▁som etime ▁during ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Joe ▁D anger ▁ 2 ▁( 2 0 1 2 ), ▁which ▁he ▁compared ▁to ▁a ▁mid - life ▁crisis ▁for ▁himself . ▁Murray , ▁a ▁former ▁developer ▁at ▁C riter ion ▁Games ▁for ▁the ▁Burn out ▁series , ▁wor ried ▁the ▁studio ▁would ▁be ▁falling ▁into ▁a ▁r ut ▁of ▁producing ▁sequ el ▁after ▁sequ el ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁at ▁C riter ion . ▁When ▁Hello ▁Games ▁had ▁problems ▁with ▁an ▁American ▁publish er , ▁Murray ▁realized ▁they ▁had ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁completely ▁new ▁title ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁concept ▁he ▁had ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁child , ▁when ▁he ▁had ▁asp ir ations ▁of ▁being ▁an ▁astr onaut , ▁en vision ing ▁ones elf ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁human ▁to ▁step ▁onto ▁an ▁al ien ▁planet . ▁ ▁No ▁Man ' s ▁Sky ▁was ▁an ▁attention - getting ▁concept ▁that ▁the ▁studio ▁had ▁since ▁in ception . ▁Murray ▁described ▁that ▁in ▁bringing ▁on ▁board ▁Dave ▁Re am , ▁the ▁team ' s ▁cre ative ▁director , ▁that ▁Murray ▁described ▁how ▁there ▁are ▁sk ys c rap ers ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁that ▁are ▁well ▁visible ▁but ▁built ▁on ▁standard ▁designs , ▁and ▁then ▁there ▁are ▁smaller , ▁minimal ist ▁architect ural ▁designs , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁direction ▁that ▁Murray ▁wanted ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁studio . ▁Re am ▁agreed , ▁but ▁ins isted ▁that ▁the ▁studio ▁at ▁some ▁point ▁would ▁make ▁the ▁game ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁sk ys cra per , ▁a ▁game ▁they ▁could