You might have heard some buzz over the past week about No Man’s Sky copies loose in the wild. There was the story about the guy who allegedly spent over $1,000 for an early copy, of course. But some outlets have managed to get their hands on a copy.
We can confirm that Sony and Hello Games have not released code to the media. There are always stores willing to break street date and sell copies early. If you know where to look, it's an easy enough process to buy one.
Sony is aware that consumers and some media are streaming the game, and has reiterated its plans for releasing code to reviewers. We've been told to expect those to arrive on Monday, in advance of the game's launch on Tuesday. In the meantime, Sony seems to be aggressively pursuing what it calls "unsanctioned copies."
What we don’t know at this point is how impactful the patch is. It could just be for polishing, or could significantly change aspects of the game that would make pre- and post-update experiences different enough to change critical impressions.
Update: Here's what Hello Games founder Sean Murray has to say about PC review code:
Our Take
Until we understand just how drastic the patch is, it’s hard to judge whether a user’s experience (either as player or viewer) will be markedly different after the update. It’s certainly not uncommon for a developer to want people to see the game in its best form at launch.
This update could be artistic, technical, or (most likely) a blend. We’ll know for sure by Tuesday.