[Master_Moridin]

It appears it is once again time to start theorizing.

It would appear that Alan is going full on into the war, and that Scratch is the new face of the Darkness, at least, going by the mention of the Light vs. Dark war.

It seems to me that the nature of Scratch seems to be a bit more obvious now, if not how he came to be. Alan called him a caricature of himself. This might mean that Scratch is Alan's negative qualities, his anger, his ego (going by Scratch saying he likes to be the center of attention.)

That's all I have for now.

[Pyramid head]

Wake is the new Barbara.

[Master_Moridin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyramid head

Wake is the new Barbara.

What are you suggesting here, that Alan has been possessed by the Dark Prescence, cause i dont think that would work if he's the good guy.

[Mirror Peak]

Isn't Night Springs a fictional place in Alan Wake as well? If so, then it could be that Alan or someone wrote the whole story into existence.

[MikkiRMD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirror Peak

Isn't Night Springs a fictional place in Alan Wake as well?

Yes, it is.

[stricky345]

Ok, here are two points that came to my mind:

Either Wake needs to remove Scratch from the real world, because both can't exist there, and since every story has to be coherent he writes it so that the dark presence took scratch as a new vessel.

Or Wake tries to get rid of the 'touch' of the darkness, by placing all the darkness into scratch, Transferring it to a Night Spring setting, were he can have it so, that Scratch is a twin that split off from him, taking all the 'darkness' with him.

[PooBone]

To me, it doesn't sound like Wake is even leaving the lake in this.... If night springs is something made up, then he's still probably fumbling around his mind, ala The Signal and The Writer.

I know he wrote an episode for Night Springs early in his career, but.... this has to take place after AW because of the mention of Mr Scrach.

I'm at a loss.

[Mirror Peak]

In Alan Wake, Tom said Mr. Scratch was going to be meeting Alan's friends. In the trailer, it seems that Mr. Scratch is with someone who has a bag over their head. Maybe Mr. Scratch kidnapped someone Alan knows for whatever reason, and the game is about Alan getting them back. Or Mr. Scratch, posing as Alan in the real world, is trying to frame Alan for murder and Alan has to get out of the Dark Place in time to stop him. I was going to implicate Tom in here somewhere but I was afraid I was going to get a bloody nose just thinking about it.

[Dark]

Thank You Remedy!

After several weeks of hype and anticipation, the VGA's turned out to be awful, trailers that barely lasted 5 seconds after mega amounts of "Grand" and "exclusive" reveals!

Alan Wake was the only one with a REAL proper trailer, so well done.

I like what Remedy are doing with AWAN, It's a spin-off, not a sequel, too many games nowadays release sequels, Fully numbered sequels and it's EXACTLY the same as the previous entry, with a few minor additions (*cough* Gears Of War, *Cough* Call Of Duty)

Where as Games like Unreal Tournament, Half Life and Battlefeld to name a few, they only release SEQUELS when it's a next-gen platform or there is truly a real difference in gameplay and mechanics after several years, till then they release spin offs.

The word sequel is overused nowadayas, Spin-Off should be used more often, and I'm glad American Nightmare isn't a sequel, maybe in terms of narrative it is, but it technical and engineering terms, it isn't

[youcannotsee]

MOUNT something OBSERVATORY - classic wake.

[Dusk Golem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youcannotsee

MOUNT something OBSERVATORY - classic wake.

Mount Redtooth National Observatory.

[Mirror Peak]

Another theory: what if Alan is trying to leave the Dark Place, but to do so he must trade places with Mr. Scratch like Mr. Scratch did with him when he first entered the Dark Place, and Mr. Scratch doesn't want to?

[Master_Moridin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirror Peak

Another theory: what if Alan is trying to leave the Dark Place, but to do so he must trade places with Mr. Scratch like Mr. Scratch did with him when he first entered the Dark Place, and Mr. Scratch doesn't want to?

Well, we don't know for certain that Alan and Scratch traded places. To me it seems to more strongly hint that Alan traded places with Alice.

