A Dutch Company called Genicap is claiming that No Man’s Sky utilizes its ‘super formula’ without permission through the game’s method of generating planets.
According to an article written by De Telegraaf (translated on NeoGAF), Genicap owns the patent to the formula, but Hello Games has not be licensed to use it.
“We haven’t provided a license to Hello Games,” Jeroen Sparrow of Genicap told the newspaper. “We certainly don’t want to stop the launch, but if the formula is used we’ll need to have a talk.”
According to Sparrow, Genicap has attempted to contact Hello Games about the issue without response.
Sean Murray, founder of Hello Games, has previously mentioned in an interview with the New Yorker about using the ‘super formula’. He acknowledges that the equation was published in 2003 by Belgian plant geneticist Johan Gielis.
In the same NeoGAF post mentioned previously, users dug deeper and have discovered that Gielis is the Chief Research Officer at Genicap who has owned the patent since 2000. What this means for Murray and Hello Games is yet to be determined.
No Man’s Sky will release on August 9, for PC and PlayStation 4. The game boasts a number of over 18 quintillion worlds. Stay tune for further updates on the company’s use of the formula.