Community pours over $42 million into ‘Star Citizen’

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Star Citizen looks to keep the record of “highest crowd-funded project ever made” for a little while longer. As of writing this article, the total amount of cash the community has injected stands at a mind-blowing $42,062,495.

Video game designer, programmer, film producer and film director Chris Roberts is responsible for this huge upcoming space simulator. He set up Cloud Imperium Games Corporation with long-time German friend Ortwin Freyermuth back in 2011. Together they sought to create a fresh “space sim and combat simulator” with the only limitations realistically coming in the form of funding. Sure, limitations. Whatever that means.

Let’s quickly put this crazy news into perspective: Back in June 2013, the total amount raised stood at an incredible $10,000,000. In less than a year that number has more than quadrupled. This is really quite unprecedented and I think this is just scratching the surface as to what crowd-funded campaigns can achieve. The power really is in our hands!

But what does all of that money mean to you and me?

Well, in a “Letter from the Chairman” posted on the official Star Citizen website, Roberts calls the milestone a “symbolic victory” and that “the meaning of life, the universe and everything is now the amount pledged to let us build a new universe”. Woah. He also confirmed that this extra money would bring in new additions to players who back before the $42,000,000 target and after. Let us take a look below:

  • Updated Observist Guide Additional funding from the $42 million level will go to expanding the website area of the Galactapedia: expect to see holographic ships, items and navigation interface in 3D! Imagine admiring your ships or planning your loadouts right here at the RSI website.
  • Explorer-class mobiGlas rig Every player who backed before we hit $42 million will start the game with their own, visually distinctive mobiGlas “ExoGlas” rig which can be used to access the Observist at any time. I’ve charged the mobiGlas team with a very difficult task: creating a realistic interface that will help keep your affairs in order in an expansive galaxy. It’s almost like building your own in fiction operating system for an imagined future, and it’s very different task than building spaceships. This backer-exclusive mobiGlas kit will come pre-loaded with additional galactic information that new players would ordinarily need to explore or barter to fill out; it’s our way of honouring the information you’ve collected about the Star Citizen universe through the RSI and community over the past year!
  • Gladius The Squadron 42 team will develop an additional fighter for the game, the Aegis Dynamics Gladius-class fighter. The Gladius will be the first fighter built entirely from concept to CryEngine in the UK! Here’s the official description: The Aegis Gladius is the UEE’s reigning light short-range patrol fighter. A single-seat ship with no room for expansion, the Gladius is fast, manoeuvrable and capable of punching far above its weight. The main advantage to the design is simplicity: cheap to produce, easy to repair and outfit and quick to train new pilots on. The Gladius is an aging design nearing the end of its life-cycle, although iterative updates have kept it the most nimble fighter in the active fleet.
  • Towel And of course, everyone who back before we hit $42 million will also receive a towel for their hangar. Don’t explore the galaxy without it!

Quite a lot detailed there, but it’s all worth it at the end of the day knowing you get a towel to look at. What do you want to see from Star Citizen? Does it appeal to you? Have you even put a dollar or two toward it? Sound off in the comments below and let us know! Star Citizen is due for release for PC in 2015. For all the latest updates, be sure to stay right here on SpawnFirst! You can follow everything regarding Star Citizen and the amazing progress it is making here.