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[Tagyhag]

I think the review is a little silly if the changes are drastic but it highlights a bigger issue really.

Why even bother sending the disc to print if there was so much shit that was going to be changed? Your gold master disc is a joke, you can barely call it version 1.00.

It's not an issue if you have constant internet access or whatever but what if, say, you're moving house and it isn't going to be set up for weeks? You've bought a beta.

If something is so significant that it changes the game to the degree that it will impact reviews it should be on the disc that is printed and put on store shelves.

I feel like if this was any other game, most people here would actually call them out on that.

 

[Chezzymann]

I think the review is a little silly if the changes are drastic but it highlights a bigger issue really.

Why even bother sending the disc to print if there was so much shit that was going to be changed? Your gold master disc is a joke, you can barely call it version 1.00.

It's not an issue if you have constant internet access or whatever but what if, say, you're moving house and it isn't going to be set up for weeks? You've bought a beta.

If something is so significant that it changes the game to the degree that it will impact reviews it should be on the disc that is printed and put on store shelves.

I guess they had a deadline they needed to meet and decided to finish the game with a patch instead of delaying it a few more weeks

 

[Guymelef]

It's more like an upgrade than a pure changing... The game is still the same and won't please everyone.

So just like any game.

 

[Slaythe]

It's more like an upgrade than a pure changing... The game is still the same and won't please everyone.

No game in existence pleases everyone.

Hey omg omg omg, NOTHING IN EXISTENCE DOES.

Your "upgrade" drastically changes most of the shortcomings reported from the leaked version so... Yeah.

People that would have enjoyed it and not loved it will now most likely love it.

Now people that would have hated it, it's not for them, so what ?

 

[Icyflamez96]

Say what you will about day 1 patches, but when you consider that >90% of this site's audience will be playing the game with the patch if they buy it, this review will be pretty much worthless once other sites start publishing more relevant reviews.

Well it will be useful for those who can't update the game at least.

 

[2blackcats]

http://www.no-mans-sky.com/2016/08/update-1-03/ Except it does

Wow, those patch notes just made me preorder.

 

[Seiniyta]

I think the review is a little silly if the changes are drastic but it highlights a bigger issue really.

Why even bother sending the disc to print if there was so much shit that was going to be changed? Your gold master disc is a joke, you can barely call it version 1.00.

It's not an issue if you have constant internet access or whatever but what if, say, you're moving house and it isn't going to be set up for weeks? You've bought a beta.

If something is so significant that it changes the game to the degree that it will impact reviews it should be on the disc that is printed and put on store shelves.

Retail space is still very important for sales. This will likely diminish the coming decades but for the time being, if you want your game (reliably) to sell you need it on disk.

Even if not having a disk at all, and just downloading it digitally makes more sense (and would be cheaper without physical distribution) the actual retail sales of games is still way too big to ignore.

 

[mario_O]

How is a review copy different from the copy you pick up in a retail store?

what retail store? the game's not out yet; and it gets a big update day juan that changes many things, even the story.

 

[big fake]

Isn't this thread worth locking as this is one review PRE-PATCH and before the embargo? Like how in the hell is this professional at all? Mod's wouldn't want this misinformation spreading would they?

 

[LookAtMeGo]

I guess that bodes well for reviews that are made after the patch.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Isn't this thread worth locking as this is one review PRE-PATCH and before the embargo? Like how in the hell is this professional at all? Mod's wouldn't want this misinformation spreading would they?

I'm sure the mods are reading up on the day one patch now and deciding whether or not it's worth seeing early reviews. The news is relatively new.

 

[CecilRousso]

I think the review is a little silly if the changes are drastic but it highlights a bigger issue really.

Why even bother sending the disc to print if there was so much shit that was going to be changed? Your gold master disc is a joke, you can barely call it version 1.00.

It's not an issue if you have constant internet access or whatever but what if, say, you're moving house and it isn't going to be set up for weeks? You've bought a beta.

If something is so significant that it changes the game to the degree that it will impact reviews it should be on the disc that is printed and put on store shelves.

Discs have been a joke for years. People still demand them, but physical copies aren't suited for games that continue to evolve, like No Man's Sky.

As for why they are sent to print, it's because they have to do it at some point. If they would have said that the game would be released digitally at the expected date, but physical copies would be delayed, then people would have been furious over that.

 

[Cloud7]

So 9.5/10 post patch?

;p



You are right, buying a game before the street date... you do 'get what you pay for'.

