No Man's Sky Being Investigated By Advertising Standards for Misrepresentation

Good. Deliberately deceptive advertising shouldn't be tolerated.

And let me guess, sony will be blamed for everything again, yes?

I don't think Sony will, viciousarcanum. My understanding is that the ASA are looking primarily in the steam page for the game. Sony only published the Blu-Ray version.

I don't want a refund but it is clearly a case of false advertising (Apparently, the E3 2014 vid is still used), and will be interesting to see what ramifications occur.

Just take down the offending screenshots...im pretty sure hello games hasnt done anything that other companies have been doing or trying to do for years and it makes me wonder how all this would have been if NMS had scored incredible reviews across the board would the "false" advertising stll have been such a big deal?...the internet didnt like NMS and done so much whining and demanding of refunds this is what happens...what a sad situation

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi thats kind of the point i was trying to make in my post but you did it much better...well said!

Hello Games should blame it on Pokémon Go, everybody else does.

Isn't there a standard money back refund policy on Steam? If people don't like it, just ask for their money back. Suing seems a bit extreme.

Song as old as rhyme. Now I'm glad I didn't buy it. Watching lets plays, it seemed like the animal AI was from Trespasser, bobbing and dancing around like the ground is too hot. I wonder if they'll offer supporters some compensation or if they'll simply remove the pics/vids

Well well well this is a very interesting development could Sony end up with its nose tweaked.....

Indeed Commander Shepard the saga continues

Here is something interesting too the price has remained the same in the high street...

One time years ago P.S.2 users were promised .....................................in a magazine that had picture's along side it ..................................they were promised BLACK AND WHITE ......yes

As we know it never happened neither had the internet (it was still in it's infancy)

No 1 sued just a lot of expletives mainly from me.

http://uk.ign.com/games/black-white-titan/ps2-14258
cancelled

I was hoping No Man's Sky would open up the market for more space exploration games to come to consoles. But how publishers and other indie devs will react to this, I have no idea.

If I saw space battles in a trailer and bought the game for that, because I happen to love that kind of thing, I would be pretty angry at not being able to experience that in the final product. Of course you don't buy a game for one gameplay mechanic only, but you may buy it over another game due to that one element, it affects your decision making when comparing etc. and we all do it all the time.

Good, hopefully some of these 'promises' can be made into a proper game some day.

Pity this has fallen on Hello Games, but the ASA has a better chance of winning against a small Indie than Ubisoft, Activision or Microsoft. I believe that plays a part.

Daym Sony have screwed it for Hello Game's *note to other small game company's: If sony offer you assistance in your highly anticipated indie game.....kindly decline. There will prob never be any solid proof Sony are to blame, but they couldn't of done any much worse could they by the sound of thing's. Hello Game's might get screwed but I bet Sony still make a nice little profit.

@Bhattiboy Games get canceled all the time. Sony is not the one who owns no man sky

@xMEADx What has Sony done exactly here? Hello games hinted at so much yet delivered very little and were deliberately vague from the off. The screen shots and videos pre launch were vastly different from what were experienced in game. This is all on Hello Games' head.

Hello games wanted more or less total control of the project and as Shu previously mentioned. They asked for free reign and Sony gave them it.

They get what they deserve tbf and more devs should be brought to task for delivered half finished games. Im so glad I didnt waste my money on No Mans Sky.

@solocapers There's a huge list that show's stuff cut from the game in the last 4 month's of NMS's development, Sony joined Hello Game's about that time. To me it look's like Sony struck again but like I said it there will prob be no proof Sony themselve's personally cut the content but it is my strong suspicion they did but that's just my opinion. I try to read between the line's like when the main guy at Hello game's said he was delighted with NMS or something along them line's, he was lying in my opinion. He lied because he obviously had a head's up about what this article is about saw the possible courtcase's and new that if he admitted it was dissapointing he would pretty much be hanging himself. My point (and it's just my opinion!)is just because Sony said they gave Hello game's free reign doesn't mean jack. Maybe they could see the possibility's of future court cases and were covering their back with that little lie, effectively screwing over Hello Game's in the process. But the little guy's will probably never know the full truth of anything that go's on in these big company's.

I havent had time to play this for ages. Might try and get some gaming in tonight...

@xMEADx Yes let''s blame the publisher and not the developer *facepalm
Last 4 months? NMS was on the Sony E3 2014 stage. Ever since then its fair to say that Sony and Hello Games have had a 'relationship'.

I played NMS and I enjoyed it. It was the perfect way to unwind after a hard day at work. NMS couldn't live to the hype and its not just HG that are to blame. Gamers let the hype overwhelm them, the media kept feeding them, HG put out a broken game and Sony didn't message the game properly. Now everyone distances themselves from HG & NMS and that's unfortunately how the world works. When you're on top everyone wants to be your friend.

