Elite: Dangerous [PC, X1]

[Winjer]

http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/screenshots/EliteDangerous/ED%20Beta%201%20_Inside-a-Rich-Orbis-Station.jpg




Take control of your own starship in a cutthroat galaxy.In the year 3300, across the vast expanse of an epic, full-scale recreation of our Milky Way, interstellar rivalries flare as galactic superpowers fight proxy wars.
Some may know you as an ally; others will call you a pirate, a bounty hunter, a smuggler, an explorer, an assassin, a hero... Fly alone or with friends, fight for a cause or go it alone; your actions change the galaxy around you in an ever unfolding story.
Start with a small starship and a few credits, and do whatever it takes to get the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to stand among the ranks of the Elite.

Estúdio: Frontier Developments
Data de lançamento: 16 Dezembro 2014
Plataformas: Windows, Mac OS X




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6peGu2yG6o

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous Is All Systems Go For its Launch Today

http://cdn.eteknix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/VZmjHT0RdpY9.878x0.Z-Z96KYq-800x522.jpg
Elite: Dangerous has finally launched, with the space shooter reaching version 1.0 after two years of development, something that started on Kickstarter.
The game has increased in price upon launch, with it now costing £40/$60, which is a tad higher than it was when it was up for pre-order, but much lower than it was when Elite: Dangerous was swimming around inside of its alpha and beta stages.
The version 1.0 release isn’t much different to the recent releases of the game, namely the “gamma” release – but it’s exciting to see this launch with Star Citizen so long away yet.



Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/elite-dangerous-systems-go-launch-today/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous Review

http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite12-614x345.jpg (http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite12-1920x1080.jpg)
Elite Dangerous ReviewPrice: 39.99
Developer: Frontier Developments
Publisher: Frontier Developments
Platform: PC

It's odd to think that eighteen months ago Elite Dangerous was largely viewed with suspicion. After years of fruitless speculation regarding a potential fourth Elite game, Frontier's £1.5 million Kickstarter appeared to bank on little more than nostalgia, leaving many people, myself included, more than a little sceptical of Frontier's ability to produce such an ambitious game.

This past year, Frontier have proved both the validity of their funding drive and their commitment to the project. They've hit every release deadline they've set themselves, and delivered on (almost) every pledge made in that original Kickstarter proposal. In the space of twelve months I've watched the game grow from a simple combat demo through to an explorable galaxy featuring 100 billion star systems. The development of Elite Dangerous has been a remarkable process to witness. Ultimately though, everything comes down to one question; is the resulting game any good?


http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite1-614x345.jpg (http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite1-1920x1080.jpg)


The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is oh bloody hell it's brilliant. A brief word of caution before we begin, however. Frontier's reasoning behind the Kickstarter was to create a vision that was uncompromised by the involvement of publishers, and that they certainly have done. But as a game it is also quite uncompromising. Space is the harshest of environments, where obliteration is just a few inches of metal away, and Frontier have refused to shy away from that fact. Elite Dangerous is a vast, complex game that gives little in the way of initial direction, expecting the player to learn from experience and experimentation. And death. Sudden, dramatic, frequently embarrassing death.

This is a caution rather than a criticism because Dangerous' lack of compromise is vital to its nature, and it gives so much more than it takes away. The scale of the game is the most obvious example of this. 100 billion star systems is an insane number. But it's visible in almost every facet of the design. Take the aesthetics. Each star system is Elite is realistically structured and mapped to scale. There's a blazing star in the centre orbited by planets, asteroids moons, and space stations, with abyssal gaps of inky, star-pocked void between them. This means often there isn't much to look at on the screen but a few pinpricks of light.


http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite2-614x345.jpg (http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite2-1920x1080.jpg)


In an age where every other game wants to cram a million different objects on the screen, Elite's authentic representation of the sheer emptiness of space has a powerful effect. Yet Elite Dangerous does have something to show you, by golly it makes the most of the opportunity. Whether it's the blue tint of a passing ship's thrusters illuminating the infinite night, or the light of the local sun creeping over the rim of an eclipsing planet, Elite Dangerous is an absolutely beautiful game, and it that lets you savour that beauty, rather than assaulting your eyes with it.

Even more important is how it feels to play. However you choose to play Elite Dangerous, whether you opt to hunt down space pirates, become an interstellar trader, or try to build reputation with one of the game's three major factions, everything is experienced from the perspective of your ship's cockpit. It's also how Frontier have designed these ships that ties the whole game together, that makes it work.


http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite3-614x345.jpg (http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2014/12/elite-dangerous-review/elite3-1920x1080.jpg)



Although the game is experienced entirely from the first person, Elite's ships aren't represented by a flat HUD or a series of unconnected icons. Instead the ships' cockpits are rendered in full 3D, with important readouts housed on the dashboard in front of you. On your left and right are the navigation and ship computers, their holographic screens activated by free-looking at them. If you glance down you can even see your own virtual body working the ship's controls.

Ver toda a review:
http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2014/12/22/elite-dangerous-review/1

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous revenue goes to infinity, and beyond


It looks like Elite: Dangerous is doing quite well, with Frontier Developments making some nice revenue on the just-released space game. While it's doing well, their expectations for 2016 and beyond see the developer making some serious dosh.


http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/2/42716_04_elite-dangerous-revenue-goes-infinity-beyond.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/2/42716_04_elite-dangerous-revenue-goes-infinity-beyond_full.jpg)

The company made an announcement last week outlining the success of the game, with $26.1 million in revenue from 300,000 sales. The developer had a few possible scenarios for its sales, but they could be revised, the developer explains "Since late 2013 the Group has been using three scenarios to model performance of the game, created based on the growth of other non-subscription online games in their first three years, a "base" scenario, a "mid" scenario, and a "bull" scenario ... In terms of revenue Elite: Dangerous is tracking above the "bull" scenario; and on units sold, between the "mid" and "bull" scenarios."


http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/2/42716_05_elite-dangerous-revenue-goes-infinity-beyond.png (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/2/42716_05_elite-dangerous-revenue-goes-infinity-beyond_full.png)

Elite: Dangerous is coming to OS X, but it could arrive on Linux too - and hopefully Steam OS. As for profits, we can see that the developer is hoping to sell 30 million units in 2017, securing itself a huge $453 million.




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/42716/elite-dangerous-revenue-goes-infinity-beyond/index.html

[Winjer]

Vender 30 milhões de unidades? Isso é mais do que alguns dos CODs.
Hoje shittt!!!

[Jorge-Vieira]

The galaxy in Elite: Dangerous can be explored for over 150,000 years


Elite: Dangerous launched in December last year, but it'll be many more years before the entire galaxy has been mapped. The game takes place in a one-to-one recreation of our Milky Way galaxy, something that will take lifetimes to explore.


image: http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/3/43174_03_galaxy-elite-dangerous-explored-over-150-000-years.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/3/43174_03_galaxy-elite-dangerous-explored-over-150-000-years_full.jpg)
http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/3/43174_03_galaxy-elite-dangerous-explored-over-150-000-years.jpg

There are over 400 billion star systems to explore, but with part of the leveling mechanic in the game incentivising exploration of unknown star systems, Elite: Dangerous is being mapped quickly. At the current rate of exploration, Elite: Dangerous' playerbase is visiting 17,585 new star systems each day. This breaks down into 732 per hour, or 12 per minute.

If this rate continues and there isn't an influx of players in the short term, it would take a gigantic 150,895 years to map the entire galaxy. The developer behind the game is running a content for the first player to reach Elite status in exploration, giving away a $1500 prize. The first player to reach Elite in all three statuses will receive $15,000.




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/43174/galaxy-elite-dangerous-explored-over-150-000-years/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite dev announces new game alongside redundancies

Frontier, the developer of recently released open-universe space-sim Elite: Dangerous, has announced a new Tycoon game alongside a round of redundancies at the studio.

The studio announced that it is currently working on Coaster Park Tycoon, a theme park management title in the Roller Coaster Tycoon series which was also developed by Frontier. The developer intends to begin running this franchise again in parallel alongside Elite, which will continue to develop over time.

’Coaster Park games appeal to a great many people, as proven by RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. It is a field for which Frontier has unparalleled expertise and immense passion, and one to which we have long wanted to make a 'no-holds-barred' return,i said Frontier chief creative officer Jonny Watts.

In an unusual combination of news, the developer also stated that it will be re-focusing development activities to Cambridge as this is where required expertise in its franchises lies, resulting in 15 content creation roles being cut from a total headcount of 281.

Several development roles are also being moved from its Canadian studio to Cambridge, meaning the Canada-based studio is likely to wind down and close.

The developer has not confirmed whether this downsizing exercise is due to sales of Elite: Dangerous falling short of company expectations, but it did say that early sales figures were looking promising. Over 2013 when the game was predominantly still in beta, it generated £14.1m from 300,000 players.

Elite: Dangerous was hit with criticism shortly before launch for the developer’s decision to drop offline mode, something for which it has apologised and offered refunds for.

Noticia:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2015/01/27/elite-dev-announces-new-game-alongside-redu/1

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Deadly might be the upcoming Elite: Dangerous expansion

The Space-Sim Elite: Dangerous from the developer ‘Frontier Developments’ released back in December last year, and had previously been available as Alpha and Beta clients for people who backed the game during the original crowdfudning campaign or preordered one of the more expensive packages via their own shop after the Kickstarter was over. Now it seems that it’s quite possible that the first expansion (paid expansion one would assume) is already in the works, since Elite: Deadly has now been trademark registered.
http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/elitedangerous-635x357.jpg (http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/elitedangerous.jpg)
Could Elite: Deadly be the first paid expansion? Negoaf users are usually quite good at spotting things that are hiding in nooks and crannies all over the Internet, and in this particular case Negogaf user “ekim” posted yesterday (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=152565437&postcount=1) about the Trademark registration. As mentioned in his post there is no owner for the Trademark filing as of yet. But seeing as the same Representative has filed trademark registrations on Frontier Developments behalf before (Elite: Dangerous), it seems quite likely that this has to do with the game.
Now Elite: Dangerous has had a bit of bumpy road from alpha to release, just weeks before the official release David Braben CEO of Frontier Developments came out and stated that they would be dropping the planned offline feature for Elite: Dangerous. This was after letting everyone believe for over a year that the promised feature from the initial Kickstarter pitch was still going to get implemented. Braben tried to explain that they were dropping the offline feature due to “Not wanting to make an empty galaxy”

“It is a creative decision, not wanting to produce an empty game. It is technically possible, but it would be a largely separate game development. We have been clear and consistent. This is about the game experience. I have always been against ‘pay to win’ – in a game like Elite: Dangerous there are a great many opportunities we could have taken already that would have amounted to ‘pay to win’ but we have chosen not to.
This whole issue comes down to what the vision is of the game we are making, and whether people trust us to make the right decisions. We made this decision with heavy hearts but for the right reasons.”

