News Announcement: Elite: Dangerous coming to Xbox One

[Davevti]

The only way ED would be dumbed down for the PC is if it was originally for the consoles and ported over to the PC. its pretty naive to assume the game so far is "dumbed down" for future console release and using things like the UI as an example is a bit of a cop out.
UI is as intuitive as it needs to be for keyboard and joystick/hotas controls, but it excels with the addition of VR, such as OR and TIR - Most of which are not applicable to consoles.

 

[Calebe]

Xbox-PS4 no matter what they port it to, as long as they do not ever decide we can't add a feature because the consoles can't support it I am fine with it. If that happens and it is possible and we would never hear of it then I have a huge issue.
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I have stated this position in the past well before alpha release my concerns with consoles and the potential for losing features, or better graphics, or anything because the console would grind to a halt and a PC would ask for more.
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There was the long 32 vs. 64 bit thread, and 32 bit won out as the only executable we have available for the PC's, but the Mac version will be 64 bit. The new consoles are all 64 bit so will their client be 32 or 64 bit? If so could the reliance on 32 bit actually eventually handicap the 64 bit consoles and Mac versions? Food for thought. Though we were told there could be a 64 bit executable for the PC, so maybe that will happen. We can hope.
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As you can see a lot of unanswered questions. I think the only one we should ever be concerned with is: will the PC version (and Mac version) ever suffer because a console is just not up to the task of running the game with the planned expansions? Will items be with held and never mentioned because of this. Will features never known to the public never see the light of day as the console can't handle it so it never happens?
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The questions we all have and the ones we are most concerned with. If FD comes out and says, the PC version will never suffer do to the console versions. Features not possible on a console will still make it on the PC and Mac version. If graphic improvements are to much for the console, the PC and Mac version will still get them. Then our fears will be put to rest. If it is not said we will always have that doubt.
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Calebe

 

[Halafay]

I sure hope they up the headcount in Support before they release on consoles.

It's pretty bad right now.

 

[Steve 67]

This is great news! and much earlier than expected.

I game on both Xbox One and PC so have the obvious questions before I can get excited...

1) Please no quotes or careful word choices, a simple yes or no would be ahuge help. Will PC and Xbox One gamers share the same space? Will they be able to join the same wing, from either platform?

2) Will PC backers receive a discount or license for the Xbox One?

3) If I game on both platforms & they are independent, will my progress be shared? allowing me to dip in and out of either platform as it's convenient?

Many thanks for any qualified replies.

 

[I_am_Jon]

Great news. More investment and more players can only be a good thing for the games future. To me this confirms Frontier have committed funds to continue developing the game for at least another 12 months.

Xbox One might not be as powerful as a top end PC but should be able to match the recommended PC spec and the Xbox controller is a good alternative to using a HOTAS anyhow.

 

[devastat]

I really hope now that eventually they'll add support to Sony's VR technology, Project Morpheus.

 

[Harbinger]

+1 Rep

Welcome to the forums. As you can see, there is a lot of venting, steaming, hissing and other train like effect around here.

Unfortunately the nature of these forums is also that there are a lot of posts made as if they are statements of fact, with no real evidence behind them whatsoever, sometimes just as an immediate emotional reaction to an announcement.

If you want to get the real low down on what's happening, I suggest subscribing to one of the several options where you can see only posts by FD personnel. This way you can filter out the opinions from the official word.

Many posts on this thread are claiming that certain features of the game were made that way on purpose for consoles. In every case, there are other explanations as to why the game was designed that way, and often those explanations have been published and discussed a long time ago (even though it was always stated that there might well be Console ports I don't think they locked the design to that intention).

Also we have the conspiracy theorists, who always take the fact that information is being drip fed, partly for marketing and hype reasons, and partly because FD like to be certain about something before making it public, as an indication that there is some sinister conspiracy from the beginning to steal all our money and fly off to a country in the sun with it.

I promise, there are plenty of different types of people playing, so I'm sure you'll find some good friends around here as well. There are some uplifting threads like the ones about the people who found the NPC character that they had placed in the game in the name of a deceased relative.

