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The New Yorker: Sean Murray/Hello Games and No Man's Sky

M

Myggen

Member
If anyone's interested, The New Yorker published a 6500 word profile of Sean Murray/Hello Games and No Man's Sky in its latest issue. Really good read.

Sony agreed, and also decided to throw its resources into promoting No Man’s Sky as a top title—an unprecedented gesture for an unfinished product by a tiny studio. The video-game industry now rivals Hollywood; by one estimate, it generated more than eighty billion dollars in revenue last year, and marketing budgets for triple-A games have become comparable to those of blockbuster films. Sony’s marketing strategy for No Man’s Sky suggests that it expects the game to make hundreds of millions of dollars; this year, Sony will promote it alongside half a dozen mega-titles, including the latest installment of the Batman franchise. Adam Boyes, a vice-president at Sony PlayStation, described it to me as “potentially one of the biggest games in the history of our industry.”

All Murray has to do now is deliver. Last year, when an interviewer asked him when the universe would be ready, he said, “We are this super-small team, and we are making this ridiculously ambitious game, and all we are going to do in telling people when it is going to come out, probably, is disappoint them.” Sony’s participation meant that timing for the game’s launch had to be firmly decided, but No Man’s Sky is not an easy project to rush. Because of its algorithmic structure, nearly everything in it is interconnected: changes to the handling of a ship can affect the way insects fly. The universe must be developed holistically; sometimes it must be deconstructed entirely, then reassembled. Before I arrived, Murray warned me, “The game is on the operating table, so you will see it in parts. Other games will have the benefit of having a level that plays really well, while the studio works on other levels. We don’t have that.” The previous “builds” of No Man’s Sky that he had publicly shown—the ones that had generated so much excitement—contained choreographed elements. Features that might have been light-years apart were pressed closer together; animals were invisibly corralled so that they could be reliably encountered. Shifts in the weather that would normally follow the rhythm of atmospheric change were cued to insure that they happened during a demo. Imagine trying to convey life on Earth in minutes: shortcuts would have to be taken.

...

Each planet had a distinct biome. On one, we encountered a friendly-looking piscine-cetacean hybrid with a bulbous head. (Even aggressive creatures in the game do not look grotesque.) In another, granular soil the color of baked salt was embedded with red coral; a planet hung in the sky, and a hovering robot traversed the horizon. “Those are drones,” Murray said. “They will attack you if they find you killing animals or illegally mining resources.” On a grassy planet, doe-eyed antelope with zebra legs grazed around us. Mist rose off the grass as I headed down a ravine shaded by trees. “This is a place where no one has been before,” Murray said. The biome was Earth-like in light and in color, naturalistic. As I descended, the ravine deepened until rock façades took shape on either side. In spite of the work’s semi-finished state, the world was absorbing. “I’m sorry there’s no game-play element on this planet yet,” Murray said. His mind turned from the screen in front of us—the six planets, tidily assembled for the demo—to the full version of No Man’s Sky on the operating table on the studio’s first floor, below us. Until many improvements were fully realized, the whole of it would inevitably look worse than what we were seeing. “You can lose sight that it once looked like this,” he said.
Click to expand...


Video about the article.
 
S

Santiako

Member
All Murray has to do now is deliver
Click to expand...

Sean Murray right now:
p6SKL38.jpg
 
S

Saint of Killers

Member
If it's not a 2015 release then it'll have been delayed as they've said it'll be out this year.

I hope they don't release if it isn't ready. I also hope Sony are okay with that and don't feel because of other delays (DC and 1886) NMS must release on time.

edit: 10 posts in and no one has said it yet. So proud. *snif*
 
O

OléGunner

Member
Thanks OP, that was an amazing read.

This is my most anticipated game of the gen so far.

If Hello Games can achieve even half of what they're attempting, we're in for something very special.
 
B

BreezyLimbo

Banned
The article was interesting, I read it earlier. The bit about the Watchmen co-creator and him playing the game is a fun bit.

I'm so damn hyped. But I'm tempering that hype~
 
D

Dirtyshubb

Member
Alienous said:
I think John Walker should start preparing for the interrogation interview now.