The main issue with all of this for me personally (and a lot of other backers/customers) were that this essentially killed any and all hope for modding of the game, since there are no “Private-servers” or anything, you only have the main server shards provided by Frontier Developments. This pretty much means that you can’t modify any of the game-files, so modding is out of the question.
And as you may or may not know, Frontier have stated that future expansions of the game will include new ships, ships that will in all likelihood not be available unless you buy said expansion. If the offline mode was still on the table, we would probably already be seeing tons of nice and new ships that were implemented via mods, and I bet that Frontier thought the same thing, and that’s why they decided to cut it. And let’s not forget that phrasing can be quite important when making statements:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9wFILiIEAEvNsj.jpg:large
Elite Dangerous @EliteDangerous (https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous) Follow (https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous)

The Fer De Lance is one of the new ships coming as part of a free update to Elite: Dangerous in March.
<time pubdate="" class="dt-updated" datetime="2015-02-13T20:29:14+0000" title="Time posted: 13 Feb 2015, 20:29:14 (UTC)">8:29 PM - 13 Feb 2015</time> (https://twitter.com/EliteDangerous/status/566333294909075456)

Note the “free update” part? Yeah let’s hope this isn’t the start down a long and tedious money grabbing road. Until they come out with some form of official statement about the Trademark registration one can only speculate about what it could be, and even if it’s the name of the first expansion, well I just hope they patch and add more content to the main game before they actually release it.






Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-deadly-elite-dangerous-expansion/#ixzz3SEERrpCw

[MAXLD]

Já alguém jogou disto?

[LPC]

Boas!
Também gostava de saber algum feedback...

Cumprimentos,

LPC

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous Adding Nimoy Memorial Station

http://cdn.eteknix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/elite-nimoy.jpg
Game developer Frontier will be adding the Nimoy Memorial Station to its open world space exploration game Elite: Dangerous to commemorate the passing of Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy (http://www.eteknix.com/leonard-nimoy-mr-spock-star-trek-dies-aged-83/).
Elite is the latest MMO to reveal plans to celebrate the life of Nimoy – who played iconic character Spock across a number of different Star Trek shows and films – with Star Trek Online holding a wake on the planet Vulcan, Cryptic promising a permanent memorial soon, and Star Citizen announcing that a tribute to the late actor is in the works.
Michael Brookes, Executive Producer at Frontier, says the station will be positioned “in the LHS 3006 system around the only suitably named planet,” which, of course, is called Vulcan. Brookes confirmed the news on an Elite forum post that was taking name suggestions for a new station in the New Yembo region, for which the overwhelming suggestion was Nimoy. Though, since the Nimoy Memorial Station will be in the LHS 3006 region, the New Yembo contest is still open.
Elite’s planet Vulcan already has a station, the WCM Transfer Orbital, but it is assumed that the Nimoy station will be a new addition, rather than the old station renamed. Nimoy Memorial Station will be added to Elite: Dangerous with the release of the 1.2 update (https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=118907).



Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/elite-dangerous-adding-nimoy-memorial-station/


Mais um tributo ao actor.

[MAXLD]

Pena que deva ser no fundo apenas mais uma estação como as milhentas outras. Acaba por pecar por não ter grande interesse em visitar muitas outras zonas da buble populada, já que é praticamente tudo semelhante, muda apenas os nomes. Ainda pensei que houvessem diferentes tipos de material noutras zonas da bubble, ou cenários mais cativantes, mas no fundo é tudo a mesma coisa. Há apenas os ditos materais "rare" que até há pessoal a fazer rotas para ganhar mais algum guito considerável, mas também o guito a certo ponto deixa de ter grande interesse, já que a nave Cobra dá para fazer quase tudo e bem mais fácil de sustentar do que as outras grandes naves a seguir que custam muitos milhões na versão base, e bem mais ainda para artilhar com upgrades. O arsenal de naves também não é assim tão vasto quanto isso, o que é mais uma limitação e um sublinhar da unânimamente criticada falta de content.

Vale pelas expedições às "terras de ninguém" que são os milhares de sectores por desbravar da galáxia fora da buble populada, mas mesmo aí é coisa para quem tenha alguma paciência e que nem sempre tem grandes cenários que apreciar. Maior parte tem uma ou mais estrelas e alguns planetas e luas, mas tudo numa escala que basicamente oferece um cenário pouco interessante de se ver ao longe. Para se ver de perto requer uma aproximação lenta para não ganhar ainda mais velocidade devido às forças de gravidade. Isto quando não se encontram distanciados da estrela principal/spawn nav beacon... há estrelas secundárias em certos sectores binários (por vezes podem ter até 6 estrelas ) que moderam cerca de 10~20min de viagem até se chegar a elas, isto quando se conseguem detectar do vasto background.
Penso que o X3 neste aspecto era até melhor porque cada sector tinha um cenário brutal, fosse com planetas como pando de fundo, estrelhas, nébulas, etc... tinha mais "screenshot/wallpaper value" do que este.



No fundo, ao jogar Elite Dangerous dá-se ainda mais valor ao bem superior Star Citizen. ED tem sandbox base de um jogo espacial com uma economia, mas falta-lhe o resto.

[MTPS]

Alguém daqui comprou?

Parece excelente.

[MAXLD]

Tenho estado a jogar desde a semana passada. Ou talvez deveria dizer "estive". Porque o interesse a modos que já baixou bastante.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous Heading to Xbox One

The Xbox One will soon be getting a very nice console exclusive added to its lineup. Phil Spencer announced during GDC that Elite Dangerous is going to make the transition from the PC wonder space-sim that it is to an Xbox One exclusive (http://www.vg247.com/2015/03/04/elite-dangerous-xbox-one-windows-10/).
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/elitedangerousjpg-b69584_1280w-635x357.jpg (http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/elitedangerousjpg-b69584_1280w.jpg)
Elite Dangerous is coming exclusively to the Xbox One sometime in the near future. No actual details surrounding the game and the transition it’ll have to make to the Xbox One, but Phil Spencer did indeed confirm during his keynote that Microsoft is working closely with Frontier Developments in order to bring the full experience of Elite Dangerous to the Xbox One. They say that all the content currently available on the PC up to the March update will also be available on the Xbox One. Does this mean that a release is relatively imminent?
Elite Dangerous is an incredibly massive game that has a lot of potential that could very well be limited by the console. The beauty lies in its complexity and the plethora of things you can accomplish. This also extends to the control mechanism. The keyboard, and a joystick, are almost essential. I’m curious as to how they’ll solve this problem with only the game pad.


That and what about the visuals? Clearly they can’t be nearly as good in order to make it playable. It’s a vast universe that the Xbox One may or may not be up to the task of actually handling. But, it may still prove to be a worthy exclusive. It also might help to generate more interest for Xbox One.
Also, the question of cross play between PC, soon to be Mac and Xbox One players. Will such a multiplayer environment be possible in the future? Depending on what development sacrifices and changes they have to make, it may or may not. I would certainly hope for it personally, however.
Does anyone here happen to enjoy the newest addition to the Elite series of video games? Any experiences you’d like to share? It’s a vast universe, for sure. Maybe we’ll see each other out there, commanders.




Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-heading-xbox/

[MAXLD]

Ui, vai ser resmas de canalha a dizer que é boring. Ainda por cima ainda mais limitado pelas consolas. Can't wait. XD

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous Cross-play Challenges Highlighted

Frontier Developments is not against the idea of cross-play at all. In fact, they embrace the idea of being able to have a game that can be shared across all available platforms. But there are a number of challenges that must be overcome before such a dream can actually come to fruition.
http://cdn3.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Elite-Dangerous-Cobra-635x342.jpg (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Elite-Dangerous-Cobra.jpg)
David Braben of Frontier Developments says that cross-play could be limited by patches and updates of any given game. David Braben was able to talk to PCGamesN (http://www.pcgamesn.com/elite-dangerous/elite-dangerous-david-braben-likes-the-idea-of-cross-play-but-one-problem-looms-over-it) about the plans surrounding the impending console release of their critically acclaimed Elite Dangerous. In that interview he highlighted a question that was certainly on my mind; that of cross platform play.
Apparently it’s not quite as simple as Microsoft (http://wccftech.com/phil-spencer-announces-developer-tools-bring-games-billions/) may have you believe it is with their upcoming Windows 10. While updating and patched needs only internal validation and certification from their own development team, the same updates need even further certification from the respective platform owners themselves. This means that it would take longer to release those same patches, breaking any cross-play functionality between PC and consoles in the process. Frontier Development is committed to timely releases of updates to the PC, it seems.

“I think the challenges for us, which sort of fights against it, is we’ve also said that we’ll continue to do updates across all platforms, and what we didn’t want was PC updates to be held up for whatever reason, like if there’s a delay on another platform.”

With that being said, David Braben said that you probably won’t be flying alongside your PC buddies at all. But the world that you interact with will be the same, though. The stock market and the politics of the Galaxy will be affected by all platforms and will be the exact same world. That’s something, at least.

