Elite: Dangerous alpha launches for crowdfunding supporters

Elite: Dangerous , the in-progress space sim from Frontier Developments, has released an alpha build to a group of especially-committed supporters of its Kickstarter project . The buy-in for participation in this phase of the alpha process was about $325, but that hasn't stopped the developer from releasing some new and intriguing footage to perhaps rustle up a few more potential pilots.

As we hear from Frontier founder David Braben in the video below, managing the heat produced by your craft will be a significant tactical component of life in Elite's universe of trading, bounty-hunting, and general space mischief. For me it's enough that the heat system would give me some story-specific justification for mounting a heat-efficient Gatling gun onto the front of a starship. Backers with access to the alpha will be testing the way various weapons express Elite's heat mechanics system, according to Braben.

"You can button-up your ship, go cold, go stealthy, because in space the thing you can see is heat," Braben said. "And you can shut down systems, like your shields that generate heat, so that people can't see you."

With all the space sims now in development and with the kind of immersion that a fully realized Oculus Rift system promises, it feels like a special time for the genre. And from the new Elite footage below, I think there's a lot to be hopeful for. If you want to skip the talk of heat systems and alpha builds, go straight to 1:45 in the video for some nicely rendered combat footage showing off the current state of the game.

Thanks, CVG .

Latest in Sim
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Dwarf Fortress adventure mode art
After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'
Tarn Adams, who cofounded Bay 12 Games with his brother Zach, talks about their single-player simulation game "Dwarf Fortress" during an interview at their home office in Poulsbo, Washington, west of Seattle, on December 9, 2022. - A cult favorite among indie game fans, "Dwarf Fortress" has been available for purchase on the Steam online store since December 6, a first for this title that has been distributed for free since its debut in 2006. The real-time management game, set in a medieval-fantasy world and involving overseeing a group of dwarves seeking to build a mighty fortress, has climbed to the fourth best-selling weekly title on Steam. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'
Decorations in TCG Card Shop Simulator
TCG Card Shop Simulator finally adds the ability to decorate our stores, and suddenly all my profits are being spent on adorable Pigni posters
A person on a snowmobile riding a track in the forest in game Sledders.
Powder enthusiasts seem pretty pleased with new physics-based realistic snowmobile sim Sledders
Dean Hall at GDC 2025.
Outer space inspired DayZ's Dean Hall to become a modder and game developer, and now he's making a Kerbal successor called Kitten Space Agency
Latest in News
Two brightly colored stormtroopers dressed like Run-DMC stand in front of PAX Australia's WELCOME HOME banner.
Tickets for PAX Australia 2025 are on sale now
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again