By far the most fun I ever had with a game I never bought or played.

@xMEADx - you're miles off. sony is the distributor of the physical release. after being shown at the games awards in 2013, hello games sought help of a publisher - sony offered development funding (presumably with exclusivity in mind based on hello games' vision for the game), but hello games only requested financial support for publishing and distribution. the game has been shown at most sony conferences since E3 2014, i assume because sony secured console exclusivity and distribution rights for the physical release based on the financial support. hello games itself is the publisher on steam and on psn.

this is a snippet from an interview, 6 months before release:

That being said, Murray and his coders at Hello Games expressed plenty of enthusiasm for expanding the experience post-launch by considering player feedback. Of most important note was the repeated request and denial for any sort of multiplayer mode."After the game comes out we'll just have to see what people most want. When we launch, we want people to see what we have in mind, which is exploring."

even at this stage, it looks to me that NMS always intended it to be an evolving experience.. though it should probably have been a lot more clearer on this, and indicated that some demonstrated gameplay systems were still in early development, or its product page should indicate that there will be on-going free updates as part of its post release support. there are plenty of games developers that are very liberal with their advertising, NMS is by no means the worst offender there's ever been.

Just going off these comments some people are actually clueless as to what hello games did, there is also a lot of evidence as well with Sean Murray himself doing interviews like it was going out of fashion. Its about time developers that do these sort of thing are held accounted and its shouldn't be accepted, but sadly it is.

Even the screenshot used in the article is a load of tripe. Hey, @Tazuki

I like the game, but FML. It was completely mis-sold. You don't get what was advertised, full stop, do not pass go, no discussion, fin. And the developer's mouthpiece has done an Allardyce for the past few weeks.

@Flaming_Kaiser When Sony sign Robbie Williams for what is believed to be around a hundred n fifty million ...........

Do you think we get to listen to Robbie's songs or Sony's regurgitated pap......

Hello Games were doing fine the Murray boy was seen in the places to be seen telling everybody what they wanted to hear he even had vids to show

Then the impatient Sony Mafia got involved and told Hello Games to get a shift on out came a half done broken game.

Who gets the blame Hello games Sean Murray

Sony would have made on this

Same happened to Lionhead and Peter Molineux at Microsoft and the collyer brothers over at Championship Manager And countless others...

Game designers are a different kind of people to cash hungry corporations.

@Xaessya like the story says "The Saga continues"

You could not make this stuff up

Any amateur film students out there this is an hour and a half story here ....

@viciousarcanum Sony is the publisher for NMS, is it not? It funded the game, right? And gave it major coverage during its development?

Yes, Sony SHOULD shoulder some (if not a majority) of the blame. They worked with Hello Games. They KNEW what the game was like. To ignore these facts is both ignorant and fanboyish.

Shu Yoshida's recent finger-pointing at Sean Murray was also a scummy move. With NMS, Street Fighter V and Shenmue 3, it's obvious that developers should stay the hell away from Sony if they want funding - they're just as liable to get thrown under a bus.

EDIT: Let's not even mention the past instances of Sony being outed for false advertising! It's like a habit they can't break.

I don't think No Mans Sky will be winning any GOTY awards, but to investigate them for misrepresentation is a little much.

And yet so called AAA developers get away with murder. Whinging pissbag rats. I've loved it so far!

Yikes yikes yikes!! Sony needs to get the hell away from this game

'Bout time.

I almost feel bad for them. Almost.

As I've said previously regarding No Mans Sky; no, I DONT feel cheated.

I knew this article would appear as it was reported much earlier elsewhere Hello Games were being taken to task, but having poured dozens of hours - and I mean dozens, not the 20 mins some took before licking their lips, clickbait stylee, towards headline-generating 'first impressions' - yes I do think some aspects were cut to speed up the release, but expect those aspects to be addressed in the, ermm FREE (Activision?) features update,

Here's a thought for everybody quick to slay Sean Murray; if NMS is guilty of false advertising, isn't Destiny, which similarly I love as an FPS, also guilty on a much larger scale, especially knowing what we now do re staff departures, story being ripped out, development hell?

So just to avoid anyone on here thinking we all hate the game, let's be clear - Galvatron loves this game 😎

Some of you felt 'cheated', apparently. Yeah right, more likely you just can't play games which don't signpost systems and nuances and basically too impatient to create your own adventures within the game. I mean, unless you're being told EXACTLY how to play a game button by button, you're not having fun, right? Sheesh....,

We're not all Forrest Gump's, FFS 😏

Can't say I'm surprised. I knew things weren't going to go well given all the hype this game received for a reason I still can't figure out. Frankly, however, gamers have nobody to blame but themselves and while Hello Games (and Sony) deserve to be taken to task, things are now being blown way, way out of proportion. A company over-promised and under-delivered and consumers fell for it. Happens quite often, move on...

