Social Listening Blog: No Man's Sky
Ever wanted to explore an infinite galaxy discovering new planets, flora, fauna, and alien lifeforms? Have you wondered what it would be like to launch through space in your very own starship fighting space pirates along the way? With the interactive, cross platform-compatible game No Man's Sky, you can do all of that and more!
As an avid gamer myself, I have personally played this game a number of times, and I've loved every part of it. There is always something new to discover, and I find myself virtually wandering the universe for hours on end. The independent studio, Hello Games, based in Guildford and Cambridge in the UK, is the reason No Man's Sky exists, and they have since grown in size since its release. Starting from a group of four working above a tile shop to now having a nice office allowing them to expand creatively, Hello Games is constantly coming out with new patches and updates for the role-playing game in an effort to sustain the game's original appeal. Having won awards for its gameplay and gamer community, the game itself has inspired people from all over the world to join in the space adventure.
Originally released in 2016, the game has undergone several updates, and is better than ever today, with added quest lines, characters, and planets. The inspiration for the game dates back long before 2016, and the ideas that led to its creation based on Sean Murray’s experiences growing up on a ranch in the Australian outback. Murray, one out of four founders of Hello Games, was the creative lead on No Man's Sky, and he stands by his creation, even enduring some criticism of the game. Upon its initial release, Sean had made the mistake of speaking to the press about its impending launch and how awesome it would be. This led to extremely high expectations that weren't always fulfilled when gamers finally got their hands on it.
As one of said gamers, I can admit the game isn't perfect. It can, at times, have glitches that lead to the game crashing, and/or cross-platform modes don't seem to work correctly as they should. After the disappointing reactions to the original game, many people took to social media to voice their concerns and opinions. One such individual even went as far as to hack into the developer's twitter account and post this:
I decided I wanted to give my own opinion in response to this prompt, and I am so glad I did! Having played the game before, I am happy to encourage others to do so as well, at least now after learning that it has improved the way it has! The way the developers handled the messy 2016 situation taught me how to react if I ever encounter a marketing flop in my future. My comment is below.
Upon reaching the Hello Games website, their values are very clear on what they offer to the world of gamers. The statement "Join us on our journey to create the types of games that didn't exist before" really stood out to me as they are clearly marketing a unique brand of videogames. They care about originality and that's a key part of their marketing strategy. The developers' use of social media for advertising has proven to be successful, especially within the last year as they revamped the game entirely. Other than hyping the game up before its release, they've done pretty well convincing users to buy the game and join the space adventure. Sean Murray has said again and again that he has learned a lesson from the game's original flop in 2016, and now simply wants to nurture his creation, growing it further and appeasing gamers worldwide.
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