[gtranslate]
Clocked

Hello Games director Sean Murray teases “huge, ambitious game like ‘No Man’s Sky'”

Hello Games founder Sean Murray has hinted at the development of new title, a “huge, ambitious game like No Man’s Sky.”

Gamers who followed the release of the massively hyped space exploration game No Man’s Sky in 2016 might cringe more than a little at the idea of another huge and ambitious title from the Hello Games. Though continued updates and content additions have earned No Man’s Sky a significant fan base, the game’s initial release disappointed many hopeful gamers who had been eager to dive in and explore its procedurally generated universe.

The game lacked a variety of anticipated features that players had expected based on marketing materials released prior to the game’s launch – not the least of which was multiplayer capability. In the deafening communications silence that followed, the company faced the type of community backlash usually reserved for EA’s pay-to-win microtransaction features.

No Mans Sky Hello Games Screenshot

The studio’s co-founder and director, Sean Murray, seems to have learned from mistakes made with No Man’s Sky. Then, he spoke freely about the game’s in-development features, and criticised other developers’ strict, awkward adherence to scripts when engaging in interviews and media releases.

When he mentioned that the studio was working on a new title in an interview with Polygon, he was uncharacteristically tight-lipped. He revealed only that the new title would not be a sequel to No Man’s Sky (citing the fatigue he felt working on sequel after sequel in his time with EA), and that Hello Games’ workforce had been split between those continuing to develop updated content for No Man’s Sky and those developing the as-yet unnamed title.

Mention of the new game’s development has come only a week after the launch of The Last Campfire, a smaller title focusing on adventurous exploration and puzzle-solving, which received nowhere near the level of attention as No Man’s Sky did.

The studio’s continued dedication to the development of No Man’s Sky and to the community that has come to enjoy it has demonstrated a promising level of maturity and responsibility that were not apparent at the time of the game’s launch. For now, gamers can look forward to learning more about the new game with a sense of optimism. Reserved optimism, but optimism nonetheless.