IGN's 25 PC Games to Play in 2014 - No ED?

[Tinman]

Elite: Dangerous is MMO

Technically yes it is. The problem with marketing it as such is all of the preconceived assumptions that people make about that term. Skill stats, XP points, leveling up, "grinding", D&D game system with "dice rolls" and cool downs, guilds, crafting, chat channels, 3rd person view and so on...

People who enjoy MMOs would then consider ED to be "broken" because it doesn't have these gameplay mechanics and people who don't enjoy MMOs wouldn't give it a chance.

It's just better to say that the game is multiplayer with a shared galaxy and let it speak for itself in terms of how it actually works and plays.

 

[Hamerstein]

Agree with Juniper and Tinman.

If we don't know about game features, because FD are keeping them under wraps, it's not reasonable to release what would only be speculative data to the media (who will probably get the wrong end of the stick and misrepresent it anyway ).

Get the game features established and functional (Gamma build), then tell the world how great it is and provide the evidence. That should tie in nicely to whet the gamer appetite for the retail release.

 

[Nagual]

*Gently skips back on to topic..*

I have no problems with IGN not showing E: D. It doesn't need hype. I sure I'm not the only one who remembers when the first you heard about a game was when it was just about to be released. Let Frontier do their thing, let them get the game play right, and the following Alpha, Beta and Gamma player videos will add to the 'marketing'. Players playing the game with real in game footage (not just carefully Dev selected, uber PC shown content) will show potential buyers what the game is about.

Hype rarely is a good thing for a game, it creates false expectations which in turn leads to disappointment.

 

[filip]

IGN's 25 PC Games to Play in 2014

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/01/21/25-pc-games-to-play-in-2014?page=1

Elite: Dangerous is missing from the list?

Although Star Citizen gets a mention (is it even out in 2014?)

Now I tend to take everything written on IGN's website with a pinch of salt, I've seen a few errors (especially when talking about older games) and of course their blatant bias towards certain titles....

... but for many, IGN is a point of contact for information on upcoming releases etc

Why have they totally forgotten our favourite spacemark game? Do FD need to be a bit more shouty? Do we need to be a bit more shouty?

I already noticed that this studio has no communication skills, it's like they don't care for marketing and selling their game at all.

 

[Associat0r]

"Stepping up" the PR before they can present the whole scope of the game is pointless IMO. All we have seen so far (in terms of gameplay) is space combat and that still applies when the multiplayer alpha comes next week. Elite is so much more than "lasers in space" and to give it justices all the other aspects needs to be in the game before a more comprehensive PR push can begin.

We old fans know what this game is about but most current gamers don't. All they have seen so far is a space combat game...but that will change soon.

We have plenty of dev-diaries and DDF documents to get the scope across, also Star Citizen doesn't seem to have a problem either, right now many people think that SC has all the features like dynamic economy and stuff and think ED won't have that and they are now so emotionally and financially invested in SC that they will not give ED the chance it deserves.

 

[Mars]

I see Sim 4 is on the list.

Given the way EA is going I expect Sim 4 to retail for £49.99 and then all you can do is start with a todder in box and as soon as you want to grow to a teen or build a small wooden hut you have to buy expansion packs at £29.99 each. And, in order to get as much content as Sim 1 had in the vanilla version you have to pay about £289.91.

Oh, and it will be online only as it would be 'impossible' to have a game like that offline.......... and the servers won't work.

Dear God I hate EA, they buy up every decent developer they can and ruin it

 

[Juniper]

I already noticed that this studio has no communication skills, it's like they don't care for marketing and selling their game at all.

Thread hijacking aside FD don't really have a game to sell or market yet. Which ties it back into this thread.

The marketing will come. Once there's something (beyond a limited combat demo) to actually show people.

 

[Associat0r]

Which it's not... so you're saying start with a lie or exaggeration - that will certainly go down well. Great plan. What could possibly go wrong?

What is not MMO about ED?

 

[Mars]

Thread hijacking aside FD don't really have a game to sell or market yet.

Nor does SC, yet they have proven themselves marketing masters.

Its hardly a stretch to agree that FDEV are not great marketers, because as much as I love them, they just are'nt.

 

[Komemiute]

I think it's a sign of maturity not to boast or advertise (Public PR type) about an Alpha.
No matter how polished.

They're doing just flipping great so far.

I say, wait for Beta and you'll see.

