Home Gaming No Man’s Sky disc size is ridiculously small

No Man’s Sky disc size is ridiculously small

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No Man's Sky is super small on disc 2

No Man’s Sky is one of this year’s most anticipated games, and I don’t think I’m the only one looking forward to it for one particular reason. The space explorer uses some incredibly complex mathematically formulas to generate, populate and propagate its massive universe, and the intrigue of seeing that work in real-time is what really has its hooks deep in me. The game is so well generated using these formulas though, that the actual size of it all is ridiculously tiny.

For a game that is touting itself to be one of the biggest worlds ever created in a video game (by a long, long margin), No Man’s Sky is rather small on disc. Programmer Sean Murray answered some questions on Twitter over the weekend after the game went gold last week, revealing that the data on disc only takes up 6GB of space. That’s right, 6GB only.

Even more impressive is the fact that the majority of that space is reserved for audio. That makes sense too, since the game will also generate its soundtrack using the library of bits it has to better suit your current on-screen experience. Music is a little harder to create without samples, but it’s just a testament to the amount of procedural magic that is taking place in this game.

Outside of sharing the size, Murray revealed that the game passed certification on its first try (it’s still currently pending in Japan), and that the team is already working on the game’s first patch. Whether that will be one aiming for launch day for some time after isn’t clear, as is any indication of what they’re already try to fix and improve. But if that game itself is that small, I wouldn’t wager the patches are any bigger.

No Man’s Sky is out on PS4 and PC on August 9th.

Last Updated: July 11, 2016

58 Comments

  1. CLOUD FILES?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

      July 11, 2016 at 10:40

      Hehe, or should I say Nebula files?

      Reply

  2. konfab

    July 11, 2016 at 10:40

    No Man’s Sky is smaller than a standard patch for Battlefield. >__>

    Reply

    • Jev_LFC

      July 11, 2016 at 10:43

      A standard patch for battlefield is under 3gb always.

      Reply

      • konfab

        July 11, 2016 at 10:44

        Fine two patches 😉

        Reply

        • Jev_LFC

          July 11, 2016 at 10:56

          hehe

          Reply

  3. Greylingad[He Charges!]

    July 11, 2016 at 10:41

    A game that fits on a single DVD, without needing to download an additional 40GBs?
    What universe did I stumble into just now?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

      July 11, 2016 at 10:44

      A NEW ONE, OPEN TO DISCOVERY!

      Reply

      • Pariah

        July 11, 2016 at 10:48

        I actually think this is comment of the week material right here. Can I upvote again please?

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Maximum Effort

          July 11, 2016 at 10:56

          Lolz

          Reply

        • Skoobaz

          July 11, 2016 at 15:00

          Yip, upvoted, and one for you too, just for good measure!

          Reply

  4. Pariah

    July 11, 2016 at 10:43

    I just learned that I will need to upgrade my graphics card to run this game.

    I’m more sad than I was when I learned the same for DOOM.

    Reply

    • Jev_LFC

      July 11, 2016 at 10:44

      Doubt it just don’t run on ultra settings.

      Reply

      • Pariah

        July 11, 2016 at 10:44

        GTX560 1gb. I’ve just checked. It won’t run the game.

        Reply

        • Jev_LFC

          July 11, 2016 at 10:56

          Eish! I think my GTX650 2gb OC will run it….but I’m planning on upgrading soon anyway, lol

          Reply

    • HairyEwok

      July 11, 2016 at 10:53

      That GTX 1060 looking mighty fine right about now.

      Reply

      • Pariah

        July 11, 2016 at 10:55

        The caveat being that I will need to hold out on buying games for a few months.

        Reply

        • HairyEwok

          July 11, 2016 at 10:59

          No real good games coming out anymore so it should be a easy-ish task.

          Reply

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:03

            Yeah. But buying NMS won’t be until Christmas probably. Meh, catch-22’s being a result of poor career choice and an even worse economy. XD

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:24

            My grandmother said that your career choice should never be about money. IF you spend that much of your life doing something, she reckoned you had better find something in it you enjoy, else you will suffer a lot as years go on, even with good money.

