Hello Games has achieved two nominations for the Golden Joysticks, which are amazing and the gamers are going crazy over this. No Man’s Sky is nominated for the Best Game Expansion, and their new game Light No Fire has been declared the Most Wanted Game. It is really a big deal for a studio that has been following its off-the-radar path for such a long time, maybe even forever.
The official No Man’s Sky Twitter account, who was very enthusiastic, was the bearer of great news. Including links for voting and more, was the tweet “You guys! Two nominations at the Golden Joysticks, for two different games of ours 😍.” This is the classic Hello Games atmosphere – humble yet thrilled.
However, before we proceed with that we have first to dissect what the audience is actually saying in their replies which are a mixture of excitement and… well, asking for more.
Light No Fire is the first game to be mentioned. Ring a bell? The one they first presented with an awe-inspiring trailer and then… silence? That’s it. The gamers are just about to burst out demanding more info. @Cruzifixio put it very clearly, “It would be nice to show more about LNF. It’s been a long time.” And @Neobeowulfx was even more straightforward in his demand for a trailer. Surely, the one who was inquiring “Light what?” along with a meme that depicted ignorance which is indeed the case for many who do not know about this game that has been ‘silent’ for so long, was @TorresPereira_C.
Then there was @Sur_Taka who chose the sarcastic approach: “wtf is light no fire nominated for? is there a category for games that dont exist yet and all that exists is a two year old trailer and zero other information on the game?” Ouch. But a fair point indeed.
The controversy, however, is not about the nominations but rather the continuing woes of No Man’s Sky. Technical glitches and an overall dissatisfaction with game mechanics were among the issues being discussed. @stfnO2 asked if a patch was going to be released for console players who have not been able to join their friends for three days. @Andre_Diao informed that PS4 is still not able to access Expedition 20 with “14 days left to complete” it. And @P01NT357 mentioned black holes being “one of the biggest inconveniences I’ve ever had in gaming” despite having played more than 3000 hours.
Amidst the comments about gravity that had suddenly surfaced in the replies?? Like, @dreamrog started to wonder why No Man’s Sky lacks “real gravity” and how that makes the game feel like “a sandbox not a real space sim.” This sparked a total debate between @sanguinetales and @digitalbin1 concerning whether different gravity levels would be an improvement to the game or just a source of annoyance to players. @dreamrog even suggested checking out “The Long Journey Home” to see how “real gravity affects planets and the great gameplay mechanics this brings.”
@AeeBee04, on the other hand, made the most hilarious remark of all: “First charge us for a DLC, then we will vote. 🙂” which is quite amusing since Hello Games has been providing free updates for a long time.
Moreover, the ultimate philosophical questions are still around. @eragoaugustus wanted to know a release date range for Light No Fire “so I know how likely I will be alive for the release.” Dark, but honestly? Mood.
So what is the moral of the story? The work of Hello Games is acknowledged and that is great. The support the No Man’s Sky received through expansions has clearly won over both players and critics alike. But the community is starving – for solutions, for updates, for the new big thing. The nomination of Light No Fire indicates that there is a massive expectation but at the same time being annoyed by the lack of communication.
The Golden Joystick nominations are undoubtedly a cause for celebration. They indicate that sticking with a game through difficult launches and years of updates may turn out to be worth it. Furthermore, it also shows that players are still aware of that secret new project, even if only a few details are known.
Regardless of whether you vote for No Man’s Sky because you appreciate what Hello Games has accomplished or because you are hopeful about the potential of Light No Fire, one thing is clear, this studio managed to maintain player interest through thick and thin. Now, if they could just release some new Light No Fire details… that would be a victory for all the waiting ones.
So yes, congratulations to Hello Games for the nominations. But what about that Light No Fire update? Just saying.