It just keeps getting bigger.
Click to expand...

These situations are totally different, Moleneux has spent at least a decade over promising, under delivering and then throwing his last creation under the bus to over hype his next game and deserved the harsh tone of the interview.

Sean Murray has only ever described things that they KNOW are going to be in the game and i have no doubt they will be.

To try and compare the situations show a lack of understanding of what has actually happened and what is possible with what Sean has talked about at length.
 
E

eFKac

Member
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Last time we heard from Sean, he said that they are going radio silence, and next time we hear about the game it will be close to release.

Where is my release date Sean Murray?!
 
d00d3n

d00d3n

Member
Wow, a New Yorker profile long before the game has been released or even widely tested. This is unprecedented, right? I know that they wrote epic articles about Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft, but both games were well received as released games at the point when the articles were written. I can't wait to play No Man's Sky, but the fall from grace will be epic if the grand ideas espoused by Sean Murray don't translate into an exceptional game in the end.
 
C

Corto

Member
Hello Games and Sean are now playing in the Big League in terms of media exposure and profile. Love it! Can't wait to be awed.
 
S

Solaire of Astora

Death by black JPN
Been dreaming of a game like this since I was a child, struggling to understand how to play elite on my Amiga. With this, kerbal, elite etc, I'm pretty much in heaven.

though I won't be able to play elite:dangerous until I get a capable PC/it releases on ps4.

I think the first thing I will do at launch is just fly in a random direction for an hour or so in the hopes that I can be the first to discover at least one planet.
 
S

StaffyManasse

Member
d00d3n said:
Wow, a New Yorker profile long before the game has been released or even widely tested. This is unprecedented, right? I know that they wrote epic articles about Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft, but both games were well received as released games at the point when the articles were written. I can't wait to play No Man's Sky, but the fall from grace will be epic if the grand ideas espoused by Sean Murray don't translate into an exceptional game in the end.
Click to expand...

I think it's that for some people (me included), the picture NMS paints is like a dream come true and something truly unique that captures the imagination. Maybe the journalist is "one of us".

But yeah, I agree. It will be a supernova of a meltdown if "Murray doesn't deliver". I really hope this will not be the case.


Solaire of Astora said:
Been dreaming of a game like this since I was a child,
Click to expand...

This, basicly.
 
K

kyser73

Member
Good article, and while it doesn't have much that's new, there are some gems about the world building process (the stuff about Gieles' superformula is especially interesting).

I'm quietly patient for this.
 
D

Denzar

Member
Good read. thanks OP.

Seems like Sony is betting big on Hello Games and NMS. If it delivers, rightfully so.

Seems like the game is still not close to being finished.

Early 2016 perhaps.
 
H

HTuran

Member
L

lifeexpectancy

Member
My biggest concern is repetition. If there are quadrillions of planets but only a few dozen potential iterational 'types', even if those types are procedurally generated, I could feasibly wind up seeing some of the same things on different planets in very short order.

I want to be optimistic for this game, but they can't exactly code an algorithm to replicate billions of years of evolutions and planetary compositional variation in such a short time.

I want it to be what they're envisioning, so badly. My suggestion if it does:

No Man's Sky |OT| And Murray said, let there be light.
 
P

Par Score

Member
The previous “builds” of No Man’s Sky that he had publicly shown—the ones that had generated so much excitement—contained choreographed elements. Features that might have been light-years apart were pressed closer together; animals were invisibly corralled so that they could be reliably encountered. Shifts in the weather that would normally follow the rhythm of atmospheric change were cued to insure that they happened during a demo.
Click to expand...

Nice to see even small indies are getting into the AAA style of smoke and mirrors these days.

Worrying.
 
T

Triggerhappytel

Member
I'll give this a read when I get back to the office. Really looking forward to this; easily one of my most anticipated games at the moment.

Alienous said:
I think John Walker should start preparing for the interrogation interview now.

It just keeps getting bigger.
Click to expand...