“What we’ve said for definite is that they will be playing in the same world, the same background sim will be effecting the same stock markets and stuff like that. I would like to see cross-play as well. There’s nothing presenting it technically, other than that the worlds might be slightly out of sync.”
But couldn’t all updates be timed to be released when all certification is complete? Even though the timeline may be stretched to be further apart then they might originally want the ability to play with friends across platforms might make it more appealing. And it can’t be terribly complicated to release all patches and updates at the same time. Microsoft certainly has provided the tools to make it possible as they’ve announced at GDC and have touted for some time. It almost seems like a cop-out to me.
The timing of patches and updates shouldn’t be what holds back a cross platform modality. It’s an excuse to not even try when the capability is present and available to them.
As we’ve reported before, Elite Dangerous will be making its way to the Xbox One. We originally reported it as being an absolute exclusive, but it turns out it’ll just be a timed exclusive and will also eventually be making its way to the PS4 at some point in the future as well. No release date is given for either console, though they should find their way there sometime this year.



Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-crossplay-challenges-highlighted/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous is Dangerously Fun

Elite Dangerous, by Frontier Developments was released on the 16th of December, 2014, and I have been waiting for this day since the the 2000’s. No, this isn’t Call of Duty, and no it certainly isn’t Call of Duty in space either. Hyped like those games this was not. This is, however, a game in a class of its own, even among its released peers (Star Citizen not being released). But it captures the imagination of the willing so profoundly with the large open Milky Way that it’s hard not to at least take a peak at this genre if you are among those that usually don’t
http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EliteDangerousAlpha12.png-635x342.jpg (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EliteDangerousAlpha12.png.jpg)
Elite Dangerous pulls you into a vast Galaxy and lets you decide how to live. Space simulators are in no way shape or form a game type that has a large player base. It’s not for everyone. The gameplay mechanics are definitely different from what the typical casual or even hardcore gamer is used to. You’re flying a freaking ship through space, and it definitely helps to be a fan of Science Ficiton to be able to appreciate these types of games. But wow! It has been worth the wait!
I have to caveat here that I’ve never played an Elite game itself, but followed the series and have been interested, if not a bit intimidated, since the 2000’s. I do have very fond memories of X-Wing, Tie-Fighter and X-Wing Alliance (no X-Wing vs Tie-Fighter for this guy). I remember flying through space and blowing things up as I save the galaxy. I remember installing the newer model packs to update the graphics and making my own missions, flying against the Empire or Republics finest. This is where my love of space simulators began. It hasn’t let up since.
To truly enjoy this game, a joystick of some kind is mandatory. Flying in space is a great experience with realistic physics.
Gameplay What is Elite Dangerous it exactly? It’s a free-form space simulator with very realistic Newtonian physics. It’s most similar to the very ambitious X series of games (X1-X3 and X Prelude), though perhaps with some minor yet still significant differences. You start the game in your very small and seemingly insignificant ship, a Sidewinder Mk 1, sitting in a hanger of a large space station of the Coriolis type. You look before you to behold three gorgeous panels of information giving you target information, relative spatial information and a general overview of system health and system power allocation. Starting up for the first time and you’re faced with a checklist that forces you to become familiar with the button mapping of your particular controller. You have to actuate each button and move in each axis in order to lift off for the first time. After that, you’re greeted with opportunity.
http://cdn3.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/02_Ship_Sidewinder-635x357.jpg (http://cdn3.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/02_Ship_Sidewinder.jpg)
Pure golden opportunity to make your mark on the galaxy. Lifting off with attitude thrusters and pointing the nose towards the opening to the great beyond for the first time is an amazing experience. It’s also a bit daunting. I remember playing X3 for the first time and not really knowing what to do. That same feeling exists here, but more because of my unfamiliarity with the genre. It can feel overwhelming when there is no direction from a narrator or some other game mechanic that guides you along the way. But that is the magic of this game, and the genre.
You’re greeted with pure golden opportunity as you exit that Coriolis station for the first time. The galaxy is absolutely enormous in its size, but not necessarily its depth. It’s controlled by three factions and spans the entire actual Milky Way. Incredible. Awe-inspiring. Sends a shiver up my spine. Like many RPG’s, MMORPG’s and other open world game types, though, there is a great open world to explore, but not necessarily in the variety of actions one can take and things one can do. There are numerous missions and contracts one can take up at any number of stations, but the general gameplay is essentially the same. Fly here, drop off cargo, scan this, blow up that and repeat. But the way in which you go about those tasks is what makes this game so much fun.
Remember Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim? Open worlds that essentially repeated themselves in the depth of story? Yeah, but they were fun and we really enjoyed them didn’t we? The graphics, the sound, the music and the general sense of adventure all contributed to making those games so amazing and addictive. I know I played Oblivion for more than 600 hours, and still going! Skyrim? Yeah, I’ll get to that eventually. But I digress, even real life is limited in the actual actions we take. In life we go here, pick up this, drop it off, eat this, go to sleep. The immersion could definitely use some work too. All of that said, the missions all seem to have individual and unique back stories. And they’re fun. Incredibly fun!
http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Screenshot_0105-635x350.jpg (http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Screenshot_0105.jpg)
You can make your own fortune. However you want. Want to mine some natural resources and sell it? Go ahead, get a mining laser attached (though it replaces a weapon hard point) and have at it! Go explore the galaxy and find new resources and get to it! Want to trade between systems and even smuggle every now and then? Oh yes, there is that. Want to be a pirate and interdict and destroy ships of all types and collect their cargo? Enjoy! What about bounty hunting? Yeah, that’s actually an easy career to get into. Interested in a military side of things? Be my guest! It’s all there, all the paths that are familiar to those that play these types of games.
The problem, however, is that your actions, while important in your mind and seemingly important when done, don’t affect the galaxy-wide economy or political environment. You’re actions have an affect, though it’s not as large as it could be. Though that is presumably going to be fixed very soon. This doesn’t detract from any of the modes of play. Finding an unidentified energy source and coming into real space again to find that it’s a wedding barge being escorted by two fighters is great fun. And even better when you blow them all up and take the cargo. Speaking of cargo, even collecting cargo is an exercise in patience.


One thing I didn’t expect though, is the realistically implemented limit on fuel and the distance one can travel. It was annoying at first. I’d plot a course to a certain system far away so I can buy some goods that aren’t available in other systems, and I’d expect to find space stations and other ways to refuel along the way, or even just be able to make the trip in one fell swoop. Nope! Boy was I surprised when I could only make it a few systems (one must plot a course to each successive system along the plotted route) and then run out of fuel. Even though I was clearly frustrated and kind of pissed off, it’s a realistic element.
http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/maxresdefault-3-635x357.jpg (http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/maxresdefault-3.jpg)

One would expect that faster than light travel would have quite the high requirement for fuel, whatever its form. Regardless, its a humbling experience that helped to shape my gameplay. What do I do for a living in game? I actually go around systems, look for unidentified signal sources, come back into normal space, scan for wanted individuals and collect their bounty! It’s working well so far!
Immersion Those that play flight simulators, and space simulators, seem to enjoy being immersed into an experience a little more than other gamers. We want to feel like we’re there in the action, actually controlling your craft. This game doesn’t disappoint. The controls themselves are typical for the genre, and will be familiar for anyone who has flown a space sim before.
The physics model used is very effective and without the flight assist on, it’s definitely one of the more tricky things to do. There isn’t, however, much of a learning curve. Once ou learn what all the buttons are mapped to, it’s a simple affair to go around the galaxy exploring, communicating and dealing destruction to others. Dog-fighting is another great aspect of this game.
It’s fun, it’s challenging without being overly hard for the beginner (so long as you don’t pick on pilots rated more dangerous than you), and can be very rewarding and even a bit tiring at the end of it. You better be ready for it!
It might be just me, but just the simple act of using the frame shift drive is terrifyingly cool. Hit the button (T3 for you guys using the Saitek X52), wait for it to charge, then throttle up all the while yelling “Punch it Chewie!” as your craft so elegantly enters a faster than light state. It’s mesmerizing, and the dynamic sound makes it even better.


That sound when exiting near the star of the target system is breathtaking. The sound effects have been extremely well done, and everything is eerily realistic sounding and simply well done. It’s the little things that count, and even using your attitude thrusters makes a small sound within the cockpit that brings back space movies. It’s a memorable experience. The music is scored by Erasmus Talbot, a British born composer that lives in Sweden.
Each song is randomly played, it seems, but appropriately so. It never overwhelms in the way that cinematic games do, but adds to the perception of deep space exploration in the way that Hans Zimmer’s work adds to the movies he’s composed. The sound design adds an element of epicness to this game that is rarely seen in video games. It’s more than the sum of its parts, and the sound is a majority of that. A proper sound system or real headphones should be required. No computer gamer headsets, you need real headphones and proper audio equipment that can recreate the subtle nuances of the soundscape.
Graphics Speaking of breathtaking, these graphics. These graphics! While Elite Dangerous may not necessarily seem “complete” in the content department, but the level of polish on the graphics and the rest of the game is great. It’s complete and I can’t get over how good it looks. It’s impossible to not enjoy the graphics. Yeah, there’s a lot of blackness out there with a starscape that doesn’t really look or seem real. But then again, have you been to space? Stars are uniquely and realistically rendered with flares and all. Your craft, the space stations and other planets are all modeled to perfection. Every little interface detail and subtlety is there. There is nothing really missing in this department, and it won’t disappoint even the most critical of gamer.
Conclusions drawn Elite Dangerous may have its flaws and may not be perfect in absolutely every way, but it exceeded my own expectations in its presentation. More importantly though? It’s fun. It’s exciting, and I come back for more quite often. That’s the mark of a good game, isn’t it? Can you play it, enjoy it and actually want to play more? Elite Dangerous accomplishes that, in spades.




Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/review/elite-dangerous-dangerously-fun/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite honours Pratchett with space station



http://images.bit-tech.net/news_images/2015/03/elite-honours-pratchett-with-space-station/article_img.jpg
Elite: Dangerous has introduced a memorial to the late Sir Terry Pratchett in the form of a disc shaped space station.

