No Man’s Sky creator happy to leave microtransactions out of the game
We’re just days away from the first flight of No Man’s Sky on Switch. October 7th and we buckle up to see how this huge game works on the comparatively tiny Nintendo console.
To allay some of our concerns, we recently had the opportunity to speak with game creator Sean Murray about all things No Man’s Sky. The conversation ranged from the difficulties of the Switch port to what Nintendo character Murray would most like to add to the game – be sure to check out our full interview to read all of Murray’s ideas.
Naturally, our conversation turned to the future of No Man’s Sky and, in particular, to the business model of Hello Games. For the past six years, the game has been in a near constant state of development. Instead of resorting to microtransactions or DLC, No Man’s Sky requires a single one-time payment with the promise that the development team will provide regular improvements through free updates.
As the title expands to more and more platforms, it would make sense for Hello Games to change its business model to keep up with the times and include other revenue streams. However, it looks like we can rest easy on this. Asked if this shift is a reasonable prospect, Murray reassured us with the following response:
Many people tell us that this or that alternative business model exists, and probably exists; but we’re enjoying it right now, we really enjoy working on the game and we have this really positive, welcoming community that I really enjoy making updates to and continuing to care for this game.
This certainly doesn’t detract from other titles that use microtransactions or paid DLC as their main source of income. Sharing his love for Fortnite and Rocket League, Murray clarified that he is by no means against practicing this approach, but No Man’s Sky is not going there anytime soon:
It’s cool that they can do it, it’s great, but that’s not what we do, it’s just different. It may be very naive, but this is what we do, and there are historical reasons why we are doing this, more purposeful reasons why we really think this is the right model for us at the moment.
It’s safe to say that the release of No Man’s Sky’s Switch will not yet see the game change the relationship between players and developers. To learn more about Murray’s vision for the future of Hello Games and all aspects of space exploration (virtual, of course), be sure to check out our full interview.
If you’re itching to see how well No Man’s Sky will play on a Nintendo console, you’re in luck! We recently had the opportunity to get to know the game and our amazing video producer Alex Olney shared his thoughts in a new video. There’s also a small amount of gameplay footage you can watch while you wait, so there’s no excuse not to fly in on October 7th fully prepared!
Are you hoping for No Man’s Sky on Switch? Come in the comments and let us know!
