Former Sony Executive Shahid Ahmad Defends No Man’s Sky Developer

Former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Strategic Content Director Shahid Kamal Ahmad was one of the men who saw with his own eyes the ins and outs of the development of Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky.

The release of the game proved quite polarizing, with many loving it for what it did offer, and others that expected more, and violently criticized the development team for what the game did not offer. Apparently, today Ahmad had enough, and expressed a rather clear-cut opinion on Twitter, also mentioning that the update plan for the game was already determined in 2013.

[-Foxtrot]

Let me get this straight. He told him his update plan in 2013...BUT all those promises in countless interviews of features NOT in the game (and you can't beat around the bush, it's a long f***** list) aren't in it. So how can he stick to his guns on the supposed update plan yet can't with the actual bloody game huh?

Yet you wonder why people are mad Shahid

People seem to think those who are mad are pulling things from thin air and are making stuff up but if there is one fiasco where gamers have a massive right to be angry for legit reasons this is it.

[CrimzonRazor]

I got the game I pre ordered and seen gameplay videos of up to release

[-Foxtrot]

I did but I was lead onto believe most of that stuff would be in the game somewhere.

Then when I went through that brief period of trying to wrap my head around it I thought

"Well maybe it's coming as a free update in a weeks time"
....Silence....
" Well maybe they are busy and it will be here in 2 weeks"
....Silence....
"Maybe end of the month"
....Silence....
"Two months later then, guys are awfully quiet"
....Silence....
"SAY SOMETHING"

And so on until I snapped the hell out of it and got a cushion for my backside after what they did to it.

[Rachel_Alucard]

What blows my mind is I keep seeing this whole argument everywhere that states that "It's ok because I knew what I was getting" which makes no sense because up to release we've had 0 public demos, scripted pre-planned live demos, sugar coated previews with Sean at the helm, and the only time anyone who wasn't a developer had control over it was during heavily supervised preview booths.

Literally every bit of gameplay shown was fabricated or stretched yet everyone who defends it says its ok because I knew what I was getting. The truth is nobody actually did know outside of Sean and friends

[Aenea]

@rachel

Apparently those demos and pre-scripted things is the stuff they expected to be in the game and it is what they got. Not really that hard to understand really.

With all the stuff I had read and seen about the game I too was super excited. I thought I knew what I would get, I didn't know the demos were scripted (they usually are anyways). Once I got the game I loved it to bits, it was mostly what I expected it to be. Yes, I expected more from reaching the centre of the galaxy, I also expected the faction standings to actually mean something and that there really was a way to take sides in space battles. That is what slightly disappointed me. But still I loved the game I got.

The MP parts, well, I wasn't interested in it, I also didn't see the point. With so many planets it would be really hard to try to even meet up, I didn't find other planets that were discovered by other players until I was close to the centre. And thinking of it technically I never even understood why they even thought it would be wise to put so much time and effort into such a silly and small feature.

All the other little things that people put on lists of missing features are either actually in the game OR are so insignificant that most people couldn't even have named them. Yes, now they can because someone took the time to analyse all the interviews and videos to death, but before that was done people just kept it vague "it's not what I expected", but they couldn't tell you what they expected. Once the list came out they suddenly used that list.

Also, I've seen many a user, here and on other sites, who attacked the game with such aggressiveness even though you knew them to not even have bought or played the game, which added to the negativity.

[phantomexe]

Media fox remember what i told ya. Again i called it. I got what preordered as well crimzon.

[CrimzonRazor]

I have and still play it daily since release im not going to say its the best game ever but it is a solid game, that has got even better with the new patch. To me it has multiplayer in the sense you name it and others will see it, as far as seeing others or pvp I personally dont care if its there or not. To me its a mystery game and it does it well like what is this lifeform taking over these places across the universe, and is it taking over me as well. What is the atlas its another thread to follow, the center, learning the language of all the aliens the portals how they work were they go. Them using scripted demo's never bothered me many devs do this so they have a working bug free slice to show. As for whats missing I guess its what players seen and latched on to, what I wanted it for is there and never cared about wether others liked it or not. Murray kept saying over and over it was a chill game that not everyone would like that it was not a mmo or it did not have cod style gameplay and he was right it is not for everyone. Many games made have shown features that never made the finale cut even movies cut thing its up to each player to decide if what was cut matters to them. I think there is alot of bandwagoning at play here with nms that has turned off some who if they sat down and played it would fall in love with it. But these people who do nothing but sit around and try to convince others not to like the game and attack it and Murray every chance need to let it go, ok they dont like it we get it but you know what there is people who do.

[crazychris4124]

Blah blah blah is what I read. We ain't stupid, were sick of broken, unfinished games. Not our fault they over promised and charged a full $60.

[-Foxtrot]

I know. People can't accept the truth I guess. Taking things for what they WANT it to be, not for what it actually is.

2016 - Where people can't admit/accept defeat or the truth

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

The Great Saltmining Of 2016.

[Liqu1d]

"We ain't stupid, were sick of broken, unfinished games."

Then explain why consumers continue to buy broken, unfinished games that often require huge day 1 patches. In fact, early access is a business model that involves developers literally selling unfinished games that are often broken to consumers and then promising future improvements that they really don't need to fulfil. People are even willing to hand over money on Kickstarter for just an idea or concept.

Gamers keep saying that their tired of broken and unfinished games, microtransactions, season passes etc. but the numbers show that in reality a lot of people don't care and will continue to support these practices.

