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Author Topic: Elite remake on Kickstarter  (Read 1607 times)

JongWK

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« on: November 06, 2012, 08:19:48 AM »
Interesting:

Quote
Classic video game Elite is getting a 21st Century makeover.

David Braben, one of the creators of the original, is seeking £1.25m ($2m) via Kickstarter to fund the updated version.

Called Elite: Dangerous it will involve the same mix of interstellar travel, trading, piracy and spaceships as the original 8-bit game.

Those who pledge cash to the project will also get a chance to shape the development of the updated version.

"Elite is a game that I've wanted to come back to for a very, very long time," Mr Braben told the BBC. "It's the sort of game that I would very much like to play today."


Full BBC story here.
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The Traveller

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2012, 08:57:49 AM »
Much easier just to make Oolite multiplayer. Hahaha! More seriously, this is great, but how did they get on BBC news? They should make their target in about two days, talk about blanket coverage.
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Ladybird

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2012, 09:01:02 AM »
They're british and Braben's a bit of a legend to certain type of person over here.

I'm in for this.
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Tahmoh

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2012, 11:18:01 AM »
Yeah i think im gonna pledge for this aswell, ive wanted a new elite game for years so hopefully this one proves to be the right one to back.

Sandepande

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2012, 11:21:37 AM »
Kind of hoping there is something else besides tradin' and shootin'. I was not happy with Frontier (the combat was dreadful, but beyond that, there wasn't all that much to do). Crunchiness I want.

Ghost Whistler
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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2012, 01:33:23 PM »
1 and a quarter million quid?

What's he doing, building the Prometheus?
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Sandepande

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2012, 01:58:26 PM »
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;598011
What's he doing, building the Prometheus?


If he's being serious, he might want some content in there, in addition to all the procedural wonderfullyness.

Melan

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2012, 05:12:19 PM »
£273,231 in a single day means it's going to make it unless something goes horribly wrong. What amazes me is how small the original was: you can really fit all that into 22k? I never played it, but Elite was always a legendarily expansive game.
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Ladybird

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2012, 06:05:39 PM »
Quote from: Melan;598068
£273,231 in a single day means it's going to make it unless something goes horribly wrong. What amazes me is how small the original was: you can really fit all that into 22k? I never played it, but Elite was always a legendarily expansive game.


Procedural generation! Why build the universe, when you can just give the game the seed and let it to it for you? It takes advantage of the ways that computers generate random numbers (Basically, they have a list of random numbers that they go through); by picking a number from a specific point each time, and then applying your universe-generating algorithm to it, you'll get the same result every time, and you can concentrate on particular bits of it that the player is interested in.

A recent game that did the same thing was Asobo's FUEL, an open-world post-apocalyptic racer, but also see this nifty SWN sector generator.
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The Traveller

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2012, 06:32:41 PM »
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;598011
1 and a quarter million quid?

What's he doing, building the Prometheus?

Rolling out a full bells and whistles game can cost a lot more than that. I'll be surprised if he manages on that budget actually.

Quote from: Ladybird;598080
Procedural generation! Why build the universe, when you can just give the game the seed and let it to it for you? It takes advantage of the ways that computers generate random numbers (Basically, they have a list of random numbers that they go through); by picking a number from a specific point each time, and then applying your universe-generating algorithm to it, you'll get the same result every time, and you can concentrate on particular bits of it that the player is interested in.

Yeah I use a similar method to generate arbitrarily large dungeons without losing much and gaining some significant advantages in the process, resulting in a dungeon stretching under a continent spanning several million square kilometers. Now that's a megadungeon.
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Quote from: that muppet vince baker on RPGs
If you care about character arcs or any, any, any lit 101 stuff, I'd choose a different game.

Ladybird

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2012, 07:20:14 PM »
Interesting post on RPS. I don't know how to link to an arbitrary comment there, but...

Quote
melnificent says:

Copied from my EG post……

I love elite, but I want to raise some concerns about this kickstarter and the company behind it.

It’s been in development for over 10 years (14 years at present), like duke nukem forever.
 It is being made by a proper commercial entity, like duke nukem forever.
 The company has produced a couple of good hits (lost winds) amongst a sea of mediocrity (generic kinect stuff), like duke nukem forevers parent company.

There are no screenshots, concept art or any assets at all. Unlike Duke nukem Forever, which did have concept art and a trailer video.

As it stands at the moment it’s on course to be even more vapour like than DNF. It’s already past the same timescale.
 Ask yourself, why would a company that has been around for years suddenly need money upfront without proof of anything. Especially, after promising the game from as far back as 1998.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/qanda-david-braben-from-elite-to-today-6162140

This is a cash grab to keep the studio going for a few more months. Traded on the back of a promise, looking at nostalgia.

The company accounts show that from 2009 they have blown through almost £5m in 2 years (down to £1m) and at that rate will be bankrupt by next year.
 The shares have dropped £4m in a year. And the liabilities have more than doubled.

This £1.2m kickstarter is to make sure they can get through to the next financial year. Nothing more. The expected delivery date is AFTER they have run out of cash even with kickstarter backing.

http://companycheck.co.uk/company/02892559

Most damning of all their last game (announced 2008) has yet to materialise. Beyond a trailer from a few years back.

I really do want to be proven wrong as I’d love another elite, but I’m afraid the writing is on the wall. This will most likely be a high profile kickstarter failure. And the collapse of a company to boot.


Hmm. £1.2m, after all, isn't a huge amount of money, and 15 months isn't very long to develop a game these days. I do want an Elite 4, but...
« Last Edit: November 06, 2012, 07:34:26 PM by Ladybird »
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jibbajibba

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2012, 11:25:32 AM »
Quote from: Ladybird;598087
Interesting post on RPS. I don't know how to link to an arbitrary comment there, but...



Hmm. £1.2m, after all, isn't a huge amount of money, and 15 months isn't very long to develop a game these days. I do want an Elite 4, but...


Seems to me they shoudl release Elite as a Facebook game. Its perfectly suited to it.
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Tahmoh

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« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2012, 12:19:37 PM »
nah then they'd have to pack it with pay to play crap and nobody would play it anymore.

The Traveller

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« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2012, 03:02:18 PM »
Quote from: Ladybird;598087
Interesting post on RPS. I don't know how to link to an arbitrary comment there, but...

What a pity. Do they own an exclusive licence to the name of the game?
"These children are playing with dark and dangerous powers!"
"What else are you meant to do with dark and dangerous powers?"
A concise overview of GNS theory.
Quote from: that muppet vince baker on RPGs
If you care about character arcs or any, any, any lit 101 stuff, I'd choose a different game.

Ladybird

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Elite remake on Kickstarter
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2012, 05:16:09 PM »
Quote from: The Traveller;598304
What a pity. Do they own an exclusive licence to the name of the game?


It's their IP; as to the trademark on the name, that isn't my area of expertise, but I think so, maybe.

Still, maybe we can start a kickstarter to pick it up in the event of their collapse.
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