I think this is doing a massive disservice to Hello Games. They're building something that's obviously beautiful and ambitious and impressive, and have done absolutely nothing to earn the same kind of mistrust Molyneux gets.

Par Score said:
Nice to see even small indies are getting into the AAA style of smoke and mirrors these days.

Worrying.
Click to expand...

Do you even understand the purposes of a trailer or reveal? Would you have been more satisfied if they'd spend 40 minutes flying between neighbouring planets and then found absolutely nothing on the surface because its ecosystem cannot sustain life? That's like expecting a Shadow of the Colossus trailer to focus on 10 minutes of riding and climbing and not even get to a boss.
 
L

lifeexpectancy

Member
Par Score said:
Nice to see even small indies are getting into the AAA style of smoke and mirrors these days.

Worrying.
Click to expand...

Except that:

a) for AAA games the trailer nonsense is marketing, nothing more

b) he specifically points out that elements were pressed together to showcase more of the game in a smaller environment, he's not hiding or obfuscating anything

Lord.
 
R

RexNovis

Banned
It's not every day you see a video game developer and his video game featured in The New Yorker and yet here we have a fantastic 4500 word piece on Sean Murray, his studio and his upcoming game.

Could this game have the potential to capture the curiosity of those who, in the past, regarded video games with hardly more than incredulity and disdain? I certainly can't recall any other game getting such universal attention and praise from so many avenues of non enthusiast media. What is it about this game that is captivating such a wide variety of audiences? Much of the coverage focuses on its ambitious scale and the technology that populates it but the breadth of coverage both the game and its creator have received is absolutely staggering. Here's hoping all this leads to significant mindshare and notable success. This is easily my most anticipated game and one that I foresee myself inhabiting for a very very long time. I can not wait.
 
L

lifeexpectancy

Member
RexNovis said:
It's not every day you see a video game developer and his video game featured in The New Yorker and yet here we have a fantastic 4500 word piece on Sean Murray, his studio and his upcoming game.

Could this game have the potential to capture the curiosity of those who, in the past, regarded video games with hardly more than incredulity and disdain? I certainly can't recall any other game getting such universal attention and praise from so many avenues of non enthusiast media. What is it about this game that is captivating such a wide variety of audiences? Much of the coverage focuses on its ambitious scale and the technology that populates it but the breadth of coverage both the game and its creator have received is absolutely staggering. Here's hoping all this leads to significant mindshare and notable success. This is easily my most anticipated game and one that I foresee myself inhabiting for a very very long time. I can not wait.
Click to expand...

I think at the end of the day it boils down to potential.

Man has gazed at the stars for thousands of years wondering what's up there (out there, since up is relative).

Sci-fi games exploring this have, in the past, been very restrictive in scope, with only a small playground. Sci-fi movies don't let you explore the universe yourself... they're more passive. Sci-fi books, once again, don't let you explore per-se, but rather merely imagine.

If this game lives up even part way to its ambition and scale, we could be EXPLORING it for years and still discovering new things. Until we achieve space-travel as a civilization (if ever, depending on your take of relativity, wormholes, quantum theory, and other such concepts), this might be the closest we'll come... exploring a game where the worlds aren't built within the narrow scope of an artist or 3-D modeler's imagination.

I truly hope that happens.
 
L

Leb

Member
lifeexpectancy said:
If this game lives up even part way to its ambition and scale, we could be EXPLORING it for years and still discovering new things. Until we achieve space-travel as a civilization (if ever, depending on your take of relativity, wormholes, quantum theory, and other such concepts), this might be the closest we'll come... exploring a game where the worlds aren't built within the narrow scope of an artist or 3-D modeler's imagination.

I truly hope that happens.
Click to expand...

Um. I like boundless optimism as much as the next guy, but even I don't believe a black man will ever be elected as the President of the United States.
 
R

RexNovis

Banned
lifeexpectancy said:
I think at the end of the day it boils down to potential.

Man has gazed at the stars for thousands of years wondering what's up there (out there, since up is relative).

Sci-fi games exploring this have, in the past, been very restrictive in scope, with only a small playground. Sci-fi movies don't let you explore the universe yourself... they're more passive. Sci-fi books, once again, don't let you explore per-se, but rather merely imagine.

