Sean Murray has not had the best of times- after the release of No Man’s Sky, he was called apathetic and even antipathetic towards his fans, owing to his indifference towards them once the game launched and met with backlash. There was good reason for that, but former Sony executive Shahid Kamal Ahmad isn’t happy at the treatment meted out to Murray.
“People jumping to conclusions about the character of a friend of mine and who threw him under the bus of their large audiences can fuck off,” Ahmad said on his Twitter about Murray and No Man’s Sky. “And I think we all know exactly who I’m talking about. He told me about the update plan in 2013 and has stuck to his bargain. Crucified by so many who don’t know him, he has more talent, vision, drive, determination and chutzpah than the entire hateful mob together. The people who really disappoint me are those who should know better and who just turned their backs. The turncoats are scum. I’d rather be poor and disgraced than be a dirty back turning scumbag when a friend and colleague needs support.”
Ahmad’s wrath mostly seems to be directed at the critics, whom he took aim at in his next series of tweets. “On the Parkinson show years ago I heard Roger Moore say “Those can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can do neither become critics”,” he said. “I wonder what he would have made of the current generation of despicable trolls on the Internet who sent us to fascism in a hand basket?”
In response to tweets asking him to be more specific about whom he was referring to, Ahmad said, “I’m not naming anyone. The problem is not the criticism, but how uninformed and spiteful it all is. My point was more about emphasizing the new category of unprofessional “critics” who don’t deserve that mantle.”
I find his commentary unnecessarily condescending, and mindfully turning a blind eye to the facts- I speak as someone who defended the game for the longest time. The problem was not the game. The problem was Hello Games’ radio silence, and their complete lack of communication with their fans or critics. So they were not on vacation, and were in fact working on this update? Great- but how was anyone to know that if Hello Games refused to communicate? Sticking up for your colleagues and friends is always admirable, and I laud Ahmad for that- but I also feel like he maybe lost sight of the larger picture here.
No Man’s Sky is available on PC and PS4.