The digital monument to the Discworld author was spotted in the patch notes of a recent update. Update 1.2.05 included a patch note simply stating that Pratchett's disc station had been added to the game.

Talking to Eurogamer, Elite devs Frontier Developments said it felt it appropriate due to the number of Pratchett fans in the Elite community and on the development team itself.

'We have a great many Pratchett fans on staff and we were all saddened to learn of his passing,' Frontier executive producer Michael Brookes told Eurogamer. 'The sentiment was reflected by our community so we felt it would be right to remember him in Elite: Dangerous.'

Pilots wanting to make the journey and pay the station a visit will find it in system HIP 74290.

Pratchett's disc station is the second memorial station Elite had added this month, following a spaceport named after Leonard Nimoy.

Noticia:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2015/03/19/elite-honours-pratchett-with-space-station/1

[Winjer]

Já chegou ao Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/359320/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Space Destruction Derbies Coming Back in Elite: Dangerous

Destruction is a fun thing to participate in, and can help to alleviate any boredom in space. Particularly in Elite: Dangerous. Destruction derbies are making their way back into the game via a mechanism that forgoes fines for all players involved, if everyone uses the mechanism.



<article class="MediaCard MediaCard--mediaForward customisable-border" data-scribe="component:card" dir="ltr"> View image on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Fireytoad/status/593879510556221440/photo/1) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD3h9yCWEAAdCTl.jpg:small (http://twitter.com/Fireytoad/status/593879510556221440/photo/1) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD3h_A6W0AI6YJt.jpg:small (http://twitter.com/Fireytoad/status/593879510556221440/photo/1) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD3h_49W0AI3NL9.jpg:small (http://twitter.com/Fireytoad/status/593879510556221440/photo/1) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD3iAegW8AEpPLU.jpg:small (http://twitter.com/Fireytoad/status/593879510556221440/photo/1)

</article> Follow (https://twitter.com/Fireytoad)
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/590750656878796800/Jt7dZFKr_normal.jpg Toada Fett @Fireytoad (https://twitter.com/Fireytoad)

Beauty and death in 16K Resolution at the @MahdDogg (https://twitter.com/MahdDogg) Demolition Derby at Slough. #EliteDangerous (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EliteDangerous?src=hash) #EDProtestGoat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EDProtestGoat?src=hash)

Space demolition derbies make a comeback with a bang in Elite: Dangerous as Frontier Developments adds the ability to absolve participants of crimes or fines. Apparently it was a common practice to just shoot at random unsuspecting players as they tried to dock or go about their business. As annoying as that seems, Frontier Developments started initiating a system of heavy fines that sought to prevent such behavior.
That behavior evolved into players ramming each other, as that didn’t seem accrue any fines. Of course, that was still annoying to those that didn’t want to participate, so Frontier Developments responded once again by leveraging fines to those that did such things.
In protest to the harsher penalties, players then started a goat meme that filled the official Elite: Dangerous forums a well as Twitter with hilarious photos of goats or even of players ramming into stations and other players in protest, despite the high fines.

Advertisements


http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CD225iaW8AAIvVL.jpg (http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CD225iaW8AAIvVL.jpg)
And what can you possibly do against a veritable army of cute goats telling you where to stick your new rules? Change, of course. Those fluffy capra aegagrus hircus photos have prompted Frontier Developments to actually implement some new changes.
Now they’re going to be implementing a way so that those that want to race around and ram into each other a way to do so, so long as everyone gives consent.

“I’ll need to check with some clever coder folk on this, but I’m hopeful that we can have this crime not squawked with “don’t report crimes against me”,” Sammarco wrote. “As long as all participants use this functionality then they would be safe to race near each other – though hitting spectators would still trigger the crime.”
-Snadro Sammarco, Lead Designer Elite: Dangerous
So, what have we learned from this? That goats are a great way to get people to change. But seriously, if there is enough of an outrage and enough benign yet hilarious activity that gets the outrage noticed, then sometimes change can occur. So long as the developer is reasonable, of course. And Frontier Developments has a track record of actually listening to its players.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/space-destruction-derbies-coming-elite-dangerous/#ixzz3ZBnDuKqs

[Jorge-Vieira]

Strange Tuba-Playing Artefact Found in Elite: Dangerous

http://cdn.eteknix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/elite-dangerous-artefact-620x349.png
Elite: Dangerous is full of surprises, with the developer putting everything from derelict spaceships drifting through space, to full-blown space station tributes to Leonard Nimoy (Spock) (http://www.eteknix.com/elite-dangerous-adding-nimoy-memorial-station/)) for the games players to discover and enjoy. However, not all of the objects floating in deep space are as easy to decipher as the others, such as this tube-playing artefact that has left many gamers scratching their heads.
The game has been full of subtle references to non-celestial objects since it was updated in March (Version 1.2), and a group of Elite: Dangerous players have been searching many unpopulated regions of space in the hope they would find one. Well, several months later, it seems their hunt has finally turned up at least one of these mysterious objects, only problem is, they’ve no idea what they’ve found.

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y2FQzPIZqms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>




The video sure is strange, with weird noises coming from the ship, leaving us to wonder exactly what it means.
Then again, it gets even stranger what you speed the sound up. Some players decided to record it and find out. Why on earth, or should I say why in deep space, is this weird thing playing a Tuba?




Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/strange-tuba-playing-artefact-found-elite-dangerous/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous Powerplay is Out Today, Fight With Your Faction, Make a Difference

Frontier Developments is releasing their third major update of Elite: Dangerous today. Elite: Dangerous Powerplay adds quite a few new features, the biggest being the ability to shape the galactic political environment with your decisions and missions have vastly more impact.

http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EliteDangerousPowerplay.jpg

http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EliteDangerousPowerplay2.jpg

http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/EliteDangerousPowerplay3.jpg

The Elite: Dangerous Powerplay update is being pushed out today, with new strategic elements, ships and more new features. Powerplay is a much awaited update to Elite: Dangerous. At times it seemed as if what you did never really mattered in the larger sense. That and the political was never really tied into any of your actions. It was just a blurb in the background, stories that meant little and had no consequences.
With Powerplay, they’ve introduced a way to fight for territory for the political faction of your choice. You can band together with other players and complete missions that effect who controls the galaxy. Help conquer the galaxy and be rewarded for your actions. And those outcomes are now persistent.

Players are rewarded with valuable perks, reputation bonuses and unique equipment for their allegiance as they defend their territory and conquer human space. Every action taken in Powerplay will have a direct and visible impact on the balance of galactic power for all players.





Of course there are other changes that come with Update 1.3. You’ll find three brand new ships, the Lakon Diamondback Scout, Lakon Diamondback Explorer and the Imperial Courier to save up for. The full changes are below.


An enhanced mission system with new objectives and new ways to play.
Three new ships: the Lakon Diamondback Scout, Lakon Diamondback Explorer and the Imperial Courier.
Drones for cargo collection, fuel trading and prospecting.
A new illustrated GalNet newsfeed, accessible directly in players’ ship UI.
High and low intensity mining sites, adding risk to mining and increasing potential rewards.
New minable commodities.
An updated bounty system.
Upgraded UI and animated emblems for ranking up.
Numerous other improvements to gameplay and performance.

Elite: Dangerous is a fantastic open-galaxy space epic. The only problem was that it was missing just a few things to make it seem like a living and breathing environment. This is a step in the right direction that only proves to improve upon an already great game. You can make your own way in a recreation of the Milky Way galaxy in whichever direction you choose.
Elite: Dangerous is out now on Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/app/359320/) and direct (https://store.elitedangerous.com/elite-dangerous-cat/elite-dangerous.html) through Frontier Developments. The update should be pushing through the launcher now, or very soon.






Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-powerplay-today-fight-faction-difference/#ixzz3cCoHPBGe

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous hits the Xbox One Game Preview program


E3 2015 - During the Microsoft E3 press conference today, Frontier Developments has announced Elite: Dangerous for the Xbox One's Game Preview Program.


image: http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_01_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_01_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program_full.jpg)
http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_01_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program.jpg

As part of the Xbox Game Preview Program, you can purchase the Elite: Dangerous game preview for $30.99. The game runs at 1080p on the Xbox One, and features new controls customized specifically for the gamepad.

The open world space adventure game allows you to begin with a small starship, a few credits, and your imagination - as you'll need to pick up the skills, knowledge, wealth and power to persevere in the futuristic space world. Starting next month, Elite: Dangerous console players will be able to jump into the Close Quarter Championships (CQC), a PVP feature in custom-built arenas inside the Elite: Dangerous galaxy.


image: http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_02_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_02_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program_full.jpg)
http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/5/45884_02_elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program.jpg






Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/45884/elite-dangerous-hits-xbox-one-game-preview-program/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous – Developer Frontier Responds to Downgrade Reports

During the last couple of days gamers have been reporting several graphical differences between the latest version of Elite: Dangerous and its previous builds. Providing number of screenshots to demonstrate the distinctions.
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/elite-dangerous-download-pc-offline-torrent-635x357.jpg (http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/elite-dangerous-download-pc-offline-torrent.jpg)
Reports indicate that Dust/Fog has been greatly reduced, the Galaxy Map has received certain changes and some textures got worse. Additionally both the Ring LOD and Station Letterbox Draw Distance are said to have been reduced.
http://cdn3.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Elite-Dangerous-1-635x714.jpg

http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Elite-Dangerous-4-635x536.jpg

http://cdn3.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Elite-Dangerous-2-635x397.jpg

http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Elite-Dangerous-1-635x268.png

http://cdn2.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Elite-Dangerous-3-635x445.jpg

Developer Frontier has responded to the claims, to clarify the situation and answer as to whether the cause of the PC version’s supposed downgrade was due to the upcoming Xbox One release.
Greg Ryder, Frontier’s Head of Rendering, stated that the team is inclined to downgrade the appearance of anything in the game, and that the Dust/Fog system was optimised due to a pathological case of overdraw, thus some systems may look a bit worse than before.






