Elite Dangerous Kickstarter

Elite Dangerous was first announced to the public on November 5, 2012. Over a quarter of a century after the original Elite. David Braben of Frontier Developments launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in November 2012. The purpose was to test-market the concept, verify whether there's broader interest in a fourth game and to raise funds to help make the game.

Braben wrote "We’re using Kickstarter both as a means of test-marketing the concept to verify there is still interest in such a game that extends beyond the individuals who regularly contact me about the game, and raising the funds to do so. There is also the fact that as long as we hit the threshold, it commits us to making the game." By April 2014, £1.7m had been raised. This was a fraction of the total budget for developing the base-game, Elite Dangerous (1.0). At Gamescom 2014 Braben said "The original budget, because we put a lot of our money towards it, was £8m," "it's grown by quite a lot".

Benefits

Backers of the Kickstarter campaign for Elite Dangerous received various benefits in return for their support. All delivery dates listed below were subsequently revised to account for delays during the game's development, but the original Kickstarter dates are recorded below for the record. Note that higher backer levels included rewards from all lower levels.

Reward Tiers

• £5 - Be an Elite supporter, and get a digital code when the game is released to apply a transferable decal to your ship, unique to you, the game’s backers.
• £10 - Receive the digital newsletter and progress updates, plus the reward above.
  • Estimated delivery: Feb 2013
• £15 - Reserve your Commander name in the game (first come, first served, except Jameson), plus all rewards above.
• £20 - Reserve a digital copy of the game, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £25 - Download a single copy of the game and also gain 500 credits when starting a new game. Plus all of the rewards listed above, except the limited £20 reward. Higher rewards gain the 500 credit bonus, but this only applies if the default starting option is selected.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £30 - Reserve a digital copy of the game, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £32 - Imperial Bounty Hunter: Have the option to start in an Imperial Colony with an Imperial Eagle MkII Fighter with upgraded weapons and shields and 1,000 CR (randomised start system choice for multiplayer reasons)** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £35 - Download a digital copy of the official sequel to “The Dark Wheel” novel, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £37 - Federal Trader: Have the option to start in a Federal border system with a basic Cobra MkIII loaded with cargo worth 1,000 CR and 1,000 CR in cash.(randomised system choice for multiplayer reasons)** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £40 - Your name* forms part of the naming database (so your name will be one of those used randomly for non-player in-game characters), plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £42 - Pirate: Have the option to start in an anarchic Frontier system with a stolen but upgraded Cobra MkIII and only 100 CR.(randomised system choice for multiplayer reasons)** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £45 - Download a digital copy of the “Elite: Dangerous” music, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £50 - Participate in the second round private beta test, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Feb 2014
• £55 - Independent Trader: Have the option to start in the Lave system with a basic Cobra MkIII and only 100 CR** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £60 - Physical DRM-free boxed edition of "Elite: Dangerous" plus all rewards above (please note: the disc in the pack is simply an alternative way to install the game - it will have the same online account code whether installed off disc or downloaded digitally).
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
  • £15 to ship outside the UK
• £70 - Explorer: Have the option to start on the edge of explored space with a long range version of the Cobra MkIII and 3,000 CR (randomised system choice for multiplayer reasons)** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £75 - Access to the private backer’s discussion forum, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
• £80 - Digital Download Pack. This includes a single digital download of the game, and any expansions, and all the other rewards above except those requiring physical delivery.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £85 - Kickstarter Special: Have the option to start in the founder's world with any starter ship and 4,000 CR. Note: any Kickstarter decal-carrier will be able to travel to this secret system in gameplay** plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £90 - Physical DRM-free collector's premium boxed edition of "Elite: Dangerous". This includes all the rewards above, except a premium boxed edition is in place of the standard boxed addition, which includes a T shirt with "I backed Elite: Dangerous" on the back, and a paperback copy of the official sequel to "The Dark Wheel".
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
  • Add £15 to ship outside the UK
• £100 - Participate in the first round private beta test, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Jan 2014
• £150 - Be a founding member of ‘The Elite’ in the game, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £200 - Participate in the private alpha test, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Dec 2013
• £300 - Be a design decision forum member, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
• £500 - Have a space station named* after you, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £750 - Have a planet named* after you, and an invitation to the UK launch party, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £1,500 - Be a “Commander Jameson” - have a reserved commander name* xxxx Jameson (eg Commander Peter Jameson etc) – first come first served on the forenames - plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £3,000 - Have a frontier star system named* after you, and a 'special thanks' game credit, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £4,500 - The writer’s pack: The right to write one piece of written fiction set in the Elite: Dangerous world, and (subject to reasonable approval of the content) release it commercially, without paying Frontier further royalties, independently of the game. This category includes all the rewards above. Frontier will cooperate to allow the system name, commander name, planet name, planet description, space station names to be positioned and used in a way to support the fiction within the game. Frontier will also help publicise your title at the time of release of “Elite: Dangerous”, as long as it is finished at that point, alongside the official sequel to “The Dark Wheel”.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £5,000 - Name the secret founder's system*. This includes all the benefits of the £3,000 pledge tier.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014
• £5,000 -Dinner with myself and the key team members in Cambridge, Have a central star system named* after you, plus all rewards above.
  • Estimated delivery: Mar 2014

All names must not be offensive, trademarks, or in any way problematic for us to include in the game, and must follow our naming guidelines.

General Kickstarter information

From the Kickstarter website:

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