Phew! This yr’s Opening Night Live was kinda exhausting, what with the plethora of recent trailers and “world premieres” host Geoff Keighley showered us in. While the two-hour broadcast could also be over and executed with, one second from the present is now dwelling in my thoughts rent-free: a brief message from European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti applauding the abundance of upcoming area video games. Because for those who didn’t know, there are a lotta video games dropping within the subsequent few years which might be set within the chilly expanse simply above us.

Cristoforetti, who’s at present flying at 27,000 kilometers per hour (roughly 17,000 mph) and 400 kilometers (roughly 250 miles) above our heads on the International Space Station, popped as much as give a fast “bravo to the games industry” for hardcore repping area. She stated, as she floated in zero gravity whereas sporting a gray ESA polo and a few inexperienced cargo pants, that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is stoked about builders highlighting the “love of space exploration” with varied current video games equivalent to No Man’s Sky, Stellaris, The Outer Worlds, and the like.

“I come to you to say bravo to the game’s industry,” Cristoforetti stated. “We see how many space games you’ve been creating recently. Those missions you send your players on aren’t just great fun. They create curiosity, interest, and a love of space exploration in gamers around the world. As we look towards returning to the moon and onto Mars with our ambitious Teranova program, humanity’s space flight capabilities will be in part thanks (sic) to the game’s industry.”

While it’s straightforward to level to current video games, together with Elite Dangerous and Outer Wilds, as being partly accountable for fueling area’s recognition as a playground for this interactive medium, there are a ton of upcoming video games that’ll ship us to area, as properly. There’s the horror journey The Callisto Protocol, which appears extremely nightmare inducing. You’ve received the anime JRPG and Monster Hunter-like Star Ocean The Divine Force. There’s additionally Dune: Spice Wars and Star Trek: Resurgence and the Dead Space remake. Of course, you possibly can’t neglect about Bethesda’s Starfield, most likely probably the most anticipated—and largest?—area exploration sport, with a reported 1000 or extra planets. And these are simply the primary six video games that come to thoughts. I’m positive there’s extra on Steam. Hell, the Microsoft Store’s received an entire web page devoted to them. PlayStation does, too.

That’s what Cristoforetti is celebrating right here. That although area will be chilly and intimidating, it’s additionally fascinating as a result of there’s a lot we don’t find out about it. I imply, NASA simply printed some audio this week of a real-life black gap that seems like a Mass Effect reaper. Talk concerning the closing frontier I don’t wanna discover. Still, Cristoforetti believes stuff like it will “lead us all closer to the stars.” Then she backflipped like a boss. It’s dishonest trigger she’s in zero gravity, however nonetheless. I wanna see you do a double backflip as effortlessly as her.

“Who knows? Perhaps even you will be among us here at ESA for the journey. Exploring space virtually isn’t just great fun. It’s having real-world impacts that leads us all closer to the stars. So on behalf of everyone at ESA, bravo. Keep creating. Keep innovating. And keep playing.” That we’ll, Cristoforetti.