            Money != happiness or Money happiness or just Money Not Equal Happiness

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:26

            Well yes, I’m not sad about my career choice, emotionally and mentally. But my bank account remains mostly barren as a result, which coupled with our terrible economy has crippled my hobby’s viability.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:29

            I hear you there!

            Also, the more you earn, the more you spend, I find. Sort of like projects, work will sometimes fill the available time, instead of the other way around.

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:32

            Actually my spend has dropped to literally nothing the last 6 months. I spend R180 a month on games, vs the easily R600 to R1k I’d have dropped a year ago.

            But yes the general trend is that as you earn more you spend more. I’ve never found the need wrt games though – I buy the few I want, ignore the rest. Even when I have extra to blow.

          • Abdulrahman Ahdab

            July 12, 2016 at 05:09

            No good games? What about deus ex mankind divided? It will be released in august

          • chimera_85

            July 12, 2016 at 10:42

            Hauwa, Mass Effect Andromeda <3

    • chimera_85

      July 12, 2016 at 10:41

      Sorry man, cos this game doesn’t seem to be a resource whore haha.

      Reply

  5. Original Heretic

    July 11, 2016 at 10:55

    But…but how? If I have to download an extra 50Gig once I put the disc in just to play this game, I’m going to be giving it a skip, no matter how badly I’m looking forward to it.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      July 11, 2016 at 11:12

      Considering the official requirements state 10gb HDD space I sincerely doubt there’s going to be a 50GB download.

      Reply

    • miaau

      July 11, 2016 at 11:22

      I read that on some games, 3/4 of the download and install size is UNCOMPRESSED audio files, cause they do not want the CPU to struggle with that as well.

      Blood big and annoying.

      Reply

  6. Captain JJ off track

    July 11, 2016 at 11:13

    To buy Deux Ex MD or this. That is the question.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      July 11, 2016 at 11:13

      Endless possibility with the chance that you’ll encounter nothing, or choices that change the ending level?

      Reply

      • Captain JJ off track

        July 11, 2016 at 11:16

        Well, when you put it that way…
        IT DOESN’T HELP XD
        I love exploration games, but story-heavy games are also in a league of their own. Damn it.

        Reply

        • Pariah

          July 11, 2016 at 11:18

          I wasn’t trying to help. 😛

          But I think get one first month, the other the month after. Or something like that.

          Reply

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:20

            Hmm. Yes. I think Deux Ex might be the better one to pre-order from the looks of what you get extra.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:21

            yes. totally. no real question in my mind. No Mans Sky seems like a wait and get feedback from actual players before you buy to me.

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:21

            Yes. Agreed

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:22

            of course agreed. Was there another option? One I did not see perhaps?

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:24

            The option of closed-eyes impulse buying! 😀

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:25

            You know,, they say people with ADHD make impulsive decisions sometimes.

            I have noticed that tendency sometimes, but, as in other thread, as I get older I recognise more and more the impulsiveness and force a think about it or discuss with wife.

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:28

            Yea, I think in my case with our rising taxes and costs, my disposable income has shrunk to such a size where every single purchase has to be considered a few times before making the decision.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:29

            Yeah, I got inflation increases last two years and it does not cover rising living costs, not even close. Annoying.

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:31

            The inflation % that we apparently have, according to the SARB, is not 100% accurate. I can see in our company, thanks to the depreciated Rand and tax some consumer products have gone up by over 20%.

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:34

            Rent alone rises higher than inflation, and that’s a huge expense. My previous company’s official increase policy was “offer them 5% if they look like they’re about to leave”. That wouldn’t have covered my rental increase.

            I imagine I’m not alone in this.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:36

            Rent in my granny flat went up 10% last year, guy living there was happy with it. Then we discovered that similar, furnished flats in our area were still going for more than we rent it out at.

            Renting has become so expensive. I am glad we got the opportunity to buy a house when we did.

