Star Citizen Smashes $31m, Squadron 42 Enhanced
Squadron 42: Electronic Funds Transfer-Galoo
As surely as the Earth keeps on spinning and the sun looms precariously, waiting for the day when our brittle atmosphere crumbles away so it can boil us all into bleeding scabs that scar the planet's skin, Star Citizen keeps on pulling in millions of dollars. It's now jumped all the way past the $31 million mark, which means a) Star Citizen gets an "interstellar super yacht," b) Chris Roberts and co have enough money to buy a real interstellar super yacht, and c) single-player story-based Wing Commander successor Squadron 42 gets some serious upgrades. Details and video below.
Squadron 42 is expanding, as though someone took the universe and inflated it like an all-of-existence-spanning balloon. Roberts explained:
"The team at Foundry 42 has big plans for Squadron 42, and we’re going to provide extra funding to make it a true spiritual successor to Wing Commander! Squadron 42 can go above and beyond anything you’ve seen before. From opening with an epic battle instead of a training patrol to missions that seamlessly combine boarding and space combat, we aim to put you right into the action! Additional funding will let the team realize this, with enhanced mission design and more resources and animations to enhance fidelity."
Bigger! Spacer! More bad spaceass!
Backers have also unlocked the Origin 890 JUMP for Star Citizen and a mining platform called the RSI Orion. In layman's terms, the former is a really, really, really big luxury spaceship. The next stretch goal, meanwhile, will focus on an exploration-based ship.
Of course, all the usual skeptical disclaimers apply. $30 million is more money than I could ever stuff into the high-security bank under my mattress, but it's really not much at all by triple-A game development standards. Two games for the price of half of one? Seems like a nigh-impossibly tall order. We shall see.
For more on Squadron 42, you probably ought to read my GDC Next chat with Chris Roberts. Say what you will about the man, but he can certainly talk a big game.