Hello Games

File:Hello games sean murray grant duncan.jpg

Hello Games was founded in February 2008 by Sean Murray and Grant Duncan, together with friends Ryan Doyle and David Ream.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/joe-danger-2010-hands-on|title=Joe Danger|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|date=5 March 2010|website=Eurogamer|publisher=Gamer Network|access-date=9 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717165844/https://www.eurogamer.net/joe-danger-2010-hands-on|archive-date=July 17, 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/no-mans-sky-how-the-biggest-game-ever-made-almost-never-happened/|title=No Man's Sky: How the biggest game ever made almost never happened|last=White|first=Sam|date=10 August 2016|website=GamesRadar+|publisher=Future US|access-date=9 January 2020}} Murray had been a developer at Electronic Arts prior and had grown tired of developing repeated sequels, and decided to leave to form his own studio to make a game he always wanted to make, Joe Danger, which was the studio's first release in 2010.{{cite web

| url = https://www.polygon.com/interviews/2020/9/2/21418166/hello-games-no-mans-sky-last-campfire-apple-arcade-interview-next-game

| title = Hello Games' Sean Murray on the studio's next No Man's Sky-sized game

| first= Russ | last= Frustick

| date = 2 September 2020 | access-date= 2 September 2020

| work = Polygon

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200902201144/https://www.polygon.com/interviews/2020/9/2/21418166/hello-games-no-mans-sky-last-campfire-apple-arcade-interview-next-game

| archive-date = 2 September 2020

}} At the 2010 Develop Awards, they won two awards: Best New Studio and Best Micro Studio.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/15/develop-games-awards-2010|title=Develop Awards - Heavy Rain, Angry Birds, Arkham amongst winners|last=Howson|first=Greg|date=15 July 2010|website=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media|access-date=17 August 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/hello-games-wins-2-awards|title=Hello Games wins 2 awards|last=Elliott|first=Phil|date=15 July 2010|website=GamesIndustry.biz|publisher=Gamer Network|access-date=17 August 2016}} In September 2010, they were listed by The Guardian as one of the 100 most innovative and creative British companies of the previous 12 months.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tech-media-invest-100/top-100-technology-innovators|title=Tech media invest 100|date=13 September 2010|website=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129192730/http://www.theguardian.com/tech-media-invest-100/top-100-technology-innovators|archive-date=29 November 2014|access-date=17 August 2016}} The popularity and success of Joe Danger led them to develop a sequel, Joe Danger 2: The Movie.{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/joe-danger-the-movie-is-hello-games-next-stunt/|title=Joe Danger: The Movie is Hello Games' next stunt|last=Fletcher|first=JC|date=12 August 2011|website=Engadget|publisher=AOL Tech|access-date=17 August 2016}}

Murray said that coming back to do a sequel after having left Electronic Arts from doing sequels led to a mid-life crisis for himself, and gave rise for the idea of No Man's Sky, inspired by science fiction of the 1980s, with an entire universe of over 18 quintillion planets created through procedural generation. Developed by only a small four-person team led by Murray, No Man's Sky, was revealed at the VGX 2013 award show and generated a large amount of hype for the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/12/wow-no-mans-sky-just-stole-the-show-at-the-vgx/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209201111/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/12/wow-no-mans-sky-just-stole-the-show-at-the-vgx/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2013|title=Wow. No Man's Sky Just Stole The Show At The VGX|last=Good|first=Owen|date=8 December 2013|website=Kotaku Australia|publisher=Allure Media|access-date=17 August 2016}} On 24 December 2013, the studio's offices were flooded after a nearby river broke its bank, with much of the hardware used in the development of the game being destroyed, but they were able to recover most of their projects' code and were able to relocate.{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/26/hello-games-hit-by-flood|title=Hello Games Hit By Flood|last=Nix|first=Marc|date=26 December 2013|website=IGN|publisher=IGN Entertainment|access-date=17 August 2016}}