[djshauny1]

I allways thought that Scratch was a good guy lol

[Master_Moridin]

And i thought that scratch was an entity that lived in the dark place and wanted to steal alan's identity. course, well...my idea could still work....-ponders-

[Mirror Peak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master_Moridin

Well, we don't know for certain that Alan and Scratch traded places. To me it seems to more strongly hint that Alan traded places with Alice.

Actually yeah, now that I think about it Alan did trade places with Alice instead of Mr. Scratch.

[Pickman]

In the new trailer. At the drive-in-theater, the film reel shows Alan bagging someone that looks like a government agent. My memory is fussy did Nightingale's partner die?
I've got nothing else new to add to the theory pile. But my god I don't want to go through the same stuff Alan goes when, if I choose to make some changes in me. I'd rather be an A-hole.

[Pyramid head]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickman

In the new trailer. At the drive-in-theater, the film reel shows Alan bagging someone that looks like a government agent. My memory is fussy did Nightingale's partner die?
I've got nothing else new to add to the theory pile. But my god I don't want to go through the same stuff Alan goes when, if I choose to make some changes in me. I'd rather be an A-hole.

Oh ! You're onto something ! Yes in the collector edition we learn something happen to his partner but we don't have details. Nightingale seeks for revenge in Alan Wake 1. Scratch pass as Wake. Except the timeline, it's credible.

[Pickman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyramid Head

Oh ! You're onto something ! Yes in the collector edition we learn something happen to his partner but we don't have details. Nightingale seeks for revenge in Alan Wake 1. Scratch pass as Wake. Except the timeline, it's credible.

Well in the dark place time is not... how do you say it? Time is no straight line. Time is... you know what I mean right

Darkness is not bound by time.

[Commander Shepa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickman

In the new trailer. At the drive-in-theater, the film reel shows Alan bagging someone that looks like a government agent. My memory is fussy did Nightingale's partner die?
I've got nothing else new to add to the theory pile. But my god I don't want to go through the same stuff Alan goes when, if I choose to make some changes in me. I'd rather be an A-hole.

You're a genious! Your theory sounds incredibly plausible

PS: This is my first post. I'm glad to be among you guys and wanna say hi. Been following Alan Wake ever since I first heard about it. I love every little thing about it.
I wanna thank you RMD for making this awesome game and also thanks for keeping faith in it!

[MikkiRMD]

Welcome aboard, Shepa, glad to hear you're enjoying it. =)

[jkler]

Is this the original mt Redtooth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_McDowell

[MikkiRMD]

I don't believe it's based on any particular mountain, just Arizona geography in general.

[GTB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickman

Well in the dark place time is not... how do you say it? Time is no straight line. Time is... you know what I mean right

Darkness is not bound by time.

Interesting. This would be explained why the game is not Alan Wake season 2. I'm asking too where is Zane.

[Master_Moridin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickman

Well in the dark place time is not... how do you say it? Time is no straight line. Time is... you know what I mean right

Darkness is not bound by time.

Something's obviously up with time with the Dark Place, but we don't know what. It could simply be that the flow of time is different, not its linearity. No way to know as of now. Though I do believe there is limited non-linearity.

[youcannotsee]

Alan Wake American Nightmare-more action.I wonder if they will get any inspiration from Joe Hill.
Hes more violent in his writing then his father.

[Pickman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master_Moridin

Something's obviously up with time with the Dark Place, but we don't know what. It could simply be that the flow of time is different, not its linearity. No way to know as of now. Though I do believe there is limited non-linearity.

I'm no good with words. If we think time as in space. The Dark Place is out of that space.
When Alice got out of the Dark Place, she was brought back in time when Alan jumped in I guess. Barbara got older in Dark Place so... F@#k!!
OK. The time flows linear, but if you're in DP your place in that time could be anywhere. NO!!! You are... ERROR ERROR

I'm just gonna wait for the game.

