Ep.108 – Only the Best of the Best: Elite and the Birth of Open Worlds
Elite (1984)
A Trip Down Memory Card Lane · David Kassin and Robert Kassin
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Show Notes
In 1984, Elite launched on the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, redefining what video games could be. We trace the partnership between Cambridge students David Braben and Ian Bell, who turned a 3D space combat demo into the first open-ended space-trading simulation. The episode explores the duo’s technical breakthroughs—wireframe 3D, hidden-line removal, and procedural galaxy generation—plus Acornsoft’s bold decision to publish it complete with a manual, novella, and launch party. Our conversation highlights critic and fan praise for its freedom, complexity, and scale, as well as its influence on modern open worlds and MMOs. We also follow Braben and Bell’s divergent paths through Frontier, Elite Dangerous, and the Raspberry Pi. Join us as we trade, fight, and dock through Elite on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.