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:37

            Buying is prohibitive though – the 33% clause for affordability literally puts anything I can afford out of reach, because reasons. It’s frustrating, since I could afford a bond on a place like the one I’m renting, but banks won’t give it to me because I don’t earn double what I’m currently earning.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:44

            yeah, the rules are there for the general case. and the 33% thing is hard and fast.

            we bought our house based on both our incomes, although my wife practically stopped working (part time, online for Unisa) in 2013 when the first baby was born, so that was an interesting adjustment. One that would not have been possible right when we bought the house.

            My advice to anyone: buy something, even it if it really small and pokey, at least own something, be it a stack simplex in a new complex on the edge of the city, i.e. be willing to downgrade size and space AND location for a while

            reason:
            1. Bond costs do not increase at rate of rent, i.e. in 3 years time you still have more or less the same bond cost
            2. House prices, unless general disaster strikes, tend to increase over time.
            3. Small, pokey, place that is not expensive means that, hopefully, from year two you put in extra every month
            4. Year 4, look at an upgrade, i.e. sell this one, cover bond AND have extra left over for lawyers and deposit in new, better place WITH hopefully more or less same bond payment.
            5. Good in theory miaau, but wow, that is not always easy OR possible.
            6. Yes, I know.

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:46

            I have a dog and 2 cats. I have minimum requirements that disqualifies most of that. :/

            If I didn’t I’d buy a 1 or 2 bed flat somewhere and I’d be gaming on a 1070 right now. But I choose my animals over either of those things, really.

          • miaau

            July 11, 2016 at 11:53

            I did exactly the same. I wanted to keep my cats, I love them a lot. So, most complex type places were totally out, yes. People said I was silly, I must sacrifice for the long term and blah, blah.

            I wanted my cats. Period. Simple. I lived in a big (lounge, dining room) granny flat for a few years, with my cats, before we bought out house. I was lucky to find a place to rent that was cat friendly as even the complex’s that were pet friendly ha problems.

            I wrote a letter once, after receiving a letter stating that my cats will be forcibly removed if I do not, to the head of the body corporate. I said, quite simply, that they changed the rules about cats AFTER I moved in and the law (which it did at the time) states that they cannot retroactively apply. (also, body corporate rules must lodged with title deeds office or somewhere like that)

            I then went on to say that if they touch my cats, I will charge them with theft and damage to property. Also that I paid around R10k (and this was 10, 11 years ago) for the two I had then, which I said they would also be invoiced for, along with the theft charge. Got lawyer at the office to check the law and sent it off.

            NONE of the body corporate acknowledged my greetings for six months. But they left the cats alone, as the law said they must.

          • Pariah

            July 11, 2016 at 11:55

            Well played, sir. Well played. 😀

            Yeah, I don’t want more animals than the few I have, but I couldn’t give them up for a flat or money. It’s the same thing as your job – choose what you love. In the end, that’s what stays, not money.

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 12:06

            Yea. I seriously need to make a change of career.

          • Captain JJ off track

            July 11, 2016 at 11:37

            For sure. I’ve had to make a complete lifestyle adjustment over the past few years. We pay rent for my mother-in-law and it’s crazy to see what they’re asking.
            To buy in Cape Town has become near impossible the last few years with everyone from the inland moving here and demand for housing doubling.

  7. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 11, 2016 at 12:38

    Finally, a concrete example for why size doesn’t matter.

    Reply

  8. John Martin

    July 11, 2016 at 13:35

    Remember when when 6GB was a pretty damn big game? Especially since you only 40GB of a harddrive space for all your games.

    Reply

    • miaau

      July 11, 2016 at 13:46

      Kings Quest 5 was 9mb and I had a 40mb disk. ouch!

      Reply

  9. JacoZAB

    July 11, 2016 at 14:15

    Holy crap! 6GB for a universe? Most of the data on the disk is music and the rest is witchcraft

    Reply

  10. Johan Heymans

    July 12, 2016 at 08:16

    Procedural generated patches.

    Reply

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