Elite: Dangergate – Thoughts on Being Online Only

Well, now we know that Elite: Dangerous can compete with AAA titles: any self-respecting game release has to have its own controversy and ours follows Frontier’s announcement that E: D will be online only. No internet, no game. Note: the option to play alone in solo mode remains unaffected, but every in-game transaction (marketplace, outfitting, missions, ship purchasing) needs an internet connection to the server (source: forum posts by Michael Brookes). The ability to play offline is no more and there are no current plans to reinstate it. The reasons for the decision are many and varied and are being dissected endlessly on the Frontier forums. I won’t repeat the discussion here. Drew Wagar has written a useful summary covering the most of the pertinent points in his latest blog post, here. The reasons for the announcement are also subject to much debate and conspiracy theories abound. I’m not going … Continue reading →