No Man’s Sky’s Revival With v1.1 Is An Example That Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Heading into the final week of November few things were more desired by gamers than a new statement from No Man's Sky creator Sean Murray. The game's under-performing launch made many feel unsettled, whether it be from its lack of social interaction or its unfulfilling ending. Cries for explanations were responded to with silence. That silence would turn from days to weeks, and weeks to months. It seemed as if the game and its dwindling playerbase had been left to die.

It's been over three months since No Man's Sky launched and by last week not only its discussion but its reputation eroded into obscurity. Nobody would argue that it had become the most hated game of 2016, and the prevalence of buyer's remorse on its Subreddit was indicative of that.

While many assumed that the game was only looking to collect its paycheck and then move on, the Hello Games team along with Sean Murray were hard at work. What they were crafting was what is now known as The Foundation Update, an update of monumental proportions.

Among other things, The Foundation Update includes all the following:

• Base Building
• Farming
• Camps
• Freighters
• Game Modes
• New Craftable Items
• New Resources
• New Graphics Options
• User Interface Improvements

No Man's Sky's discussion transformed in the blink of an eye. What were once desolate wastelands of buyer's remorse were terra formed into healthy platforms of conversation. Memes were replaced with screenshots, and agitation with excitement.

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You could argue that the vindication of No Man's Sky in just a single update was well-deserved. As highlighted by its official website, it's one of the most meaningful patches we've seen. Players have more means to enjoy the game, additional activities to participate in, and a tidier game flow. Perhaps equally as important, it was delivered without anyone knowing about it.

Although it was silent, it's become clear that Hello Games has been listening to feedback very carefully for the past several months and acting upon it. Instead of abandoning development, which was probably more financially viable, it invested thousands of hours into a package that righted many of the wrongs of the original experience.

Its arrival was seemingly out of nowhere, and well timed, two things the base game didn't enjoy. There were no expectations. It arrived during Thanksgiving weekend and quickly became the most widely discussed item in the gaming community.

Gamers are used to being promised the moon and stars, but aren't used to being pleasantly surprised. In this case, the update did all the talking, and it was better for it.

No Man's Sky is now a game that much more accurately reflects its pre-release aspirations. Meanwhile, Hello Games and Sean Murray are enjoying the spoils of triumph as space sim fans rally back to its title to enjoy the much more complete experience. It serves as a reminder that actions speak louder than words.

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