Elite Dangerous: Difference between revisions
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==Galactic and personal== | ==Galactic and personal== | ||
[[File:Horizons-reveal-cobra-landing.jpg|thumb|250px|Planetary landing]]Since ED launched on 16 December 2014, the player was limited to experience the galaxy from a ship's cockpit or an SRV seat. However, [[Horizons|ED: Horizons]] update 2.0 added [[Planetary Landings|Planetary Landing]] on December | [[File:Horizons-reveal-cobra-landing.jpg|thumb|250px|Planetary landing]]Since ED launched on 16 December 2014, the player was limited to experience the galaxy from a ship's cockpit or an SRV seat. However, [[Horizons|ED: Horizons]] update 2.0 added [[Planetary Landings|Planetary Landing]] on 15 December 2015. This made realistic, full-sized, airless [[planets]] and [[moons]] accessible. | ||
Up until early 2021, the player was essentially the vehicle: a ship or SRV. Walking in person was a long awaited feature which the community dubbed "Space legs". In 2021, [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|ED: Odyssey]] added [[On Foot]] features which extended the level of detail to a first person scale. The player could finally walk around as an individual person rather than a vehicle. Ships became extensions of the player. [[Atmospheric Landing|Atmospheric landing]] on planets with tenuous [[Atmosphere|atmospheres]] became possible. Players can set foot on unexplored planets and receive an accolade that recognizes their [[First Footfall]] on a planet.<ref>[https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405415875218-What-is-the-First-Footfall-system-in-the-Odyssey-expansion What is the First Footfall system in the Odyssey expansion? - 20 August 2021 - Frontier Developments]</ref> Visit [[Settlement|settlements]], [[outpost]]s, [[starport]]s etc. Drive around with an [[SRV]] or walk in person to explore the surface for [[materials]], alien [[species]] etc. | Up until early 2021, the player was essentially the vehicle: a ship or SRV. Walking in person was a long awaited feature which the community dubbed "Space legs". In 2021, [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|ED: Odyssey]] added [[On Foot]] features which extended the level of detail to a first person scale. The player could finally walk around as an individual person rather than a vehicle. Ships became extensions of the player. [[Atmospheric Landing|Atmospheric landing]] on planets with tenuous [[Atmosphere|atmospheres]] became possible. Players can set foot on unexplored planets and receive an accolade that recognizes their [[First Footfall]] on a planet.<ref>[https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405415875218-What-is-the-First-Footfall-system-in-the-Odyssey-expansion What is the First Footfall system in the Odyssey expansion? - 20 August 2021 - Frontier Developments]</ref> Visit [[Settlement|settlements]], [[outpost]]s, [[starport]]s etc. Drive around with an [[SRV]] or walk in person to explore the surface for [[materials]], alien [[species]] etc. | ||
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[[File:Elite-Dangerous-Alpha-1.0-Dec-2013.png|thumb|250px|ED Alpha 1.0 December 2013]]Those who pledged big during the Kickstarter got beta-access. People also bought beta access at £50 a pop. This included the full game. In mid-August 2014, more than 75,000 people were playing the Elite: Dangerous beta, providing ''"more and more money that moves ever closer to the game breaking even in a really good way."''<ref name=":113" /> | [[File:Elite-Dangerous-Alpha-1.0-Dec-2013.png|thumb|250px|ED Alpha 1.0 December 2013]]Those who pledged big during the Kickstarter got beta-access. People also bought beta access at £50 a pop. This included the full game. In mid-August 2014, more than 75,000 people were playing the Elite: Dangerous beta, providing ''"more and more money that moves ever closer to the game breaking even in a really good way."''<ref name=":113" /> | ||
Frontier had also reacquired the rights to the Elite franchise. Frontier purchased the software and IT consultancy company Professional Practice Automation in a £5.09m deal on Tuesday April | Frontier had also reacquired the rights to the Elite franchise. Frontier purchased the software and IT consultancy company Professional Practice Automation in a £5.09m deal on Tuesday 15 April 2014. This included the royalty rights to the Elite video game franchise which was held by PPA.<ref>[http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/frontier-acquires-elite-rights-as-braben-readies-share-sale/0131299 MCV/DEVELOP: Frontier acquires Elite rights as Braben readies share sale]</ref> | ||
