The survival MMO Nostos (PC, PS4) was supposed to usher in the future of the MMO genre: It relied on virtual reality, an open world, and the technology of SpatialOS. But about a year after the Steam release and only 3 months after the release for PS4, it’s already over for Nostos. The project is being discontinued.
Why did people think Nostos was the future? On paper, Nostos had all the elements that signaled “We are going into the future, we are advancing the genre”:
- The game relied on virtual reality. For many MMO fans, it is a dream to immerse in a game, like in “Ready Player One” or “Sword Art Online.”
- Nostos utilized SpatialOS, the miraculous technology of Improbable: It is supposed to allow teams to simulate huge worlds. The server technology is a promising innovation in the MMO genre and a billion-dollar idea. Many hopes rest on the startup of Herman Narula
- The game came from NetEase, a Chinese giant company that invests serious money in new MMO projects
- Additionally, the first trailers looked fantastic and dazzled with beautiful graphics
This is the news: NetEase is ending the development of the multiplayer survival title Nostos. The game can no longer be downloaded or purchased. On June 16, 2021, the servers will go offline, and no one can log in anymore. Those who purchased the game since the end of November will receive a refund.
NetEase apologizes for the inconvenience.
Steam reviews harshly criticize the development of Nostos
What went wrong with the game? Nostos never truly managed to gain relevance after its release:
- On Steam, it never had a significant number of players. In the last months, a maximum of 6 players were logged in at the same time.
- On Twitch, the game was almost never shown. Only at the release in December 2019 did a few streamers broadcast it as a curiosity. After that, the game was either not shown at all, or a total of 5 people watched a lonely pioneer.
On Steam, the game received 891 reviews, of which 47% were balanced. Yet, the criticism of the game is diverse:
Nostos was accused of releasing too early and unfinished. The survival game apparently still had many technical issues at its release in December 2019. The Steam reviews criticize crashes, stating that Nostos was still very buggy and plagued by many minor issues. The performance is repeatedly criticized.
The further development in the coming years is described as “almost non-existent.” A Steam user says that the game’s systems all still felt raw and like placeholders. Elements such as the building system, crafting, or combat system are described as “not mature” or “still in a larval stage.”
As can be inferred from the Steam reviews and responses to the shutdown, some users were excited about the game after the bombastic trailer and the beta. Some hoped that Nostos would still develop well once it overcame its “teething problems.” However, it seems that the further development of the game was completely unsuccessful.
It’s quite bitter when a game with such good conditions fails by a huge company, while a survival game by an indie studio with Vikings becomes the Steam hit of 2021.
We have often dealt with the future of MMOs on MeinMMO:
It’s time for a new MMORPG, but the era of WoW killers is over