If this game lives up even part way to its ambition and scale, we could be EXPLORING it for years and still discovering new things. Until we achieve space-travel as a civilization (if ever, depending on your take of relativity, wormholes, quantum theory, and other such concepts), this might be the closest we'll come... exploring a game where the worlds aren't built within the narrow scope of an artist or 3-D modeler's imagination.

I truly hope that happens.
Click to expand...

I think you're right. There's something innately captivating about exploring the truly unknown and unquantified. It speaks to a sort of primal need within us that yearns to be met: an intergalactic manifest destiny of sorts.

I too hope it delivers on its profound potential. Something about its art and it's concept just resonate with me on a level that I never anticipated. Needless to say there is no game, movie, novel, or media of any kind that I am looking forward to more. Here's to our future adventures indulging our curiosity in a galaxy of the unknown.
 
P

Par Score

Member
SomedayTheFire said:
I don't think you understand what trailers are, nor do you understand what that is saying. The trailers were basically timelapses.
Click to expand...

Triggerhappytel said:
Do you even understand the purposes of a trailer or reveal? Would you have been more satisfied if they'd spend 40 minutes flying between neighbouring planets and then found absolutely nothing on the surface because its ecosystem cannot sustain life? That's like expecting a Shadow of the Colossus trailer to focus on 10 minutes of riding and climbing and not even get to a boss.
Click to expand...

lifeexpectancy said:
Except that:

a) for AAA games the trailer nonsense is marketing, nothing more

b) he specifically points out that elements were pressed together to showcase more of the game in a smaller environment, he's not hiding or obfuscating anything
Click to expand...

I understand perfectly the purposes of a trailer, but trailers can be honest, dishonest, or somewhere in between. When CoD stage demos give you their "in the interests of time" fade to blacks, that's the developers being honest.

We all complain about 'bullshots' or 'downgrades' when it's EA or Ubisoft trying to pull the wool over our eyes, why not indies?

Picking out the high points of your game to show is understandable, but that isn't what happened here. This was the game being fundamentally changed and demonstrated in a way that any given player is extremely unlikely to see it.

There will be no choreographed majesty for you, no orchestrated convergence of flora and fauna, no purposefully balletic interplay of weather and scenery. You'll be relying on chance, which can produce it's own beauty, but often fleeting and infrequent.

thekiddfran said:
Out of that entire piece you most likely didnt read, you post the comment above?
Click to expand...

I read the whole piece, that section seemed pertinent and an interesting opening for discussion.

It's a direct admittance that one of the most pressing concerns about this game is potentially valid.
 
P

pwack

Member
All the jokes about "what do you do in this game" would ring far less true if the interview didn't contain the quote: "Sorry there is no gameplay element on this planet yet."

Gameplay. Who needs it?
 
I

IAmRandom31

Banned
Can't wait to see more of this game at E3, and hopefully get a release date at E3 as well.

I would not be shocked if it slipped to early 2016 but I hold onto hope that it stays in the Holiday 2015 timeframe. Really it just looks like the team is piecing together the various gameplay elements that are already built and finished and just implementing them slowly into the universe and battling bugs and issues with those various systems as they are put in.

So, with still 7 months to go till its the end of the year, I can see it still hitting this year. Hopefully they are able to show a fully playable version of the game at E3.
 
B

BrettHeazy

Member
Turkoop said:
Wouldn't it be perfect when they announce No man's Sky is available during the announcement..
Click to expand...

I thought this was going to happen when last year at PS EX

They'd hyped this "we're doing something that's never been done in the industry before"

was adamant it was gonna be a "HEY, THE GAMES LIVE ON PSN NOW, KTHX"

But it was 65daysofstatic playing over a gameplay VT lol
 
J

Jhriad

Member
“I’m sorry there’s no game-play element on this planet yet,”
Click to expand...

Not surprising given how sparse the gameplay looked in the first looks we got a while back but I was hoping they'd be farther along by now. Guess we'll see this sometime in 2017.
 
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