If Hello Games, Sony and Valve all get the guilty verdict, I wonder how the industry as a whole would react? I mean would we get something like disclaimer for early footage "content might change in the final product" sign in the ads or does the UK government now regulate if the content in question does have what it's advertising?

Video games are not cheap and even if we get our money refunded our precious time used is lost and not returnable.

Deceptive advertisement of any product or service should not be tolerated. When deception is definable enough then actions taken by those that feel decieved are justifiable.

@Galvatron Very well said. I think the hype of complaints fits the hype of the game. Seems a lot of people complaining and cheering over this never played the game. Our world is so negative even when it comes to the things that give us joy.

You could have this same investigation into Destiny, or even more so into Star Wars Battlefront.

I'm thinking to myself, "Shhhh, leave Hello Games alone. They need to keep the updates coming." Oh. I get it.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi If you watched a movie that didn't resemble the trailer that persuaded you to buy it, would you not be annoyed? How about pictures of a hotel that were taken before it was "finished" and turned out to be a dive in actuality? Advertising needs to hold true to the product people are buying. The onus isn't on the consumer on this one I'm afraid. That's why the ASA exists.

@Galvatron This is different to people not liking the game and complaining. This is a professional regulatory institution that are investigating dubious advertising practises. I know how to press a button, thanks.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Movies don't cost $60. Just because you're cool with being taken for a fool and lied to doesn't mean other people are. This is perfectly warranted given how readily Hello Games lied through their teeth.

Afraid I disagree with the sentiment that games change/it is not a problem/people shouldn't complain. I agree there is such a thing as buyer responsibility in some respect but there is also such a thing as incorrect advertising. It is not the same as saying 'would you ask for a refund for a film you didn't like?'

I feel bad for Hello Games and I blame the marketing, not the game or most of the creative team behind. If there hadn't been this issue, the game would be judged on its merits and I think it has lots of merits. It was a really amazing concept and I know some people have loved it. All cool.

BUT actual functions and features were promised and not delivered. As far as I am aware, even after release no one has even officially confirmed that some promised features are not there. Users had to figure it out for themselves. Not one official statement - not even a committment that certain features will or will not be patched in. If Sony had said that the PS4 Pro would have a 4k Blu ray drive and then on release day, it just didn't would, that be acceptable?

I know other games have done it, this is possibly just the most high profile case. Other games should also be brought up on it.

Quality isn't the issue - NMS might have been released with all promised featues and it not be a good game. That is a risk of all purchases. The issue is advertised functions were not there. Simple as and I think this investigation, while not having any major impact, is right.

Hasn't every game ever been misrepresented lol
Never read the back of a box and saw "don't bother. It's rubbish" or "not a bad game but there's some flaws we couldn't fix"

@Shellcore - I do respect people's right to disagree, naturally, but I draw the line when the finger-pointing is arguably as agenda-driven as the alleged under investigation. Consistency of argument is my issue, though on a side note I love the game and it appeals at a zen, exploratory level as the perfect chill to the intensity of GTA Online and Destiny.

Reverting back, where is the investigation into Destinys' shocking lack of previewed features, so lauded by Bungie in the year-long featurettte previews, from their own Sean Murrays in various departments? Or the frankly bizarre, crowd-funding 15 quintillion bonus goals of Star Citizen aka No Mans Game, Street Fighter 5, FIFA 14/15/16 shockingly identical releases on Vita...? It can infer the regulatory body is going after an easy target who mistakenly, yet typically for an SME, had the MD / Lead Programmer do all the press releases. Who would they rather tackle to suddenly remind the industry they exist, an SME developer who run their own press releases or Activision, Capcom, equally corporate behemoth? I think Yoshida has already distanced themselves with a wink and a 'this developers representation does not necessarily reflect that of Sony 😉

...my additional point re gamers seemingly enjoying a new definition in hand-held games (stay with me...) is something which resonates through several early reviews of No Mans Sky which thoroughly rankles Galvatron's sockets. To me, these are the people who keep buying Assassins Creed and laughably proclaim it 'modern, taut, polished' before announcing post-review (like, you know, when it matters lol) it's 'buggy, formulaic and phoned-in'.

