The guys from Elite have delivered, while the Wing Commander guys are still mostly talking about how great their game will be.
I played Elite: Dangerous for a couple of days and then stopped. It is very much like the original Elite. You fly around making money, but if you want a purpose, you have to make that up yourself. True, there is a background simulation, a bit of story and community goals, but the player's influence is neglectable. It is a sandbox, where everything you do levels out very quickly.
And that is exactly as David and his crew wanted it to be. They promised an almost endless galaxy, space trucking, a few side jobs and that's what you get.