We recently spoke Tiia Öhman about working as a photographer on the Alan Wake 2 set. Her stunning work can be seen in-game, in marketing, and on merchandise.
For our first Community Spotlight of 2024, we spoke to the brilliant Edvard Spells, a cosplayer who smoothly transforms from tormented writer to evil double.
In March, Remedy released their Alan Wake 2 update (1.0.16.1) for PCs, which lowers the minimum GPU requirements, optimising rendering for GPUs that don't support mesh shaders.
Alan Wake 2 sold one million units by the end of December 2023 and 1.3 million units as of February 2024, making it Remedy’s fastest-selling game so far.
To celebrate the game's 10th anniversary, we sat down with Matthew Porretta, the incredible voice actor behind Alan Wake, to talk about his experiences and memories.
In this week's A Dose of Remedy newsletter, the developers celebrated their long-serving World Editor (WED) as it was set to retire.
The software has been used in all of their games since the release of the original Alan Wake back in 2010 through to the writer's haunting sequel but was retired at the start of the month to be replaced by its successor, the New World Editor, NWED.
In their newsletter and later on Instagram, the studio shared their tribute to the code, writing, "At the start of April, a certain era here at Remedy came to a solemn end. The World Editor, better known internally as WED, was used by our development teams with every game we’ve done since the first Alan Wake. It was a source of myriad selection of feelings to our developers throughout the years. In the end, WED was a remarkably reliable tool, but after 20 years, it was time for it to retire to greener pastures."
The studio gathering, marked with themed cake and champagne, also paved the way for speeches. Northlight's Development Director, Tommi Lind, stated that "WED lived a long and singular life. The fact that it could still be used to not only ship a game, but a cutting-edge, world class title like Alan Wake 2, speaks volumes for the effort put into maintaining it over the years. While working with WED wasn’t always easy, together we accomplished great things. With that, let’s raise a glass to WED. Requiescat in pace!"
With work now completed on the editor, Remedy shared its growth over the years, stating that "The initial WED submit contained only 27 files, most of which were empty stubs for future implementation. After 20 years and many individuals contributing to it, the number of files removed from the Northlight codebase was 1905, totaling 256401 lines of C++ source code."
If you missed out on the original run of Oh Deer Diner Thermos, you will have another opportunity very soon!
Teasing in this week's A Dose of Remedy newsletter, the studio revealed, "The iconic Oh Deer Diner thermos from the Alan Wake-series is a genuine collector’s item, but fear not, a new batch of them is arriving soon! The second batch of these will be available on Amazon Germany (shipping Europe-wide) and Amazon Sweden (shipping in Sweden only), and through iam8bit (global shipping available) - in the near future!"
While there isn't a date set for the restock, iam8bit has already started preparations for its arrival. On Twitter, the company wrote, "We'll announce that date in advance of the stock being put live via social media and our email list." In a follow-up post, they established the new restrictions to deter scalpers, "We'll have a larger stock the first drop. We're restricted by the manufacturer's supply and production capacity, but we're ordering as many as we can!" and that "We're sticking to our limit of two per customer, and will be cancelling any orders beyond that."
If the prices are matched to the first batch, they are expected to cost between €24.99 to €29.99.
The Second Batch. We received an initial teaser back in November after a limited batch sold out within seconds on iam8bit. Talking about future chances, Thomas Puha (Communications Director at Remedy) stated, "There is another larger batch of Oh Deer Diner thermoses coming in (estimate) Q1 2024. No need to buy from resellers (unless you want to). Hold on, more are coming."
A further post by the developer revealed the complex decisions in trying to measure interest at the start of the collaboration, "The main thing with the Oh Deer Diner thermos was to do fan service and create a really high-quality product and collabo that makes sense. We had no idea what the demand would be. Either you make too many and that's bad or make too few and that's...not good either."