And let's be honest, certain gamers and reviewers, just like film, literature and music critics, often subconsciously bring their own baggage to write ups. But that's for another day 😬

@Galvatron I understand your argument, but I don't think the ASA have even noted the press releases or the interviews. This is a lot more simple, the trailer and the screenshots on the Steam store are not representative of the product. That's it.

I have enjoyed the game (platinumed it), but it doesn't somehow excuse the marketing issue (not even mentioning Sean and his PR). This is more like "I wanted to buy a red circle and I got a red oval". Objective, not subjective.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi My comment about the "hotel" being unfinished is to back the common line of thought that there were many things that were planned with good intentions to be in the game, but for whatever reason had to be cut. The movie trailer analogy probably has never happened, which is what makes the No Man's Sky trailer stand out, because that DID happen. The ASA aren't cry babies and this isn't disgruntled gamers holding the devs to task. This is a legal case based on objective facts. How much you (and I for that matter) enjoyed the game doesn't matter.

@Savino "less than 2 hours"

Oh sorry, did't know that, I buy everything physical at Target, I think I have about 2 months to return most stuff, not open games though. Yeah, 2 hours of NMS is hardly going to scratch the surface. I played XC on Wii and it didn't get really good until about 50 hours in, played for about 150 hours, 1 of, if not my favorite JRPG ever. The first 10-15 hours were kind of boring. I quit after that, only went back after a year or so when I heard they were making a pseudo sequel XCX. Which wasn't nearly as good.

I could see people being upset w/ NMS though, more b/c of the potential for online multiplayer that never lived up to it's promise. Unfortunatly that seems to be a growing issue w/ videogames these days, everything gets sold in various degrees of "done". Spaltoon, SFV, PvZ:GW, SB:B. you buy a game, then play it for 6 months wondering if it will get finished and/or fixed. Dragons Dogma:Dark arisn was basically the first game done right. I'm not even buying FXV, my most wanted game, until they sort out all of the DLC. Witcher 3 had an entire hub and inventory management overhaul a year after release, glad I waited on that one. RotTR looks much better on PS4 than X1 a year earlier. Everybody needs to wait a year before buying any game, otherwise you wind up w/ Lego Hobbit - a game covering 2 of 3 movies and they never release the 3rd movie as DLC like they said they would.

sorry about all that, I've been waiting 10 years or FFXV, still waiting is annoying

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Okay, you got me. Absolutely everything that was presented was in the final game. Phew.

@Shellcore - fair comment, but it's interesting you have platinumed the game, albeit admitting you enjoy the game; I believe from a legal perspective any regulatery body under UK common law would need to show this game misrepresented the public, yet how many hundreds of times do you not even notice disclaimer valley at the credits of a film or drama, or reality show for that matter, where you're nudged to accept the final product may differ from that playing right now in previews? It's pretty much accepted as a waiver and my own expectations of the game were pretty much met, and I've seen those vids of Sean Murray talking about factions which haven't transpired....,

...yet. I suspect the much heralded new features update is a month or so away, and will contain features omitted to hit the already-delayed release which Sony, and gamers on social media, lest we not forget, were crying out for. Features like bases, factions. etc.

Which would kinda render the investigation null and void. So this is specifically for the chosen image from Steam purchased on PC? Like everything we buy is exactly as it says on the tin 😏

The entire No Man's Sky release has been both a farce and a disgrace. To anyone who is still trying to defend this game's marketing I'm sure you are also supporters of snake oil sellers The fact Sean Murray was so vocal before the release and yet he (or pretty much anyone else in the company) hasn't said a thing for weeks shows both contempt for Hello Games' customers and agitates the situation further.

As for the ASA investigation, it is a pretty straight forward case as the game is misrepresented by its store page and only the blind would think otherwise. However, for anyone baying for blood, you will be disappointed as all that will happen is the ASA will demand any false representation of the game be removed from the store page and that they should not do it again under threat of further action. The one interesting thing will be to see how Valve react to the warning since it is their store and their responsibility to make sure what is advertised is representative of what they sell. They will not be happy about any red marks against their name due to another company's actions.

One thing that seems abundantly clear, though, is anything said that's not directly linked to the sale of a game will not be grounds for any sort of legal action. It is unfortunate as I'd much prefer it if, when talking about a future game, companies were held accountable for what they said is in a game and therefore either have to use phrases like 'we hope to implement...' or at least release statements before a game's launch to make clear what got cut. Without that what we see are games that get more attention due to their botched PR than the game itself. Yet still people pre-order.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi That's not what all games cost though. Games cost anywhere from $0.99 to $60. I didn't have a problem with them going for $60 before the game came out, but after playing it the game is certainly not worth the price. And as far as 'cry babies misunderstanding' the game, that would be Hello Games fault considering how grossly they misrepresented the product.