It’s no longer news that Reddit user Daymeeuhn has leaked gameplay footage of No Man’s Sky prior to its release, scheduled for Aug. 9 on PS4 and Aug. 12 on PC (spoiler warning: original spoiler threads are here and here ). No Man’s Sky seems to promise a utopia of exploration where you can befriend factions, attack aliens or simply trade in peace . But what the No Man’s Sky gameplay footage leak, and all discussions around it, are all missing is one crucial aspect of the No Man’s Sky experience that should not be taken for granted.
The presence of other people.
No Man’s Sky comes alive with the presence of others. Factors like currency and materials give rewards based on how many players are trading them or how many others have discovered them. Of course a world meant to thrive when a community populates it is stale without the presence of that community.
Think of it this way: There are 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 planets in No Man’s Sky’s procedurally generated universe. The appeal of exploration and discovery is built into No Man’s Sky whole framework. But where does the joy of discovery come from if not from sharing your discoveries with others? If no one is trading, what does a system built on a trading economy matter? If you discover the world’s biggest lion-turtle but no one knows about it, who cares? You and your loneliness?
On Aug. 9 and Aug. 12, we should see a world that’s much more alive. By sharing gameplay video with others, by participating in an economy and discovering as much of the universe as possible, the joy of exploration and discovery will be multiplied many times over.
These things are fundamental to the appeal of No Man’s Sky. Without a community exploring, sharing, and figuring things out together, you’re just throwing stones in the darkness of space, hoping someone will spot a ripple. It’s no wonder Hello Games’ founder Sean Murray took to Twitter to ask people to avoid these leaks:
We’ve spent years filling No Man’s Sky with surprises. You've spent years waiting. Please don't spoil it for yourself :(
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) July 29, 2016
Do the No Man’s Sky gameplay leaks lessen your hype, or are you still excited to crack your knuckles and dive into the universe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