In December 2013, a playable alpha version of the game was released to Kickstarter backers who pledged pledged £200.<ref>[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-12-12-elite-dangerous-now-playable-if-youre-a-200-alpha-backer Eurogamer: Elite: Dangerous combat now playable if you're a £200 alpha backer]</ref> In May 2014, the game entered the first phase of beta testing. The focus was primarily on testing the systems and servers with a greater number of players. A pre-release "gamma" build was released to backers three weeks before launch to give them a head start. | In December 2013, a playable alpha version of the game was released to Kickstarter backers who pledged pledged £200.<ref>[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-12-12-elite-dangerous-now-playable-if-youre-a-200-alpha-backer Eurogamer: Elite: Dangerous combat now playable if you're a £200 alpha backer]</ref> In May 2014, the game entered the first phase of beta testing. The focus was primarily on testing the systems and servers with a greater number of players. A pre-release "gamma" build was released to backers three weeks before launch to give them a head start. | ||
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===Consoles and Mac=== | ===Consoles and Mac=== | ||
[[File:Elite-Dangerous-Premiere-Cobra-Model.jpg|thumb|250px|Elite Dangerous Premiere Cobra Model]]The Xbox One version launched on October | [[File:Elite-Dangerous-Premiere-Cobra-Model.jpg|thumb|250px|Elite Dangerous Premiere Cobra Model]]The Xbox One version launched on 6 October 2015.<ref name=":63" /> The PlayStation 4 version launched on 27 June 2017.<ref name=":73" /> The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions can be played on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility,<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/ids3nk/ps5_and_xbox_x_support_from_day1_according_to/ reddit: PS5 and Xbox X support from Day1 according to Interview with Joss Herraez]</ref><ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/johmtc/elitedangerous_we_can_confirm_that_elite/ reddit: @EliteDangerous: "We can confirm that Elite Dangerous is backwards compatible with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5."]</ref> However, game ports optimized specifically for next-generation consoles are not currently planned.<ref>[https://twinfinite.net/2020/08/elite-dangerous-odyssey-interview/ Twinfinite: Elite Dangerous Interview: Devs Detail Upcoming Odyssey Expansion]</ref> | ||
The Apple Mac version was released on May | The Apple Mac version was released on 12 May 2015.<ref name=":53" /> It doesn't have [[Elite Dangerous: Horizons]] due to the lack of high-performance Compute Shaders in the graphics API's supported by OS X.<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/answers-from-the-devs-15-10-15.191898/ Frontier Forums: Answer from the Devs 15/10/15]</ref> Since 11 December 2018 and the Q4 update of [[Elite Dangerous: Beyond|ED: Beyond]], the Mac OS version was no longer playable due to technical barriers.<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/important-mac-announcement.424243/ Frontier Forums: Important Mac announcement]</ref> | ||
===Post-launch === | ===Post-launch === | ||
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Since 27 October 2020, all the content of the ''[[Elite Dangerous: Horizons|Horizons]] expansion'' and the ''[[Elite Dangerous: Beyond|Beyond]]'' season of updates is included for free with the base game of ''Elite Dangerous''. | Since 27 October 2020, all the content of the ''[[Elite Dangerous: Horizons|Horizons]] expansion'' and the ''[[Elite Dangerous: Beyond|Beyond]]'' season of updates is included for free with the base game of ''Elite Dangerous''. | ||
Development of the console versions of [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|ED: Odyssey]] was officially cancelled on 10 March 2022.<ref name=":1">[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/console-update.600233/ Frontier Forums: Console Update]</ref> This is partially due to the limited technical capabilities of old-gen consoles which | Development of the console versions of [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|ED: Odyssey]] was officially cancelled on 10 March 2022.<ref name=":1">[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/console-update.600233/ Frontier Forums: Console Update]</ref> This is partially due to the limited technical capabilities of old-gen consoles which struggle to run the higher graphical fidelity and system requirements of Odyssey. For example the PlayStation 4 only has 8 GB GDDR5 while the Xbox One has 8 GB DDR3 RAM. Secondly, ending old-gen console support streamlines development by focusing on a unified v4.0+ live version for PC. The Legacy version (v3.8 Game Client) is playable on old-gen consoles, but it does not receive updates nor new content. Frontier offers a free migration service to copy console player profiles to PC.<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/console-profile-transfers-and-2022-updates.603032/ Frontier Forums: Console Profile Transfers and 2022 Updates]</ref> | ||
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==Development Team== | ==Development Team== | ||
On May | On 26 May 2017, the producer for the Elite Dangerous PS4 version Lloyd Morgan-Moore said, ''“The Elite Dangerous team is over a hundred people strong, and while we have a dedicated PS4 team to handle things like PSN infrastructure, everyone is working on content which will appear simultaneously on all platforms. We don’t regard platforms separately when it comes to content."''<ref>[http://www.redbull.com/en/games/stories/1331858657533/elite-dangerous-ps4-interview Red Bull: The tech behind Elite Dangerous’s PS4 debut]</ref> The team size was confirmed by a few people who visited the Frontier offices during the week of 9 June 2017.<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/my-visit-to-frontier-developments-and-the-future-of-the-game.356790/ Frontier Forums: My visit to Frontier Developments and the Future of the Game]</ref> | ||