[Nik'sih Pir'kah]

Yeah. I think being in the Dark place could be like being captured in a work of art. It would be interesting if time went cycles in the Dark place and some things would happen many times.That reminds me of a Stephen Kings shortstory where hell is described as a one day which
repeated itself over and over again.

[SierraJohn117]

while reading Chris Ryan's Strikeback while lookinq at the american nightmare screenshot and I realized at the right side it said "Night Springs" the name of the fictional TV series and town, I did a little research and found that the Rolling Stones had a concert on Western Springs, at night, NIGHT SPRINGS

Secondly on the left there is a sign that says desertshore motel, desertshore was the name of Nico's album, a member(?) of velvet underground, Nico's most well known song in the Velvet Underground is "I'll be your mirror" ("When you think the night Has seen your mind, that inside your twisted and unkind let me stand to show that you are blind". Perhaps alluding to Alan's relationship with Scratch.).


And also I cant help but feel that the location Wake is in the screenshot is too reminiscent of the setting of Maximum Overdrive by Stephen King ( In the movie inanimate machines gets possessed and tries to kill everyone (where have I heard that before?) lol) Anyways the theme song of maximum overdrive is "Who made who" by ACϟDC. AC DC's main shtick is "energy, power and electricity"

LOL guess what makes up half of Wake's main arsenal?

[SierraJohn117]

Also: I think remedy released this screenshot for a specific purpose, so that us, the fans, can make up speculations and to see if any of us catch any of their hints

[Maniac]

Quote:

I go to the motel and the guy asks me if I want a smoking or non smoking room and I said "non smoking."

The guy responded by saying, "You know there's no smoking in the room."

And I said, "Yeah I kind of got that, I don't smoke."

He said, "Yeah but just remember if you have a friend over who does smoke, no smoking in the room."

"So then I'll have him smoke in the lobby."

"There's no smoking in the lobby."

"So then I'll make him smoke outside."

"Why make him smoke outside when you can just get the smoking room and smoke all you want in it?"

"Do you know something I don't????"

So I'm smoking in the room.....

Ahh, I miss you Robert Schimmel. Yeah this isn't really important to the thread but with that topic it made me think of this.

[Nelsh]

Haha, I love this theory. Big AC/DC fan here.

[shorty]

Man that's some real investigation you got going there Great find, it's probably not coincidental. I would love to hear someone from Remedy comment on it!

[GunGrave TZA]

Well, I've been thinking this through for a while as to what could be a plausible setup for American Nightmare, so I have two theories for it.

*WARNING: HUGE MASSIVE GIANT SPOILERS FOR THE ORIGINAL ALAN WAKE AND THE DLC. IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE GAME OR DLC, DON'T SCROLL DOWN. JUST STOP. RIGHT NOW. CLOSE THE TAB. CLOSED IT? OKAY, PEOPLE WHO FINISHED THE GAME STILL HERE? GOOD.*

Spoiler:

show spoiler

A quick recap of how Alan Wake ended, firstly. Alan found himself stuck in the Dark Place, his wife being released into reality and him sacrificing himself in exchange for his wife's safety. Out in the real world he has been replaced by Mr. Scratch, a doppelganger of himself. At the end of the 2nd DLC, Alan was writing a new story in the Dark Place called "Return", while at the end of the original game he stated that "It's not a lake...It's an ocean", implying that the Dark Presence has a much wider reach than just Bright Falls.

My first theory is based around the idea that American Nightmare is a fully-fledged sequel to the original and continues the story. Alan Wake discovers through Thomas Zane that Mr. Scratch is beginning to travel through America. He is spreading the influence of the Dark Presence under the guise of Alan himself, promoting his new novel "Departure" and tricking Alice into believing that he is genuinely Alan. While Thomas Zane can no longer directly fight the Dark Presence, he is still able to communicate with Alan in the Dark Place - mostly telepathically. Alan upon discovering this information begins to write himself back into reality and ends up in a fictional town similar a stereotypical South American county like Texas; the town which is the next stop on Mr. Scratch's Departure Tour schedule. The remainder of the game follows you playing as Alan as he tries to fight off Mr. Scratch and unravel the reason as to why he exists, as well as the true extent of the Dark Presence's powers and his own origins (considering that Thomas summoned him to Bright Falls with his own writing).

