Elite Dangerous Game Engine / Ship Interior question.

[Gabriel H]

The London Stock Exchange report back then said that by Nov 2020 the Epic launch alone brought 8 million new base game owners.

It was launched on Epic for free iirc.

Edit: So it may have had 8 million downloads, but there was no revenue, and I'd hazard a guess a sizeable chunk gave it a try then deleted it.

 

[zimms]

It was launched on Epic for free iirc.

Edit: So it may have had 8 million downloads, but there was no revenue, and I'd hazard a guess a sizeable chunk gave it a try then deleted it.

But surely Frontier got some kind of compensation. Back then Epic Games were drowning developers in millions just to release on their platform. It would look like a very bad deal if Frontier did it just for the exposure.

 

[amigacooke]

But surely Frontier got some kind of compensation. Back then Epic Games were drowning developers in millions just to release on their platform. It would look like a very bad deal if Frontier did it just for the exposure.

Wasn’t it not too long before Odyssey was due to launch? I expect Frontier hoped that those with free accounts would upgrade.

 

[Hellstar]

I'm ok with cosmetic monetization. hard no to buying ships with real money

 

[Gabriel H]

Wasn’t it not too long before Odyssey was due to launch? I expect Frontier hoped that those with free accounts would upgrade.

It was indeed.

 

[Gabriel H]

But surely Frontier got some kind of compensation. Back then Epic Games were drowning developers in millions just to release on their platform. It would look like a very bad deal if Frontier did it just for the exposure.

Further to Amigacooke's point, taking a gander at the "Most Played List" over on Epic, ED Base Game is at the bottom of the page - now whether it is there just because of a random alogrithm or it relfects popularity is anybody's guess, but it's worth noting the list also includes Farming Simulator 2019, 2022 and 2025; which doesn't exacly instill confidence in player numbers.

 

[amigacooke]

If some of the disillusioned players get even more disillusioned over such bold action, so be it...

The Disillusioned, an unintentional faction introduced into the game, who hang around in the dark corners of their ships (obviously not in game) and bombard poor commanders with ancient texts and moving pictures

 

[metatheurgist]

I'm ok with cosmetic monetization. hard no to buying ships with real money

Technically Arx is not real money.

 

[Gabriel H]

Technically Arx is not real money.

Which is why people are more likely to spend it, and ignore it costs real money to buy Arx. It's a widespread marketing trick.

 

[Riks]

In likeness to this thread's idea with monetizing ship-interiors, I can also imagine the colonization update having options for ARX cosmetics after finishing the station build.
Maybe it's too naive to hope for such, but I can see it paving the way for interiors in the future.
Not that I'm setting any expectations for it- I know it's a bit far-fetched.

 

[amigacooke]

Which is why people are more likely to spend it, and ignore it costs real money to buy Arx. It's a widespread marketing trick.

There’s an interesting passage in the Advertising Standards Authority guidance on in-game purchases

If the virtual currency is only obtained by purchasing it in a real-world transaction then the store front and any inducements to purchase items will be considered to be advertising for the purposes of the CAP Code. This is because the virtual currency is acting as a direct proxy for real money, and the decision to spend it is fundamentally a decision to spend real money. However, if that virtual currency can be earned in the game, then it is considered to be an in-game resource in its own right, regardless of whether players can also pay to ‘top up’. In this case, it is no longer a direct substitution for real money and any inducement to or presentation of purchase with the virtual currency would not be considered to be advertising.

So if a developer gives away some of its virtual currency, ‘it is no longer a direct substitute for real money’, at least in advertising terms.

 

[zimms]

Further to Amigacooke's point, taking a gander at the "Most Played List" over on Epic, ED Base Game is at the bottom of the page - now whether it is there just because of a random alogrithm or it relfects popularity is anybody's guess, but it's worth noting the list also includes Farming Simulator 2019, 2022 and 2025; which doesn't exacly instill confidence in player numbers.

Sure, most people who grabbed the free copies left long ago, that's normal and nothing to worry about.
And I think you're wildly underestimating Farming Simulator.

 

[Gabriel H]

There’s an interesting passage in the Advertising Standards Authority guidance on in-game purchases



So if a developer gives away some of its virtual currency, ‘it is no longer a direct substitute for real money’, at least in advertising terms.

Which is why we can all earn 400 Arx a week.

 

[varonica]

but it's worth noting the list also includes Farming Simulator 2019, 2022 and 2025; which doesn't exacly instill confidence in player numbers.

Farming simulator is actually a very popular game, 25 million copies sold so it's really not that bad a comparison.

 

[Gabriel H]

And I think you're wildly underestimating Farming Simulator.

I'd say that only holds true if 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 had been there.

 

[Gabriel H]

Farming simulator is actually a very popular game, 25 million copies sold so it's really not that bad a comparison.

If it was one, yes, but all 3? How many are sat there still playing 2019 when they've released 6 more?

 

[Ozric]

The last time I checked this was, yet another, ship interiors thread. Not a thread about Epic, their practices, or other games played. So let's keep it on topic.

 

[amigacooke]

yet another ship interiors thread

We live in hope, like RN and PowerPlay Mk 2.

 

[Gabriel H]

To be fair, it's a thread about monetization and player numbers to fuel further development - comparables are hardly off topic.

 

[Ozric]

To be fair, it's a thread about monetization and player numbers to fuel further development - comparables are hardly off topic.

Actually player numbers weren't mentioned, and I still don't see what Farm Simulator player numbers have to do with Frontier selling ship interiors. So...