The media continued to build excitement for No Man's Sky, furthered by Sony Interactive Entertainment obtaining publishing rights for it on the PlayStation 4. However, the game was launched a few months late,{{cite web|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/05/27/no-mans-sky-coming-to-ps4-in-august/|title=No Man's Sky Coming to PS4 in August|last=Murray|first=Sean|date=27 May 2016|website=PlayStation Blog|publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment|access-date=17 August 2016}} and players found soon after launch many of the features in the game that had been seemingly promised in early media were absent such as multiplayer functions. Hello Games had also gone silent save for technical support. Hello Games was accused of dishonesty surrounding their promotion of the game, and the subsequent lack of promised features, but which Murray explained in later interviews that they failed to control the hype being generated by the media nor setting expectations for players of what the game would be like at launch and how they would develop it over time.{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-09-hello-games-positive-no-mans-sky-stores-dont-do-as-well-and-thats-a-problem | title = Hello Games: Positive No Man's Sky stories "don't do as well -- and that's a problem" | first= Matthew | last= Handrahan | date = 9 July 2019 | access-date = 9 July 2019 | work = GamesIndustry.biz }} Since the launch, many of these missing features were added via numerous free post-release updates as well as new features including support for virtual reality and cross-platform play across multiple consoles, leading to the studio being praised for staying true to their vision of the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/the-anatomy-of-hype-how-no-mans-sky-became-the-best-and-worst-game-ever/|title=The anatomy of hype: how No Man's Sky became the best and worst game ever|last=Wilde|first=Tyler|date=15 August 2016|website=PC Gamer|publisher=Future US|access-date=17 August 2016}}

In 2017, the studio announced an initiative to fund multiple experimental and procedural generation projects based on their work in No Man's Sky called Hello Labs.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/03/sean-murray-unveils-hello-labs-will-incubate-more-procedural-tech-games/|title=No Man's Sky creator describes issues with launch, crashes, money|last1=Machkovech|first1=Sam|date=3 March 2017|website=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=3 March 2017}} At The Game Awards 2018, Hello Games announced The Last Campfire, a game developed by three employees, that was released in August 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/2020/08/27/the-last-campfire-no-mans-sky-new-game-out-now/|title=No Man's Sky dev's new game, The Last Campfire, is out now8|date=27 August 2020}}

In September 2020, Murray said that while some of the staff were still working on continued updates for No Man's Sky, the remaining staff were working on a new game, but to avoid the issues around No Man's Sky{{'}}s launch hype, he planned to keep specifics of the game quiet. Murray said in April 2022 of the game, still in its early stages, "it's the kind of project that even if we had a thousand people working on it, it'd still seem impossible".{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/hello-games-new-project-is-ambitious-seem-impossible-even-with-1000-person-team | title = Hello Games Says New Project Is So Ambitious It Would 'Seem Impossible' Even With a 1,000 Person Team | first = Ryan | last = Dinsdale | date = April 13, 2022 | accessdate = April 13, 2022 | work = IGN }}

At The Game Awards 2023 in December, Murray introduced Light No Fire, another exploration and survival game like No Man's Sky based around procedural generation. However, instead of multiple worlds, Light No Fire was focused on one singular world all players would participate in, which Murray said was a "truly open world" that was "bigger than the Earth", with more realistic features and denser content than the planets generated by No Man's Sky. Murray said Light No Fire was "something more ambitious" than No Man's Sky.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/with-its-new-game-hello-games-is-literally-promising-the-world-is-the-developer-of-no-mans-sky-about-to-make-the-same-disastrous-mistakes-all-over-again/ | title = With its new game, Hello Games is literally promising the world. Is the developer of No Man's Sky about to make the same disastrous mistakes all over again? | first = Robin | last = Valentine | date = 8 December 2023 | accessdate = 9 December 2023 | work = PC Gamer }} While Murray's announcement of Light No Fire was seen to mimic how No Man's Sky was announced and the subsequent hype that it generated that led to its poorly-received launch, commentators believe that Hello Games is more mature and will better temper expectations, with Murray using social media to joke with players about overhyping Light No Fire.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-vs-light-no-fire-marketing/ | title =Sean Murray is risking another No Man's Sky launch disaster, but he knows exactly what he's doing and it's kinda genius marketing | first = Tyler | last = Wilde | date = December 15, 2023| accessdate = December 15, 2023 | work = PC Gamer }}{{cite web | url =https://www.gamesradar.com/no-mans-sky-fans-playfully-plead-with-hello-games-not-to-overpromise-as-lead-dev-describes-new-game-light-no-fire-as-the-first-real-open-world/ | title = No Man's Sky fans playfully plead with Hello Games not to "overpromise" as lead dev describes new game Light No Fire as "the first real open world" | first = Anne-Marie | last = Ostler |date= December 8, 2023 | accessdate = December 15, 2023 | work = GamesRadar }}

In December 2024, Hello Games announced that they will be publishing Stage Fright, a cooperative game developed by Ghost Town Games.{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-overcooked-team-has-a-new-creepy-cute-co-op-game-called-stage-fright-030009063.html|title=The Overcooked team has a new creepy-cute co-op game called Stage Fright|first=Jessica|last=Conditt|work=Engadget|date=December 13, 2024|accessdate=December 15, 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://hellogames.org/}}

{{Hello Games}}

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Category:Companies based in Guildford

Category:British companies established in 2008

Category:Video game companies established in 2008

Category:Video game companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Video game development companies

Category:2008 establishments in England

Category:Privately held companies of England