Elite
PC · 1984
About this game
Elite is a free-form space trading and combat simulation, commonly considered the progenitor of this sub-genre.
The player initially controls a character referred to as "Commander Jameson", starting at Lave Station with 100 credits and a lightly armed trading ship called Cobra Mark III.
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Most of the game consists of traveling to various star systems, trading with their inhabitants, gaining money and reputation.
Money can also be gained by other means besides trading; these include undertaking military missions, bounty hunting, asteroid mining, and even piracy.
As the player character earns money, he becomes able to upgrade his ships with enhancements such as better weapons, shields, increased cargo capacity, an automated docking system, etc.
The game utilizes pseudo-3D wire-frame graphics; its world is viewed from a first-person perspective.
It has no overarching story, though a race known as Thargoids play the role of antagonists: their ships will often attack the player-controlled ship, forcing the player to engage in space combat.
Combat is action-oriented, taking place in the same environment as the exploration.
The player must use various weapons the ship is equipped with, as well as manoeuvre the ship, trying to dodge enemy attacks.
The player can also choose to attack neutral ships; doing so will decrease the protagonist's reputation, eventually attracting the attention of the galactic police.
Elite is notable for its expansive game world, consisting of eight galaxies and 256 planets.
The player is free to travel to any of these planets, provided his ship has enough fuel for the trip (the ship's fuel capacity is limited for a journey to the distance of seven light-years).
About PC
PC gaming spans over four decades, from early DOS titles to today's massive Steam and digital-storefront libraries. Because "PC" covers everything from 1990s CD-ROM releases to current AAA titles, it's the single largest platform by game count on Gamevaro. For collectors, PC gaming splits into two very different worlds: physical big-box releases from the 1990s and 2000s (increasingly collectible, especially complete-in-box with original manuals and inserts) and the modern digital library, which Gamevaro tracks for portfolio and spending purposes even though it has no resale market.
Gamevaro tracks Elite for PC with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding Elite to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This PC release dates back to 1984.
Market values by condition
No price data available yet.
Rarity & condition
No market sales have been tracked yet for Elite — this could mean it rarely changes hands, or simply that Gamevaro hasn't recorded a sale for it yet. Be the first to add it to your collection.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Elite worth?
Gamevaro hasn't tracked a market sale for Elite (PC) yet, so no current value is available. Prices are sourced from real marketplace sales, and this page will update automatically once sales data comes in.
Is Elite rare?
No market sales have been tracked yet for Elite, which could mean it rarely changes hands or that Gamevaro simply hasn't recorded a sale for it yet.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for Elite?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. These are tracked as separate market values because the price gap between them can be significant, especially for older releases.
