So, a couple of days ago IGN showed a video where Sean Murray from hello games did a quick run through of their upcoming ps4/PC release No Man’s Sky. This video gave us an idea as to exactly how mind numbingly large the game world is and how much exploration is actually possible. Things like the game having its own periodic table, the billions of uniquely generated planets and countless unique plant and animal species really gives you an appreciation for the game and the vision of the creators.
On purchasing this game you are literally purchasing an entire galaxy and the ability to explore it for the rest of your natural life. In essence hello games has created the longest game in history. A game that you can play every day for the next 50 years and still not see even 1/100th of it. This seems like a breath of fresh air in a time when games are being released as unfinished buggy messes and it seems like you’re only getting half a game upon release and the other half through the purchase of horrendously overpriced DLC.
This got me thinking, what if hello games had gone to Activision to publish this game? Just looking at what was done to destiny it really makes you wonder how differently things would have been. What would No Man’s Sky be like and what would gamers have to look forward to? Well, I could be wrong but looking at current trends in gaming and knowing the gaming history of Activision I think I can give a pretty accurate guess on the answer to those questions.
So, here is my list of changes I would have expected to see if Activision published no Man’s Sky:
1: You would have gotten the first 100 planets included with the game and additional planets to be released in 4 subsequent DLC packages of 100 planets each.
2: A special hardened edition would be sold with 1000 planets, 20 ship skins and a model of your starting ship for $150.
3. Only about 20 elements on the periodic table would be available at first and the rest would be released in DLC packs of 2 in each pack for $1.50 per DLC pack.
4. Only about 30 animal species would be released on day one with the others to be released in future DLC.
5. There would be a planet somewhere where you could go to fight alien zombies. This would be DLC of course.
6. The other billions of planets would be used in future installments of No Man’s sky 2 through 15.
7. There would be the option to purchase in game credits with real money. Something along the lines of 15000 credits for $9.99.
8. Somehow they would find a way to allow random 9 year olds to contact me and tell me how often they slept with my mom.
The one thing this game has shown me is how much we need to support indie devs as it seems they are the last remnant to a gaming world that shows it actually cares about their customers. The uniqueness and fun factor of a lot of the indie games we are getting have really put to shame a lot of the AAA devs and the regurgitated mess of COD, Assassins Creed and Battlefield games we have been getting for the past 10 years, every year. At a time when you pay $60 for a game and another $50 for the rest of it over a year in DLC purchases, games like No Man’s Sky actually deserve our support. It’s something new and different and could be the start of something big and fresh in the gaming world.
The Nerd Stash: “The PS3 marked a turning point in the industry, and among the sea of popular titles came the rare games that are worth more now than ever.”
Ex-Rocksteady directors' Hundred Star is collaborating with Xbox Game Studios Publishing for its first-ever AAA game.
Highly doubt it'll be an actual Batman game that IP belongs to WB Games along with other DC property.
They're making an action adventure game. IMO I think it needs to be another Marvel game despite MS already have Blade as that action Marvel game. Dead Pool? Punisher?
Realistically it'll probably be a new IP entirely.
I agree with you. I think I'll be a brand new IP. Now it could be a superhero themed, kind of like infamous. Speaking of which, Suckerpunch needs to make one after Ghost 2.
I definitely think it'll be super hero themed game 100%. Something MS needs in their portfolio.
Dead Pool or Punisher would be amazing!!!
Don't tease me like that man lol. I see them making a new IP that's like an arkham knight clone
I hope these devs needed support to start/finish (like Stalker 2), vs are basically done with the game but wanted to secure an exclusivity-bonus because they know Xbox needs a system seller (like Titanfall).
It’s a bit strange that they’d rather invest in this game than Tangoworks’ TWO canceled projects; or just trust a single dev from their existing massive stable of talent to emerge with a system-seller themselves anytime soon.
Either way, it is just cool that we’ll likely get a new IP from the geniuses behind the Arkham Trilogy. I wonder how creative they’ll get now that they aren’t married to an established franchise.
This is about the former co-founders of Rocksteady and their new studio. So naturally it makes people think its Batman related with the way its worded, even though its not.
Exclusive? Sure
This year alone Microsoft has changed their plans so much with Xbox regarding multiplatform releases as they step closer to just being a full blown third party publisher and it's only been 4-5 months, imagine where we'll be once this game is finished. It will be a completely different landscape.
I don't think MS will ever go completely full 3rd party with all of their games. I can see them looking towards expanding their own mobile store and moving into Mac as ways of expanding. I'm sure ms will bring more exclusives over to ps and nintendo, but I don't think it'll be as many games as you think it will. I hope I'm wrong.
The ever contradictions thoughts and actions of MS definitely says otherwise MS changed up so much on the past 6 months of the year I lost count.