About the Oh Deer Diner Theroms. The thermoses were handed out prior to their official launch to influencers and the press during the behind-closed-door previews for Alan Wake 2 but were made publically available in early October 2023. The original run was made available domestically in Finland via select supermarkets and online at VPD. A smaller batch was released on iam8bit the following month.
For the piece, Remedy teamed up with local specialists Airam, who is backed by almost a century of knowledge in rugged and quality thermos design. Established in the 1920s, the company originally focused on lighting but branched into the creation of the now-iconic red thermos bottles a decade later with the formation of their Punavuori-based glass factory. Although a household name, the partnership marks its first brand crossover.
The limited edition Oh Deer Diner thermos was part of the launch celebrations for Alan Wake 2. The recreated thermos features a shiny, bright white top and base, along with the recognizable pastel blue. The cafe's logo is prominently featured on the outside. For the piece, Airam is using its traditional 0.45-litre bottle with a high-quality glass interior.
Today, Remedy uploaded an interview with Alan Wake 2 actor Peter Franzén, who portrayed the fan-favourite Koskela brothers, Jaakko and Ilmo. In the piece, he talks about his approach to both characters and what he hopes players will receive from the game.
Check out the five-minute interview below, along with a full transcript, or watch directly on the Remedy YouTube channel.
For the video, Vida Starčević (Senior Community Manager) was the interviewer, with editing and b-roll by Julius Fondem (Community Manager).
Peter Franzén: I'm always interested in new challenges, and in this game, I was given a role- two roles or three roles, but I'm playing twin brothers in it. So, of course that kind of a challenge is always interesting for an actor. And as an actor, I need challenges all the time, of course, to keep the mill churning inside of me. So that's... that was pretty much the first thing that I got latched on.
[Title screen reads "Peter Franzén. 'Ilmo & Jaakko Koskela'"]
Franzén: I'm Peter Franzén, and in Alan Wake 2, I play Jaakko. They are brothers Jaakko and Ilmo, and also a strange character called Huotari.
[Text on screen reads, "Describe Ilmo & Jaakko in 2 sentences!'"]
Franzén: Two sentences?
Vida Starčević, (off-screen): Three, let's say three?
Franzén: One and a half sentences for each. (Laughs) Yeah, Jaakko and Ilmo, they are twin brothers, and... Ilmo is a very energetic sort of forward- thinking businessman/slash motorcycle enthusiast. And it's not a gang, but it's like a club. And his brother Jaakko, he’s a little bit more laid-back family man. Lets his brother dictate what they're going to do, and he's okay with it. He's a very gentle soul... to a point.
[Text on screen reads, "What is exciting about working on Alan Wake 2?'"]
Franzén: With the characters, I think I've sort of... I don't think I have played characters like that before. The twin brothers, they are like a new thing. Of course, it's, you know, I've played so many things though. So, there is a reminiscent of something, but... the biggest thing that I'm really intrigued in this project is to see those characters in the game and how they collaborate with all the other characters, and in the bigger picture, the game itself and the game's world. So, that's- I'm really, really excited to sit down and sort of get absorbed into that world.
[Text on screen reads, "How do you feel about the Finnish elements in Alan Wake 2?'"]
Franzén:Alan Wake 2 is a wonderful example of how cultures can be presented, and, of course, Finnish culture is not completely just what you see in Alan Wake [2], but there are so many, so many wonderful niblets of Finnish heritage and traditional things and also things that are mythological, which is a big part of our souls here in Finland still. I mean, there are the religions, regular religions, and but then we have our own religion, which is the nature. We have always been in the nature and in this, in Alan Wake 2, there is some of that too. And, of course, there is the melancholy that we have.
[Text on screen reads, "How did you make Ilmo & Jakko feel different?'"]