“Please thank Granite for putting together a thread like this. The team is always striving to make things better, and we’ve found a number of things using the profiling tools on the Mac and Xbox One that have improved the PC build (thus the opposite to the fear they might lower the quality of the PC build). Elite: Dangerous is built to scale on PC (including 16k screenshot ability and hopefully one day 16k game when the monitors & graphics cards exist!). We are certainly not inclined to downgrade the appearance of anything in the game. Exposing more tweakables for an enhanced Ultra is clearly something you guys are passionate about and we’ll see where it can fit in the current roadmap.
On the ships / galaxy map front, I’m not aware of any changes that went in for 1.3.
Dust / Fog: This was optimised due to a pathological case of overdraw (which looked very broken in a number of cases). There’s definitely no downgrade due to our Mac and Xbox One versions, but there have been some changes. Performance and visual consistency should be improved in the general case, however it does seem that some systems are not looking as good as they did. As ever there is no perfect solution. For a fair comparison, the exact same position and lighting conditions are needed (some viewing angles will always looks more awesome!), but we could have entire threads dedicated to discussions on how to light rings (and we’ve had many long discussions internally). I have a number of open issues in our system on the look of the rings, though currently no ETA for when we’ll be addressing them.”
We will bring you any new information as soon as it becomes available.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-developer-frontier-responds-downgrade-reports/#ixzz3epvLB5Fe

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous: Horizons Announced by Frontier Developments, Planetary Landings Finally Almost Here

Frontier Developments has promised us a few features down the road for Elite: Dangerous, and they haven’t forgotten about the content that we’ve all been waiting for. It was those promises that drew many in, and now they’re going to deliver, in spades. At Gamescom 2015 they announced Elite Dangerous: Horizons; a series of highly profound expansions that’ll be released continuously into 2016.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Ey6yFf8i4



Elite Dangerous: Horizons brings us planetary landings on a 1:1 scale. Prepare for the invasion.An entire ‘season’ of expansions, as they’re calling it, are about to become ours to play. Frontier is specifically excited to finally bring to us the planetary landing capability that we’ve all been waiting very patiently for. you’ll be able to use a Surface Recon Vehicle (or SRV) Scarab in order to land on and explore a tremendous amount of the planets in the 400 billion star systems out there. Scan worlds and you just might detect strange signals, crashed ships, lucrative mining opportunities or even outposts and other fortresses that you could raid.
The best part is that all of this has been implemented without loading screens, so the journey to the surface will be incredibly seamless. You’ll be able to fly around the surface, enjoying the gorgeous scenery before picking the right spot to debark.




The first expansion in Elite Dangerous: Horizons, the planetary landing capability, is arriving this holiday season. A second expansion following that will be available sometime in the first quarter of 2016 and brings with it new loot and an entirely new crafting system.
Elite Dangerous: Horizons will launch this Holiday for £39.99 (€49.99, $59.99), unlocking a full season of major expansions and gameplay updates. Existing Elite Dangerous players will receive a £10 (€14, $15) loyalty discount off the retail price and unlock the exclusive ‘Cobra Mk IV’ in-game spacecraft for purchase with in-game currency in Elite Dangerous: Horizons.
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screenshot_EliteDangerous_01_ImperialEagle-1080-635x357.jpg

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AnnounceArt_EliteDangerousHorizons_CobraLanding-635x357.png

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AnnounceArt_EliteDangerousHorizons_ScarabRover-635x358.png

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AnnounceArt_EliteDangerousHorizons_Banner-635x167.png








Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-horizons-announced-by-frontier-developments/#ixzz3hwvCABTP

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous Crossplay To Be Enabled On October 6

About six months ago, we reported (http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-crossplay-challenges-highlighted/) on the challenges that Frontier Developments was facing while trying to implement Elite: Dangerous crossplay.
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Logo_Main_EliteDangerousHorizons-635x610.jpg (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Logo_Main_EliteDangerousHorizons.jpg)
Yesterday, CEO and Co-Creator of the Elite series David Braben held an AMA session on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/3jhk50/its_david_braben_from_frontier_developments_ask/) and announced the good news: crossplay will be enabled between the PC and Xbox One versions of the game on October 6.
Advertisements


That’s actually when Elite: Dangerous is going to fully release on Microsoft’s console, as it’s currently purchasable and playable as part of the new Game Preview Program. That’s why, Braben explained, Xbox One users have their own parallel world right now, but Frontier will synchronize it with the existing PC world on October 6.
Xbox One gamers will have to wait a while to get HorizonsThere were other interesting tidbits in his answers, though. The team is apparently happy with how the game has been received by console players so far, but there are no current plans to implement Kinect support for headtracking. Mod support on Xbox one is something that Frontier will look at, but Braben could make no promises, while he confirmed that the upcoming Xbox Elite controller should work just fine with Elite: Dangerous. Unfortunately, the first season of expansions called Horizons won’t make it to the Xbox One immediately.
Announced at Gamescom 2015 (http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-horizons-announced-by-frontier-developments/), this is a series of updates that will introduce features such as seamless planetary landings on a 1:1 to scale. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the game, as Braben reiterated that the developers intend to support Elite: Dangerous for a long time in the future.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-crossplay-enabled-october-6/#ixzz3kwatgxxd

[Jorge-Vieira]

'Elite: Dangerous Horizons' Beta Date Announced, Non-Thargoid Species Confirmed

http://media.bestofmicro.com/P/H/537461/gallery/ED-Horizons-SRV_w_600.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/ED-Horizons-SRV,0101-537461-0-2-12-1-png-.html)
With the Horizons expansion of Elite: Dangerous (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-planetary-landings-details,30402.html) coming soon, various developers of the game are talking to the community and showing more of the big update. On its YouTube Gaming livestream, Frontier Developments CEO David Braben answered some questions from fans, but he also revealed beta dates for version 1.5 and 2.0 (version 2.0 is Horizons) of the game.
Version 1.5 includes a batch of new ships and improvements to gameplay. Players will be able to test it out before its final release sometime next week (the week of November 8). As for the beta version of Horizons, that's coming on the week of November 24. For North Americans, that's Thanksgiving, so celebrate some planetary landings with a side of turkey and ham.
Aside from the big announcement, Braben also revealed some extra details not only for Horizons, but upcoming improvements to the base game in general.
In terms of activities on the surface, a few gameplay clips showed Braben at the controls of the new surface recon vehicle (SRV). Aside from some off-road driving, the footage showed the landing bases for your main ship. Braben said that while these look like massive bases, their size is actually smaller than the traditional orbital platforms. Another video also showed the SRV deploying from a Cobra ship. This is the first we've seen any part of a ship other than the cockpit.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/0/W/535280/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Plantary-Landings-Approach_w_600.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Plantary-Landings-Approach,0101-535280-0-2-12-1-png-.html)Speaking of which, some ships have more than one seat, implying that there's room for a small crew to make the experience all the more realistic. Players have been asking about the addition of non-playable characters (NPC) as crewmembers, or even NPCs flying with you as part of your wing squad. Braben said that the option is in consideration, but the team is still debating if that's something that they want to do for the future.
What is confirmed is that development of official groups (aka "guilds" in other games) is underway. This hasn't stopped players from banding together in the current build, but features will come that will make group creations official. One notable organization is the Fuel Rats, a space version of AAA. This group of players answers emergency calls from stranded pilots who have run out of fuel, and they come to their rescue in any part of the galaxy.
Other new features include a schematic-like map for each planet so players can find their way around, but the most important bombshell came near the end of the Q&A as Braben casually confirmed that the galaxy contains species other than the mysterious Thargoids.
For the longest time, players have been trying to find evidence of Thargoids, an alien race featured in past Elite games. Various hints throughout space point to their eventual arrival, but no concrete evidence has been confirmed. The fact that there are more mysterious residents in the Milky Way could pave the way for a later expansion after Horizons.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-horizons-beta-date,30491.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Frontier Developments Releases Specs For 'Elite Dangerous: Horizons' Expansion

http://media.bestofmicro.com/I/H/541097/gallery/Elite-Dangrous-Horizons-fight_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Elite-Dangrous-Horizons-fight,0101-541097-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)Two weeks ago, Frontier Developments CEO David Braben announced that the beta version (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-horizons-beta-date,30491.html) for Elite Dangerous: Horizons is coming on November 24, with its biggest feature being the ability to land on planets. Obviously this will put more strain on your system compared to just flying around in space, so the team decided to put out an updated list of minimum and recommended specifications for the upcoming expansion.
The newsletter noted that with all of the team's work on optimization and art with the new content, the PC specs for Horizons are slightly higher than the base game requirements.

<tbody>
Elite Dangerous (Base Game)
Minimum
Recommended


CPU
Quad-Core CPU (4x2 GHz)
Intel Core i7-3770K (3.5 GHz) or AMD FX 4350 (4.2 GHz)


GPU
Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or AMD Radeon HD 4870 (DirectX 11 functionality required)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon R9 280X (DirectX 11 functionality required)


RAM
4 GB
8 GB


Storage
7 GB
7 GB


Connectivity
Broadband Internet Connection
Broadband Internet Connection


OS
Windows 7/8
Windows 7/8

</tbody>

<tbody>
Elite Dangerous: Horizons
Minimum
Recommended


CPU
Quad-Core CPU (4x2 GHz)
Intel Core i7-3770K (3.5 GHz) or AMD FX 4350 (4.2 GHz)


GPU
Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 or AMD Radeon R7 240 (DirectX 11 functionality required)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon R9 280X (DirectX 11 functionality required)


RAM
6 GB
8 GB


Storage
8 GB
8 GB


Connectivity
Broadband Internet Connection
Broadband Internet Connection


OS
Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
Windows 7/8/10 64-bit

</tbody>
The most notable changes are in the minimum graphics requirements. Elite Dangerous' minimum requirements were an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or an AMD Radeon HD 4870. For Horizons, it's slightly upgraded to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 or the AMD Radeon R7 240. Minimum memory requirements were also increased from 4 GB to 6 GB, and you'll need at least 8 GB of storage (previously, it was 7 GB).
Frontier Developments said it will also release recommended specifications for both 4K and VR gameplay, but an exact date wasn't mentioned.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-horizons-pc-specs,30625.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous Healthily Discounted for Black Friday – $15



Frontier Developments has discounted Elite: Dangerous by quite a bit, bringing it down from it’s usual of $44.99 down to a very affordable $14.98 in their store (https://www.frontierstore.net/usd/sale.html/). They also have quite a bit of other cool merch, the soundtrack (which is actually quite amazing), novel tie-ins, and even a physical DVD copy of the game.

