News Announcement: Elite: Dangerous coming to Xbox One

[Distance]

You realise xbox use pcs to demo their xbox exhibits at trade shows. It's not going to be hard for them to port the game to xbox especially since their engine is already designed around multiple platforms.

 

[Airwave]

It's a general market precedent that causes skepticism. But in the case of a pretty simple game like ED it does not have to be the case that it gets further dumbed down. However, I do think it's a real possibility that the reason ED is so simple in the first place, is because consoles were always in mind. And I think that was something Braben was quite honest about. That said, it's understandable that where people do think the game was hamstrung from the starting gate (and I know not everyone thinks this), they won't be happy to have been shipped an unfinished product that only gets finished in time for a totally new segment of user.

Anyway, without an in-flux of new ED players from a totally different segment, I don't see the game being developed that rapidly, or lasting that long. FD sold the thing to pretty much everyone who was going to buy it back in pre-release days and that money, and then some, was already spent in dev, so they need a new market.

I've always said this, for ED to live on it needs new blood. A few middle-aged gamers on a nostalgia trip (I am of course one of those!) is not a great prospect for ongoing sales growth.

I play elite on PC now at ultra settings. I see nothing that PS4 and Xbox One would have trouble with at mid to high settings. Mapping all the controls to a console controller may be the only challenge they face.
If you want the PC version to expand game sales on console will provide the needed money to make it even greater. PC has graphic settings for games now for the lower end machines. You post is 100% correct more capital = more and faster development. I am excited and plan to buy a second copy of the game to play on my PS4 also.

 

[mossfoot]

Sometimes I think the inhabitants of the B Ark somehow made it onto this thread... isn't there a dirty telephone line you guys should be cleaning before the mutant Star Goat gets here?

 

[DisTuRbedMACH]

It should be interesting to see how the game evolves, with the backing of console players. It'll only get better from here. Have faith that Frontier won't let us down

 

[Hydrino]

It's a general market precedent that causes skepticism. But in the case of a pretty simple game like ED it does not have to be the case that it gets further dumbed down. However, I do think it's a real possibility that the reason ED is so simple in the first place, is because consoles were always in mind. And I think that was something Braben was quite honest about. That said, it's understandable that where people do think the game was hamstrung from the starting gate (and I know not everyone thinks this), they won't be happy to have been shipped an unfinished product that only gets finished in time for a totally new segment of user.

Anyway, without an in-flux of new ED players from a totally different segment, I don't see the game being developed that rapidly, or lasting that long. FD sold the thing to pretty much everyone who was going to buy it back in pre-release days and that money, and then some, was already spent in dev, so they need a new market.

I've always said this, for ED to live on it needs new blood. A few middle-aged gamers on a nostalgia trip (I am of course one of those!) is not a great prospect for ongoing sales growth.

It is very nice that Frontier lets folk continue to post on their forums with a signature that basically says "sue Frontier with me, find info here". Oh, Kickstarters...

I wonder why some rather smart persons are going on about the game not being complete or being in the simple state it is when they fully understand the financial and time constraints faced by FD? It is obvious the job could not be done on the Kickstarter funds (or even adding in some FD millions from IPO) in two years.

If you've so much cash, why not buy the company and give it a go to see if you can make the PC game all it can be without going bankrupt doing it?

 

[Hydrino]

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.

Wisdom. But let's hope the niche market is a few millions strong. With sales of a few million, FD could do Elite justice. What we have now is really great based on the constraints FD faced/faces, but I firmly believe this team deserves so much more support and it is sad they haven't gotten it from the likes of Star Citizen backers. I hope then that console sales bring it on.

 

[UW-SoulReaper]

Consoles suck.. how can this in any way be good for PC. It can't period.

 

[Distance]

Consoles suck.. how can this in any way be good for PC. It can't period.

It ain't rocket science. This is an mmoish game with no subscription so FD need more money so the game can have a longer lifetime. People didn't want to pay for subscriptions, people don't want to pay for ships or credits so the only way fd can make more money for the game is by opening it up to other markets.

If they sell as many copies on xbox as they did pc and then as many again on ps4 they've effectively tripled their revenue that they can plough back in to the games development all at little cost since the game engine is already designed to be multiplatform.

If you can't see why this is a good thing then you're incredibly closed minded.

 

[mossfoot]

Consoles suck.. how can this in any way be good for PC. It can't period.

Your compelling argument and well documented facts have convinced me.

Consoles, unlike PCs, are incapable of having a menstrual cycle.

 

[devastat]

Consoles suck.. how can this in any way be good for PC. It can't period.

Maybe Frontier wanted to expand their playerbase to the fastest growing platform?

 

[Dean Smith]

YAY! More people get to play our game! The game we love and support! Yay! This is awesome news! More players means more revenue which means more content and support! For the game we love!

Wait, the people who are going to come play with us are not... good people?! Really? Who decided this? The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race who label every console player as a 360 no-scope haxx0r? They sound very credible.

Wait, the consoles that will be used are not... good enough to run the game?! Really? Who decided this? The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race who run the game under Ultra settings with their overclocked watercooled Zorgon Peterson i9 CPU? They sound very credible.

Wait, the people who are going to come play with us mean the focus will be on... consoles only? Really? Who decided this? The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race who think that a server-based procedurally generated world only exists in the eyes of the client? They sound very credible.

