I feel that different departments in the industry have too much control, for a hard sci-fi game to keep its soul entirely through development -----
You could have the most baddass scientific writer to back your universe, but the art-department could turn aliens into googly anthropomorphic McFarlaine furries at any moment and completely obliterate the experience. If the experience is discovery and isolation, design could implement a neon-glowing crate puzzle at any time jeopardizing the pace. Or in some cases, a narrative/story could be completely out of place in an otherwise 'documentary' experience.
A development team doesn't seem to have a person with as much command as a writer, or film director - that can completely mold the entertainment they want ..... you mostly see hard science-fiction in literature, simply because it's from the telling of a single educated author with realism as a goal and no compromize over that goal.
a truly hard sci-fi game would stand out so well, especially in the current mix of so much low brow science-fantasy. I would think that it would make its statement, and do well for itself.
I personally would like to see a hard sci-fi game revolutionize the edutainment, and sort of give science nerds their own Gran-Tourismo ------ I'd love to see it completely remove itself from humans/characters and focus entirely on research and discovery --- something that would make the most seasoned scientists weep tears of joy