Flight interest dwindling...too bad

[SKEWR 364]

Flight's interest may be on the decline, but in looking at most new games, it isn't unusual.

 

While games like Skyrim, COD, ME, and BF may start off with a lrge following and maintain (or grow), there are games that need time to "season". For those types of games (especially MMOs), there comes a major patch that addresses concerns and adds a ton of functionality. The so called "Miracle patch". In the case of Flight, it won't be free.

 

The game is now 2 months old. Enjoy it for what it is. if you are tired of it, take a break and come back! It's not going to get erased from your HDD.

 

Flight fans have to trust that MS has a game plan in mind (with contingencies) using this business model. We've heard that DLC purchases were "better than expected". If that is the truth, then we have to take the long position on what Flight is rather than the 60 day version we have now. Alternatively if Flight is doing poorly, I have to beleive that MS has a "drop dead" timeframe in which they just cut their losses. I don't think that time occurs within 60 or even 180 days. I believe that the bounty of FSX addons have spolied some who have migrated to Flight.

 

Last point: It's very easy to throw around insults in this forum. Let's be more civil ladies and gentlemen! If I want to "stare at water for 4 hours" then that's MY choice. If you want to fly around a slightly upgraded PHNL with no virtual life, gobbling up coins like Sonic the Hedgehog then that's your business. Let's respect the fact that we all have our own opinions.

[LHookins 3,103]

Last point: It's very easy to throw around insults in this forum.

 

Really?

 

If I want to "stare at water for 4 hours" then that's MY choice. If you want to fly around a slightly upgraded PHNL with no virtual life, gobbling up coins like Sonic the Hedgehog then that's your business.

 

Ok, you've proved your point. It IS easy to throw around insults.

 

You were doing great until you got to the last paragraph. A little more acceptance and a little less judgement would be nice. Thanks.

 

Hook

[Guest Antlab]

I guess the feeling is wide spreading; Steam stats are some of the lowest I have seen in days.

Current Players: 570 Peak Today: 664 Microsoft Flight 03:05 p.m. 25/04/2012 http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

 

Just a question, because I am not expert of Steam statistics. From the page you linked, going to the 100 most played games, it seems that Flight is about 85th over 100. Is it true? If so, why is someone talking of a good success?

 

A.

[RoboRay 126]

 

Just a question, because I am not expert of Steam statistics. From the page you linked, going to the 100 most played games, it seems that Flight is about 85th over 100. Is it true? If so, why is someone talking of a good success?

 

A.

 

Top 100 of how many total?

[RamonB 449]

Just a question, because I am not expert of Steam statistics. From the page you linked, going to the 100 most played games, it seems that Flight is about 85th over 100. Is it true? If so, why is someone talking of a good success?

 

A.

 

I'm no expert either.

 

Out of curiosity I have been following Steam Flight statistics for the last couple weeks, seems Microsoft Flight has been progressively sliding down, although I might been reading at different day times.

 

The quote I made on my last post placed Flight at number 94 of 100, (now it is ranked 87th)

 

What surprises me most is that it is not hitting even 1,000 users today, all day long.

 

(I should probably write a small app to query those stats several times a day)

 

 

Top 100 of how many total?

That is a fair question.

 

I don't know, but if I recall correctly Flight once was among the top 50 percentile of those "Top games by current player count"

[GHarrall 494]

 

Exactly. I do find rather sad the impatience, the unrealistic pricing expectations, the arrogance (the reference above to XBox players as 'drones' (does that make sim players the 'Queen bees'?!)) the unwillingness to participate in a more inclusive style of game, wherein complexity is deliberately set low, so as not present a barrier to new entrants.

 

I have tried to use the ridiculously easy multi-player function to welcome new young players. Most can't fly too well, or know their ILS from their elevator, but without exception have proved capable of having fun, and enjoying this new 'realistic feeling' flying experience. And I like to think that following me around a circuit, with an eye on wind direction, will have begun to teach them the basics...

 

Of course flying in police colours might also help ;)

 

Sorry you felt my reference to "drones" to be arrogant, but that is the way I feel about 90% of console games. Stuck in a multiplayer room from hell in MW3 is about the least fun thing I can think of doing.

 

I don't consider myself (or any other simmer) to be a queen bee as you put it, but most console titles require little thought or study and as much finger bashing in the shortest amount of time possible. If thats the market that has to be catered to, then I would rather not bother at all as clearly it requires reducing the experience to the lowest common denominator. Bottom line, I don't want to be in a more "inclusive game" where the complexity is set low. I can already get that on consoles now any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Birds of Steel being a good example.

 

I will say this again as this forum borders on the ridiculous as far as reaction to even the slightest criticism towards flight, but the engine clearly has potential. I just don't like the direction that is currently being taken. This may change, I don't have a crystal ball, but if I was a betting man I would not put any faith in Josh Howard. Hopefully I'm wrong..

 

(I do own a PS3 as well)

[SKEWR 364]

Ok, you've proved your point. It IS easy to throw around insults.

 

You were doing great until you got to the last paragraph. A little more acceptance and a little less judgement would be nice. Thanks.

 

 

I disagree. The point was to show that those insults are being tossed at people who do not like Flight and people who do like Flight. That's why I called for a more civil forum. If you noticed and read the post in context you would see what I was trying to do.

 

Reference your own post from another topic:

 

"Discussion does not mean everyone agrees. A lack of agreement does not turn a discussion into a debate. This idea is the sort of rhetorical trick used by debaters to win at all costs. Truth doesn't matter in a debate, only winning."

