Elite as a cultural phenomenon?

Lobstris

Lobstris
For my sins I've spent the weekend at a music festival. For a laugh, and as a change from the usual band T-shirts, I wandered around in the classic Cobra - 'Load New Commander (Y/N)' shirt, and was completely taken off guard by the number of strangers who came up to me (lost count well into the double figures - curse you alcohol!) and started re-living childhood memories of the original games (it seems that docking without a docking computer, and the autopilot in Frontier have traumatised a generation of Europeans).

Pimped E: D (and the merch store) wherever I could, but aside from a handful of people who were already 'in the know', I got a lot of the usual 'well I don't really have time for games anymore', but it got me thinking about how much untapped potential nostalgia could drive sales - recognition of the original games still seem so high?
 
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ScottGust

ScottGust
Come to America..u wont have that problem :(
Tho im gonna buy a shirt nyway..i havnt met one RL person amongst my frends n colleagues that remember Elite or care to hear about a space sim for that matter..damn shame (guess im a Brit. at heart ;))
 
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DeGrimmy

DeGrimmy
Elite is often recognised (and rightly so) as one of the most ground-breaking games of all time. A notable example from the TV off the top of my head was Charlie Brooker's How Videogames Changed the World, but bear in mind the list is written chronologically rather than in terms of opinion or rating.

I'm not old enough to have been able to play the original games in their day and I don't have that nostalgia around them, but I had heard about them just through being a gamer, and I recognise that it holds a lot of nostalgic value for a lot of people and should be held in very high esteem indeed! I'm very happy that I get to play an Elite game this time around. :D
 
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Fenris Wolf

Fenris Wolf
Lobstris said:
I wandered around in the classic Cobra - 'Load New Commander (Y/N)' shirt, and was completely taken off guard by the number of strangers who came up to me (lost count well into the double figures - curse you alcohol!) and started re-living childhood memories of the original games
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Had a similar thing at an event a few weeks ago, I was wearing my Elite Dangerous pin-badge on the collar of my shirt and people kept asking if that was from the Elite game! As you said, some knew about the new version but others didn't and you could see the longing in their eyes to return to their childhood and to Elite.

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I think the 'nostalgia' viewpoint could be a great marketing tool for the game.


AXIS said:
guess im a Brit. at heart ;)
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Come the revolution, can we count on your vote ;)
 

EAGLE 5

EAGLE 5
AXIS said:
Come to America..u wont have that problem :(
Tho im gonna buy a shirt nyway..i havnt met one RL person amongst my frends n colleagues that remember Elite or care to hear about a space sim for that matter..damn shame (guess im a Brit. at heart ;))
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Where in Texas? I spotted three other forum members from Houston here. To be fair though we are space city USA.
 

Commander Dave

Commander Dave
Every time I've worn the t-shirts I get comments.
Last weekend in the carpet shop I spent 10 mins with the guy selling me carpet talking about ED and what it's like.
It's great stuff.
 

Jenner

I wish I was English like my hero Tj.
Jenner
A friend of mine here on the forum was kind enough to gift me an Elite t-shirt. I've worn it out a few times, and surprisingly I did have one individual tell me that it was a 'cool shirt'. It was obvious they were an old fan of Elite.

So...even in Arizona there are fans of the original. ;)
 

Hermit

Hermit
Wear your t-shirts, put on your badges, and spread the word!

There are alot of former Elite players out there, wandering around, unaware that their empty souls can be filled once more :D
 

Winterwalker

Winterwalker
A 3D game engine that pre-dated Windows 1 !! (Pretty major contribution I'd say, to popularising the micro-computer before the dawn of PC.) Probably inspired an awful lot of programmers.

In the wider world, oddly, I think Elite still has a kind of cult status (which is different from extreme wide appeal). Many have never heard of, most of those who have got a pretty deep involvement.

I've impressed one or two by being a backer in kickstarter, my flying jacket now having ED wings and my best prediction is that in 10 years time ED will be THE game still. I fully expect (and hope for) developments to continue long into the future.
 

Toumal

Toumal
Had a couple colleagues at work talk to me about my tshirt as well :) And similarly, some knew about ED, while a few did not!
 

Lobstris

Lobstris
Toumal said:
Had a couple colleagues at work talk to me about my tshirt as well :) And similarly, some knew about ED, while a few did not!
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Yeah. I've had the work experience too. Both my bosses were a bit baffled by the concept of a forty-something man paying to test a game. :D
 
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