Frontier Developments announces December 16th is the official release date for Elite: Dangerous, the long-awaited upcoming continuation of the seminal space combat series. The game is currently available for preorder as a special Mercenary Edition, and for those who still want in on the beta, this can be had for a premium over the cost of the Mercenary Edition. Here's a bit on the game:

Starting with a few credits and a basic starship, carve your own path through the richest, largest gaming sandbox ever created, set against a backdrop of raw anarchy, galactic powerplays and intrigue. Do whatever it takes to upgrade your ship’s hull, engines, weapons, defences, cargo hold; even the ship itself, constantly improve your capabilities and influence on your journey towards the most coveted rank in the history of gaming - ‘Elite’.

Fight, trade, hunt your way across a giant galaxy of 100 billion star systems, starting with a basic starship and a few credits. You can make money from trading goods between the many star systems, by destroying pirate ships (and collecting bounty), or even by attacking traders and collecting their cargo (which in turn will get a bounty on your head!). There are missions too, and exploration. Most people will do some combination of these things. Upgrade your ship and specialise in one activity - have a trader with a huge cargo bay, or use the space for weapons and manoeuvrability.