Earlier last month, "The Long Dark" official website posted a countdown that had the fans looking forward to what could possibly be announced by Hinterland Studios once the clock stops ticking. It turns out that the countdown led up to an announcement of another countdown regarding "The Long Dark" update.
The misleading and possibly miscommunicated marketing strategy of Hinterland caused many veteran gamers to feel disappointed after a teaser and the release date announcement was made. According to Kotaku, many gamers on Reddit felt that the studio was abandoning them in favor of acquiring new players and new platforms. Despite this unexpected reception, "The Long Dark" release will push through on Aug. 1.
Earlier this year, "The Long Dark" went on sale for Steam and Xbox One. On its release, Hinterland announced that it will now be available for gamers on PlayStation 4 (PS4). According to an update from Hinterland Studio's director Raphael von Lierop, the marketing strategy behind the countdown catered mostly for PS4 players who have yet to experience the game.
"I know that in some corners of our community, this countdown timer was not a popular thing. Some people felt that it was insulting to be given a "timer for a timer." I can see this and I'm sorry that it created frustration for some of you. This was certainly not our intention," posted von Lierop on "The Long Dark" official website.
He further explained what is included in "The Long Dark" release this August. The game will finally be leaving the early access/game preview mode and upon its release, the first two episodes will become available. It is a five-episode story mode titled "Wintermute." Episode 1 titled "Do Not Go Gentle" and episode 2 called "Luminance Fugue" feature pilot Will Mackenzie and his rather harsh experiences with civilization and other survivors that introduce him to a crueler world than what he believes.
The gameplay is expected to be six to 10 hours for the first two episodes. Even though the community post was met with mixed reactions from those who have been able to experience "The Long Dark," the PS4 community is eagerly awaiting the release.
