "People haven't been subjected to the financial side." He thinks a bit of that would go a long way, helping game makers understand the actual money required for the features and scope they're considering for their game. "We are not requesting people study this, but we are providing them more and more context," he said. "We are showing them the company financials. We are discussing with them the project finances as well, so that they understand the wider context within which they operate and why the budgets are now set into this level and… [why,] if you are able to develop a great game in this schedule, it could have a bigger opportunity, maybe, than in some other schedule."Click to expand... Click to shrink... - I remarked to Virtala that, in sharing this, he sounded a lot like Sony's current CEO, Hiroki Totoki, who in early 2024 publicly lamented the lack of awareness he believed developers at newly acquired Bungie Studios had about the costs of their creative pursuits. "The past two years, when they have been so tough in the gaming industry, I think people have also started to appreciate much more, [that] in order for them—for all of us—to have a job, we need to then also succeed financially. " Click to expand... Click to shrink...   Greywaren Member Jul 16, 2019 12,930 Spain This is a good thing, actually. If they prove you can make a great, successful game with a smaller budget, maybe other big studios will follow suit.   vixolus Prophet of Truth Member Sep 22, 2020 70,453 I will be there   nogoodnamesleft Member Oct 25, 2017 8,539 Totally fine.   mikhailt Member Aug 30, 2019 317 They will always get day zero/one purchase from me.   mikhailt Member Aug 30, 2019 317 They could make control 2 on the same engine version as control and I'd still pay 80$ for it.   Lowrys Member Oct 25, 2017 14,600 London Would buy anything Remedy make regardless of the budget. I don't want them to spend megabucks, have a big title flop, and then end up closing.   Mivey Member Oct 25, 2017 20,508 Hope this works out and Control 2 is a big success.   Blackbird Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 7,217 Brazil Control had a way smaller budget than AWII and it tops the latter easily for me, personally. i'll be there.  MonadL Member Oct 25, 2017 5,209 Will also be there for Control 2 day one. First game was incredible. Just please get rid of the crafting.  closer Member Oct 25, 2017 5,484 Hopefully a trend! Really interested to see what the landscape is like in 6 years.   southwest Member Sep 15, 2022 2,671 Cameron122 said: I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I don't believe so, at least I haven't seen anything to say that. Remedy bought the Control IP from 505 recently enough and are supposedly self publishing it   Roxas The Fallen Oct 28, 2017 4,839 Buenos Aires, Argentina I'll be there day 0, it's Remedy, I'm nothing if not loyal. That being said, I am sure this doesn't apply to Max Payne's remakes, which most likely are funded by T2 and probably have a larger budget than AWII   dallow_bg Member Oct 28, 2017 11,731 texas Good. And of course it can be great.  ShadBy Member Oct 8, 2023 1,710 NinjaScooter said: Control was one of my favorite games of its era and one of my favorite metroidvania's ever. I'll be there no matter what the budget is. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah, AW2 was a real splash of cold water to the face realization that I am not a Remedy head, I am very much a Control head   Jay Shadow Member Oct 28, 2017 3,321 Cameron122 said: I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It was a 2 game deal which was Alan Wake Remaster and Alan Wake 2.   Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,340 Cameron122 said: I thought all remedy games were gonna be backed by Epic going forward? Click to expand... Click to shrink... No. Rockstar are publishing Max Payne 1+2 and Remedy are self-publishing Firebreak and Control 2 (partly funded by Annapurna). Epic only published Alan Wake Remastered and Alan Wake 2.   styl_oh Fallen One-Winged Chicken Chaser Employee Are Sick Member Nov 24, 2019 2,694 Alberta, Canada Total faith they'll make something weird, funny, risky, experimental and deeply Remedian (I'm making that a word). I'm down no matter what.  AviAvi ▲ Legend ▲ Member Jun 23, 2021 9,723 I haven't played Alan Wake 2, so I'm more interested in knowing how the budget compares to Control 1. Either way I'm still gonna be there when it drops  derFeef Member Oct 26, 2017 19,098 Austria Gosh I wish Alan Wake 2 had a smaller budget... Don't get me wrong, I love all Remedy games, but I was fairly disappointed by Alan Wake 2 as an Alan Wake game.  Nameless Member Oct 25, 2017 17,189 That makes sense given the abstract, brutalist nature of the Oldest House and how it calls for a more minimalist approach to environmental design with lots of weird repetition. It's also a less populated space compared to bringing Bright Falls to life, and we're presumably back to a single protagonist instead or two.   SofNascimento cursed Member Oct 28, 2017 24,814 São Paulo - Brazil Although I don't think Remedy needs big budget to make their games, I do hope this is not a decision that limits their vision for Control 2 in any way. I believe this game can be a game that puts Remedy is a better position when it comes to sales. Control and Alan Wake 2 were both superb yet sold remarkably few units considering their quality. I think Control 2 will change that. So Remedy needs to make sure it is as good as they can make it.  sionydus Member Jan 2, 2021 2,787 West Coast, USA I'm in no matter what. Just say when, Sam   Nabs Member Oct 26, 2017 15,865 "We are moving from surviving to succeeding." FINALLY  Hero_of_the_Day Avenger Oct 27, 2017 19,685 Really wish they could get a massive sales hit. Sucks that they have these games I love that take forever to break even.   Jay Shadow Member Oct 28, 2017 3,321 AviAvi said: I haven't played Alan Wake 2, so I'm more interested in knowing how the budget compares to Control 1. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Control's budget was €30 million. So much more than that.   OhhEldenRing Member Aug 14, 2024 2,704 The studio's debut multiplayer effort and first self-published game, FBC Firebreak, a co-op spin-off from Control, launches next month). Click to expand... Click to shrink... Am excited to give this a try more than C2. I was all in on Control until the later parts of the game when I outright ignored the invasion missions and enabled God Mode to beat the last fifth. It just got too drawn out for me. Hope they learned some lessons here.  TheWooniestWoona Member Oct 27, 2017 7,299 They could reuse assets and the engine and build the game Majora's Mask style and I'd be perfectly happy.   shodgson8 Shinra Employee Member Aug 22, 2018 5,210 I am fully in support of them for keeping it sustainable. I will be there day one whatever happens.  Shan Member Oct 27, 2017 8,804 Loved Control quite a bit so, I believe in Remedy. Things will be just fine, regardless of budget.   Crossing Eden Member Oct 26, 2017 58,292 IIRC Control 1 was already made with a smaller budget than Remedy's prior games. Alan Wake 2 was them getting a Quantum Break tier budget again.