<iframe width="635" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZsYlv1c-Azo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Frontier Developments is in on the Black Friday savings fun with a very good discount to Elite: Dangerous.

That’s a lot of game for the money, quite honestly, and there’s more game coming to make it even more lucrative deal. Though there might be times of boredom in the galaxy, sometimes you just need a little inspiration. And who doesn’t want planetary rovers!
Anyway, I digress. The whole store (https://www.frontierstore.net/usd/games/elite-dangerous-cat/elite-dangerous-horizons-pre-order.html/) is pretty much discounted until December 1st, so get in there and find something awesome for this holiday season. All orders from the Frontier Store (of the game) can have a Steam key generated in-case you prefer that particular launching platform.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-healthily-discounted-for-black-friday/#ixzz3shRMcnCT

[MAXLD]

That’s a lot of game for the money, quite honestly, and there’s more game coming to make it even more lucrative deal.

Seria verdade se a expansão que vai saír agora fosse gratuita, mas como não é... não é lá grande caso de more game coming to make it even more lucrative deal

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous: Horizons Now in Open Beta for Those That Pre-Order

The update that adds planetary landings on 1:1 scale planetoids and objects for Elite Dangerous, Horizons, is now out and available in beta form to everyone who has pre-ordered it.
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EliteDangerousHorizons.png (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EliteDangerousHorizons.png)
Elite Dangerous: Horizons – Now with more planetary landings Horizons is more than just about letting you land on planets, however. It’s also a season of expansions, as they’re calling it, with more content than just that. The planetary landing portion is just the beginning and is the starting point for a whole new way to play Elite: Dangerous.
Advertisements


What can you do in the beta? You can journey through atmospheres, coasting over gorgeous vistas of mountaintops, dive into canyons and venture out on the ground in the new Scarab SRV wheeled vehicle, alone or with friends, all without loading screens or breaks in gameplay. Just remember that atmospheric flying is vastly different than in zero-G, and it’s all modeled here.
There’s plenty more coming in future updates as part of this Horizons. The idea is to realize the dream that David Braban has for Elite: Dangerous, which is a space simulator that simulates what life would be like as an explorer, a trader, resource exploiter and more.


Loot and Crafting, unlocking a world of customization options and adding new value and meaning to every action.
Multicrew, allowing teams of players to assume roles aboard the same ship.
Commander Creation, giving a unique appearance to players’ in-game avatars.
Ship-Launched Fighters, allowing larger spacecraft to carry their own short-range fighter ships for attack and defense.

And as ever, if you’re going to partake, keep in mind this is a beta with all the wonderful and dreadful things that come with that. Participation and feedback all help to make for a better experience for everyone when it’s finally released to everyone.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-horizons-now-in-open-beta-for-those-that-pre-order/#ixzz3t4tm1wJj

[Jorge-Vieira]

How Not to Land on a Planet in Elite Dangerous: Horizons

The newest expansion to Elite: Dangerous, called Horizons, is officially in beta right now and allows you to make the transition into the atmosphere and gravity well of celestial bodies, letting you land and explore should you like.
http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AnnounceArt_EliteDangerousHorizons_CobraLanding-635x357.png (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AnnounceArt_EliteDangerousHorizons_CobraLanding.pn g)
Landing in Horizons is as easy as one, two… oh crap, there goes my hull. Elite Dangerous: Horizons adds more of what fans and others have been asking for. The initial beta is turning out to be a particularly fun time, and we’re told that more planet types and environments are coming. For now though, Frontier Developments is perfecting atmospheric flight and the rendering of whole entire planets. Want to see how not to land? Watch below, and don’t do what I do…


<iframe width="635" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CcO4LgPddQM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>




Oddly, it only scratched the paint when I went to fix my ship.
What would be incredible, is if they took all of the Kepler data to try to model each, or significant amount of, the real potentially habitable planets and let you explore them. That might be something for future development, as are the rendering of more lush and green environments themselves. But for now, we have entire planetoid bodies and new things to do on the surface. Even just driving around with the SRV (the rover) is a fun time. I can only imagine the types of player created events as a result of this new update.
Just remember, this is only the beginning of newly added content, new things that’ll make Elite: Dangerous a more desirable game.
Advertisements


The visuals in Elite: Dangerous are already majestic in how they portray the nearly 100 billion different stars and star-systems. The backdrop of the procedural rendered 1:1 representation of the galaxy is stunning, the disparate gasses that are still floating about and cautiously coming together as they at least look like they’re going to form new stars and other stellar phenomenon give a sense of being in space. Wide open, dark and lonely space. But it’s breathtaking in its own right.
Regardless of whether you think Elite: Dangerous is a stunning looking game visually, it’s a space simulation that has a lot of breadth. A massively wide scale, and enough cubic kilometers (parsecs really) to make any open-world game jealous. What it lacked when released was a sense of depth, or that feeling that you were really in a futuristic society full of technology and interesting people. There’s a lot to do, but it never quite felt like it mattered, and sometimes it seemed limited.
Horizons adds something new, something that is only the beginning of a vision of what David Braben and the folks at Frontier Developments want to make Elite: Dangerous into. The original release was true to the core of the series, but it lacked what a more critical generation of space-simulator enthusiasts really wanted, a seamless space-faring experience that involves more than just mindlessly mining, trading goods or exploring. Those are fun things on their own, but they do get a bit grindy. The combat is a blast, though it can always be improved, of course.
But my impressions of Horizons and the planetary environments that it adds are positive. It’s a good start in a direction that Elite: Dangerous has needed to be relevant in an age that isn’t quite satisfied with the formula, albeit successful, that the original franchise developed. It isn’t an easy process to implement a seamless planetary entry with flourishing and exuberant jungles and forests, or rolling grasslands with cities on the horizon. But that’s on the, well, the horizon.
It’s a positive sign that I think more space sim enthusiasts will enjoy as opposed to the smaller community that was so taken (me included) by the original intent and product that we got. I liked it, but as a business decision, it makes perfect sense to make it something far greater, and that’s what they’re doing here.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/how-not-to-land-on-a-planet-in-elite-dangerous-horizons/#ixzz3tGWmcIld

[Jorge-Vieira]

Running Elite: Dangerous in VR will make your wallet tremble

Earlier this year, Oculus released (http://techreport.com/news/28280/youll-need-a-powerful-gpu-to-drive-the-oculus-rift) the recommended system specs for using the Oculus Rift headset. Those requirements were already quite a bit above what most people are packing in their computers, and now Frontier Developments has revealed (http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dcbf6b86b4b0c7d1c21b73b1e&id=88fecfe120#Minimum%20Specs%20VR) what kind of system you'll need to play the drop-dead-gorgeous Elite: Dangerous (https://www.elitedangerous.com/) in VR glory. You better sit down for this one.
For starters, CPUs less powerful than Intel's Core i7-3770K or AMD's FX-4350 need not apply. Those specs are pretty reasonable, but the 16GB of RAM needed to run the VR version might be a pain point for more than a few. Where it gets really interesting is in the graphics card section: you'll need a GeForce GTX 980 or better. It's pretty safe to say most of us don't have one of those today.
That GPU requirement is quite steep, but it's not that surprising. Oculus' minimum requirements already demand a GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290, so it's only logical that a graphically-intensive game like Elite: Dangerous needs more power than that. It may also be that as VR headsets become popular, a portion of gamers will have already upgraded their machines to a next-generation graphics card. A GTX 980-class card might not be quite as daunting a requirement by the time those products roll around.



Noticia:
http://techreport.com/news/29401/running-elite-dangerous-in-vr-will-make-your-wallet-tremble

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous Gets Steam VR Minimum Requirements – Requires High-End PC

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Elite_Dangerous_31.jpg (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Elite_Dangerous_31.jpg)
Frontier Developments shared the official Steam VR minimum requirements for Elite Dangerous. These are pretty hefty, and it’s yet another proof that VR minimum requirements for games heavy on graphics are going to be very steep.
OS: Windows 7/8/10 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K Quad Core CPU or better / AMD FX 4350 Quad Core CPU or better
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 980 with 4GB or better
Network: Broadband Internet Connection
Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
Elite Dangerous was announced to feature Steam VR support back in late September. Chief Creative Officer Jonny Watts said:

We’re thrilled to announce SteamVR support as part of the ongoing expansion of Elite Dangerous. Back in December 2013 we were among the first to support virtual reality with a triple-A game, and for me, exploring, trading and fighting throughout Elite Dangerous’ 1:1 scale Milky Way remains an unequaled virtual reality experience. We have been working closely with Valve to bring Elite Dangerous to HTC Vive, and we are delighted with the quality we have been able to achieve.
Advertisements


Valve’s Chet Faliszek added:

Frontier’s Elite Dangerous is an excellent example of a team leveraging the versatility of the Vive and Steam VR. Players take the helm of an amazing starship experience.
Beta support for Steam VR is already available in the Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta. After the official release of Horizons, all Elite Dangerous players will get a free update adding Steam VR support, even if they don’t own Horizons.
Speaking of the beta, check out this preview (http://wccftech.com/how-not-to-land-on-a-planet-in-elite-dangerous-horizons/) by Jeff.







Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-gets-steam-vr-minimum-requirements-requires-high-end-pc/#ixzz3tdwcC8zQ

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous: Horizons Exits Beta Next Week, Launches December 15th



Elite: Dangerous’ first official expansion, Horizons, is exiting beta next week and will officially launch (https://www.frontierstore.net/games/elite-dangerous-cat/elite-dangerous-horizons-pre-order.html) on December 15th.

<iframe width="635" height="388" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QX_E6jCGusM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Horizons is just over the horizon.

For those that have thought that Elite: Dangerous lacked a little bit more depth than they might like might be interesting in Elite Dangerous: Horizons because it adds a surprising amount of variety. You’ll be able to land on planets, exploit them for resources and race around the planetary surface.
This is only the beginning of a new set of expansions that Frontier Developments is going to be bringing to Elite: Dangerous. In the future you’ll be able to loot and craft items, enjoy multicrew missions in your larger ships, create a personalized commander, launch fighters from your larger ships and even more. The criticism of the lack of depth has been heard, and there’s more content to keep you busy coming.
We took a look at Elite Dangerous: Horizons (http://wccftech.com/how-not-to-land-on-a-planet-in-elite-dangerous-horizons/) and found that while it won’t convince the most die-hard of naysayers, it does at least show the direction that Elite is headed, which is a more interactive and varied experience. It certainly makes it a compelling space-sim to watch, if anything.








Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/elite-dangerous-horizons-exits-beta-next-week-launches-december-15th/#ixzz3tqYZNQJH

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous: Horizons goes live


http://images.bit-tech.net/news_images/2015/12/elite-dangerous-horizons-live/article_img.jpg Elite Dangerous: Horizons is now live, but only the Planetary Landings functionality is available at launch with more features promised through 2016.






Frontier Developments has officially hit the launch button on Elite Dangerous: Horizons' Planetary Landings, along with a free Ships update for current owners unwilling to splash out on the expansion.

Announced back in August (http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2015/08/06/elite-dangerous-horizons/1), Horizons brings the ability to land on selected planetary bodies to Elite Dangerous - finally bringing it to feature parity with its 90s predecessors Frontier: Elite II and Frontier: First Encounters. Technically an expansion, the title has been launched as a standalone package which includes the base game and all previously released content - a move which has angered those who had already purchased the base game or participated in its crowd-funding campaign, despite the promise of a £10 discount from its £39.99 launch price and an exclusive ship model for existing users. The promised features of Horizons are, however, being released piecemeal: today's launch includes the Planetary Landings functionality, with additional features - including crafting, unique player avatars, and multi-crew ships - to be added as free upgrades throughout next year.

For those not upgrading to Horizons, there's some small comfort in the form of an Elite Dangerous 1.5: Ships launch which also goes live today. This adds new missions and scenarios, increases the number of flyable ships to 30, and adds support for Valve's SteamVR platform. Through this, Frontier has confirmed, out-of-the-box compatibility will be available for anyone picking up an HTC Vive virtual reality headset at launch next year.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons is available now, priced at £39.99 for immediate access to Planetary Landings and access to the additional Horizon features as and when they are released. A 'beta' tier, priced at £49.99, is also available, offering earlier access to the as-yet unpublished features.

Noticia:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2015/12/16/elite-dangerous-horizons-live/1

[MAXLD]

despite the promise of a £10 discount from its £39.99 launch price and an exclusive ship model for existing users


Pois, só que essa nave ao que parece não é gratuita para esse pessoal, apenas fica desbloqueada para ser comprada ingame. Além de que é uma Cobra MKIV... que é pior que a MKIII que já havia ingame e era a melhor nave multipurpose, praticamente a mais rápida (consegue fugir a tudo e todos), é bastante acessível e uma das favoritas do pessoal para qualquer tipo de missão. A nova MKIV tem apenas mais um slot para arma e é muito mais lenta, embora tenha mais um pouco de espaço. Escusado será dizer que o pessoal não está muito impressionado com essas specs finais nem com o facto de n ter sido oferecida tal como esperavam que fosse...

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous might be getting Linux version, hints a job opening (http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49236/elite-dangerous-getting-linux-version-hints-job-opening/index.html)

A new job posting (http://www.frontier.co.uk/jobs/cambridge_vacancies/?artid=551&pageNum=0&blk=232) at Frontier Developments hints that we might eventually see Elite: Dangerous on Linux, which means it'll end up being one of only a handful of space-sims on SteamOS.


http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49236_02_elite-dangerous-getting-linux-version-hints-job.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49236_02_elite-dangerous-getting-linux-version-hints-job_full.jpg)

This information isn't based on much, though the job description is specifically for a systems programmer for helping to create cross-platform libraries for online services, and it does mention having the ability to "...write platform-independent code for deployment on Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, and current generation consoles."

At the very least it speaks towards further having a cross-platform back-end and galaxy that's persistent for everyone throughout on PC, Mac and Xbox One (and the PS4 in the future). Already the underlying economy and Power Play political atmosphere is similar, though you're unable to play with, or against, those on differing platforms.

The mention of Linux could also merely be because of the back-end servers run on a flavor of Linux, meaning any software would naturally need a server-side component. So this isn't definitive in that respect, but at least it's a sign of things to come in at least some way.

And if Elite: Dangerous does make it to SteamOS? Then it'll be nearly the only AAA space simulator available. Wouldn't that be something?




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49236/elite-dangerous-getting-linux-version-hints-job-opening/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous sells over 1.4 million across Xbone and PC

Elite: Dangerous (http://amzn.to/1Ok6W3V) has just surpassed selling 1.4 million copies across both the Xbox One and the PC, and incredible and well deserved accolade.


http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49656_50_elite-dangerous-sells-over-1-4-million.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49656_50_elite-dangerous-sells-over-1-4-million_full.jpg)

Elite: Dangerous was among the first batch of space-sim revival kickstarter's (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461411552/elite-dangerous/description), having easily surpassed their goal of 1.25 million. Over 25 thousand backers gave what they could to make the dream a reality, which was a revitalization of a genre that has been largely ignored in recent times.

The game finally released in December of 2014 and then officially on Steam in April of 2015 to a fairly great reception. A total of over 84 million hours have been played by its player base (and I've got only a paltry 81 currently). But it hasn't been smooth sailing completely, with the initial launch having been of a fantastic yet somewhat shallow game.

The Internet was ablaze with criticism, and the general consensus now is that there's plenty to do, but you have to find it yourself. They've added a tremendous amount of content since launch, with much more on the way. A competitive CQC mode and planetary landings add a lot of value, and is only the beginning of where they want to take it.




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49656/elite-dangerous-sells-over-1-4-million-xbone-pc/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous switching support from Oculus Rift to SteamVR instead

Elite: Dangerous (https://www.frontierstore.net/usd/games/elite-dangerous-cat/elite-dangerous-horizons.html/) developer Frontier Developments has always been one of the original supporters of VR as it became mainstream, and they're shifting focus to concentrate on the SteamVR platform while still supporting the Oculus Rift.


http://imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49859_09_elite-dangerous-switching-support-oculus-rift-steamvr-instead.jpg (http://www.tweaktown.com/image.php?image=imagescdn.tweaktown.com/news/4/9/49859_09_elite-dangerous-switching-support-oculus-rift-steamvr-instead_full.jpg)

Speaking to Eurogamer, Frontier said that they've altered the course of their VR focus due to SteamVR having a more stable driver out much sooner than Oculus. That doesn't mean that they won't support Oculus' solution, just that their teams will are going to more actively pursue the SteamVR solution, as that makes more sense at the moment.

In the end it makes sense to support as many VR HMD's as possible for a game that can actually make use of the head-tracking and immersive experience. But it seems that after Oculus 0.6 SDK, they're switching gears. But they're still working closely with Oculus as well.


We've supported VR for a few years now, and Elite Dangerous is arguably the world's leading VR-ready game. We want to give players the best possible VR experience however they play - it's something we talked about with Digital Foundry recently - and that means focusing our efforts. Right now, we've chosen to focus on SteamVR. We haven't cut an exclusivity deal with any VR manufacturer, and we're still working with Oculus on Rift support.


Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49859/elite-dangerous-switching-support-oculus-rift-steamvr-instead/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite: Dangerous won’t have official Oculus Rift support, will focus on SteamVR (http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/elite-dangerous-wont-have-official-oculus-rift-support-will-focus-on-steamvr/)


Frontier, the studio behind the space sim, Elite: Dangerous, has confirmed that the game won’t include official Oculus Rift support. However, the team will be focussing on supporting Steam VR and the HTC Vive headset.
In a statement sent out to Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-01-22-elite-dangerous-dev-frontier-confirms-no-official-support-for-oculus-rift), Frontier said: “we’ve supported VR for years now and Elite Dangerous is arguably the world’s leading VR-ready game.”
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ed1-e1442863762729.jpg (http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ed1-e1442863762729.jpg)
While the studio does want to “give players the best possible VR experience”, this does, unfortunately, mean that the development team needs to focus its efforts, which in this case means that any available manpower will be going into supporting SteamVR and the HTC Vive.
While Frontier will be focussing on Steam’s virtual reality solution for the time being, it also noted that it has not committed to any sort of exclusivity deal so official Oculus Rift support may come later down the line.
Frontier, the studio behind the space sim, Elite: Dangerous, has confirmed that the game won’t include official Oculus Rift support. However, the team will be focussing on supporting Steam VR and the HTC Vive headset.
In a statement sent out to Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-01-22-elite-dangerous-dev-frontier-confirms-no-official-support-for-oculus-rift), Frontier said: “we’ve supported VR for years now and Elite Dangerous is arguably the world’s leading VR-ready game.”
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ed1-e1442863762729.jpg (http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ed1-e1442863762729.jpg)
While the studio does want to “give players the best possible VR experience”, this does, unfortunately, mean that the development team needs to focus its efforts, which in this case means that any available manpower will be going into supporting SteamVR and the HTC Vive.
While Frontier will be focussing on Steam’s virtual reality solution for the time being, it also noted that it has not committed to any sort of exclusivity deal so official Oculus Rift support may come later down the line.



