No Man’s Sky won’t require PS Plus to play online

FENIX Bazaar writes: One of the more pressing questions surrounding No Man’s Sky and its intimidatingly large virtual universe is whether or not the game needs to be played online, and if it does, whether you’ll need a PlayStation Plus account to utilise its features.

[blanka4545]

wow nice!

[naruga]

nice ...also its time for PSN to drop obligatory subscription model for playing online ...

[2pacalypsenow]

And loose all that revenue?

[Shubhendu_Singh]

MS started it. Sony caught it too.
and now...there is no way on earth any of these will remove paid online "feature".

If it bothers you that much. Go to PC.

@UltraNova: HAHAHAHA. Dude there is no way PC users will pay for online, doesn't matter what MS does. MS only owns MSstore, where 99% gamers don't go anyway. As long as Steam, Origin, Battlenet, Uplay does it free online.

[UltraNova]

@shub

If MS manages to have their way be ready for payed online on PC as well.

OT: I sincerely hope this is a trend starter. I hope more devs can leverage their title's appeal to force free online in multiplatform games.

[bafa]

@naruga
Is $50 a year really that much? Gaming is a hobby which cost money..

This is a good thing. Smart thing to do which was probably the case since the start.( for NMS)

[nitus10]

Well, PC's started it.

Have you ever heard of World of Warcraft or Ultima online just to name two?

[C-H-E-F]

PSN Plus is the reason why we have all the features we have on the PSN now... we are funding the PS ecosystem through PSN Plus same as the xbox live players on xbox. Honestly it's the smartest business move microsoft made in terms of the consoles. Why pay for something 100% when you can have the gamers pay 40% of the price it'll cost to add features to the online ecosystem. Yes it sucks for us, but i'd rather chip in and have what I say I need in the PSN to be put in than not to chip in and Sony says screw you all, you don't even help pay the bills around here to tell us what to spend our money on. This is why gamers matter so much in the online space because we can vote with our pocket. Before we had no say because we did have a "paid" vote... just an ecosystem ran by the corp.

[iceman06]

Not gonna happen. Too much free revenue. PS Home was the "free" revenue maker with the PS3. Without PS+, where does it come from. Make no doubts about it, this is not inexpensive for Sony to do...or MS for that matter. Understanding that, I don't like paying but I don't mind either. But, NMS not needing is a great incentive for those that don't subscribe to still play it. That's something that Sony should think about always doing...allow 1st party games to have free access.

[jcnba28]

This ^^

[deafdani]

It's sad that you got more disagrees than agrees. People apparently prefer to pay for something that was free to them last gen.

Fanboyism knows no limits. Jesus.

[WellyUK]

Ah yes and go back to when PSN was down every week... Sorry but the sub model has made huge improvements to PSN even if most people dont think it's worth it.

[3-4-5]

Naruga will never own a business that would be successful.

[BitbyDeath]

Hopefully when MS finishes its migration to PC Sony will remove the requirement.

[NecoTehSergal]

As the 360 fanboys kept preaching last-gen "You get what you pay for", via Server stability/quality and exclusive deals, etc. Servers don't make profit for themselves.

[Kingdomcome247]

@Bitby- While that would no doubt be great, why do you consider that a possibility? If either Microsoft or Sony were considering such a move now would be the time to do it. While they are both still in the console space, as a means to distinguish themselves from the competition, and to add to their console's perceived value. They would have no incentive whatsoever to drop the sub fee if Microsoft were to bow out. Unless Nintendo made a hard push for the core gamer, beefed up their network, and if it were to then remain free. Sure, Microsoft started the trend on consoles for sub fees for online, but Sony chose to do the same. People act as though their hands were tied. If anything they had incentive to leave it the way it was last gen in order to boost the value proposition of the PS4 vs. the Xbox One. I also don't forsee Microsoft just altogether leaving the console space, or "Migrating to PC."

[BitbyDeath]

@Kingdomcome247, MS had both feet planted in Xbox camp at the beginning of this gen.

Since then they have had many staffing changes, not to mention a new CEO who brought a new vision.

Xbox Entertainment Studios closed, Twisted Pixel closed, Lionhead closed, Team Dakota closed, Xbox Fitness shutdown and possibly others I am forgetting.

Now all exclusive games are going UWP, meaning one foot is officially out of Xbox camp and in PC and it isn't a question of 'if' but 'when' will the other follow.

