When No Man’s Sky (NMS) released in August of 2016 on the Playstation 4 and Microsoft Windows platforms, followers of the game were expecting something really revolutionary. It was a game that featured a procedurally generated universe that had over 18 quintillion planets to explore in the game. Each planet was unique, and had various distinct wildlife and environments. Potentially, players could meet each other if they were on the same planet, but the chances of this happening were slim to none.
However, the game’s reception turned out to be something other than positive. Lackluster gameplay, constant crashes, and a very weird incident that had two players coincidentally on the same planet, but were never able to see the other player in game. Reviews were mixed as some praised its innovative direction while most panned it due to lack of content. Upon release, there were over 35,000 players on average with a peak of over 200,000, and sharply fell to a little over 750 average players with a peak of over 2,000 just 2 months later.
But developers kept hammering away at the game and released updates over time that started fixing and improving on the released game. By August of 2017, average players on Steam rose to a respectable 5,000 and peaked at just under 20,000. However, the update wasn’t enough to keep that audience as it has fell to an average of 550 with a peak of 1,000.
This should change with the announcement that 505 Games acquired the distribution rights to NMS and announced on their Twitter that they will not only be updating the game in a huge patch later this year, but will be releasing for the Xbox platforms with no set date announced.
Were you one of those people that jumped on the NMS train? Were you disappointed or are you one of the few die hards that can’t wait for the new update.
In 2012, he took over as CEO of Sony, replacing Howard Stringer and proceeded to thin out Sony’s not-so-profitable endeavors which included cutting off the Sony Vaio line of computers. He then went on to make Sony profitable, turning around the then-ailing game division and even making the Sony Pictures division make a $90 million profit last year with Jumanji.
“Ever since my appointment as President and CEO in April 2012, I have stated that my mission is to ensure Sony continues to be a company that provides customers with kando – to move them emotionally – and inspires and fulfills their curiosity. To this end, I have dedicated myself to transforming the company and enhancing its profitability, and am very proud that now, in the third and final year of our current mid-range corporate plan, we are expecting to exceed our financial targets. And it excites me to hear more and more people enthuse that Sony is back again. As the company approaches a crucial juncture, when we will embark on a new mid-range plan, I consider this to be the ideal time to pass the baton of leadership to new management, for the future of Sony and also for myself to embark on a new chapter in my life. My successor, Kenichiro Yoshida, has supported me closely since returning to Sony in December 2013 , contributing extensively beyond his remit as CFO and acting as valuable confidant and business partner, as we took on the challenge of transforming Sony together. Mr. Yoshida combines a deeply strategic mindset with a relentless determination to achieve defined targets, and the ability to take a global viewpoint. I believe he possesses the breadth of experience and perspective, as well as the unwavering leadership qualities required to manage Sony’s diverse array of businesses, and as such is the ideal person to drive the company forward into the future. As Chairman, I will of course offer my full support to Mr. Yoshida and the new management team, and do all I can to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure their future success.”
