Yes, we can say it's still alive!
Yes, we can say it's still alive!
Chris began development in 2011 with assistance from a few CryEngine experts to verify engine capabilities. In 2012 they launched a crowdfunding campaign and by 2013 they secured a workspace. When funding grew sufficient enough to support both Star Marine and Star Citizen simultaneously, they sought community input on whether a more expansive scope would be preferred or if the funding should be halted. They sent out two requests and received strong support for expansion. Regarding the terms of service, the initial proposal was blank, the second was poorly worded, and the third was revised for clarity. Now refunds are simpler, and critics remain mainly those who oppose change. All his content has been removed except for versions above 3.0 and upcoming 2.6; despite possible financial strain, they’re just over three million a year and close to breaking last year’s record. This situation resembles statements from Derek Smart, Escapist, or Escapist’s forums—why not move on? This project was Chris Roberts’ vision for Freelancer before Microsoft intervened, which explains his desire to avoid traditional publishers. Would a similar gradual release have worked better for Star Citizen? No, Star Citizen depends on handcrafted worlds, while Elite heavily used procedural generation, both having strengths but unlikely to align perfectly. It’s also worth noting that Elite had been in development for roughly four to five years before the second Kickstarter, and there’s a possibility of a free release in January or February if patience pays off.
I won’t go into extensive details, as others have already covered most of your points.
1. We shouldn’t label it dead. The project is still evolving, with new updates, fixes, and enhancements released regularly each week. They’ve also shared their internal timeline to demonstrate they’re actively working on it.
2. It’s a semi-broken release because it’s in the Alpha phase. Most high-budget titles aren’t discussed until after the Alpha is complete and the Beta begins.
3. As noted before, this isn’t accurate—please find a credible source confirming the 2012 launch date. Some sources say November 2014 or 2016, depending on interpretation. The initial version never reached the market, as it didn’t meet funding targets and no Stretch Goals were ever launched. More goals meant extended development time. Backers had ample opportunity to withdraw their pledges before the campaign closed. There’s also a possibility of a refund from CIG, as they’ve accepted refunds in the past when needed. Behind-the-scenes insights have been shared since the project started. Most AAA titles take 4–7 years to develop, so Star Citizen isn’t far behind. Chris Roberts has always acted transparently, offering future updates with evolving stretch goals. This effort began around Kickstarter launch and continued before significant funding was secured. There’s no evidence of staff underpayment; that claim needs verification from reliable reports.
Likely originating from Derek Smart along with others, there were allegations of discrimination. Evidence could not be substantiated because the source remained anonymous, and much of the language matched what Derek Smart has expressed before.