No Man’s Sky has come a long way since its launch in August 2016. Almost three years of hard work by the modest indie developer Hello Games has added such content and features as base building, vehicles, a far more robust story, co-operative multiplayer, and much more. VR support and a multiplayer overhaul are expected soon. The game is almost unrecognisable from its launch state, and its Reddit community has found a touching way to say ‘thank you’.
In only 14 hours, members of r/NoMansSkyTheGame raised the necessary $1,750 to buy a billboard outside of Hello Games’ office in Guildford, UK. Credit for the lovely idea goes to u/weezwhizard, and to the whole community for stepping up. It’s simply a message reading “thank you Hello Games” accompanied by the open arms ‘donger’ (in this case indicating gratitude or hugging rather than pleading, I presume).
The lovely gesture comes to our attention via Hello Games founder and studio head Sean Murray, who simply says “Oh. My. God.” in response.
It’s understandable that Murray might feel overwhelmed. No Man’s Sky, as you may remember, emerged as the darling of Sony’s 2014 E3 conference, and the hype was positively feverish by the time it launched.
our community has bought the billboard outside our office to say Thank You
Oh. My. God.https://t.co/oGTjFI4WWG
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) June 13, 2019
The launch was seen to fall well short of expectations, and the backlash has gone down as one of the most violent gamer hatestorms in recent years. But all things pass, outraged players either moved on or calmed down, and in time, a dedicated, supportive, and evidently grateful community has flourished alongside Hello Games’ hard work.
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It’s remarkable that such an exceptional gesture of community gratitude should emerge around No Man’s Sky given the mood at launch. Here’s No Man’s Sky on Steam, if you’d like to jump in and see why fans are so happy with the game now.