 

[Kroy]

Those calling for hype still haven't come up with a reason WHY we want hype at this stage. Every player has an overhead. As we've seen with many games in the past, if you grow too fast, you can't maintain that overhead. Customer support, bandwidth, communications, forum moderation, in-game moderation and so on. All these things come at a price, and in support of FDev I think they are doing a fantastic job at building a game which will sell itself via word-of-mouth. Not hype. Real players saying real things about a real game.

No bull.

Elite: Dangerous is MMO

lol at quoting a wiki for a source... cmon....

note the "edit" button versus

The front page - calls itself a multi-player game.

What is not MMO about ED?

massively multiplayer online. Elite dangerous is not massively multiplayer. It's just multiplayer. The game will feature 32-person instances. Whilst it's very clever (we hope) at matchmaking and instance building, and has some awesome netcode (we hope) behind it, one thing that Elite Dangerous is not is Massively Multiplayer. Even other heavily instanced games such as Dungeons and Dragons Online and APB, have lobbies where you can see the bulk of population in one place at one time.

 

[Smugallo]

IGN and Gamespot, two sites I wouldn't give much time to. I don't really play AAA game titles anymore because I can't remember the last time I actually played one through to the end. When games try to be like movies too much, and only come packing 6 hours of actual gameplay (trophies and achievments are NOT content btw) then I get bored real fast.

Although I have to admit that SC made it on the list, ED will forever be in its shadow I'm afraid as SC got of to a flying start an d the information drip on ED has more or less been turned off.

 

[Nagual]

What is not MMO about ED?

From the Urban Dictionary ...

MMO (emm emm oh)
noun. Informal.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game MMORPG
A game that can typically be played with only the left mouse button. Many cost money per month to play online, unlike other games. Requires minimal skill but maximum amount of time playing. Gameplay usually involves performing some simple action(s) thousands of times repeatedly to "level up".
"World of Warcraft is a great MMO, 15 dollars per month well-spent."

 

[Mars]

IGN and Gamespot, two sites I wouldn't give much time to. I don't really play AAA game titles anymore because I can't remember the last time I actually played one through to the end.

Far Cry 3 was the last AAA game I really enjoyed, but yes, I pretty much ignore AAA games now for the reasons you mention and others. Its in the Indie space where all the interesting games are being made these days.

 

[Kroy]

FDev are indi, but not quite in the same way that other companies would say they're indi. Even David in his recent interview covers this. Should we expect more from FDev because they are a "big" company? Yes. Should we expect them to shoot themselves in the foot by overhyping a game that they haven't delivered yet? No:

One of the things that frustrates me is that a lot of indie games are "Triple-A" – I mean, the term "Triple-A has been so abused to essentially mean Call of Duty. Even the term "indie game," you know… is Frontier an indie? Technically speaking, we're independent, but we're a big company. I think arguably we are, but in a lot of the mindset of this, where you're talking about two or three people working out of a back bedroom – which obviously I was once – maybe we're not indie any more in that sense.

Source.

Far Cry 3 was the last AAA game I really enjoyed, but yes, I pretty much ignore AAA games now for the reasons you mention and others. Its in the Indie space where all the interesting games are being made these days.

Definitely. Compare Sim City and Banished. I have been a fan of Sim City in the past, haven't looked at it since the 90s but the latest Sim City caught my attention initially. But ofc did not buy. Banished, however, an indi developer of just one(?) will have my cash.

 

[Associat0r]

Those calling for hype still haven't come up with a reason WHY we want hype at this stage. Every player has an overhead. As we've seen with many games in the past, if you grow too fast, you can't maintain that overhead. Customer support, bandwidth, communications, forum moderation, in-game moderation and so on. All these things come at a price, and in support of FDev I think they are doing a fantastic job at building a game which will sell itself via word-of-mouth. Not hype. Real players saying real things about a real game.

No bull.



lol at quoting a wiki for a source... cmon....

note the "edit" button versus

The front page - calls itself a multi-player game.



massively multiplayer online. Elite dangerous is not massively multiplayer. It's just multiplayer. The game will feature 32-person instances. Whilst it's very clever (we hope) at matchmaking and instance building, and has some awesome netcode (we hope) behind it, one thing that Elite Dangerous is not is Massively Multiplayer. Even other heavily instanced games such as Dungeons and Dragons Online and APB, have lobbies where you can see the bulk of population in one place at one time.

The only reason why FD doesn't call ED MMO is because of the negative connotations behind the term, but ED is still an MMO.