A part of this though is that many people really love this Elite Fanchise, and they are concerned about any major change. I do actually share a bit of concern about how the updates process will work once the game is in a shared galaxy with other platforms, and it would also be good to get some reassurance that the two major expansions (Walking around space stations and ships, and Planet Landings) are still definitely on the cards. As and when that reassurance comes, people can then move on to the next meteorological event in a nice cup of Earl Grey.

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Quote from Michael Brookes today.....

Agreed, this forum is awash with conspiracy theorists who just love to jump on any announcement from FDEV to claim that "the sky is falling". Most of the sane people tend not to get involved in the constant circular arguments in this forum.

@oldmanmojo, Your best bet is to just bookmark Commander Bewilderbeest's Dev tracker and then you can filter through all Chicken Little junk and only see Dev posts.

 

[mossfoot]

Agreed, this forum is awash with conspiracy theorists who just love to jump on any announcement from FDEV to claim that "the sky is falling". Most of the sane people tend not to get involved in the constant circular arguments in this forum.

@oldmanmojo, Your best bet is to just bookmark Commander Bewilderbeest's Dev tracker and then you can filter through all Chicken Little junk and only see Dev posts.

Holy crap that is so bookmarked. My forum life just became 6000% less stressful and filled with wild pointless speculation.

 

[Javert]

This is great news! and much earlier than expected.

I game on both Xbox One and PC so have the obvious questions before I can get excited...

1) Please no quotes or careful word choices, a simple yes or no would be ahuge help. Will PC and Xbox One gamers share the same space? Will they be able to join the same wing, from either platform?

2) Will PC backers receive a discount or license for the Xbox One?

3) If I game on both platforms & they are independent, will my progress be shared? allowing me to dip in and out of either platform as it's convenient?

Many thanks for any qualified replies.


3)

1. Best information actually from FD that we have on this from last night is that players will share the same meta galaxy (i.e. we will all effectively be in solo play together), but that whether we can join the same wing and fly in the same instance is "a desirable feature and they are assessing the viability".
2. No info on this but quotes from the original Kickstarter implied that your license would go across all platforms "where Frontier control the distribution channel". So not clear yet on Xbox One.
3. Unknown - probably partly dependent on 1 and 2 above.

See here for some thoughts on the trade offs on item 1.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=121383&page=54&p=1884165#post1884165

 

[Pibbles]

Obviously always intended (and I think this was one of the things Braben was always honest about) as evidenced by the simplistic combat and interface, e.g. I personally found the XB360 controller a better controller for ED than my HOTAS setup.

IMO It's a good thing for the long term viability of the game, but it clearly underlines my view; updates to make the PC game what was originally promised will always take a backseat compared to what can make money for FD. It's a very similar path to that trodden by ZOS with ESO; use the PC community as a bunch of unpaid beta-testers to get the game in shape for the real target market; consoles.

One has to laugh when Braben says the Xbox version won't be cut back or dumbed down, because the PC version is already severely cut down from what was promised and is hardly a complex game anyway.

The question I ask myself is, "are FD actually capable of making a game to the quality standards expected by the console user community and the platform owner?".

It will be interesting to see how P2P pans out, with MS giving Azure dedicated servers to all their XB dev partners, maybe FD can finally ditch P2P. It does make one wonder who was strategising the technology within FD however.

 

[nattydread]

PLEASE bring out a linux version, and PS4 too for that matter.

 

[Ulfar]

This has probably already been said, but here goes anyway.

I don't mind the game being put onto X box one, given its architecture it is all but a PC in name anyway. What I do think is wrong is that we still don't have content, some of us have already been mentioning this. Now you might think we have been rude, loud, obnoxious but here is the rub, the console players( I also own a console) will not put up with the game in its current state. Why should they they are going to be paying at least £50.00, thats not as much as I paid as a backer but its more than more than we PC players have to pay.

They are also not going to be happy with the current progression path, I am assuming Frontier don't adjust ship prices, profits for activities. I could see them doing this but then expect an absolute firestorm from us PC players.

They are not as invested in the game as the kickstarter backers and everyone else who helped fund the game. The reviews they are going to post are going to be interesting to say the least.

Also Frontier have to get the game past Microsoft's certification process, something X-Rebirth apparently failed to do and this is why the game turned into the mess it was at launch.

So basically happy if it leads to improvement of the game(something very much needed), unhappy if it has a negative impact i.e. patch timings, feature delay, etc.