==Development Plans== | ==Development Plans== | ||
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''Elite Dangerous'' sold around 1.7 million franchise units by the end of May 2016. The term "franchise units" combined all sales of the ''Elite Dangerous'' base game and the ''Elite Dangerous: Horizons'' expansion.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161016145046/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FDEV/12881582.html London Stock Exchange: Frontier Developments plc Full year trading update], through archive.org</ref> | ''Elite Dangerous'' sold around 1.7 million franchise units by the end of May 2016. The term "franchise units" combined all sales of the ''Elite Dangerous'' base game and the ''Elite Dangerous: Horizons'' expansion.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20161016145046/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FDEV/12881582.html London Stock Exchange: Frontier Developments plc Full year trading update], through archive.org</ref> | ||
*By the end of December 2016, this rose to over 2.1 million franchise units.<ref>[http://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/london/frontier-dev-FDEV/share-news/Frontier-Developments-PLC-Trading-Update/73616476 ADVFN: Frontier Developments PLC Trading Update]</ref> | *By the end of December 2016, this rose to over 2.1 million franchise units.<ref>[http://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/london/frontier-dev-FDEV/share-news/Frontier-Developments-PLC-Trading-Update/73616476 ADVFN: Frontier Developments PLC Trading Update]</ref> | ||
*By December | *By 31 December 2017, cumulative sales of the game had exceeded 3.25 million franchise units.<ref>[https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/frontier-developments--fdev/interim-results/5264665 Investegate: Frontier Developments plc Interim Results]</ref> | ||
*By January | *By 15 January 2019, cumulative sales of the game exceeded 4.3 million franchise units. Of these, the base game alone accounted for 3 million units.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232847/https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/FDEV/notice-of-results-and-trading-update/13934373 London Stock Exchange: Frontier Developments plc Notice of Results and Trading update], through archive.org</ref><ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-has-sold-3m-copies-horizons-1-3m-43-of-basegame-owners.472384/ Elite Dangerous has sold 3m copies, Horizons 1.3m (43% of basegame owners)] - Jan 15, 2019</ref> | ||
*By May | *By 31 May 2020, the ''Elite Dangerous'' base game had sold over 3.5 million units.<ref name=":33">[https://web.archive.org/web/20201021012017/https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/FDEV/annual-results/14679378 London Stock Exchange: Frontier Developments plc FY20 Financial Results], through archive.org</ref> | ||
*By January | *By 13 January 2021, the ''Elite Dangerous'' base game had sold over 4 million units.<ref name=":133">[https://web.archive.org/web/20211209035954/https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/FDEV/trading-statement/14824350 London Stock Exchange: Frontier Developments plc Trading statement], through archive.org</ref> A further 8 million base game units were claimed for free on the Epic Games Store during a giveaway week in November 2020.<ref name=":133" /> | ||
*By September 2022, over 4.8 million base game units were sold.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230911120811/https://frontier-drupal.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/production/frontier-corp/s3fs-public/press-releases/financial/Frontier%20Developments%20plc%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202022.pdf "Annual Reports and Accounts 2022"] (PDF). Frontier Developments. 14 October 2022. Archived from [https://frontier-drupal.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/production/frontier-corp/s3fs-public/press-releases/financial/Frontier%20Developments%20plc%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202022.pdf the original] (PDF) on 11 September 2023.</ref> | *By September 2022, over 4.8 million base game units were sold.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230911120811/https://frontier-drupal.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/production/frontier-corp/s3fs-public/press-releases/financial/Frontier%20Developments%20plc%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202022.pdf "Annual Reports and Accounts 2022"] (PDF). Frontier Developments. 14 October 2022. Archived from [https://frontier-drupal.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/production/frontier-corp/s3fs-public/press-releases/financial/Frontier%20Developments%20plc%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202022.pdf the original] (PDF) on 11 September 2023.</ref> | ||