Noticia:
http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/elite-dangerous-wont-have-official-oculus-rift-support-will-focus-on-steamvr/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Frontier Developments Reveals Roadmap For Upcoming 'Horizons' Content

http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/R/543195/gallery/Starport-Elite-Dangerous-Horizons_w_600.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Starport-Elite-Dangerous-Horizons,0101-543195-0-2-12-1-png-.html)For now, the Elite: Dangerous Horizons (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-horizons-now-available,30773.html) expansion has only the ability to land on planets, but more content is on the way for season two of Frontier Developments’ space-faring game. Now, we have an idea as to when the rest of the features are coming.
The developers plan to release one upgrade for every season in 2016. Update 2.1, called “The Engineers,” will come later this spring. Players will see an expanded mission system as well as the ability to loot enemies. The same update also enables the ability to craft various modules and weapons for your favorite spacecraft.
In the summer, the “Guardians” update will introduce the concept of ship-launched fighters, which could help even the odds when you’re outnumbered in the vast darkness of space. “The Commanders” fall update will allow you and your friends to work together in a multi-crew ship. You will also be able to customize your pilot’s appearance with the new Commander Creator.
One more update is planned after “The Commanders,” but its release date and contents are still unknown. However, it’s safe to say that update 2.4 will close out season two of Horizons sometime in the winter season and pave the way for the next expansion to Elite: Dangerous.
For now, the focus is on “The Engineers” update. In this week’s newsletter, executive producer Michael Brookes stated that the way missions are provided in various stations and outposts will change to provide a more personal experience. Instead of just picking a mission from a list, you’ll also see the face, name and status of the non-playable character (NPC) who is giving you the mission. As your overall rankings and status rise or fall for various factions, the way you are treated when you take on various missions will also change. You might meet high-ranking officials or a lowly minion depending on your reputation with certain factions.

“The mission contacts will also remember if they’ve dealt with you before. As well as providing consistency, the contacts are the conduit for gaining missions and seeing the effects they have. So they will inform you if the minor faction has entered a particular state, or [if] a state is incoming. There will also be much smarter selection of missions that tie in with the current state of affairs, [and] there will be more details on this as part of the progression and variety goals.”
We’ll obviously hear more about the spring update in the coming weeks. For now, fans can rest easy as they now have an idea of when to expect more content for Elite: Dangerous Horizons.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/features-roadmap-elite-dangerous-horizons,31151.html

[MAXLD]

A partir de hoje foi também mudado o sistema de compra da expansão Horizons.

Até agora a Horizons era vendida junto com o jogo base ED (espécie de re-launch) a "full price"... mesmo quem tivesse já o ED tinha de comprar este novo pack com tudo (com um pequeno desconto) se quisesse a nova expansão. De hoje em diante, quem tem o jogo base (ED) pode comprar a expansão Horizons como DLC/Season Pass (loja da Frontier e Steam) a um preço mais baixo (tal como devia ter sido sempre).

De notar também que durante este fim de semana de sales no Steam, esse novo Horizons "season pass" está com um desconto adicional, ficando por 27.19€ em vez de 33.90€.

[LPC]

A partir de hoje foi também mudado o sistema de compra da expansão Horizons.

Até agora a Horizons era vendida junto com o jogo base ED (espécie de re-launch) a "full price"... mesmo quem tivesse já o ED tinha de comprar este novo pack com tudo (com um pequeno desconto) se quisesse a nova expansão. De hoje em diante, quem tem o jogo base (ED) pode comprar a expansão Horizons como DLC/Season Pass (loja da Frontier e Steam) a um preço mais baixo (tal como devia ter sido sempre).

De notar também que durante este fim de semana de sales no Steam, esse novo Horizons "season pass" está com um desconto adicional, ficando por 27.19€ em vez de 33.90€.

Boas!
E vale a pena o jogo?

Essa é a questão...

Para jogo causal por exemplo?

Cumprimentos,

LPC

[MAXLD]

Boas!
E vale a pena o jogo?
Yep.



Para jogo causal por exemplo?
Nope.

XD

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous: Arena announced, a standalone dogfighting affair (http://www.tweaktown.com/news/50430/elite-dangerous-arena-announced-standalone-dogfighting-affair/index.html)

Elite: Dangerous has a surprisingly fun "mini-game" with it's competitive CQC game mode. Compete in a fast-paced fight to the death against other skilled fighter pilots in some startlingly tight spaces. Frontier Developments is now offering just that module as a separate standalone purchase (https://www.frontierstore.net/usd/games/elite-dangerous-cat/elite-dangerous-arena.html/) for those wanting a different kind of competitive experience.


<iframe width="781" height="469" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mpE8n-DZsdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


For $7.49, you can take to the arena in Elite: Dangerous and compete against your peers in what they're calling the ultimate futuristic gladiatorial contest. Purchasing from the Frontier Store will get you a discount on the upgrade to the actual full game, minus the full purchase price of ED: Arena. It doesn't look like Steam offers such a deal at the moment.

CQC mode in Elite: Dangerous has the potential to be a new type of eSport, leveraging a different skill set than the usual FPS games require by having you also think about how to maneuver a ship with true, realistic Newtonian physics. You can either have automatic compensation of inertia to drive you in the direction your nose is pointed, or turn off all the assist and pull off maneuvers that aren't possible in gravity.




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/50430/elite-dangerous-arena-announced-standalone-dogfighting-affair/index.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

'The Engineers' Update For 'Elite: Dangerous Horizons' Delayed

http://media.bestofmicro.com/E/D/546133/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Horizons-approach_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Horizons-approach,0101-546133-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)
Frontier Developments continues to work on more updates for the Horizons expansion of Elite: Dangerous. Last month, the developers said that the first big update, titled “The Engineers,” would come out sometime this spring. However, it seems that fans will have to wait a bit longer, as the release date was delayed.
According to the developers, the extra time would allow them to improve the contents' overall quality. A beta session of The Engineers is now set for May, so we might not see its new features until the summer.
However, the delay announcement didn’t stop the developers from revealing more features coming with the update. Players will be able to create bookmarks for any solar system, planet, asteroid belts or bases. This could be useful to mark areas such as trading hubs, dangerous systems or crucial discoveries in the galaxy.
There will also be changes in the rewards system for missions. At the moment, you are awarded credits for completing various missions. But when The Engineers update comes out (which will introduce crafting mechanics to the game), mission rewards could also come in the form of crafting materials. In fact, some materials will be available only by taking on certain tasks. We still don’t know specific details about the crafting system, but mission-exclusive materials could be used to create more powerful modules for your ship.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/A/G/564136/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Horizons-bookmarks_w_600.jpg (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Elite-Dangerous-Horizons-bookmarks,0101-564136-0-2-12-1-jpg-.html)
The announcement didn’t include any mention of the other three major updates (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/features-roadmap-elite-dangerous-horizons,31151.html) in Horizons. “The Guardians” will arrive in the summer, and “The Commanders” update is out in the fall. We still don’t know when the final update (which doesn’t have a name yet, and closes out the expansion) arrives. The delay of The Engineers will obviously have a scheduling impact on future updates, but in the meantime, Frontier Developments will continue to release smaller patches in the weeks leading up to the release of Horizons’ first major update.



Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/elite-dangerous-hoirizons-engineers-delayed,31337.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Elite Dangerous will land on Oculus Rift at launch (http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/elite-dangerous-will-land-on-oculus-rift-at-launch/)


Elite: Dangerous has often been touted as a SteamVR title so we knew it would be landing on the HTC Vive when that comes out in April. However, today, Oculus and Frontier announced that Elite: Dangerous would also be available on the Oculus Rift from the headset’s launch on the 28th of March.
Frontier has often stated that it developed Elite: Dangerous with VR in mind. The crowd-funded space sim also supports cross-platform multiplayer, which means you can explore the galaxy with players across Oculus, consoles, PC, and Mac.
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/600x338xelite-dangerous-blog1-e1457638603782.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7tfXfiCgtY.jpg (http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/elite-dangerous-blog1-e1457638603782.jpg)
If you happened to buy the Elite: Dangerous Horizons expansion, then you will actually get the Oculus version of the game for free. This will be the second space-themed title to launch alongside the Oculus Rift as well as all pre-orders of the headset come with a free copy of Eve: Valkyrie, which focusses on spaceship combat, rather than exploration.



Noticia:
http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/elite-dangerous-will-land-on-oculus-rift-at-launch/

[Jorge-Vieira]

William Shatner lends his famous voice to Elite: Dangerous (http://www.tweaktown.com/news/51290/william-shatner-lends-famous-voice-elite-dangerous/index.html)

William Shatner is an icon in science fiction, not the least because of his role in one of the largest franchises in Sci-Fi history. He's now lent his voice talent to the developers at Elite: Dangerous for a high-quality voice pack that'll replace the already gentle and rather marvelous voice inside the game. Now we can hear Captain Kirk himself narrate our journey, courtesy of HCS voicepacks.


<iframe width="781" height="469" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yegEjlAneao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Orion is more than just replacing the in-game ship voice with his commanding presence, but they've also created an in-game tour, of sorts, which is narrated by William Shatner while you go to certain waypoints throughout the galaxy. He's contributed over 1300 different phrases to replace the original voice. This voice pack is officially endorsed by Frontier Developments and a completely legal and authorized mod to put into your game. William Shatner has signed a few posters and his new book that, if you pre-order by April 8th, you'll be entered into a drawing to win. His new book Leonard is part of the prize pool and is a tribute to his co-star, colleague and friend Leonard Nimoy. Check it out, it's a fascinating voice-over that adds a new element, if not terribly exciting, that's quite unique to the game. If anything it can add something from your favorite Sci-Fi franchise to it. When Leonard Nimoy himself narrated portions of Star Trek Online it was a wonderful surprise as his voice lives on in ways that otherwise wouldn't be possible.




Noticia:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/51290/william-shatner-lends-famous-voice-elite-dangerous/index.html