# Star Citizen is the Future of PC Gaming, and it \[was\] Free to Play this week (Edit: No Longer Free) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [October 13, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528 "2015-10-13T06:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 55
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1081 "2024-03-21T06:33:37Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Unable to find the supposed CIG quote about being unable to pay investors anywhere else. Are you thinking of this? > **[Star Citizen’s 2022 financials offer additional information about investors...](https://massivelyop.com/2024/03/19/star-citizens-2022-financials-offer-additional-information-about-investors-and-their-expected-returns/)** > What this ultimately means for CIG is explained in the report, which admits the company does not have the cash to pay off investors at the moment: > > “Another reason for not recognizing is due to the nature of the put terms, as if exercised the put proceeds would be payable out of available cash in excess of that required to effectively operate the business and thus that liability would remain undischarged until such available cash became available.” > > In other words, assuming pre-orders of _Squadron 42_are announced during this year’s CitizenCon, and assuming that the game is priced at $70 a copy, CIG would have to sell roughly four million copies in order to successfully pay off the investors. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1082 "2024-03-21T09:28:03Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > > In other words, assuming pre-orders of _Squadron 42_are announced during this year’s CitizenCon, and assuming that the game is priced at $70 a copy, CIG would have to sell roughly four million copies in order to successfully pay off the investors. I mean, 4 million copies is definitely doable; _No Man’s Sky,_ for example, has sold over twice that much since its release (edit: although I’m sure only a minority of those sales were at full price). All they need is a game to sell. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1083 "2024-03-21T13:05:03Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Are you thinking of this? Yeah, but that site is the only place Google News could find it. I guess the blog mentioned there has a copy of the actual report so my suspicion my have been misplaced. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1084 "2024-03-21T13:41:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > All they need is a game to sell Since when? CIG has made millions selling non-existent spacecraft. I think they could definitely clear millions of sight-unseen preorders from the ~~suckers~~ committed. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1085 "2024-03-21T13:43:23Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > CIG has made millions selling non-existent spacecraft. I think they could definitely clear millions of sight-unseen preorders from the ~~suckers~~ committed. True, but legally that’s a little more dicey, especially if they sell it through a site like Steam, which will be on the hook for refunds. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1086 "2024-03-21T13:56:36Z")
Interestingly, somebody in the comments section says a recent CIG filing admits that the backers are making purchases rather than “pledges.” That’s a pretty big deal in terms of liability. (I know, a comment section in an article ain’t exactly a primary source.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1087 "2024-05-28T20:07:28Z")
> **[Star Citizen Pushes Through the $700 Million Raised Mark and No, There Still...](https://www.ign.com/articles/star-citizen-pushes-through-the-700-million-raised-mark-and-no-there-still-isnt-a-release-date)** > > Star Citizen has now raised over $700 million, according to figures from developer Cloud Imperium Games. 700 million dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1088 "2024-05-28T21:22:07Z")
At this point, I feel like anyone who buys into _Star Citizen_ has abrogated the right to later claim they’ve been taken advantage of. It’s become so famous that even a nongamer like me has heard of Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium Games. Anyone who plops down their bux has to know that there’s a chance they’ll never see a completed game. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1089 "2024-05-29T20:15:47Z")
Yes, 100% is technically “a chance”. The only way this game is ever “finished” is if Chris Roberts finally reaches the end of his suckers’ gullibility (or at least, the end of their wallets), the income stream dries up, he sells the right to an actual game studio to get the last bit of cash he can from it, and they slap something together, put it in a box, and call it done. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1090 "2024-05-29T21:56:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > put it in a box Nah. If there’s ever a box, it would contain a bunch of air and an online redemption code. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1091 "2024-07-13T15:12:35Z")
Hey, almost 9 years after the OP, Star Citizen is free to play again this week! And apparently it is still the Future of PC Gaming, because it sure as hell isn’t the present. Warning, article is incredibly pro-Roberts. > **[Star Citizen is Free-to-Play For a Limited Time](https://gamerant.com/star-citizen-free-to-play-foundation-festival-july-2024/)** > > Star Citizen goes free-to-play for a limited time as part of the ongoing Foundation Festival 2024 event, with multiple rewards for new players. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2024, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1092 "2024-10-21T19:34:03Z")
Star Citizen is in gaming news today: they apparently demoed the first hour of Squadron 42, the standalone single-player module of the game. S42 was announced in 2014 and was (according to the company) feature complete last year. Roberts says it will launch in 2026. > **[Star Citizen spinoff Squadron 42 has been delayed again until 2026](https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/star-citizen-spinoff-squadron-42-has-been-delayed-again-until-2026-180946358.html)** > > Star Citizen spinoff Squadron 42 has been delayed again until 2026. The single-player first-person space sim was first announced all the way back in 2014. Crowdfunding continues to push towards a billion dollars. I think it’s been a while since they named a concrete date (even a year) for anything? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1093 "2024-10-22T03:23:21Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Warning, article is incredibly pro-Roberts. Delayed reaction, but… the article was written by an AI, not a human. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1094 "2025-04-10T14:37:35Z")
Star Citizen has raised $800 million. > **[They can't keep getting away with this: Star Citizen has now raised over $800...](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/they-cant-keep-getting-away-with-this-star-citizen-has-now-raised-over-usd800-million-after-13-years-and-its-still-in-alpha/)** > > It's raised over $100 million every year since 2022. I’m starting to think that this game is a curse upon mankind, and yes, I mean that literally. Ever since Roberts started working on it, everything in the world has been getting worse and worse, while the game just keeps getting bigger and further away from completion. For all our sakes, we need to either finish this game, or destroy it. Otherwise the Earth is doomed. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1095 "2025-04-10T16:15:26Z")
I’d forgotten about this. God, it gets funnier. Is there a free version you can test out? ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1096 "2025-04-10T16:37:20Z")
Free? Are you mad? I got a version with a graphics card, some 3 computers ago, so I occasionally log in. It’s not really a playable game yet. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1097 "2025-04-10T17:00:24Z")
I also got it with a graphics card, on a computer I built 10+ years ago… Haven’t checked it (the “game”) out in nearly that amount of time now. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1098 "2025-04-10T17:09:26Z")
I also got it from those GPU codes when newegg accidentally sold them for $1 each without requiring a GPU purchase. I think I lost the key for the ship though. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1099 "2025-04-10T17:19:11Z")
Apparently people are paying $700 for the AMD Omega Mustang ship from that bundle. I gotta find that code. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528/1100 "2025-04-10T22:40:55Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Apparently people are paying $700 for the AMD Omega Mustang ship from that bundle. 😑 I mean, my God. It’s the NFT of video games. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-citizen-is-the-future-of-pc-gaming-and-it-was-free-to-play-this-week-edit-no-longer-free/734528.md?page=56)