That is not information I knew about. Anyway, some gamers don't have an internet connection. I know that list grows smaller by the year but that is still a reality. This review could be good for someone who is in that scenario. Besides, what's the difference between getting the game before the retail release date and right on the retail release date when the end result is the same? You only have to install the patch if you go online and choose to, am I right?

 

[eot]

It's 2016, so maybe the reviewer by now would have worked up and understanding that games are software, and software are things that change. It sounds nice what he's saying, but in reality, the problem lies more with preorders and the continued depency on reviews.

At some point, the game has to ship, especially when delays are considered a sign of weakness, but why wouldn't the devs continue to improve the game if they can?

Maybe reviewers should wait for the week 2 patch too then?

Anyway, believe it or not but some people are going to play this without an internet connection and not get the patch.

 

[wipeout364]

Is this game online only? If it is he probably shouldn't have posted it ; if it can be played offline then the review is totally appropriate. I actually haven't been following the game and don't know if it has an offline component.

 

[Icyflamez96]

Is this game online only? If it is he probably shouldn't have posted it ; if it can be played offline then the review is totally appropriate. I actually haven't been following the game and don't know if it has an offline component.

It can be played offline.

 

[danowat]

Is this game online only? If it is he probably shouldn't have posted it ; if it can be played offline then the review is totally appropriate. I actually haven't been following the game and don't know if it has an offline component.

It can be played offline.

 

[DeepEnigma]

That is not information I knew about. Anyway, some gamers don't have an internet connection. I know that list grows smaller by the year but that is still a reality. This review could be good for someone who is in that scenario. Besides, what's the difference between getting the game before the retail release date and right on the retail release date when the end result is the same? You only have to install the patch if you go online and choose to, am I right?

Well guess what? This is the future of gaming. It has evolved, and this is the case with every single game moving forward since these machines and their constant network connection.

So people are reading these reviews in the INTERNET, but do not have the internet for their console...

Pre-patch '8' is a great score to me. Some of my most enjoyed games were in the 7.5-8.5 ratio.

 

[CecilRousso]

Maybe reviewers should wait for the week 2 patch too then?

Anyway, believe it or not but some people are going to play this without an internet connection and not get the patch.

Or maybe do reviews in progress, as we have already seen many times.

Or reviews without a score, as many sites do now.

This review we see now are not that site doing their outmust for the customers, it's most likely them hurrying to be first.

 

[PodcastFips]

Isn't this thread worth locking as this is one review PRE-PATCH and before the embargo? Like how in the hell is this professional at all? Mod's wouldn't want this misinformation spreading would they?

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

 

[Kyoufu]

I think the review is a little silly if the changes are drastic but it highlights a bigger issue really.

Why even bother sending the disc to print if there was so much shit that was going to be changed? Your gold master disc is a joke, you can barely call it version 1.00.

It's not an issue if you have constant internet access or whatever but what if, say, you're moving house and it isn't going to be set up for weeks? You've bought a beta.

If something is so significant that it changes the game to the degree that it will impact reviews it should be on the disc that is printed and put on store shelves.

Deadlines have to be met, that's just how it goes. Now developers have the opportunity to continue polishing and improving their game for that month between the game going gold and being available to purchase officially on release day thanks to the wonders of patching. Ignoring this would be incredibly silly given that most developers these days operate this way.

 

[Facism]

anyone know where i can get this for the cheapest price on PC? £40 for a PC game, get out :K

 

[Anfang]

You know how people were making a big fuss about Xbox always being online because not everyone has internet? What will those people do with NMS?

One game does not an entire console make. Nice bait tho.

 

[Aikidoka]

The devs should just release a game that doesn't need "drastic" overhaul. Hopefully the patch doesn't end up breaking the game

 

[Cloud7]

Well guess what? This is the future of gaming. It has evolved, and this is the case with every single game moving forward since these machines and their constant network connection.

So people are reading these reviews in the INTERNET, but do not have the internet for their console...

Isn't the patch a choice though? Should we just embrace the future of day one patches just because people are doing it? I guess I should just go about life that way. Makes decisions easier I suppose. Evolved huh, I suppose that's one term somebody can use to describe buying a game and not getting the full experience the first day of playing it without logging onto the Internet and downloading a patch. Evolved.

 

[eot]

Or maybe do reviews in progress, as we have already seen many times.

Or reviews without a score, as many sites do now.

