One way of ensuring a happy new year is to see that the old one ends on a particularly low note - so whether you end up scratching a disc, smashing a TV, or emptying an entire 6-pack of beer all over your home console, just know that these gaffes now belong to 2013. Things can only get better, right?
Sadly some end of year events have more staying power than others, and in the case of indie developer Hello Games, the studio's 11th hour misfortune may have done some real lasting damage.
Announced via the company's Twitter feed on Christmas Eve, the developer's Guildford-based studio appears to have been hit by a torrential flood of "biblical" proportions. After detailing the extent of the damage done - including the loss of most of the 4-man team's PCs, monitors and even a wall - the company went on to drop an even bigger bombshell.
It appears that, according to local insurance policies, the studio's relatively high-risk locale prevents them from receiving any kind of compensation, leaving the budding young enterprise at risk of financial meltdown. The grim situation may not be all doom and gloom however, after one quick-thinking fan sent word of the flood to Microsoft Studios VP Phil Spencer, who promised to "look into" the issue.
Given the timing of the event - during the supposed 'season of goodwill' - Spencer may elect to back the team financially, though this could throw up any number of issues, should No Man's Sky ever become an Xbox One exclusive. No matter the case, Hello Games appears to be keeping in relatively high spirits, finding the time to mourn a much-loved sofa, pursuing errant vehicles and chowing down on delicious donuts.
The unfortunate event, sometimes referred to by insurance companies as an 'act of god' (he's clearly not a fan of quirky motorcycle titles, then) comes just 2 days after Hello Games unveiled an all-new Joe Danger sequel, titled Joe Danger Infinity on iOS. With the company's future now in jeopardy, it'll be interesting to see how to team chooses to proceed with development on Infinity as well as the VGX-killing space-sim No Man's Sky. While Joe Danger might bring in some much-needed cash quickly, jettisoning the title could allow the company to catch up on lost time with the more promising space farer.
Should major publishers become involved in these sorts of cases? Would you be willing to back a crowdfunded campaign to save a beleaguered studio? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all of the latest No Man's Sky news, right here on Game Rant.
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No Man's Sky has yet to receive a firm release date and/or a home platform.
Follow Sam on Twitter @GamingGoo.
Source: Escapist