Franzén:Yeah, in order to make twin brothers different. Played by the same actor is of course. Of course, you change the appearance a little bit and then...that’s one of the key elements for me, at least, to start working with, sort of two characters that are basically the same. And um...of course there, as an actor, you have a little toolbox with you; all the time that you've learned through your career- throughout your career. And of course, you maybe change change the speed of expression; the other one has a little bit more energy and the other one is a little bit more laid back. So that makes, surprisingly, that...in the best circumstances, that makes already a big, big change. Big, big difference between the characters.
[Text on screen reads, "How do you hope players will react to Alan Wake 2?'"]
Franzén:Of course, what we do here is entertainment, and I hope that the person that plays the game is frightened, horrified, terrified... intrigued. Just wants to play the game really, really, until the end, if possible. And I hope that the person will enjoy it and understand the humour in it and search for those little snippets and bits and pieces that are humorous and will just make this game a bigger of an experience for perhaps bigger than anything they've ever played before.
This morning, Remedy sent out a new issue of A Dose of Remedy, a newsletter which explores the weird and wonderful world of game development. In their latest post, the studio shares updates on the Oh Deer Diner thermos, their adventures at GDC, and their retirement of the WED (The World Editor) after almost twenty years of service.
This newsletter is recreated in full below as an archive of Remedy's history, but we highly recommend subscribing directly to receive all the goodness via your inbox.
24 April 2024
This dose will take you 4 minutes to read.
Welcome to A Dose of Remedy
Dear Remedy community,
Although spring has already sprung, our team has been tirelessly working behind the scenes since last year. Among our many projects, we’ve been busy with developing the expansions for Alan Wake 2. We’re eager to bring more thrilling adventures to you and can’t wait to share more in the coming months.
Remedy at GDC 2024
Recently, we had the pleasure of participating in the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024, where we delivered 11 talks about the creation of our most ambitious game yet, Alan Wake 2. One of the speakers was our Senior Gameplay Programmer Alexander Balakshin, pictured above.
GDC is an annual event that brings together video game developers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts. It provides a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and showcasing the latest developments in game design, technology, and business.
It was a week filled with exhilarating discussions, knowledge sharing, and invaluable learning from our peers amidst the dynamic industry climate. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our talks or that took time to chat with us!
For those with access to the GDC Vault, all our presentations are available for you to check out. Dive in to discover the insights and experiences our team brings to the creation of our latest game.
We’re also immensely proud that Alan Wake 2 was nominated in several categories at the GDC Awards, and the conference concluded on a high note with Alan Wake 2 winning the award for Best Visual Art!
“The GDC Best Visual Art award for Alan Wake 2 is a big win for our talented team, showing off their creativity and hard work. We're so proud of the incredible detail and innovation we managed to do in the game. Special thanks to our Art Director Janne Pulkkinen, who’s vision and leadership were instrumental in bringing our game’s visuals to life. This recognition will inspire us to keep pushing the boundaries and delivering stunning visuals for our players to enjoy. The best has yet to come!”, says Principal Environment Artist Nazareno Urbano, commenting the win.
Alan Wake 2 Developer live streams!
This April we kicked off a series of live streams, where we showcase Alan Wake 2 and how it was brought to life through the years. Each stream, we’ll bring in a few of the developers from various disciplines who will talk about their craft and experiences in developing Alan Wake 2. As we chat, we will be going through video material on the topic we’re discussing, and we’ll also aim to have time to answer questions from chat during every stream. The streams are hosted by Remedy’s Senior Community Manager Vida Starčević, and we will be streaming every two weeks.
The first live streams have already been done, but you can still watch them online even if you missed them.
In the kickoff stream, join Game Director Kyle Rowley and Communications Director Thomas Puha as they go behind the scenes and show what Alan Wake 2 looked like years and months before its release.
The second developer stream featured composer Petri Alanko and Audio Director Richard Lapington, who took a deep dive into how audio and music was done in Alan Wake 2.
Upcoming streams include Cinematics & Live action (May 2nd), how the Pacific Northwest in the game was born (May 16th) and The Dark Place (May 30th). More will follow.
