After the £200 alpha, the £100 premium beta and the £50 beta comes the launch price for space game Elite: Dangerous: £35.

That's what it costs to get the Mercenary Edition, which developer Frontier gives to all who pre-order the game. The standard edition costs £39.99.

So, what do you get in the Mercenary Edition? Here's the list:

A digital download Elite: Dangerous

Your very own Eagle fighter ship docked in a secondary location in-game

Exclusive pack of ship paint jobs

A 'day one' ship decal

A digital players guide

A digital concept art book

Plus loads more digital goodies to be announced over the coming weeks

Frontier says the only way to get these extras is to pre-order the game. Those who have already pre-ordered get the Mercenary Edition extras when the game is released.

And when will that be? Frontier is still saying 2014.

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," Frontier boss David Braben said.

"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.