Now the second theory is if American Nightmare takes a more spin-off route and doesn't directly continue the story, which is implied given the grind-house aesthetic of the logo at the end of the debut trailer. ...I'm working on this one.

[OttoSporteman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunGrave TZA

Spoiler:

show spoiler

My first theory is based around the idea that American Nightmare is a fully-fledged sequel to the original and continues the story. Alan Wake discovers through Thomas Zane that Mr. Scratch is beginning to travel through America. He is spreading the influence of the Dark Presence under the guise of Alan himself, promoting his new novel "Departure" and tricking Alice into believing that he is genuinely Alan.

THIS!

Remember how Wake was COMPLETELY different from his personality on that TV show and that Wake himself, upon catching the Tivo'ed show found it strange?

What if the timelines get crossed between Dark Place's time and "Real Life" time AND Scratch's time?

[Helspont]

"Alan Wake might be the talk of the town but little is known about his re-emergence on Xbox Live Arcade. Fortunately, Xbox World magazine has delivered a sprawling eight-page feature chalk-full of details on the flannel-clad writer's newest nightmare.

According to the mag, Alan Wake's American Nightmare draws thematic and narrative inspiration from pulp action-adventures such as From Dusk 'Til Dawn and other Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez material.

The XBLA follow-up is a return to Alan Wake's open-world roots, featuring a hub structure which will see players returning to locations multiple times during the story. The game is described as "significantly bigger than any episode of the original game."

American Nightmare takes place two years after the events of the original game. Since saving Alice, his perpetually in danger other half, and confining himself to the 'Dark Place' beneath Cauldron Lake Alan has become an urban-legend.

In his absence fans of the writer have re-imagined him as a Candyman of sorts, the legend goes that Alan vanished into the woods of Bright Falls and returned as Mr Scratch, a maniacal serial killer.

Like all good urban myths uttering Mr Scratch's name a few too many times is rumored to summon him, and since things have a way of mysteriously coming true in Alan's world, the evil doppleganger has manifested and is on his way to finish Alice off, leaving a trail of bodies and video evidence of his murderous activities for Alan to find.

During the game players will learn what became of Alice, as well as Alan's agent Barry, after the events of the first game through new manuscript pages, TVs and radios, Xbox World reveals.

Although it still relies on the same combat mechanics as the original game, enemies now respond to Alan's light-based attacks in different ways that force him to switch up his tactics. A new crossbow weapon which can pierce through the darkness protecting enemies has been introduced, along with and Uzis, military-grade rifles and a nailgun, which Alan can use to overwhelm his foes.

For the full eight-page feature on Alan Wake's American Nightmare pick up Xbox World magazine issue 113, which also includes an exclusive look at Rainbow Six Patriots."

I'm just posting here to give you guys more to go on. It was in the other thread, and I was finding that some theories in here contradicted this official statement, so hee you have it.

[N0T PENNYS B0AT]

One question I think we have to ask, though this previous post confuses me as to whether or not it's even relevant, is "Did Tom know Mr. Scratch's intentions? If he knew he was evil or whatever, why did he seem fine when telling Alan that Scratch would be taking his place?"

[MilitanT-7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikkiRMD

Yes, it is.

wouldn't that allow you to allow alan wake to write himself guns, new outfits..etc by finding incs around the maps and use it in the nearnest type writer?

[youcannotsee]

Does everyone know who Joe Hill is.

[Commander Shepa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youcannotsee

Does everyone know who Joe Hill is.

I do, he's the son of my favourite writer STEPHEN KING. I read Heart Shaped Box, great read, but how is this relevant to this thread?