DB spoke out his intention to evolve Elite 4 after Outsider.
Let me give you the info.
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/theoutsider/news.html?sid=6162140
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Nov 22, 2006 10:33 am PT
GameSpot caught up with David Braben after listening to his talk on "Gaming: Now And Then" at the Game On exhibition in London.
GSUK: So, first things first. Are we ever going to see Elite 4?
DB: Well, we started it in 2000--and we stopped it in 2000. The reason was, we started it as a MMORPG, and the technology at the time for connectivity was rubbish. It had been oversold by the providers. We realised very quickly that what we wanted to do would overload the system and that we would end up taking the blame for the failings of the telecommunications industry. It was put on hold after that. Now we've decided to do two projects: One will be a single-player game, and the other will be the massively multiplayer online role-playing game. We will do Elite 4 after Outsider, so it will benefit from everything we've done in Outsider. In Elite, you were a spaceship, to move on to be a person, so many other things have to happen. Apologies for it taking so long, and I really mean that, but it's a game dear to my heart, and I don't want to do it badly.
So the answer : they will do Elite 4 after Outsider.
Is there significance in the info.
I will make an effort to answer that question. Lets set things in a timeframe first.
Around 1998 there was the first rumour of an elite 4 game. In 2000/2001 the rumour got commercial newsvalue. It appeared in magazines.
November 2006. DB tells EB Frontier will do Elite 4 after Outsider. Again commercial newsvalue. Some German magazines speculate Elite 4 could well be released in 2009.
What happens if we make an extrapolation ?
First I will make an lineair aextrapolation. Six years from 2000 to 2006. This means we could well see the next announcement for Elite 4 around 2012.
We can also make an decreasing extrapolation. Then we end up with the German Magazines. They tell us : Release could be certainly a fact in 2009. And Yes : Decreasing extrapolators are optimistic.
We can also make an increasing extrapolation. This will finalize the picture. Release then can be viewed upon at say around 2020. Yes, there could be certainly some truth in that.
2009 ?. Sure. Will be OK.
2012. Sure. Will be OK. My guess is legend Burt Rutan will start commercial spaceflights with his spaceshipone or maybe spaceship2 in 2012. SpaceShip1 already took the 100 km border set by NASA and got into space above the 100 km in may 2004. Burt and his team in 2004 were planning to take about 6 to 8 people a ride in 8 or 10 years. Enter space thus could very well be affordable in 2012. And looking to me very much more safe then an US spaceshuttle or an IMP COURIER or KRAIT without an atmospheric shield or/and a military hyperdrive.
2020 ? As I read somewhere some years ago a hotel on the moon was planned for 2020. So release of Elite 4 in 2020 will be OK as well. Will there be a role for Elite 4 in 2020?
Maybe.
My point.
Do not overreact on revelations.
But man
… will I be the first to run to the shop for it.
Blood.
Let me give you the info.
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/theoutsider/news.html?sid=6162140
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Nov 22, 2006 10:33 am PT
GameSpot caught up with David Braben after listening to his talk on "Gaming: Now And Then" at the Game On exhibition in London.
GSUK: So, first things first. Are we ever going to see Elite 4?
DB: Well, we started it in 2000--and we stopped it in 2000. The reason was, we started it as a MMORPG, and the technology at the time for connectivity was rubbish. It had been oversold by the providers. We realised very quickly that what we wanted to do would overload the system and that we would end up taking the blame for the failings of the telecommunications industry. It was put on hold after that. Now we've decided to do two projects: One will be a single-player game, and the other will be the massively multiplayer online role-playing game. We will do Elite 4 after Outsider, so it will benefit from everything we've done in Outsider. In Elite, you were a spaceship, to move on to be a person, so many other things have to happen. Apologies for it taking so long, and I really mean that, but it's a game dear to my heart, and I don't want to do it badly.
So the answer : they will do Elite 4 after Outsider.
Is there significance in the info.
I will make an effort to answer that question. Lets set things in a timeframe first.
Around 1998 there was the first rumour of an elite 4 game. In 2000/2001 the rumour got commercial newsvalue. It appeared in magazines.
November 2006. DB tells EB Frontier will do Elite 4 after Outsider. Again commercial newsvalue. Some German magazines speculate Elite 4 could well be released in 2009.
What happens if we make an extrapolation ?
First I will make an lineair aextrapolation. Six years from 2000 to 2006. This means we could well see the next announcement for Elite 4 around 2012.
We can also make an decreasing extrapolation. Then we end up with the German Magazines. They tell us : Release could be certainly a fact in 2009. And Yes : Decreasing extrapolators are optimistic.
We can also make an increasing extrapolation. This will finalize the picture. Release then can be viewed upon at say around 2020. Yes, there could be certainly some truth in that.
2009 ?. Sure. Will be OK.
2012. Sure. Will be OK. My guess is legend Burt Rutan will start commercial spaceflights with his spaceshipone or maybe spaceship2 in 2012. SpaceShip1 already took the 100 km border set by NASA and got into space above the 100 km in may 2004. Burt and his team in 2004 were planning to take about 6 to 8 people a ride in 8 or 10 years. Enter space thus could very well be affordable in 2012. And looking to me very much more safe then an US spaceshuttle or an IMP COURIER or KRAIT without an atmospheric shield or/and a military hyperdrive.
2020 ? As I read somewhere some years ago a hotel on the moon was planned for 2020. So release of Elite 4 in 2020 will be OK as well. Will there be a role for Elite 4 in 2020?
Maybe.
My point.
Do not overreact on revelations.
But man
… will I be the first to run to the shop for it.Blood.