hellogames
Latest
Day-one patches are the new normal
No Man's Sky will receive a massive day-one patch that adds a ton of content and gameplay elements to an already-humongous game. This would be just fine, except a few retailers across the nation started selling the game early -- it comes out Tuesday, but some people (including reviewers) were playing it late last week. The patch, which includes the actual finished game with all its bells and whistles, requires these early players to delete their saves and start over when No Man's Sky actually comes out. Developers at Hello Games wiped No Man's Sky's servers Sunday, and they're doing the same thing today. And there's nothing wrong with any of this.
Massive 'No Man's Sky' day one patch is live a day early
No Man's Sky's substantial first-day patch is available now for the PlayStation 4, a day earlier than the game's August 9th release date. The patch's file size is 824MB, which isn't too large considering the number of fundamental changes it makes to how the game plays, but it is roughly a quarter of the game's size, which is 3.69GB.
'No Man's Sky' day one patch changes large parts of the game
Many gamers are all too familiar with day one patches that fix bugs or add features that didn't quite make it in time for certification or shipping. However, the first-day No Man's Sky patch will be... more substantial. Hello Games has revealed that the 1.03 update arriving on NMS' August 9th launch will make fundamental changes to how the game plays. Most notably, there are now three "paths" to follow in the game -- choices you make early on will determine what you see later. There's also a deeper trading system, new combat mechanics (such as a revamped on-the-ground aiming method and critical hit systems in space fights) and even new universe and planet generation criteria. If you're one of the few to have scored a copy pre-launch, you may be in for a shock.
Fan-made 'No Man's Sky' app catalogs your interstellar journey
The galaxy-faring sci-fi fest No Man's Sky isn't out until next week but one enterprising fan has already made parts of the game perhaps a little less daunting. Reddit user Aleator83's NMS Ally is a companion app that will, among other things, generate custom names for the planets you visit and creatures you find, and upload your screenshots to share with other users of the app. Polygon notes that it'll also track where you find resources. It's live for Android at the moment, and Aleator83 says that the iOS version is pending approval from Apple.
Listen to the full 'No Man's Sky' soundtrack on YouTube
No Man's Sky is just a few days away. If you're itching to explore its vast and colorful galaxy, there's an easy way to whet your appetite: by listening to its stellar soundtrack. 65daysofstatic, an electro math rock band from the UK, has uploaded the 10-track set to YouTube. It's just over 45 minutes in length, offering a hint of the atmosphere and depth that Hello Games is trying to deliver. And if you like what you hear, there's always the No Man's Sky tour to look forward to. Or one of these cool-looking vinyl records.
Take a look at how 'No Man's Sky' handles combat
In the almost three years since we first saw No Man's Sky, gameplay videos and previews have focused mostly on its exploration and survival aspects. Now, mere weeks ahead of its PlayStation 4 launch, we're getting a better look at how the game earns its "fantasy violence" descriptor from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. The clip embedded above focuses on combat not only in outer space against armadas of ships, but also the various procedurally generated (and dangerous) creatures on the planets you'll galavant around.
'No Man's Sky' soundtrack is going on tour around the world
It's not often a soundtrack associated with a video game, let alone one that's not been released yet, is taken on tour and played to audiences all over the world. That's exactly what's happening with British band 65daysofstatic's No Man's Sky soundtrack, with a world tour beginning in October in the Netherlands.
'No Man's Sky' developer ends 'legal nonsense' battle over name
There's no sign that it contributed to the delay, but Hello Games founder Sean Murray said today that after "3 years of secret stupid legal nonsense," his company's game can be called No Man's Sky. They had to settle with trademark owner Sky TV to use the name that it's very protective of -- remember when Microsoft had to rename SkyDrive as OneDrive for the same reason? According to Murray's tweets, he's learned a lot about trademark law, and might have a good idea about why Skynet never happened. Seriously though, the highly anticipated game should be on track for its rescheduled release date of August 9th, and we can't wait to see it procedurally generated universe unfold.
'No Man's Sky' is delayed until August 9th
The rumors are true: No Man's Sky isn't coming out in June, as originally planned. Instead, the world will have to wait until August to play developer Hello Games' ultra ambitious space-exploration game. Writing on the PlayStation Blog, lead developer Sean Murray says that the game will now launch this August 9th domestically and August 12th in the UK. The reason? He says a few bits weren't up to snuff. "We understand that this news is disappointing," he writes. "Making this game is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but we are so close now, and we're prepared to make the tough choices to get it right."
