MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The MD of UK developer Hello Games has revealed that he has received death threats following the confirmation that No Man’s Sky has been delayed until August.
The game will now arrive in the UK on August 12th, two days after it rolls out in the rest of Europe on August 10th. It had been due out on June 24th.
The game really has come together, and it’s such an incredible relief. As we sit and play it now, and as I watch playtesters every day, I can finally let myself get excited. We’re actually doing this,” Sean Murray said.
However, as we approached our final deadlines, we realised that some key moments needed extra polish to bring them up to our standards. I have had to make the tough choice to delay the game for a few weeks to allow us to deliver something special.
We understand that this news is disappointing. 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. The universe of No Man’s Sky is incredibly vast. More than you can imagine. This is a type of game that hasn’t been attempted before, by a smaller team than anyone would expect, under an intense amount of expectation.”
Murray has also revealed that he has received death threats in the wake of the news:
I have received loads of death threats this week, but don't worry, Hello Games now looks like the house from Home Alone #pillowfort
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) May 28, 2016
He’s not the only one to suffer at the hands of online stupidity, however. The journalist who broke the original news of the delay had this to say:
https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/736151267215560705
The reaction to Kotaku’s story itself was utterly bizarre. Essentially Jason Schreier found himself a target from those who believe that he fabricated the story ‘for clicks’ or to somehow further an undefined personal agenda and progress his career.
So keen was one to disprove his ‘lies’ that they phoned dozens of GameStop stores to try and discredit one of the story’s sources, who works for the retailer. Assorted claims emerged, suggesting that GameStop could in no way have had access to such information, and that the June release date was most definitely still in place:
Crying pic.twitter.com/FprSt4gIGy
— Chris Higgins 🔚 (@higgyC) May 28, 2016
All of which was of course disproved the moment Sony confirmed the delay. Not that this stopped the abuse, however. Absurd arguments persist, such as the claim that a death threat that will not be carried through causes no harm, or that journalists are revelling in highlighting the threats they receive in an effort to drum up sympathy.
Common among the argument is the idea that those who make baseless death threats are effectively harmless, but those who publicly react to such vile behaviour need to toughen up and stop complaining. The lunacy of which is hopefully apparent to the majority.
