Elite sequel on the way

[paulv]

I suspect they're not going to hit the target

Linear Regression of the data to date says they won't hit the target and the pledge rate is still slowing where it needs to be accelerating. This doesn't account for any "big push" that may happen in the next 36 days.

At the end of the day, there's still plenty of time and scope for fund raising events. But I think it's clear that the project needs more help/updates/video's/press coverage and ultimately money than it's currently getting.

Paul

[aerworuld]

But I think it's clear that the project needs more help/updates/video's/press coverage and ultimately money than it's currently getting.

Paul

i havent been following the rise and dip day by day but this was said on their facebook page today :

"Sean Houlihane @AJ Coles - Are you joking? Look at Sui Generis - http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/147396 ... -exp-trend Massive spike in the last few days, and that was looking decidedly borderline 2 weeks ago (solid trend towards 66%). Publicity is spreading all the time. Wave 2 of backers will turn up soon enough. Then wave 3 after Christmas - and we're done!"



lets hope the optimism is well placed!

[Samwise]

I donated a fair whack, and was pretty disappointed when they recently announced a bunch of additional basic merchandise I was cordially invited to pay out even more for. £50 for a T-shirt and mug? I actually found it disrespectful, and it almost made me regret my initial pledge.

They're not intending to make the game freely available at the end - so I would expect the actual production costs to be covered by the final sale price. Surely, this messing about with Kickstarter was meant to be about convincing a publisher that it's worth taking a risk with it, and that there is still a strong interest in the brand?

hrmmm...

Sam.

[nOmArch]

I feel I kinda lucked out on that with merchandise as I initially pledged at founder level and now have a physical copy of the game, novella and a t-shirt to boot.

As I understand it the ultimate goal for every game kickstarter I've pledged too has always been to sell the final product at on official release. I'm not sure where it has ever been implied that the games would be given away for free.

[Samwise]

I feel I kinda lucked out on that with merchandise as I initially pledged at founder level and now have a physical copy of the game, novella and a t-shirt to boot.

Naah, that's not luck, that's the Kickstarter model - to reward the early supporters.

As I understand it the ultimate goal for every game kickstarter I've pledged too has always been to sell the final product at on official release.

umm ... good to hear. Did you mean that as a question asking for examples of projects where the end goal wasn't a commercial product? In which case, just google "site:kickstarter.com open source game". Kickstarter has tonnes of both open and closed projects.

I'm not sure where it has ever been implied that the games would be given away for free.

I'm not sure where either? It doesn't sound very likely.

If you think I was somehow suggesting that he should be making the game available for free, you may have misconstrued my comments.

Sam.

[nOmArch]

umm ... good to hear. Did you mean that as a question asking for examples of projects where the end goal wasn't a commercial product? In which case, just google "site:kickstarter.com open source game". Kickstarter has tonnes of both open and closed projects.

No.

I'm not sure where either? It doesn't sound very likely.

If you think I was somehow suggesting that he should be making the game available for free, you may have misconstrued my comments.

Sam.

Indeed so, I'm just a little confused with your interpretation of where the money is going. The KS funding is to actually make the game, any profit they make on top of that from selling the product on release is just that profit.

David said that he wanted to go down the KS route because he didn't want to be accountable to a publisher after the whole Gametek debacle.

[davidb]

Yesterday, I watched the video about how the Elite universe is supposed to evolve over time as players do stuff. It reminded me, in a fairly simplistic way, of the descriptions of how Karma was going to model interactions between the entities in its galaxy.

[Dave Footitt]

Found my old beta-testers pack for Karma the other week. Memories!

[nOmArch]

Finally! Gameplay video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gMbLjUjs1w

[nOmArch]

Yay, funded!

[flibble]

Woo, now we get to see how much Braben has over-promised and done no testing this time around!

[nOmArch]

Nearly all those problems were caused by the publisher Gametek forcing them to release the game early.

Hence one of the reasons why Frontier went down the Kickstarter route.

I have great faith that David will give us the game he's been trying to deliver all these years.

[tubbyasstoo]

Nearly all those problems were caused by the publisher Gametek forcing them to release the game early.

Hence one of the reasons why Frontier went down the Kickstarter route.

I have great faith that David will give us the game he's been trying to deliver all these years.

I have no faith in the guy

What has he achieved lately ?

Associated with raspberry pi...not that he did any of the design

His last project according to wiki "the outsider" was dropped by codemasters leading to 30 redundancies at frontier

His company, frontier has been involved in a number of titles, none of which I have any interest in buying

the bell and braben team produced a fantastic elite, but sadly I haven't seen anything remotely earthshattering from him since

his recourse to legal threats and intimidation as per the bell episode and elite tnk is pathetic

sorry if this offends anyone, but IMHO he is undeserving of the hero worship


also, is there space (sorry) in the marketplace for a new elite when there is oolite ?