Step inside the artistic algorithms of 'No Man's Sky'
Even if you haven't played it yet, one thing is clear about No Man's Sky: It's stunning. The entire game hinges on the idea of procedural generation on a massive scale, meaning when artists at Hello Games create a patch of grass or a fluffy animal tail, these elements are mixed and matched in nearly infinite combinations across the entire in-game universe. But, it isn't all left to random chance -- there are complex algorithms working behind the scenes to make sure every planet is aesthetically pleasing in some sense. Controlled chaos, if you will.
A few stiff drinks saved 'No Man's Sky'
I'm alone on a freezing planet blanketed in snow; pine trees the color of rusted metal hang heavy with white powder. It's minus 163 degrees Celsius (minus 261 Fahrenheit), but my suit keeps me warm. For now. The thermal meter in the bottom-left corner of the screen slowly ticks down, warning me to find shelter or make some with the grenade attachment I recently crafted onto my gun. It shoots orbs of energy that blast through stone like warm butter, sometimes revealing massive underground cave systems dotted with spiky red plants rich in minerals for me to mine. Or, I could simply leave the planet. I could hop into my ship and blast off into the inky, star-studded universe. I could find a more hospitable planet occupied by strange, dinosaur-like creatures. I could find a more luxurious star system, a more dangerous galaxy, a more exciting adventure. The universe is mine. Actually, it's Sean Murray's. He's the mastermind behind No Man's Sky, the creator of this digital universe packed with 18 quintillion planets, each one unique and begging to be explored. No Man's Sky has captured the attention of the gaming world and beyond -- in the past year alone, Murray has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, met privately with Elon Musk and accidentally ignited a conspiracy theory involving Kanye West. Three years after its announcement, thousands of people around the globe are impatiently waiting for the game to finally launch. And it will, on June 21st. All of this -- the media attention, the anticipation, the entire universe -- started with four developers working out of a tiny English office in 2009, building a game called Joe Danger.
'No Man's Sky' $150 edition comes with a model spaceship
Sure, No Man's Sky finally has a price and release date, but can a game truly claim to have made it without its very own exorbitantly priced special edition? Presenting the No Man's Sky "Explorer's Edition," a limited-run (10,000) version of the game sold exclusively by iam8bit. In it you'll find a hand-painted cast metal space ship, an enamel pin, a "diorama display backdrop," and a "mystery item" with a $10 value. Oh, and a PC game code for Steam or GOG. The price for all this goodness? $149.99. That's pretty high, but iam8bit says the individual components are worth $210.
'No Man's Sky' finally takes off on June 21st for $60
No Man's Sky, the stylish space-exploration game that's roughly as big as the actual universe, will reach PlayStation 4 and PC on June 21st (June 24th in the UK), and pre-orders are live today. It even gets a physical Blu-ray edition on PS4. No Man's Sky is an independent title built by a team of 10 or so developers at Hello Games -- but it's absolutely massive, innovative and highly anticipated, which are a few reasons it'll cost a full $60 (£40 on PC and £50 on PS4). There's also a $150 "Explorer's Edition" courtesy of iam8bit, along with a slew of other game-related goodies. $60 is the standard price of a blockbuster game like Call of Duty or Star Wars: Battlefront, and No Man's Sky promises at least as much replay value as those titles. It has 18 quintillion unique planets to explore, after all. Plus, No Man's Sky has a better name than most AAA games, according to creator Sean Murray. "The thing I was really going for was something that felt like it could be the name of a book or an album or a band, or something like that," Murray tells Engadget. "Because games -- games are all just called the same thing."
'No Man's Sky' will get a Stephen Colbert 'Late Show' demo
With Apple CEO Tim Cook and other guests, Stephen Colbert has shown that tech will be a big part of his Late Show appeal. That includes gaming, judging by two segments scheduled for next week. On Friday, Colbert will welcome Hello Games founder Sean Murray, who will do an interview and demonstration of No Man's Sky. The title has made numerous appearances of late, including in our own Twitch interview (below). Sony is no doubt building hype for a release of the presumed blockbuster, which will debut on the PS4. The question on everyone's mind, of course, is "when is it coming?" We doubt that'll be answered on Late Show, but you never know.
