Abstract
No Man's Sky, developed by Hello Games, is renowned for its vast universe of infinite exploration, and a truly unique player experience, yet its trajectory has been shaped by a series of updates to meet the initial promises set in early pre-release marketing. Previous research on update resistance in games suggests that player reactions to game updates resemble player-developer negotiation, as these reactions often lead to some kind of recourse on the side of the publishers and developers. This study investigates how the Galactic Hub Project (GHP) community's responses—such as virtual migrations and the use of cryptocurrency HubCoin—illustrate a shift from negotiations to tactics of survival, as most community members have come to accept the conditions of disruptive exploits and updates. This case study highlights how meta innovations in game cultures reflect player reactions to a power struggle between producers and audiences, calling for closer examination of the socio-technical dynamics that shape game cultures.
Published Version
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