New info June 7

[Masque]

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/open-world/no-mans-sky-lead-teases-a-second-look-at-light-no-fire-hello-games-hotly-anticipated-open-world-game/

[A. Silvermane]

Fingers crossed. Going 6 months with no info has been maddening.

[Masque]

Originally posted by A. Silvermane:

Fingers crossed. Going 6 months with no info has been maddening.

The fans demanded it. "Shhh... make your game."

I'd rather go into it knowing almost nothing at all, like I did the day NMS released. That way my expectations cannot be dashed, since I have none. I was probably one of the only people who were never angry: nobody lied to me, because I didn't watch any of it.

As before, I'll watch the trailers -- but not the rest of the pre-game hype. Although I don't think, in the absence of Sony's influence and in the wake of the previous release debacle, Hello Games will engage in very much of that pre-game hype this time. By which I mean the talk show circuit, interviews, conventions, etc.

Some will happen, but not like before. Their silence is on purpose, and I like it. Think of the secrecy before Empire Strikes Back came out. There are documentaries on this aspect of the film, if you're not an old fart who remembers, like myself.

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by Masque:

I'd rather go into it knowing almost nothing at all, like I did the day NMS released. That way my expectations cannot be dashed, since I have none. I was probably one of the only people who were never angry: nobody lied to me, because I didn't watch any of it.

As before, I'll watch the trailers -- but not the rest of the pre-game hype.

That's what I do too for games I pretty much "know" I'm going to get regardless.

Not only does it keep expectations in check, but it also makes playing and discovering the game when you first get it a lot more enjoyable, imo.

[Masque]

I can't imagine having no sense of wonder and discovery playing a game for the first time.

The first time I played Morrowind, for example. I didn't even know what Elder Scrolls was, let alone what I was about to experience, when I watched that loading screen. I would hate to have been watching hype videos for three years prior to it releasing. No, I just saw it on a store shelf when it came out and looked at the back of the box.

[A. Silvermane]

These days I can't go into a game blind because when I have 9 times out of 10 I ended up buying a product I didn't enjoy. Don't mistake my hype for more information for irrational expectations of what the game will be. If I'm going to sink 60-70USD on their game, I want to know what I'm paying for. If Its as barebones as No Man's Sky at launch, then I want to know about it before I put the money down.

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by A. Silvermane:

These days I can't go into a game blind because when I have 9 times out of 10 I ended up buying a product I didn't enjoy.

That's what the refund window is for. While I am well aware that 2 hours isn't really enough time to know for sure if you'll enjoy a game, developers are aware of how important those first few hours are for holding onto players.

That means it ought to represent their absolute best work. If you don't enjoy it in those 2 hours, it is rather naive to have any hope that it will get better. Games that require more than 2 hours to know if you'll like them or not are the exception, not the norm, imo.

I have no qualms refunding at the 2 hour mark. There are plenty of other games to play, if they can't hook me in those first 2 hours, it doesn't matter to me if the game 'gets better'.

[A. Silvermane]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

I have no qualms refunding at the 2 hour mark. There are plenty of other games to play, if they can't hook me in those first 2 hours, it doesn't matter to me if the game 'gets better'.

2 hours often isn't long enough to judge a game that is designed to be played for hundreds of hours.

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by A. Silvermane:

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

I have no qualms refunding at the 2 hour mark. There are plenty of other games to play, if they can't hook me in those first 2 hours, it doesn't matter to me if the game 'gets better'.

2 hours often isn't long enough to judge a game that is designed to be played for hundreds of hours.

It's enough to know if you're enjoying those two hours or not. The number of games that go from not fun to great as the game progresses are rare. I'm not just talking a game getting better, but actually turning a corner and becoming awesome when it was simply not fun at all in the beginning.

I'm only interested in playing games I consider great. Like I said, there are a ton of games out there, it's foolish to waste time on one you aren't enjoying, even if it's just the first few hours.

Edit: In the case of Light NO fire though, none of that is relevant for me really. The developers have shown that they excel at post-launch support. Even if I hate Light No Fire on release in those first 2 hours, I will not refund it, I'll just set it aside and see what it becomes down the road.

[A. Silvermane]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

It's enough to know if you're enjoying those two hours or not.

For you maybe, for me no it isn't. I don't keep an eggtimer beside my computer to tell me when 2 hours have passed. Most of the time by the time I realise I'm not enjoying a game, hours have already passed.

This is why I try to be informed about a game before I purchase and play it.

[Jaggid Edje]

Yah, I'm the opposite. I don't need an egg timer because if I'm not having fun, I'll usually table a game in under an hour.

Like I said, developers know how important the very beginning of a game is....if they can't pull me in almost immidiately, that means their vision of a good game and mine are not aligned.

That said, if I see potential, I don't usually refund. I just stop playing and return to the game eventually. No Man's Sky was actually like that for me, the first time I played it I couldn't get into it, I quit in like 40 minutes or so. But I didn't refund. 1 year later when I tried playing again, it was a love story. 2000+ hours worth.

[Lindy Bomber]

Dropping the second trailer at The Game Awards makes sense. I've been predicting some form of info drop at TGAs for a while now. If we just get a trailer then we are probably still looking at 2025 or 2026 release. But if they do a major reveal, then we could see the game before Christmas.

[Wickian]

Originally posted by A. Silvermane:

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

I have no qualms refunding at the 2 hour mark. There are plenty of other games to play, if they can't hook me in those first 2 hours, it doesn't matter to me if the game 'gets better'.

2 hours often isn't long enough to judge a game that is designed to be played for hundreds of hours.

I disagree. If you aren't having fun in almost 2 hours then the devs have failed somewhere. It's entirely possible the game gets better, but imagine needing to read a book for over 2 hours before it interests you at all.

[A. Silvermane]

Imagine needing to read a book for over 2 hours before it interests you at all.

I don't need to imagine as it often takes me well over 2 hours to know if I'm not enjoying a book or not. Lord of the Rings for example has an intro that was an absolute slog to get through before things start to get exciting for me. Death Troopers while Star Wars had an intro which bored me, I only started having fun once the zombies showed up.

Want a game example? How about Red Dead Redemption 2, I hated the first few hours of that game. It was like being shackled and lead down a narrow corridor when all I wanted to do was run out and explore the world like in the original Red Dead Redemption. RDR2 is one of my favourite games of all time despite the few few hours.

For me, saying you should judge a game that's meant to be played for hundreds of hours within just 2 hours is like judging an orange by trying to eat the peel. The delicious juicy bits are beyond it.

That's just me, if you can't see where I'm coming from that's fine. I'll leave it here since this is about the article, not Steam's refund policy

[A. Silvermane]

June 8th no information

[Masque]

Thanks for bumping this A.S.

I just read the article at my link again. I think the 7th was the start of Summer Game Fest, but I don't know how long it runs.