What if Activision published No man's Sky?

So, a couple of days ago IGN showed a video where Sean Murray from hello games did a quick run through of their upcoming ps4/PC release No Man’s Sky. This video gave us an idea as to exactly how mind numbingly large the game world is and how much exploration is actually possible. Things like the game having its own periodic table, the billions of uniquely generated planets and countless unique plant and animal species really gives you an appreciation for the game and the vision of the creators.

On purchasing this game you are literally purchasing an entire galaxy and the ability to explore it for the rest of your natural life. In essence hello games has created the longest game in history. A game that you can play every day for the next 50 years and still not see even 1/100th of it. This seems like a breath of fresh air in a time when games are being released as unfinished buggy messes and it seems like you’re only getting half a game upon release and the other half through the purchase of horrendously overpriced DLC.

This got me thinking, what if hello games had gone to Activision to publish this game? Just looking at what was done to destiny it really makes you wonder how differently things would have been. What would No Man’s Sky be like and what would gamers have to look forward to? Well, I could be wrong but looking at current trends in gaming and knowing the gaming history of Activision I think I can give a pretty accurate guess on the answer to those questions.

So, here is my list of changes I would have expected to see if Activision published no Man’s Sky:

1: You would have gotten the first 100 planets included with the game and additional planets to be released in 4 subsequent DLC packages of 100 planets each.

2: A special hardened edition would be sold with 1000 planets, 20 ship skins and a model of your starting ship for $150.

3. Only about 20 elements on the periodic table would be available at first and the rest would be released in DLC packs of 2 in each pack for $1.50 per DLC pack.

4. Only about 30 animal species would be released on day one with the others to be released in future DLC.

5. There would be a planet somewhere where you could go to fight alien zombies. This would be DLC of course.

6. The other billions of planets would be used in future installments of No Man’s sky 2 through 15.

7. There would be the option to purchase in game credits with real money. Something along the lines of 15000 credits for $9.99.

8. Somehow they would find a way to allow random 9 year olds to contact me and tell me how often they slept with my mom.

The one thing this game has shown me is how much we need to support indie devs as it seems they are the last remnant to a gaming world that shows it actually cares about their customers. The uniqueness and fun factor of a lot of the indie games we are getting have really put to shame a lot of the AAA devs and the regurgitated mess of COD, Assassins Creed and Battlefield games we have been getting for the past 10 years, every year. At a time when you pay $60 for a game and another $50 for the rest of it over a year in DLC purchases, games like No Man’s Sky actually deserve our support. It’s something new and different and could be the start of something big and fresh in the gaming world.

[TwoForce]

That would be terrible idea.

[garrettbobbyferguson]

"On purchasing this game you are literally purchasing an entire galaxy and the ability to explore it for the rest of your natural life."

You are hyping up something beyond your wildest dreams and it will completely disappoint you.

[johndoe11211]

My comment was 100% true. It has nothing to do with hype, it has nothing to do with disappointment, it is based on a FACT. Unless you can show me where what I stated is incorrect or untrue, your assumption of my expectations are completely irrelevant to what I stated. You seem to just be looking for a reason to criticize just for the sake of criticizing.

[garrettbobbyferguson]

"100% true - based on a FACT"

Well, I'll give you this. You can most definitely explore an endlessly repetitive world for the rest of your life. Why you would want to see the same things over and over again, I don't know. More power to you if you enjoy a masochistic tendency such as that. Just remember, we're nowhere near the point where we can create an infinite universe that allows you to discover something unique and new forever. That's currently impossible.

"You seem to be just looking for a reason to criticize"

You think? You've made a blog post that does nothing but provide a "circle jerk" viewpoint over what another company MAY do if they were publishing a title. It was already low quality to begin with.

[BitbyDeath]

'You can most definitely explore an endlessly repetitive world for the rest of your life. Why you would want to see the same things over and over again, I don't know.'

That's kind of how it is in real life too though lol
Many astronauts were saddened by your post.

[johndoe11211]

The only person doing any "jerking" here is you off of your own irrelevant opinions. Apparently you think you have the right to tell people what they should and should not enjoy and for how long they should enjoy it for.

Nowhere did I say they created a universe and no where did I say it was infinite. So, not only do you have some sort of superiority complex, you also suffer from some form of delusion by inventing statements I didn't make.

What another company may do? MAY?? COD and destiny have already proven how they do business and the manner in which they design their games. It's not an assumption, it's a fact that had they been involved this game would be riddled with dlc. You seem to like being raped by these bigger developers while calling doom and gloom on smaller devs that are actually trying to do something different. You should probably try placing your opinions on one of the planets in no man's sky, I may think about trying to find it someday.

[iceman06]

No...he is indeed stating a fact. He never mentioned how fun it would be to do this or, for that matter, how redundant a planet might or might not be. He just simply stated that you will have a galaxy to explore.

[warczar]

@garrettbobbyferguson

Thanks for letting us know what you thought the game would be like if it were published by Activision, in your haste to be a douche you completely missed the point. If this game were published by Activision it would most certainly be hacked up into a bunch of smaller dlc's with more games to follow. I would love to here your comments on that fact.

[mushroomwig]

A little circle-jerky to be honest

[JEECE]

I think that's the point. While exaggerated, though, I do have to wonder how much better a game like Destiny would have been if someone like Bethesda had published it.

[Haru]

We should all be greatful and thank Sony for funding and making this game possible, Playstation is indeed the best gaming company in the world one that inovates and the rest of the indusrty follows

[Lanceee]

It would be awful to have pay so much to make a game enjoyable.

[WizzroSupreme]

Then we'd get "No Man's Sky: Galactice Warfare" every year like a clock.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

It would still look boring as hell no matter who publishes it.

[uth11]

4. And those creatures would be released Toys-to-life style like Skylanders

[iceman06]

I was thinking the EXACT same thing when I was watching the IGN videos. Can you imagine if they held back and put DLC paywalls in this game. What would it look like? You pretty much summed it up in the snarkiest (and I say that with love) way possible. Good, funny read!!! Bubs up for the funny (like you need anymore!!! LOL)