Savage 2 developer going digital

For many independent game developers, the battle for shelf space at retail is one that simply cannot be won. For the upcoming Savage 2: A Tortured Soul, S2 Games has opted to pick its battles and will be passing on the industry's traditional publisher and distribution model in order to sell the game itself, downloadable exclusively through its Web site. S2 has said this will allow the company to "create a triple-A title at a fraction of the budget of some comparative titles" and pass the savings on to the consumer. The company also claims not having to meet publisher or distributor milestones will afford the developers the freedom to make the game they want to make, instead of just one that will meet deadlines. Savage 2 is scheduled to be available in the fall for $29.99.