Yes, even if they put consoles on hold for another few years, console players would still be able to eventually experience EDO (and any updates afterwards), even if it was only on a Series X/S or PS5 (which there are currently zero plans for).
The fact they've completely canceled development and hadn't even bothered to figure out if full account transfers are possible before making this announcement tells the entire console playerbase that FD doesn't care in the slightest about the hundreds (if not thousands) of hours spent and the cosmetics that have been bought or earned.
As I have said in other posts....
There has been talk that accounts should be transferred, but I believe this is nothing but a pipe dream, a hopeful grasp by the console player at an excuse to continue playing Elite Dangerous without feeling scammed or completely abandoned. Console accounts (progress, upgrades, vanity items, etc.) will most likely never be transferred, not on a large scale such as this. Supposedly, complete accounts have been transferred from console to PC before, but this was done on an individual basis, and it was rarely done, and as far as I know, this is just rumor. This scenario regarding console players is much different.
Although Arx credits can be transferred from console to PC, but as for the rest of a commander's career, that is looking quite dismal. For console players, they are looking at repeating the repetitive grind again (and many console players have thousands of hours invested). I mean, I love Elite Dangerous as much as the next fanboy, but the prospect of repeating the grind that I have already done, already suffered for, seems daunting and sickening at best.
One of the main reason as to why I believe there will be no account transfers is that there was simply no discussion on it. Not by Braben. Not by Frontier. Not by FDevs. You would have thought that account transfers would have been discussed in Braben's statement, but it was not, simply because Frontier is most likely doubtful that they can do it. We have to remember that the decision to abandon consoles was not done overnight. I believe it can be safely assumed that Frontier knew about their ultimate decision six months ago. Having said that, you would have to believe that at some point there was discussion regarding account transfers. It is my opinion that they had this discussion, with the conclusion that "console to PC" transfers would not happen, mainly because of the size of the task (among other things). So Frontier continued to remain silent, allowing console players to continue playing (or buying the game for the first time), continue waiting to purchase the new DLC, and most of all, continue buying Arx for their vanity items. We shouldn't be surprised by this. This isn't the first shady thing that Frontier has done.
Furthermore, even if it is announced that accounts can/will be transferred from consoles to PCs, it will most likely not happen for months (perhaps longer). Also, can we even trust Frontier to do this account transferring correctly? Can you imagine the horror of a commander being told by FDev that their account career was lost during transfer? Their track record in regards to the maintenance of the game is mediocre at best. It will still be mediocre, even though FDevs will be working with one code and no concerns about consoles. That is just how they work. I am still waiting for the shiet-storm when FDev goes to one code. That will be fun to watch.
Perhaps I am wrong, and that would be good. But I don't think I am wrong about this. I believe that Elite Dangerous for consoles is finished. There will be no vocal outcry from most of the PC crowd, and even some of the ED-YouTube crowd are now shrugging their shoulders and saying "Oh well, guess buy a PC". One example of this was Down To Earth Astronomy's video on the console abandonment. His entire video is benign, plain, and naive. He pretty much says that at least the servers for console players will be kept open, but that the bright side is that now FDev can focus their attention on going forward with lore, story, and content for Elite Dangerous. What he fails to say is that all it is for PC players (which he is one himself). I believe most ED-YouTubers are not critical about this poor decision by Frontier. It seems that their attitude is, "Okay, that's done. Now lets get to the new content". So much for the bond of the ED community.
Again, FDevs consider console players as a lost cause. Much like triage, they are no longer trying to treat the problem, or cure it. As far as console players are concern, we are a malignant tumor that needs to be excised. We are at the fourth stage of terminal treatment regarding Elite Dangerous on consoles, and all they will try to do is make the patient comfortable before pulling the plug. What PC players fail to realize is that this decision will eventually affect them as well, maybe to the point of having to say goodbye to their game as well (and I say that as a PC player).
I have to say again that I won't fault any console player who continues to play Elite Dangerous. But they should realize that this one expansive game in now stagnant, and it is pretty much in its death-throes. As a player on Xbox, PS5, and PC, I have been quietly loyal to this game for many years, logging thousands of hours, and sat quietly with the many disappointments that the FDevs and Frontier has given us. This decision, though, was just too much to excuse any longer. Much like my analogy of a cheating spouse, how much does one take before you finally garner respect for yourself and say, "Enough".
Like I said, I would rather walk out before I am asked to leave.
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to pick are going to take firing shots at them for the mess they have made.