Short answer: No, ED is in it for the long haul, and when ED has both its major expansions released, it will make NMS pale in comparison.
Long answer:
It's a bit disingenuous to say that NMS is a
completely different game than Elite Dangerous. A completely different game would be something like
this.
But if we do comparisons between ED and NMS, only the core are similar
- They are both procedurally generated
- They are both space games
Though these two core factors are incredibly important similarities, the differences are more numerous:
- Elite Dangerous is based on real sci-fi space, with realistic atmospheres and orbital distances (only the orbital speed is sped up)
- NMS is a stylized game based on space-fantasy with flying mountains, and tiny atmospheres, absurd "non-orbits" (that's cool though, I like it)
- Elite Dangerous will be about multiplayer, while living a character's life in the game. Your purpose is whatever you want it to be. Affecting local economies, politics, charting new territory, piracy, assassination / bounty hunting etc.
- NMS will be a game experience closer to Starbound (though only singleplayer and in 3d), where your only purpose is to gather (mine?) resources on each planet in order to get enough resources to jump to the next system.
- Elite Dangerous' combat & flight dynamics seem very intricate with a steep learning curve
- NMS' combat & flight dynamics seem very simplistic
- Elite Dangerous' sense of scale will be far more epic, both in space and on planets. View distance will most likely be long distance (based on previous games, and the way Cobra engine works)
- NMS sense of scale is not epic, though its style is beautiful like a Chris Foss painting (someone mentioned). View distance is occluded by dense fog, likely to cover up limitations of the engine.
- Elite Dangerous is for the PC
- NMS is for PS4 (hence they got much more awareness than ED)
Also, in all interviews with Hello Games about NMS, when asked about what inspired their game, they've never ever mentioned Elite as being a strong inspiration. I find that a bit disingenuous as I very highly suspect Elite was the major inspiration behind it.