 

[mossfoot]

PLEASE bring out a linux version, and PS4 too for that matter.

PS4 confirmed

 

[mossfoot]

I don't mind the game being put onto X box one, given its architecture it is all but a PC in name anyway. What I do think is wrong is that we still don't have content, some of us have already been mentioning this. Now you might think we have been rude, loud, obnoxious but here is the rub, the console players( I also own a console) will not put up with the game in its current state.

I doubt Frontier is going to try and groom ED to be a mainstream hit. It's going for the substantial niche market that exists of console gamers (I too own consoles) who want more challenging and different games, not just COD clones and games that endlessly copy whatever was popular before.

Consider XCom. Classic (fantastic!) old school game. Then they were going to bring it back recently, but it was changed into some kind of FPS game in a retro setting. The outrage (BETRAYAL!) ended up with it cancelled and eventually released as The Bureau-XCom Declassified and was promptly forgotten. Throughout its development it forgot what make XCom cool and tried to monkey other game mechanics to catch onto the coat tails of other popular games, everything from Mass Effect to Bioshock.

But then you had the other approach, XCom Enemy Unknown. The end result was a game that, while streamlined in some ways, is challenging and exciting and captures the old school XCom to a T while having so much more to offer as well (especially with Enemy Within's release). I play that puppy on Classic Ironman and love every minute of it. The replayability is always there and the PC mods available add even more variety to it.

But here's the thing - it's not a huge hit. It is not a game changer. It is not something other developers are rushing to copy, or emulate and dumb down because of their perceptions of the lowest common denominator of gamer. It is a niche game with a good sized and loyal fan base.

This is no doubt where Elite Dangerous is going to fall.

 

[OillyRag]

games are games. Enjoy them whenever and wherever you can. Your phone, your tabletop, your ultra $4000.00 PC or your $200.00 nvidia box. It's all games, if you find yourself raging about something, then maybe it isn't fun for you anymore. Maybe you should move on.

Welcome to the forums and don't take any notice of the haters, although they shout the loudest they are in the minority.

+1 for your post I have to heartily agree with your conclusions.

 

[Dean Smith]

I get home from work and make a cup of tea. I consider my options for my free evening and decide that rather that I'll watch something.

I say "Xbox, On" and my console boots up, turning on my sound system and my TV. I use voice commands to start Netflix and watch an episode of Orange Is The New Black as I sip my tea and eat a biscuit or three. Feeling relaxed, I decide to play some Elite: Dangerous on my Xbox One - why bother powering up the PC, I'm nice and comfy in the front room.

I exclaim "Xbox, go to Elite Dangerous", and as the system loads the game I turn on a controller and make sure my headset is connected to it and load the Xbox SmartGlass application on my Asus VivoTab tablet running Windows. My tablet is connected via a gooseneck mount to a table next to my chair, making it easy to see any second screen items. Settled and ready, I navigate the menu options and start the game in Open mode.

I see one person in my usual Wing is online and use the comms system to open a voice chat with them. I find out that they're doing a bit of trading and ask them if they want me to escort them - which they agree to, because they're doing a Rare Run and are approaching Lave which is supposed to be hot. I tell them to give me five minutes as I head to Sol to pick up my parked Viper.

A little while later I'm flying in supercruise towards Lave Station with my friend, who is in his Asp. We proceed to have a good few hours of fun, and run into several NPC and Player based interdictions. I get a share in his trades, we both have fun blowing up the would-be pirates, and life is good.

That's it. That's all there is to this.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Support. Support. Support.

FD better start hiring staff fast because they're going to get swamped.

PC version, Mac version, XBox version, walking around the ship, planetary landings, Thargoids, more missions ... how Frontier will do without hiring of dozens of people ? And I forgot, the book of the concept art to be finished ...

 

[Patrick_68000]

I feel absolutely fine. Why not play with XBO players?

Yes they are players like all the players. Only the platform is different. Elite Dangerous brings everyone together

 

[devastat]

That's it. That's all there is to this.

Thank you sir. I really enjoyed your little story

 

[Kiblams]

PC version, Mac version, XBox version, walking around the ship, planetary landings, Thargoids, more missions ... how Frontier will do without hiring of dozens of people ? And I forgot, the book of the concept art to be finished ...

Don't forget the PS4 too!