At the start of April, a certain era here at Remedy came to a solemn end. The World Editor, better known internally as WED, was used by our development teams with every game we’ve done since the first Alan Wake. It was a source of myriad selection of feelings to our developers throughout the years. In the end, WED was a remarkably reliable tool, but after 20 years, it was time for it to retire to greener pastures.
“WED lived a long and singular life. The fact that it could still be used to not only ship a game, but a cutting-edge, world class title like Alan Wake 2, speaks volumes for the effort put into maintaining it over the years. While working with WED wasn’t always easy, together we accomplished great things. With that, let’s raise a glass to WED. Requiescat in pace!”, eulogized Tommi Lind, Development Director in our Northlight technology team, in the memorial service held at the office.
The initial WED submit contained only 27 files, most of which were empty stubs for future implementation. After 20 years and many individuals contributing to it, the number of files removed from the Northlight codebase was 1905, totaling 256401 lines of C++ source code.
WED will be succeeded by NWED, which hopefully will learn from what WED did and surpass it in every way.
Meet the developers
This is where we let the people making our games talk about their work. This time, we’re talking to Kiya Kandar from the Northlight team and professional rigging artist Elina Sievänen.
Kiya Kandar
Graphics Programmer
From the UK. At Remedy and Finland for roughly 3 years. Worked on Alan Wake 2 in the Northlight rendering team.
Previously worked as a VFX programmer at Cloud Imperium Games for Star Citizen, and as a graphics programmer at Codemasters for Grid Legends.
Is currently Graphics Programmer in Northlight team. Has had fun working on a mix of different genres, big sci-fi MMO’s, racing games, and now on story-driven single player games.
“I joined Remedy as a big fan of Alan Wake and Control, so it’s been interesting to peek behind the curtain at the engine code that got those games running.”
For Alan Wake 2 I primarily worked on our geometry pipeline, improving it, optimizing it, and adding new features. I especially enjoyed working on our large-scale procedural animation system which runs on the GPU. It was something brand new for the Northlight engine and I’m not sure any other games have done the same before, so it was an enjoyable and iterative process developing something that performed well and that our artist were happy with. We used this tech to animate the forests in Alan Wake 2 and more.”
This, and our compute shader-based skinning methods were the subject of my GDC talk this year (‘Large Scale GPU-Based Skinning for Vegetation in Alan Wake 2’. It was the first GDC I’ve attended and had a great time. There were quite a lot of interesting presentations this year. It was also good to meet and talk to other developers, I got the sense that many are very impressed with the technology we have in the Northlight engine.”
Elina Sievänen
Rigging Artist
At Remedy for 5 years. Joined the company as a junior fresh from school during the final year of the development of Control, where she worked on office workers, maintenance workers, enemies and quest givers.
Has since worked on two Crossfire episodes, Alan Wake 2 and several ongoing projects.
Rigged Robert Nightingale, Mayor Setter, Kiran Estevez and Alex Casey among many other rigs for Alan Wake 2.
Currently working as a Rigging Artist in project ██████.
“The coolest part of my job is to study interesting details, like musculoskeletal structures or the mechanics of historical weapons. I also like the fact, that I get to do daily technical design and programming, while still doing manual artistic work, like skinning or modeling structures for simulations.”
More Oh Deer Diner thermoses on the way!
The iconic Oh Deer Diner thermos from the Alan Wake -series is a genuine collector’s item, but fear not, a new batch of them is arriving soon!
The second batch of these will be available on Amazon Germany (shipping Europe-wide) and Amazon Sweden (shipping in Sweden only), and through iam8bit (global shipping available) - in the near future!
The Oh Deed Diner thermos is done in collaboration with Airam.
As we continue our journey into 2024, your passion remains our greatest motivation. We’re grateful for every piece of feedback, and every moment of support you’ve shared with us. Thank you for being part of our community.
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