Elite Dangerous Dev Frontier Announces Plans to Sell Ships for Real Money, Sparking Backlash

Frontier Developments, the developer behind the popular space simulation game Elite Dangerous, has made a significant announcement that has caused a stir within the gaming community. The company revealed plans to sell ships for real money, which has ignited a wave of backlash from players.

In a post on the Elite Dangerous website, Frontier announced that it would be selling early access to the Python Mk II ship for three months starting May 7 for 16,250 ARX, the game’s premium virtual currency. To purchase this amount of ARX from the store, it would cost $12.99. Players who own the Odyssey expansion will be able to buy the ship for in-game credits starting from August 7. However, players who do not own the expansion will only have access to ship variants through the store using ARX. Additionally, Frontier is introducing Pre-Built Ship packages, which include upgraded ships from their base models, allowing players to skip the process of upgrading ships.

The announcement has sparked outrage among veteran players of Elite Dangerous, who have accused Frontier of adopting a pay-to-win model similar to that of Star Citizen. The ability to purchase ships with real money, combined with the accessibility of ARX through real-world currency, has led to accusations of pay-to-win gameplay. Some players argue that the advantage gained from purchasing ships, even in terms of time saved, should be considered pay-to-win.

This move by Frontier is seen as a departure from their 2019 statement that assured players that ARX would only be used for cosmetic purchases and not pay-to-win items. While Frontier may argue that ARX can still be obtained through gameplay, the introduction of ship sales has strained the trust between the company and the player community.

Frontier has faced challenges in recent years, including disappointing sales of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin and a round of layoffs. To counterbalance these setbacks, Frontier reported that its recent releases, including Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Planet Zoo for consoles, have achieved successful sales and player engagement.

Despite the backlash, Frontier remains focused on its creative management simulation games (CMS) and has confirmed the development of three future CMS titles over the next three financial years. The company will also continue to support and enhance existing games such as Elite Dangerous, F1 Manager, and Realms of Ruin.

As the controversy surrounding the sale of ships for real money in Elite Dangerous continues, it remains to be seen how Frontier will address the concerns and whether any changes will be made to alleviate the pay-to-win accusations from the player base.

(Source: IGN.com)

Sources:
– Website: IGN.com
– Article: “Elite Dangerous Dev Frontier Announces Plans to Sell Ships for Real Money, Sparking Backlash”
– URL: https://www.ign.com/articles/elite-dangerous-dev-frontier-announces-plans-to-sell-ships-for-real-money-sparking-backlash