The Space Sim Cabal - Developing Together?

[Obosi]

Is it just me, or is the space sim industry exploding right now?

I just watched the first day of E3 and even though I was waiting with baited breath for anything related to Elite Dangerous or Star Citizen, I ended up being totally blown away by Hello Games, a tiny, four-man, Guildford based development team and their game 'No Man's Sky'.

http://youtu.be/nLtmEjqzg7M

In a weird way, it reminded me of the great console battle 2006, in which Sony and Microsoft were squaring off against each other to be the biggest console release of the year. Then quiet, unassuming Nintendo swoops in and claims all the glory.

Obviously No Man's Sky is not the same game as Eliteangerous or Star Citizen as it is not an MMO. However, it does bring up an interesting question.

Are all these games developers working for the mutual benefit of all in a passionate and daring attempt to resurrect the space gaming industry or will they be at each other's throats? Will Frontier Developments seize upon ideas from Hello Games, or is there no need, because they are all currently operating within the same headspace and ideas have been free flowing for a while?

Chris Roberts and David Braben seem to have a very pal-like relationship for two people dealing with big budgets and competing for the same space space. Yet Star Citizen's development team are operating in a state of full transparency. Throw into the mix, Sean Murray's team at Hello Games, Josh Parnell who is developing the game 'Limit Theory' (which is looking amazing for what is basically a one-man show), the ever evolving CCP and a dozen other developers, we could really see the rebirth of a genre long forgotten.

So are they all working to help each other and push things forward, or is Frontier Development as closed a book as other games developers?

I hope it's the former. Sci-Fi is the long suffering sibling to fantasy and it's about time it got some love.

 

[ZeeWolf]

It looks good, but we have nothing on 'No Man's sky' apart from another trailer, so we don't really know what the game will be. I was excited about it earlier in the year when they showed the first trailer, since then the four man team got flooded by the Guildford canal and there hasn't been anything until this trailer which is is part of a Sony PS4 showcase. It still looks like concept work, the camera is following a very scripted path and the creatures look more like set pieces at the moment.

I'm sure they have the technology concepts but it's hard to really imagine four guys putting anything that complex/detailed together into a game package anytime soon especially since the last game they did was standard indie fair, so either the game is going to be much more limited than people think or they are going to have to put together a realistic studio with funding they attract by making trailers. Might be a while.

Glad to see the UK still making waves in the space genre though. Hope these guys pull it off.

 

[Obosi]

It looks good, but we have nothing on 'No Man's sky' apart from another trailer, so we don't really know what the game will be. I was excited about it earlier in the year when they showed the first trailer, since then the four man team got flooded by the Guildford canal and there hasn't been anything until this trailer which is is part of a Sony PS4 showcase. It still looks like concept work, the camera is following a very scripted path and the creatures look more like set pieces at the moment.

I'm sure they have the technology concepts but it's hard to really imagine four guys putting anything that complex/detailed together into a game package anytime soon especially since the last game they did was standard indie fair, so either the game is going to be much more limited than people think or they are going to have to put together a realistic studio with funding they attracts by making trailers. Might be a while.

Glad to see the UK still making waves in the space genre though. Hope these guys pull it off.

To me it seems like their task is infinitely easier than ED or SC as they are primarily dealing with a single player game. Everyone is making great strides now that procedural generation is en vogue.

I'm more wondering if the ideas are being banded back and forth amongst this space sim developers community.

 

[Alric]

Nobody is working for mutual benefit or in a state of full transparency. All parties are developing games in line with their own vision. Currently there are various trends which are helping - procedural generation, VR and more open development among them. Along with those, the number of space sims getting attention right now is a benefit to all. But in the end they all have to look out for their own success too. If any genre has seen how commercial pressure/failure can ruin whatever else you're trying to do, it's this one.