IMHO a new elite would be riding on the shirts of the original...oolite and the wing commander series already has the eye candy, what would a new elite offer ? indepth gameplay ? realistic physics ? is this appealing enough for the PS3/xbox360 generation ?

I don't think so

If the new elite is a commercial success and has rave reviews, I will eat humble pie, but I honestly think it will end up as a failure and no-one will see any of their money back...the only winner will be braben who undoubtedly will pocket a fat pay cheque

[nOmArch]

Well we'll have to agree to disagree then, a new Elite is the best news I've had all year and I still have great faith in David.

[helpful]

I'm just hoping they will do a Raspberry Pi version

I didn't back the project as it appeared to only be for Windows PCs, so it's no use to me.

Although I've got the time to play it anyway

[nOmArch]

They're definitely doing a Mac version and they'll almost certainly do a Linux version as well.

Still got time to pledge and it's only £20.

[sweh]

Wot no model B version? <weg>

[CMcDougall]

is not already to go?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20897768

no Elk version

[Samwise]

Whilst I have some reservations about the kickstarter campaign, I think now that the pledges have been made and he has the money, it would be fairest to give David and Frontier the chance to deliver. There's no doubting either his or the studios' talent. Maybe they won't be able to live up the hype, but then ... just perhaps ... ?

[RichP]

I have no faith in the guy

What has he achieved lately ?

Associated with raspberry pi...not that he did any of the design

His last project according to wiki "the outsider" was dropped by codemasters leading to 30 redundancies at frontier

Kinnectimals very impressive fur effects

Seriously though he did make Zarch in 1987

although actually just the fact he is still making games is impressive. So many of the programmers from the old days just totally failed to adapt.

I do think he knows the mistakes (from reading interviews) he made with some of the Elite updates, so that is promising. I do have my doubts too but I'm looking forward to seeing how this new Elite plays. For me the key is simplicity and elegance, just get the basics right then layer some (but not too much) complexity on top of it.

[Garrettimus]

They have to produced a Beeb version!

[flibble]

I was impressed that this kickstarter has reached 1.5 million.

So what has that 1.5 million bought you?

Aparently 31% of the rights to use the name.

http://www.vg247.com/2014/04/17/frontie ... n-company/

[nOmArch]

*cough* Raised: £2,636,665 *cough* and still counting...

Alpha combat has been fun but I'm really looking forward to the beta next month

[richardtoohey]

Doesn't look like this is panning out as expected (well, it depends on your expectations, I suppose!)
http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/11/1 ... gle-player

The developers behind the sequel to legendary video game Elite have, to the anger and dismay of fans, dropped the offline single-player mode originally promised. The game is due for full release in under a month. With the title having raised about $1.5 million from Kickstarter, and millions more in subsequent campaigns that advertised the feature, gamers are livid. A complaints thread on the official Elite forums has swelled to 450+ pages in only three days, while refunds are being lodged in the thousands. It is down to the discretion of Frontier, the game's developer, whether to process refund requests of original backers.

I've only read the headlines, and it might all have changed by the time you look!

[nOmArch]

Bloody hell! That isn't good

[richardtoohey]

Lots of moaning on the forums. The people used to online games etc. don't understand the fuss. But the people really looking forward to the offline single player experience are (understandably, I think) very unhappy.

But being the internet, some are getting a bit too excitable about the whole thing.

You can't beat the original, anyway, can you? Still got to have a proper go on the 2P version, myself.

[paulv]

Single player is still in there but it requires an Internet connection to work as the "Universe" truly is a single "Universe" that single and multi-player games share.

The main issue for me is that I can still play the original Elite on original hardware or emulation 30 years after it was launched. Elite dangerous on the other hand will be playable for as long as Frontier want it to be playable. So it'll probably have a life of six years or so unless Frontier find a way to monetise the entire game engine and engage players for the long term.

Warcraft has succeeded in this and is in its tenth year now so its doable but Elite is at the mercy of the free market now more than ever. When the revenue ceases to roll in, the servers will be scaled back until it's not viable to run them for the hardcore that's left in a few years time... However long that may be.

Paul

[flaxcottage]

The new Elite is amazing, full stop. My son subscribed to the kickstart campaign and so has the latest version to play.

I was absolutely gobsmacked by the improvements that have been made, especially the graphics quality.

I WILL NOT however be buying it. I have the BBC version (genuine), old school analogue joysticks and a Cub monitor and THAT is the version I prefer. It feels just right. One day I shall progress beyond 'harmless' and open a bottle of whiskey to celebrate.

[KarateEd]

Well, they just lost my cash too....I would loved to have played it on a single player only.....and I have done online gaming, it's ok in the right game but Elite once experienced single player I think is the way to go.

Too, too bad, I was looking forward to it....now I'll just watch the Youtubes that pop up as players start posting them over the next few weeks.

Ed.....

[danielj]

(as Paul said!)
It will still be single player, you just have to be connected to the internet when playing it as they want the Universe to be able to evolve around you.

d.