[Gh05t]

Sure I'll bite... The reason people buy broken, unfinished, content cut dlc sale, microtransaction ridden, day one still broken patched, early access games is because it's "Take it or leave it."

If you are a gamer it is what you do, and if every major and most Indy studios are riddled with these things your options are take it or leave it. If you leave it then you aren't going to be able to game like you used too, but if you take it then it will be ever held over your head from narrow minded, echo chambered, cynical people like you that we like the option.

We like games! That is why sales continue, they didn't release a non preorder bonus copy with no dlc options version of the latest games. You have a binary choice if you want to continue to play the new content of games.

I mean really if you like Fallout, Or Elder Scrolls, did you see a version for sale that came bug free, no cut preorder bonus content, no day one patch version. You might say well buy a game like that from someone else... Please tell me where I can find that perfectly polished gem you allude to? It doesn't exist. So why do these games sell... Because there are gamers who would rather deal with this mess and complain about it then turn their back on the hobby altogether.

[uth11]

If this plan was in place in 2013, then it was communicated very badly. So much drama could have been avoided by explaining it.

I somehow doubt it's the case though.

[milohighclub]

as shit as the last few month of silence have been, i'm so glad they didn't take our money and run. that's what I thought had happened. I was wrong and this update is sweet. I've actually been able to get back on with playing it now, enjoying it too :D

[Perjoss]

Anyone who knows their previous work knows they would never leave the game broken and run. But people really wanted to believe this because people love drama.

[milohighclub]

well tbh i don't know thepast work man and 3 month silence took the piss. the new update added some gameplay elements that will keep me busy and looking forward to future content. a crouch button would be fab....

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

There's barely anything to defend. I'm just glad that Hello Games and Murray have started to patch the game and bring stuff to make the game better. I bought the game, enjoyed it, then forgot about it. As disappointing as the game is, it is still far from my worst purchase list *Cough* Destiny *Cough* $90 edition *cough*

So I'll just wait and see what the developers can do to bring me back. Still better than just giving up and do nothing.

[S2Killinit]

I donno Destiny is probably the game Ive put the most time in, in this whole generation. I think its not fair to say its a bad game when people continue to play it to this day.

You CANNOT argue with the FPS gameplay mechanics of Destiny. Bungie are in a class of their own with FPSs.

[Gh05t]

People play bad games all the time.

The problem with destiny was again the over promised under delivered sell you a season pass and still not get the promised game because they just couldn't make it.

The game mechanics are great, the gameplay compared to what was talked about is still garbage.

Just like NMS, people enjoyed what it is and accepted it, but there's still people who want what it was told to be and will accept nothing less when they didn't fess up before launch about cut content.

Money is spent, product is not as advertised, it's really that simple.

Although I hate NMS more than Destiny even though I too spent $90 on Destiny for the simple fact that, I feel the lies ran deeper in NMS. I play neither anymore.

[S2Killinit]

But its not a bad game, in fact, gameplay wise its one of the best.

[madpuppy]

wow! you spent 90.00 for Destiny, I wouldn't pay that much for any version of any game. Not criticizing how you spend your money, it's more about how much of a cheapo I am. Personally, I try to pay less than 30.00 for any game I buy, I'll even wait for a goty with all the dlc included if I can, and it still has to be under 30.00 though :P

P.S.
I would pay more for a remastered PS4 version of a Burnout collection (especially Burnout 3 Takedown)

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

The hype was too much.

[Junebug]

So vita evangelist Shahid off the presses I see... Not surprising to me. :/

[xDealtwithIt]

I guess someone had to defend them. I mean even Shu threw NMS under the bus.

[Gazondaily]

Well shu actually kinda defended them actually whilst being rather frank and acknowledging it had shortcomings (albeit loosely).

To me NMS is an Aliens Colonial Marines situation. But what REALLY pisses me out is Murrays silence on the matter immediately after launch. If he simply had the courtesy and general decency to admit there were some omissions or acknowledged the game'sshortcomings that would be great.

Instead, the review embargo lifts AFTER THE game is out, a patch is released, people message him and he stays radio silent. It's actually pathetic. Had he actually manned up and said, look guys I'm sorry we have some omissions but you know what, we'll be working on them that that would actually be the decent thing to do.

People defending his shoddy behaviour are even worse.

Tbh, it's really telling of Murray. To me, he is a liar and I really can't respect him for the way he behaved. I'd say that to his face. His behaviour imo was disrespectful to us gamers.

[endi123]

Oh, so that's why he's "former"

[rezzah]

Are they still using the original trailers to advertise the product on PSN and wherever else they sell the game?

That is like misinformation over 9000.

[Matology]

When it comes down in price I am going to try it out for myself.

[Nicaragua]

That's a good attitude to have. Kudos to you for not getting sucked into the toxic whinefest.

[Aenea]

Isn't it $30 at the moment in the US PSN store? I checked, it's $36...

[Espangerish]

Hype killed this game dead. If they had released it in a quiet understated way and priced at half its original value I suspect it would now be hailed as cult indie classic

As for Shahid, why am I not surprised to see him supporting someone for over hyping and over promising things that would never be delivered. This has shahids entire Vita strategy

[C-H-E-F]

Where was he over the last 3 months? why was he so silent? by he I mean Shahid Kamal Ahmad... It's interesting he stayed silent until the update popped out. By not speaking up for your "friend" when he needed someone to back him, you are nothing better than those who voiced their opinion. lOl this guy is an idiot, i'm glad he is a FORMER executive.