Frontier Developments announces launch pricing for Elite: Dangerous along with word on pre-order bonuses for the space combat game. Word is the final release version, due by the end of this year, will cost £39.99/$59.99/€49.99 on the Frontier Online Store, though this is discounted to £35.00/$50.00/€40.00 for preordering, which also includes additional bonuses they call the Mercenary Edition. To further complicate things, they also note that those who have already preordered the final version or backed the alpha or beta will also receive the preorder bonuses along with an additional £4.99 discount. "We are hugely appreciative of everyone who has demonstrated their support for the game by backing it through the early development phase or pre-ordering the game prior to release," says David Braben, CEO of Frontier. "Without those people, Elite: Dangerous would not be at the stage it is today. The Mercenary Pack is our way of rewarding them before we release the game." Here's a new Elite: Dangerous TV Spot and here's word on the Mercenary Edition:

The Elite: Dangerous Mercenary Edition is loaded with digital extras. As well as a digital download copy of the game, the pack contains:

• An additional Eagle fighter ship docked in a secondary location in-game
• Exclusive pack of ship paint schemes
• A ‘Day One’ ship decal
• A digital players guide
• A digital concept art book
• Plus additional in-game benefits and other digital goodies to be announced over the coming weeks.