This review we see now are not that site doing their outmust for the customers, it's most likely them hurrying to be first.

Dude whatever. He's reviewing what they are putting on store shelves and he's making that clear. People are only upset about this because they worry about it dragging down the metacritic or some shit.

 

[liquidtmd]

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

Not disagreeing as such but legit question / thinking out loud - I wonder what percentage of PS4 players of No Mans Sky aren't online connected and don't get this patch.

Sony must collate that info. Would be interested.

 

[icespide]

Dude whatever. He's reviewing what they are putting on store shelves and he's making that clear. People are only upset about this because they worry about it dragging down the metacritic or some shit.

that's a big conclusion to jump to

 

[IvanJ]

8/10 for an unpatched version is awesome, guess the game is at least 9/10 then.

35 hours to go, this damn countdown timer is hypnotic, it's like watching an Olympic discipline.

 

[Tatsumi Oga]

8/10 before the game changing patch lol.

What kind of game changing patch is this going to be?

 

[RK9039]

Isn't this thread worth locking as this is one review PRE-PATCH and before the embargo? Like how in the hell is this professional at all? Mod's wouldn't want this misinformation spreading would they?

Review threads get updated.

 

[DriftingSpirit]

The vast majority of reviews won't be coming until late Monday night/very early Tuesday morning. It just seems pointless to try and make a point about the release of games and followed patches with an early review thread when there will only be a handful of reviews.

 

[opticalmace]

What kind of game changing patch is this going to be?

A 2/10 patch.

 

[weblaus]

Yes, I know there’s a day-one patch on the way. What I care about is reviewing what people will have straight out of the box on the day they get their copy, the game that was handed over the counter to them when they parted with their cash in good faith. If the update drastically changes the experience of the game, so much so that’s it’s unrecognisable from what’s originally on the disc, then there’s something fundamentally wrong with the way games are being made; I wouldn’t pay for Chocolate Rice Crispies, receive plain Rice Crispies and then be told to wait while Kelloggs gets the chocolate flavouring together. Silly analogy, but it’s the same principle.

While I do agree on the general point - producing a disc with content you know is fundamentally incomplete just feels wrong - the reasoning above is silly and plain stupid for more than one reason.

- yes, not getting a "finished" game is really annoying, but in 2016 pretty much everyone knows that day-1-patches are just there and we have to live with them. Also, pretty much everyone with a PS4 and/or X1 is online, so they'll get the patch right away.

- claiming to basically review for the 1% who is not online at all, especially after knowing that the patch is incoming: nobody will believe you anyway. Wanting to be first out of the gate at all costs for the clicks doesn't make me trust you very much and being ingenuine about it certainly doesn't help.

 

[CecilRousso]

Dude whatever. He's reviewing what they are putting on store shelves and he's making that clear. People are only upset about this because they worry about it dragging down the metacritic or some shit.

You're commenting on my posts, and then give me a "Dude whatever"?

Don't care about metacritic at all myself, or people caring about metacritic. I'm interested in commenting in this thread because of the reviewer's patch disclaimer, which I think is a bit "out of date" as to what games are today.

 

[SomTervo]

The core game is awesome but the amount of significant improvements in the day 1 patch really seem to improve everything dramatically.

I've played it a lot for the last two days and this is so true.

The game is in the 7-9/10 range right now but I'm sure the day-one update and updates on coming months/years are going to enhance it a thousand fold.

 

[funkystudent]

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

I actually think that chunk of people is shockingly small these days.

Like close to 5% of the current userbase or something. I forget what interview I heard that from though...


But its not hard ti imagine. Who in this day and age has a HD TV, a current games console and somehow has no internet?

 

[Icyflamez96]

What kind of game changing patch is this going to be?

http://www.no-mans-sky.com/2016/08/update-1-03/

 

[Y2Kev]

Isn't the patch a choice though? Should we just embrace the future of day one patches just because people are doing it? I guess I should just go about life that way. Makes decisions easier I suppose. Evolved huh, I suppose that's one term somebody can use to describe buying a game and not getting the full experience the first day of playing it without logging onto the Internet and downloading a patch. Evolved.

I think this sort of frames the patch more dramatically than need be. Yes, it's a choice, and yes, some people will not log on and will not download the patch. I have to assume that this group of people is going to comprise a very small portion of day 1 players (the "core," if you will). Most readers are going to be playing a game that's very different.

