14 DAY TRIAL // What we know: Star Citizen is an upcoming space trading and space combat simulation massively multiplayer online video game being developed by Cloud Imperium Games.
The game's developers have started work on the game in 2011, using a modified version of the CryEngine 3 game engine, and then followed with a very successful Kickstarter campaign in late 2012.
The crowdfunding effort helped the game take off, and the money keeps on coming each month, the total amount of pledges reaching $36 / €26 million to date.
The game will be made up of two parts, a persistent MMO universe and a single-player component with drop-in cooperative multiplayer, called Squadron 42, that will come with customizable private server components.
The game is set in the 30th century, and a pivotal element in the game is citizenship (or lack thereof) in the United Empire of Earth, which is an earned commodity that can be acquired through various feats such as military service, which comes with a few in-game benefits.
Player interaction and a dynamic economy system will play a very important role in Star Citizen, and the players' behavior will influence the events taking place in the game world.
The game is currently developed using a modular approach, with backers gaining access to various parts of the game in an early access program, as the developers release new modules.
Why it matters:
The project sees the participation of Chris Roberts, who is one of the makers of the very successful at its time Wing Commander series, as well as the renowned Privateer, Starlancer and Freelancer space sims, thereby ensuring the presence of the timeless elements that made them all great.
While the project's budget is not exactly gargantuan by triple-A title standards, it is a record for a crowdfunded independent game. Many people spent hundreds of dollars on ships that don't yet exist, and the support of 356k backers is nothing to scoff at.
The good thing about the game is that the developers will not be constrained by release dates or pressure to appeal to a broader range, and will be able to focus on making the best game they can, supported by people who share their passion for the genre.
The final, fully commercial release version of Star Citizen (including Squadron 42) is estimated to launch in early 2015, with the backer beta version expected to be fully functional by the end of 2014.
Softpedia is hosting an entire series of Incoming 2014 articles, covering the most anticipated games of the year.