michael-brookes
Latest
Elite: Dangerous maps out update beta schedule, teases expansions
In a development post released today, Elite: Dangerous Executive Producer Michael Brookes laid out Frontier's plans for the game's inbound major updates following the tiny 1.05 patch this morning. Update 1.1 is set to enter beta the first week of February, Brookes says, and will focus on mechanics for player collaboration and route planning. Who gets to join that beta? Currently beta testing will be available for those who already have beta access for the main game. For players participating in the beta tests there will be a separate mechanism for playing so testing does not affect your game and that you can continue to play the retail version as well. Options for players currently without beta access to be able to purchase beta access will be available. Details will be made available nearer the time. Depending on how the update Betas go in test, we expect them to be released to everyone a week or so after the Beta release. Brookes also teased E:D's upcoming paid DLC as well as the multiplayer-focused 1.2 update, the beta for the latter of which is expected in March.
Elite: Dangerous won't feature offline play after all
Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier has seemingly reneged on an earlier promise to deliver an offline version of its popular spacefaring title. Fans of the crowdfunded hit caught wind of Frontier's plans via the game's 49th newsletter, and executive producer Michael Brookes confirmed the decision in subsequent forum posts. "We have always said the way to play the game is online - indeed it says so in the quote of me being circulated," Brooks wrote. "The choice was develop the game in the way we wanted, or not. Trying to make it offline would have made both experiences worse than we were willing to tolerate. We had to make the decision and have done so. I would say that an offline rewrite of the game is unlikely for the future." [Thanks golden radish!]
See the universe of Elite: Dangerous through Oculus Rift
Do you remember the phrase "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades"? Well, in the land of Elite: Dangerous, the future's so bright players get to wear Oculus Rift. That's right: Frontier has announced that the upcoming space sim will support the goggles that really immerse the player in the universe through virtual reality. Additionally, Executive Producer Michael Brookes has stated that all backers of the game who have access to an Oculus Rift headset will have free access to the Oculus Rift version of the game. [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!]
Frontier teases first Elite: Dangerous screenshots
Frontier has released the first batch of work-in-progress screenshots for Elite: Dangerous. Senior producer Michael Brookes posted them on Frontier's forums earlier today, though the shots initially found their way to Elite Kickstarter backers via an email blast. Elite: Dangerous raked in over £1.5 million during its fundraising drive that began in November, 2012 and ended in early January, 2013. The game is scheduled to release on PC and Mac platforms next year, and it is the latest iteration of the venerable space trading sim first published in 1984.