Xbox will never, ever be on level with Windows and Xbox has been placed as a competitor to Windows by mere fact they now share the same games that could help Windows/UWP gain success.

When will Windows claim Xbox? Not now, UWP isn't popular. 98% picked Steam over UWP for the latest Tomb Raider entry.

MS needs to convert people first, how? Play Anywhere seems like a good start, why else run it yet not have it work PC -> Xbox? Xbox has nothing on Windows, never will.

[MasterCornholio]

Nice. By play online they mean the whole sharing your discoveries with others thing. I don't believe there's actually multiplayer in this game.

[Inzo]

I dont think so but it would cool though being in a space dogfight with someone.

[CorndogBurglar]

It is multiplayer. Its possible to run into ofher players, its just that the universe is so big that it is unlikely that you ever will. At least thats what the devs have been saying.

Although I would have to think that since the whole point of the game is to reach the center of the galaxy, and since everyone is trying to get there, your chances of running into someone would become more likely as you get closer to the center. But I could be wrong I suppose.

[iceman06]

The center of the universe is still a vast area. Our galaxy is one out of 100,000,000,000. So, I'd assume that one galaxy will be at the center. Add to this the number of planets in the galaxy. We can't assume 7 or 8. But, even then, that's a lot of space. Just imagine trying to find someone on Earth with only 5 million people (conservative sales). You could do it. But, it still would be far and few between, I'd imagine.

[Omnisonne]

Wait.. was it the center of the Galaxy or center of the Universe? Cause center of the universe, while cool, doesn't make a lot a sense.

If it is indeed the whole universe (based on the vast amount on planets) I wonder if it's possible to travel between galaxies, which is really just a giant black void with the occasional stray star.

[fei-hung]

I reckon that aspect of the game will unlock once you reach the centre on the universe as everyone is essentially traveling to the same place. From being separated by what seems to be an infinity, we will all eventually end up in the same place.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Technically, it isn't multiplayer, but there is a chance that you will encounter other players. I don't know how that's going work, i.e. dialog, voice chat, ect, but I'm going to find out August 9th when I play it.

[CorndogBurglar]

Technically it is multiplayer.

Everyone is in the same world/galaxy. It is possible to run into other players. Its just not likely that you will.

So TECHNICALLY speaking, it is multiplayer, it will just feel more like single player since you'll probably never see anyone. But if you do run into someone then you can play together.

[Mr_Luke]

Not bad, it means more people can play it without worrying of being part of PS+ or so. But like Murray said, the chance of meeting another player is very very low, since the universe is immense. But they were comparing the "interactions" among players with those of Dark Souls or Terraria: messages, hints left by players and those things.

[UltraNova]

Regarding meeting others in NMS; I think that within a month of release PC users will device a way of sharing location coordinates with each other.

One question remains though; since the universe is proceduraly generated it means it will be inherently different for each and everyone of us, so how on Gods green Earth is there a chance ( even one in a trillion ) to meet another player if we are playing in seperated/unique universes?

Maybe I m missing something...

[ArchangelMike]

Yeah, you've got that completely wrong there, we will all be in the same universe. Once Hello Games boots up Universe (aka the game server), it will be the same proceedural Universe for everybody who logs in. So if I find planet 'Zykroqoxzly' at co-ordinate '095-874-879-187', I can upload that to the atlas, and you can then look it up, type in the co-ordantes into your starship, and you can try to meet me on that planet - the problem ofcourse is that the planet might be literally years away from you, and I won't wait around that long :))

It might be the case that the PC will have it's own server and the PS4 will have it's own server, but Hello Games have not confirmed this yet. If they do have separate servers for PC and PS4, then you would'nt be able to meet up with players on the other platform.

Personally I hope they allow cross-platform play with this game, just to increase the chance of meeting other players.

[iceman06]

The universe is seeded by the math on Hello Games server. Which means that the coordinates will be the same for everybody. What might be different is the other stuff. The contours of the planet are generated on the fly. I believe the plants and animals are seeded, but might have slight differences in appearance to another player. In the end, unless someone creates a fast travel or warp type thing, people's travel will be restricted by resource gathering and suit/ship upgrades.
Sean has also said, in the past, that true multiplayer hasn't been ruled out. But, they wanted people to experience their vision of the game first. So, keep your fingers crossed.

