Why is Elite dangerous only sold digitally?

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I was thinking about this today and I figured I'd ask you guys, maybe its just because I only started playing earlier this year and don't know the all that has happened with the game but I was just wondering why Elite Dangerous has never had a physical disc available for purchase? This may sound weird but personally I prefer discs and if they ever came out with a collectors edition that had a steelbook or like a statue of something game related, I'd get that in an instant? What do you guys think about this?


I would love to have ED in a big beautiful box with a thick paper manual, a star map and some other cool stuff.

But...

Not when it is not finished.
And ED is a very long term project that is not even close to finished.
It also requires a good online connection anyway..

If FD, in ten years or so, would decide to release a disk version in a box, just like my beloved Frontier: Elite II, I would certainly buy it.
It would be even cooler if by then it would be possible to play the game offline too. That would ensure I would have fun with this game until the day I die.
 
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A physical boxed copy was a reward on KS, for PC as the XBOX version wasn't even mentioned way back then. The DVD has just the launcher. But it did have a copy of Michael's book (with lots of typos!) a jacket lapel pin, neat little note from DB himself and the box was really cool.
It is nice Yaffle, I always liked that "black Monolith" look to the box as, my God, it really is full of stars! ;)
 
I was thinking about this today and I figured I'd ask you guys, maybe its just because I only started playing earlier this year and don't know the all that has happened with the game but I was just wondering why Elite Dangerous has never had a physical disc available for purchase? This may sound weird but personally I prefer discs and if they ever came out with a collectors edition that had a steelbook or like a statue of something game related, I'd get that in an instant? What do you guys think about this?

I've got a physical disc of Elite: Dangerous... Got it when I bought the game when it was released.
 
Probably find piracy has something to do with it. Back in the day there were all sorts of problems and the game was probably pirated more than purchased.
 
Probably find piracy has something to do with it. Back in the day there were all sorts of problems and the game was probably pirated more than purchased.
Ever heard of the anti-piracy measures employed on the spectrum port? Now that was something.. Imagine having to put up with this crap today:

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Back in those days, games magazines (from reputable mainsteam publishing houses no less) would print people's hacks to circumvent this kind of protection, which even paying users were compelled to find workarounds for since they were such a PITA..
 
Because patches render them useless.

A week after releasing the CD, what's on that CD is no longer applicable. You would have to install the game entirely and then start fully patching that from the CD release time to whatever stage you're at.

I like CDs too. But I keep that love for music. The only thing CDs do in gaming these days is look far more attractive when you walk into a shop to buy one, and force me to change them between games.
 
Premier Manager had a fun copy protection scheme. You had a wheel with football kits on and you turned it to reveal a code.

FE2s was naff. You were asked from a letter from a word on x paragraph y page. Get it wrong unwittingly and you save the game after...then you dock again and the rozzers confiscate your ship. Game over man and your save is useless!

At least it all came on one disk. Beneath a Steel Sky was ten or eleven...
 
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Because patches render them useless.

A week after releasing the CD, what's on that CD is no longer applicable. You would have to install the game entirely and then start fully patching that from the CD release time to whatever stage you're at.

I like CDs too. But I keep that love for music. The only thing CDs do in gaming these days is look far more attractive when you walk into a shop to buy one, and force me to change them between games.

Back in the days of Elite and Elite II / III, games were much more solidly built. There were the odd thing you had to do sometimes but before the net was big, we actually got what we paid for instead of half finished games *cough*bethesda*cough*

That's why the follow up Elites got a bit of bad press lol
 
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Premier Manager had a fun copy protection scheme. You had a wheel with football kits on and you turned it to reveal a code.

FE2s was naff. You were asked from a letter from a word on x paragraph y page. Get it wrong unwittingly and you save the game after...then you dock again and the rozzers confiscate your ship. Game over man and your save is useless!

At least it all came on one disk. Beneath a Steel Sky was ten or eleven...

Wow I'd forgotten all about FE2's one.. That messed up save scenario is pretty horrible. Did it keep bothering you periodically or leave you alone after you'd gotten it right a few times? Can't remember. I'm guessing the former else you could just distribute a save game with the 'cleared' condition written to it.
 
I barely remember. If you got it wrong - Usually you'd get more chances and you'd have to mess up repeatedly. Not always.

If you got it right - you would get bothered much less as time went on, but you still could get the "I'm Officer Brett Slartibartfast" screen. I just had loads of save files Just In Case.
 
I barely remember. If you got it wrong - Usually you'd get more chances and you'd have to mess up repeatedly. Not always.

If you got it right - you would get bothered much less as time went on, but you still could get the "I'm Officer Brett Slartibartfast" screen. I just had loads of save files Just In Case.
Wise man. See, we were flying safe way back when..
 
I pre-paid for the digital Mercenary Edition and upgraded it to include the Boxed - Full Edition in 2014. Followed later by the LEP. Due to some CS inefficiencies/confusion, I didn't get the boxed version until April of 2015. I have it on a shelf still rapped in plastic and have no idea what's inside.
 
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