Though I'm more declined to believe they also won't go full 3rd party also.
But.
This year they're having Renaissance a super bowl of gaming with Gamepass this year. BO6, older ABK games, Avowed, Indy and other 3rd party exclusives all to grow and expand gamepass. If these games don't grow the service or grow only a little bit. Then you can fully expect MS to hit the red button and put everything everywhere. Satya will have full Xbox take over doing what he wants from that point on next year.
It's up to Xbox to advertise these games and gamepass in the next 6 months or so get the word out.
Spawn (as well as master chief) are the only characters I associate with Xbox. Are there more I can’t remember?
Yeh big game, do you know the name of the lead character. Or team of lead characters. I don’t
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 launched last week to solid reviews from both fans and players. But its playercount? That's another story.
That's awful. This combined with the really low Steam numbers paint a disastrous picture imo. Really bad timing too because Tango was closed down for a similar thing. Great reviewed game, and low sales and/or player count. Hi-Fi Rush reviewed a hell of a lot better and it was widely loved by everyone, Hellblade 2 nowhere near that.
I know the rumor is that the studio has their next game already green-lit, but if I worked at Tango, I would be furious. "Why do they survive while we get binned?" I'd be telling myself.
But the suit woman will have you believe "Oh we have different metrics for the success of one studio compared to another studio. We judge each studio and game on their own set criteria" or something like that, I'm paraphrasing here but you get the idea. But no one who works there knows what the hell that even means. I mean the DLC for Redfall was getting worked on days before they even got the news their studio was getting dumped in the trash. So what are these mysterious metrics to let studios survive and others perish? I bet this is all hogwash, I bet MS don't even really know. They just had to make cuts and certain studios just found their way on the chopping block. Someone had to bite the dust, why not you?
Well I bet all this does nothing for the confidence of other employees in other studios. The truth is you have no idea where your career will be in a year from now working at one of their studios that aren't the mega big ones. MS just have too many studios to manage efficiently. "We'll just throw money at them and buy them and worry about the details later on. I mean we can do it, we're Microsoft."
...have you seen what the top 10 consists of? Its things like fortnite, roblox, CoD, apex... etc. This being a new game that has a niche appeal is actually surprising to see at 23. Its also the 33rd top paid game on the PC through the MS store.
Those are dreadful numbers any way you slice it dude. They hyped this game to hell for the last 4 plus yrs. It was supposed to be xboxs big game this yr. Ninja Theory is probably sweating right now.
And it's already slipped out of the Top 100 on Steam. Meanwhile a port of the 4-year old Ghost of Tsushima is sitting comfortably at #8.
One of the biggest games of the year, a multi million sequel and heavily advertised game, at 23 most played? There's no way to justify those numbers.
^^heavily advertised game...?
I mean, I knew the game was coming but outside of a boot screen ad for it, there has been little to no marketing. And yet it still managed 23rd. Make of that what you will.
Here in the East Coast on NY/NJ on cable tv Hellblade 2 has been advertised pretty well. I see the commercials every day at least 3 times a day for the past 3 weeks. It's even advertised as YT commercials.
What an idiotic comment. Let me guess the next comment would be GTA V outsold everything so....
Absolutely terrible numbers all round for this game. Ghost of Tsushima at number 8. Good games going to sell regardless of excuses
What a disaster, 2 failures in a row for Ninja Theory, first Bleeding edge, now Hellblade 2, any way you slice it these are not the numbers the most awaited game of the year for Xbox should show (before Activision purchase), also player numbers is extremely low and even more surprising considering is day 1 on gamepass.
If this game cost more and took longer to develop than Hi-Fi Rush, then I would worry if I were Ninja Theory. Projects may have been greenlit, but the increased scrutiny over at MS may very well put them on the chopping block. The incredible irony here is that it was PlayStation players that pushed the original game passed its 1 million copies sold milestone. With that purchasing power cut out, and the Game Pass effect having trained Xbox players to not purchase games, it seems that the sequel may have been set-up for failure.
And that's exactly what pisses me off about Hellblade 2 not being on PlayStation, Sony promoted the original game and I bought it basically on D1 back in the day because I liked what I saw and ended up really enjoying it!
I really hope Hellblade 2 is next on the porting list because I would buy it in a heartbeat, asshole microsoft robbed me of this game!
That would be terrible idea.
"On purchasing this game you are literally purchasing an entire galaxy and the ability to explore it for the rest of your natural life."
You are hyping up something beyond your wildest dreams and it will completely disappoint you.
A little circle-jerky to be honest
We should all be greatful and thank Sony for funding and making this game possible, Playstation is indeed the best gaming company in the world one that inovates and the rest of the indusrty follows
It would be awful to have pay so much to make a game enjoyable.