Almost every MMO these days is heavily instanced especially twitch based ones, also not having a lobby with all people at one place doesn't make it not MMO, although we may be able to interact with the population docked at a space station.

Also ED is featured on sites like Massively, mmorpg.com and the mmorpg subreddit and the majority agrees that it is an MMO, you guys are selling the game short and this is doing great damage to the perception of the game.

 

[Gibbonici]

Those calling for hype still haven't come up with a reason WHY we want hype at this stage. Every player has an overhead. As we've seen with many games in the past, if you grow too fast, you can't maintain that overhead. Customer support, bandwidth, communications, forum moderation, in-game moderation and so on.

Hype also builds up massive and unsustainable expections that leads directly to disappointment and bad word of mouth after release, especially with MMO type games. "Wait, all that hype and you've only given us a GAME?! what?"

I like the quietly confident route that Frontier are taking, it's refreshing. It might turn out to not deliver everything given in the DDA, but at least is hasn't billed itself as the second coming for the past year or so.

 

[Laithlind]

IGN's 25 PC Games to Play in 2014

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/01/21/25-pc-games-to-play-in-2014?page=1

Nice list of games I don't want to play

 

[Alric]

There seems to be a level of fearful insularity around here which I don't think is a good thing. It's as if new people coming in to the game or people getting together in a group would be playing with the specific goal of ruining our lives. Or as if the only acceptable way to find out about E : D is to come looking for it.

This might be an Elite game, but it's also a 2014 game. Not an 80s/early 90s game. Simply burying our heads in the sand and pretending that the way every other game does things is fundamentally bad, and that E : D will thrive on original Elite players alone is not very realistic.

There are many people who grew up since previous games came out who are just as suited to playing E : D as those who are old enough to remember Elite and Frontier. And for those who just don't want them around, you can literally exclude them from your game and play like they don't exist.

E : D is already committed to being a modern err..very largely but optionally? multiplayer online game. It is not 100% kickstarter funded so I think it's fair to say that selling copies post-launch is quite important to it being a success.

Since some of the big features of the game will be post launch expansions, it being successful enough to support their development is rather important even for those who want to play single player. Hoping the developer does not add basic modern features, does not market the game effectively and does not do basic things to support players spreading the word is not going to help with that.

Elite and Frontier were ground breaking games which amazed a whole generation of players. Frontier, as I recall, made a massive splash and had reviewers calling it the best game ever. Making a game just for old players who have been clicking refresh on frontier developments for 20 years and don't need any marketing - much as I'm one of them - would not only be bad business but also a disservice to the original games.

I hope that E : D takes the epic scale and freedom of Elite and Frontier to another level with modern computing power and connectivity. I hope it gets all the attention it deserves and introduces this genre - done right - to a new generation. It won't do that by taking much of the advice in this and so many other threads.

 

[Associat0r]

There seems to be a level of fearful insularity around here which I don't think is a good thing. It's as if new people coming in to the game or people getting together in a group would be playing with the specific goal of ruining our lives. Or as if the only acceptable way to find out about E : D is to come looking for it.

This might be an Elite game, but it's also a 2014 game. Not an 80s/early 90s game. Simply burying our heads in the sand and pretending that the way every other game does things is fundamentally bad, and that E : D will thrive on original Elite players alone is not very realistic.

There are many people who grew up since previous games came out who are just as suited to playing E : D as those who are old enough to remember Elite and Frontier. And for those who just don't want them around, you can literally exclude them from your game and play like they don't exist.

E : D is already committed to being a modern err..very largely but optionally? multiplayer online game. It is not 100% kickstarter funded so I think it's fair to say that selling copies post-launch is quite important to it being a success.

Since some of the big features of the game will be post launch expansions, it being successful enough to support their development is rather important even for those who want to play single player. Hoping the developer does not add basic modern features, does not market the game effectively and does not do basic things to support players spreading the word is not going to help with that.

Elite and Frontier were ground breaking games which amazed a whole generation of players. Frontier, as I recall, made a massive splash and had reviewers calling it the best game ever. Making a game just for old players who have been clicking refresh on frontier developments for 20 years and don't need any marketing - much as I'm one of them - would not only be bad business but also a disservice to the original games.

I hope that E : D takes the epic scale and freedom of Elite and Frontier to another level with modern computing power and connectivity. I hope it gets all the attention it deserves and introduces this genre - done right - to a new generation. It won't do that by taking much of the advice in this and so many other threads.

I 100% agree with you, we as fans should also start spreading the word around about the expansions and walking around, which most new people don't know about.