[UltraNova]

Ok guys thanks for enlightening me hehe.

So all we need now is Hello Games patching in a Star trek warp drive -type of fast travel and we are off to some deep space multiplayer fun!

[jaseo]

i bet you need to be online to play online though!!

[Majin-vegeta]

You mean just like any other game to play online??😒😒

[ArchangelMike]

I see what you did there :)

[colonel179]

Have you noticed that Netflix now appears under GAMES in the PS4 library? That sucks!! Or is it just my PS4?

[rezzah]

That's big.

[Master of Unlocking]

"We’ve known for a while that the game can be played offline, as the universe itself is generated randomly within the game’s code, not server-side"

I'm still not quite sure I understand why that precludes us from having to pay for PS+, as players online still have to be located in space and I don't know how this can be done without servers. It's not like this can be procedurally-generated too, is it? Oh well, it's cool to see that it's even possible to have games with online portions that don't require a subscription. Let's hope there will be followers. Playing online was done right for the most part on the PS3 last gen, it should've always been this way: FUNCTIONAL & FREE!

[Aenea]

A game that offers online game play and needs a PS+ generally has gameplay where you play with and/or against other people directly, allows inviting other players to your game through PSN, etc. and thus actually uses it.

But here the online part is just for uploading your discoveries and major changes made to the universe, you aren't really playing directly with other people, nor are you actually using PSN...

[iceman06]

The server is basically needed to track the small bits of metadata related to each person and their interactions with the universe. Unlike traditional games where there is total player interaction, this is must an exchange of small bits of location data, structure data, and the database for names of plants and animals. There's no need for traditional lobbies. You are just a floating data point among other floating data points moving around a 3D coordinate graph (on the server). Your interactions with the structures are the same...just small bits of data for the server to remember to boot up. Everything else is seeded by the code and then generated on the fly. That's why the file is so small for the game. Most of THAT is music.

[C-H-E-F]

Game just keeps getting better the closer it gets to release.

[GameFrost]

Woohoo!!

[TWB]

Sounds great, and it only makes sense. Other games allow you to connect online and see live scoreboards or phantoms of other players in races (non-live, but its still something that you transfered through the network)

In No Mans Sky its mostly just information to the Atlas (think of something like the Scoreboards but which is full of information) and an incredibly slim chance of meeting another player.

There would barely be any reasons to lock Atlas and other online features behind PS+

[jjb1981]

There's no matchmaking. It's like Destiny

[SilverDemon]

Disliked by accident, sorry

[jjb1981]

It's ok, I still got a bunch of disagrees even though it's true. You don't need PlayStation plus to play Destiny. You just can't match make for strikes and PoE or basically play with anyone else but they'll still be in your world.

[feraldrgn]

YES! This is what I wanted to hear.
Now the difficult decision for me will be whether to play offline or online.

[quent]

Sooo dedicated servers then ?

[vega275]

That's great news for ps4 owners. I pre-ordered it on steam. Which steam doesn't require you to pay for online so I'm good.

[cyber_daemonx]

15d:05h:13m:25, 24, 23... till lift off.

I've booked 5 days off work just to play this. Can't wait.

[Goldby]

2 days myself, wish i could do more but being in management i dont want to come back to an office exploded because.... "printer stopped working"

[Yetter]

Well yeah. There is essentially no multiplayer in this game.

[CorndogBurglar]

Yes there is. Just because you most likely won't run into other players because of the size of the universe does not mean it isn't possible.

Everyone is in the same playing field at the same time, which makes it a multiplayer game. If you do run into someone you can totally play with them.

[Yetter]

from what I understand, you cannot interact with other players in any way. You do not see changes they've made to their universe, only which player discovers what. Pretty much a giant leader board. We will find out soon enough but I suggest you hamper your expectations. I've been following this game since 2013 and I'm 90% sure there is no multiplayer in any meaningful way

[CorndogBurglar]

I've been following it as well. There are multiple interviews with the devs saying that you can play with people if you happen fo run into them.

The key words in your sentence are "in any meaningful way". Sure there's no match making or anything like that. Also the world is so big that youblikely won't see anyone. But again, it is POSSIBLE to run into someone. Because everyone is in the same world means that it is technically multiplayer. Whether or not you actually get to play with anyone is where it becomes questionable.