PBS explains the magical math behind 'No Man's Sky'
No Man's Sky is impressive. It's a mind-bogglingly massive game and from what we've seen, it's pretty to boot. But enough about that -- let's talk about math. Specifically, the math that makes this game possible. The YouTube channel PBS Game/Show has collected the numerical information that makes No Man's Sky tick and presents it in a lovely, straightforward fashion for everyone to enjoy. No Man's Sky lead Sean Murray makes a few appearances in the video, of course, and we got a one-on-one, hands-on demo of the game with him during E3. Suffice it to say, 10 minutes isn't long enough to properly enjoy No Man's Sky -- but a lifetime probably won't be long enough, either. See for yourself below.
'Minecraft' meets 'Grand Theft Auto V' in space
Imagine: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, reclines behind a desk built out of spare rocket ship parts. A gleaming saber rests to his right. Sean Murray, founder of the independent development studio Hello Games, sits across from him, chatting about Hello's new title, No Man's Sky. There's a break in the conversation and an awkward silence threatens to stretch between the two, but then: "What do you think is the percentage chance that we're living in a simulation?" Musk asks. Murray hardly has time to answer -- he's running late for an appointment with Steven Spielberg and his communications director is getting antsy. At this rate, they won't have time to meet up with Kanye.
JXE Streams: Talking 'No Man's Sky' with Hello Games
Another E3 has come and gone. This one was particularly spectacular. We got to play Volume with Mike Bithell. We got to talk about Yooka-Laylee with legendary Rare composer Grant Kirkhope. We even got to bask in the announcements of seriously unlikely sequels like Shenmue 3 while simultaneously reveling in brand new games like ReCore. E3 2015 was amazing, but we're not done! We have one more developer stream in store for you. Join us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq at 12PM ET/9AM PT while we discuss No Man's Sky with Hello Games.
'Gears of War: Ultimate Edition' and 'Killer Instinct' will come to PC
Microsoft hasn't offered a whole lot of affection to PC gamers in recent years, but it's making some reparations for that today: the company's Phil Spencer has revealed at the PC Gaming Show that both Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and the 2013 version of Killer Instinct will come to Windows 10. He didn't have much to say about when these ports will show up, or whether or not they'll have any new tricks up their sleeves. However, Iron Galaxy Studios' Dave Lang has confirmed Spencer's hint that KI will have Fable Legends-style cross-platform play that lets you brawl with your Xbox One-toting friends.
'No Man's Sky': the game that 'won' E3 2014
Ever heard of Joe Danger? That's okay, you're not alone -- most folks haven't heard of the motocross-based platformer, despite it receiving glowing praise from critics and earning healthy sales from gamers. That said, if you followed last week's annual game industry trade show, E3, you've likely heard of No Man's Sky. The same small team of scrappy Brits that created the cartoony Danger series, Hello Games, is applying its years of game industry experience to a much more ambitious project in No Man's Sky. This is how Hello Games lead Sean Murray described the game at Sony's E3 2014 press conference: "We've created a procedural universe. It's infinite, and it's one that everyone can share. We're gonna start every player on a different planet so no two people will have the same experience. This universe we've created...it's so vast, it's so boundless, it's actually infinite, and we don't even know what's out there." So, how in the world did a team of four game developers transition from indie hit makers to triple-A rogues? We asked Hello Games just that, late last week in an evening demo session for No Man's Sky.
Hello Games says Joe Danger iOS is a big success, planning an update and more
148Apps recently had a nice chat with Hello Games, the makers of Joe Danger, a motorcycle stunt racing game first for consoles and then for iOS, and the company says that Apple's platform has done very well for them. Throughout the app's life, Joe Danger's been in 5 million crashes total, which hints that a lot of people are enjoying the game via the App Store. Hello Games also says Joe Danger's due for a big update soon. There will be new characters and levels to play with, and the team is planning to add a daily challenge-style feature that will keep the game fresh on a daily basis, along with some cheat modes to tweak the game with. And finally, Hello Games hints that it's had some ideas "that have completely spiralled out of control into something else entirely." That could be a new game completely, created specifically to start out on iOS. We'll have to wait and see what that turns out to be. Meanwhile, however, it sounds like Hello Games has been treated well by the release of Joe Danger on iOS.
