‘No Man’s Sky’ Could Be Delayed Again; Dutch Company Claims Patent Infringement

As those who are following news regarding the procedurally generated sandbox game by “Hello Games” would already know, “No Man’s Sky” has had its share of troubles getting developed. Now that the title is “gold” or in simple terms, finished, fans are looking forward to the August release. However, there’s a possibility that the game could be delayed yet again because a Dutch company is claiming that they own the algorithm that the developers used to create their game.

When the game was finally finished despite all of the setbacks that the studio faced, including a ridiculous legal battle with a UK TV station over the use of the word “Sky,” it would seem that everyone will finally get what they want. Unfortunately, it seems that the universe really has it in for “Hello Games” and their title because now, a Dutch company is claiming that they own the patent to the algorithm which allowed “No Man’s Sky” to create an infinite number of planets and creatures.

The company in question is “Genicap” and according to a report by Telegraaf.nl, the company says that the developers of the game don’t have permission to use said algorithm. The timing of this news is a little questionable as “Hello Games” has admitted to using the algorithm as far back as 2015, which would have given “Genicap” plenty of time to step forward with their objection. That they waited until the game was finished casts a shadow over their intentions.

Sean Murray told the New Yorker that the algorithm is what made the whole thing work. As such, if “Genicap” decides to pursue this matter, “Hello Games” would have to either pay the Dutch company licensing fees or delay the game in order to find a suitable replacement to the patented algorithm. The latter possibility likely won’t sit well with gamers.

Back when Kotaku first broke the news that the release date of “No Man’s Sky” might be pushed back from June to August, death threats aimed at the author Jason Schreier started pouring in. When “Hello Games” confirmed that this was indeed the case, the studio itself started getting death threats. One can only hope that this problem is resolved quickly before violence erupts.