I think it's reasonable to question the practice. What's to stop a developer from saying, "Wait for a day 10 patch," or a day 5 month patch or whatever, ultimately. I think we can draw a line of reasonableness here. Day 1 seems like a reasonable time to capture the vast majority of players (vs. day 10 or day 50). The alternative for the developer would be to delay the game. Working separately on a patch that is the experience the vast (and I do mean vast) majority of gamers will experience seems like a pretty good thing.

I think there's some argument that in 20 years when the servers are down the game will revert to its original, prepatched state. I think this is a real concern of mine. That said, ultimately I think it's about capturing the experience most people will want to read about, which is the one they'll be exposed to, in the greatest possible number of instances.

I have no interest in No Man's Sky and it sounds like a game designed opposite to everything I like in video games, but this does seem to be more common.

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

I don't know how many day 1 players will not have their console connected to the internet but it seems like it would be a really small niche.

 

[Kinitari]

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

I would be surprised if 5 percent of people who get this game don't have internet.

 

[weblaus]

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

I'd assume any such people wouldn't use the internet very much at all, therefore not getting a review posted on there anyway.

 

[Hoo-doo]

I would be surprised if 5 percent of people who get this game don't have internet.

Indeed. Maybe back in the day where the Xbox 360 didn't come with Wi-Fi built in, but these days that number has to be very, very small.

 

[SomTervo]

What kind of game changing patch is this going to be?

Look up the notes. It's an insane amount of QoL improvements including a complete rewrite of the game's thousands of texts (with help from the guy who wrote Deus Ex.)

 

[The Cartographer]

What's up with people going hysterical over this game?

 

[5amshift]

GAF unironically shitting on reviewers for a reviewing a game in time for its release.

if the version they've been sent is unfinished, that's on the developer.

Exactly this. GAF had a really bad habit in understanding things related to reviews.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

He is not embargoed as he bought a final version of the game. There is still a large chunk of people out there who do not connect their consoles to the internet, so this is a legitimate review of the experience they will get.

You think there's a good crossover between people who read videogame reviews on the internet and people who keep their console disconnected?

 

[Zero315]

You know how people were making a big fuss about Xbox always being online because not everyone has internet? What will those people do with NMS?

First thing I thought of tbh.

The "fuss" over the Xbox was that it required a check-in every hour or so (might've been like three hours, I can't remember) and if didn't hit that check-in the console would boot you out. Far different than just downloading a patch and disingenuous to even compare the two.

Besides, haven't there been figures released that show most current gen consoles are connected to the internet?

 

[JayBabay]

After seeing what's in the Day 1 patch this review should be taken down and I'm a big proponent for assuming they can't change much in a release day patches. His rice crispies excuse is not the same at all because when people do fork over their cash tomorrow the patch will already be out.

 

[Wind's Howling]

What's up with people going hysterical over this game?

Just as people got hysterical over Uncharted 4, Doom, Half Life 2 and dozens of other games. People just like to go nuts over something.

 

[Cloud7]

I think this sort of frames the patch more dramatically than need be. Yes, it's a choice, and yes, some people will not log on and will not download the patch. I have to assume that this group of people is going to comprise a very small portion of day 1 players (the "core," if you will). Most readers are going to be playing a game that's very different.

I think it's reasonable to question the practice. What's to stop a developer from saying, "Wait for a day 10 patch," or a day 5 month patch or whatever, ultimately. I think we can draw a line of reasonableness here. Day 1 seems like a reasonable time to capture the vast majority of players (vs. day 10 or day 50). The alternative for the developer would be to delay the game. Working separately on a patch that is the experience the vast (and I do mean vast) majority of gamers will experience seems like a pretty good thing.

I think there's some argument that in 20 years when the servers are down the game will revert to its original, prepatched state. I think this is a real concern of mine. That said, ultimately I think it's about capturing the experience most people will want to read about, which is the one they'll be exposed to, in the greatest possible number of instances.

I have no interest in No Man's Sky and it sounds like a game designed opposite to everything I like in video games, but this does seem to be more common.

I have no issues with reviewers reviewing a post-patch game. My opinions is that we should lay off the criticism for people who review the pre-patched versions. If delaying the game was the alternative to the day one patch then to me, that seems like they messed up before that. I'm sure it's hard for developers to nail down a specific date to release a game and realize later that it won't be as finished as it needs to be. I can empathize with that. However, some companies take advantage of this negatively as well. I just think there's room in the review space for people who review post-patch and pre-patch.