So in summary, PCs and Consoles:

 

[Pibbles]

I am guessing due to the limitations of console hardware, it is safe to assume no more complicated systems will be implemented, such as planetary landing, first person things or other major features.

What do you think these limitations may be exactly?

 

[Hermit]

Well, all those that have been trying to have it all their own way against the demands of regualr online gamers will have to show a little bit more flexibility now. The console gamers will make even greater demands for online play. So expect the usual features being implemented that you see in other MMOs.
-
Ship sniper weapons anyone? *shudders*
-
It probably won't be that bad. I think the addition of console players will do the game the world of good. I just hope that FD don't start adding pointless extra game modes. Get stuck in to open with everyone else, or stay in solo. That's all you really need

 

[Pibbles]

I play elite on PC now at ultra settings. I see nothing that PS4 and Xbox One would have trouble with at mid to high settings. Mapping all the controls to a console controller may be the only challenge they face.
If you want the PC version to expand game sales on console will provide the needed money to make it even greater. PC has graphic settings for games now for the lower end machines.

Agreed, graphically the game will run on a PS4 or XBOne with no issues at all. I think that there are design choices around the UI that are clearly made with consoles in mind, and even simplification of the underlying game that aids navigation on consoles (very limited list of trading commodities etc), but there's no performance constraint here. You'd have an impossible job making A10 play well on an XB1 for example, even though you could make it look good. But the arcade style of ED suits the console workflow and controller set perfectly.

And crucially, console gamers and the platform owners demand a far higher level of quality than we currently see in ED, so FD will be forced to improve their game, especially in terms of multiplayer - seasoned console players will laugh at 4 man wings. I personally reserve judgement on if they can actually pull that level of quality off, but that's what will have to happen to be taken seriously by the console market. The developers in that arena are masters of their craft. But if you are a glass half full sort of person, that is a positive driver.

Honestly, for anyone wanting ED to be around for a long time, this can only be good news.

 

[Nikita]

Just a little research would show you that, the XBox One has almost the same operating system... Therefore its a case of tweaking rather than rewriting the code from base, but without having to consider the various differing makes and types of Processors, sound and Graphics Cards that will be found in a PC...

Seriously this thread is so full of holes and some posters seem to have other agendas, it would seem sometimes that everyone wants FD to fail, yes they have made mistakes on launch and the game does require more content and finesse, but the Drama of the forums is quite something else, considering that we are supposed to be predominately adults.

I am not entirely sure what the point is you were trying to make , but i think you may have misread my post. So I am just gonna summarize my point.

1. People are concerned. ....I can see their point of view. PC gamers are just very cynical about consoles these days.
2. Other Platforms were on the cards from the beginning.
3. Something to this effect was said to the backers from the start.
4. I don't particularly care, if they release the game on other platforms as long as they keep iterating the pc game at the pace they have demonstrated.

I think people need to calm down and move on.

Oh and here is your company report for the last fiscal year.

Frontier Development Annual Report (PDF)

 

[Patrick_68000]

I would say that it is probably quite naive thinking that they would start to work on the Xbox One version only now, after the game is announced.

Of course, many things are made in anticipation, and announced later. To reduce the risks to a minimum (as the network part of the game before the kickstarter)

 

[Patrick_68000]

I am guessing due to the limitations of console hardware, it is safe to assume no more complicated systems will be implemented, such as planetary landing, first person things or other major features.

Frontier has announced "the walking around the ship" and "the planetary landings" as two pillars to come for the game. No problem at this level

 

[Patrick_68000]

It ain't rocket science. This is an mmoish game with no subscription so FD need more money so the game can have a longer lifetime. People didn't want to pay for subscriptions, people don't want to pay for ships or credits so the only way fd can make more money for the game is by opening it up to other markets.

If they sell as many copies on xbox as they did pc and then as many again on ps4 they've effectively tripled their revenue that they can plough back in to the games development all at little cost since the game engine is already designed to be multiplatform.

If you can't see why this is a good thing then you're incredibly closed minded.

I hope that Frontier will be well established in the Chinese market also

 

[Conn_obi]

So glad to hear this. Been a lifelong fan of Elite from back in the 80's. and even today I still rate it in my top 5 all time greatest games list.

I even funded the kickstarter, even though at the time it was just a PC game and I had no means to play it, just because I wanted to ensure this game got made, in the hope that one day I might have the means to play it.

Much as I'd love to own a kickass gaming PC and the time to play it, reality means I'm now a casual gamer Dad with access only to games consoles and the TV when the kids aren't watching cartoons!

Very excited to be part of this growing community and to get out in a Cobra again. I wonder how Lave is looking after 30 odd years? I can't wait to find out

Ah, Elite. My wish has come true at last - I need never buy another game, ever again!!!!

 

[Conn_obi]

Spot on. I wouldn't see the development of Elite going on for much longer (after the announced expansions are released) without the release of the console versions.

Just something else to consider - there are lots of people out there who for whatever reason can't game on PC's but still want to play the game.

Myself and my brother played Elite in the 80's, and are lifelong fans. However we can only realistically play games on consoles now. People like us have been praying for ED to come to consoles, and now it is, we're over the moon!

I think hardcore PC gamers forget that there are still mature console gamers out there too, and there is still a massive market for people like us