The truth is this forum needs to police people who insult other sims and extol Flight as well. Has to be equal to NOT seem like "######".

[ahuimanu 50]

Too bad, because with a little more effort, FLIGHT could serve both flight sim populations, and all demographics.

 

I have been threatened for saying as much 6-8 weeks ago (with more fervor and emotion, to be sure).

 

I think there are plenty of people who want to flight cockpit-less planes, sorta like RC planes and model railroading, so I don't actually begrudge that. Truth this, We had all we needed to hear from mid-2011 until December. The MSFS Goose is cooked.

 

Personally, I've moved through all the stages of grief, so I am not too concerned with what Flight does for me. Oddly, some of the alternatives are really pickup up anyhow.

 

We had a great run with MSFS.

 

I really believe Flight will resemble the next FS in a couple of years (unfortunately the golden era of freeware and an open add-on market will end with FSX).

 

Josh Howard: "But simulation is a critical aspect of what we are trying to do – no arcade game can capture the majesty of flying the way a sophisticated simulation can. On our journey I expect the depth and breadth of our simulation to grow, as well for the product to get deeper in many other ways as well. Unlike a retail product, with our living product, our fans can join us on this journey, and we can make progress on the journey measured in weeks, not years."

 

What Josh is saying (not saying) is that they are going to sell us the next Flight Simulator piece by piece. Part of the reason MS is being so hush hush, and even denying future plans, is that would have the potential to undermine the perception, and most importantly the sales, of what is currently being offered in the market.

 

George Lucas- the majority of his loyal fans were begging for the original Star Wars on DVD... Nope, never gonna happen George would say. So his fans would reluctantly buy the prequal DVDs and succumb to that is as good as it is going to get. Then the original series was released on DVD with the additional content, and again his fans screamed "but we want the original trilogy in their original forms", and again George says "never going to happen". So his fans set out and buy the new versions, lamenting that this is as good as it is going to get. Then out of the blue, wham! George releases the original, uncut trilogies and his fans rush to the stores to finally get their hands on what they have wanted all along, even though they now realize they are the dupe of a fantastic marketing scheme. (Remember, this is coming from a guy that is questionably a better marketer than he is a director- he invented the hollywood toy merchandising market that exists today).

 

So MS is going to sell us this "journey" one chapter at a time, and they are not going to sell the last chapter until they are sure their loyal fans have also purchased 1-9.

 

This strikes me as a terrible example to uphold - it is tasteless manipulation. I do not want to be a "dupe" for Microsoft Game Studios.

[frankla 44]

Current Players: 570 Peak Today: 664 Microsoft Flight 03:05 p.m.

 

What does that mean anyway?

 

The game is about two months old.

 

I absolutely was shocked that the Flight store didn't have a lot of DLC from the beginning. To me two months old and still what they have offered does not offer optimism for me. With the rate they are going, what I want might take a life time.

[Guest ecg]

Too bad, because with a little more effort, FLIGHT could serve both flight sim populations, and all demographics.

 

But you gave it a shot, approached it with an open mind. I too wish there was more to it. I am not buying any VC-less planes. But I am still using and enjoying FLIGHT.

As for FSX, I just purchased the VRS Superbug and Milviz F15E so have been spending more time there.

[Guest Antlab]

Top 100 of how many total?

 

Sincerely it's not clear from that page of Steam, for that reason I asked clarifications.

There are also other interesting things in the data, for example the today peak of Flight is almost 50% less than that of a famous milestone of the gaming history, such "Plants vs Zombies"

 

A.

[frankla 44]

wherein complexity is deliberately set low, so as not present a barrier to new entrants

 

We are not against having low complexity and not against new entrants. But why not allow for a toggle to higher complexity for others? Why invest in the game engine and deliberately exclude others and those entrants who would want to graduate to a more realistic flying?

[LHookins 3,103]

I disagree. The point was to show that those insults are being tossed at people who do not like Flight and people who do like Flight. That's why I called for a more civil forum. If you noticed and read the post in context you would see what I was trying to do.

 

I do a lot of GA style island hopping in the Caribbean and the Aleutians. Sometimes it's in a Goose (usually without autopilot), sometimes in a helicopter (definitely without autopilot). This means I "stare at water for 4 hours" quite a lot. If someone tried using that as an insult to me, I'd respond, "Yeah, ain't it great?" There's not even an insult there. If you take it as an insult, ask yourself why.

 

Try flying a Goose from Ascension Island across to South American without "staring at water for 4 hours." I've done it a few times. It requires some careful fuel and power management. Real world weather (and winds aloft) courtesy of AS2012.

 

Do I sound like someone who "gobbles up coins like Sonic the Hedgehog"? Yet you've lumped me in with the arcade crowd because I don't fly the same way you do. I fly GA, low and slow, and enjoy the scenery. I don't notice any lack of life because where I usually fly there isn't any. My favorite switch in the aircraft is the off button on the radio. I'd never land at Honolulu if missions didn't require it (including letting a passenger pee... try THAT while dealing with ATC).

 

If you're doing a call for people to stop insulting each other, start with the post where you make the call.

 

Hook

[forkedtail 5]

Put a fork in it....it's done. It's hard to understand why so many of you have invested emotionally and financially in what you thought would be FS11. It's neither FS nor 11. it's a poorly conceived game. Get over it.

[RichLP 32]

Sincerely it's not clear from that page of Steam, for that reason I asked clarifications.

There are also other interesting things in the data, for example the today peak of Flight is almost 50% less than that of a famous milestone of the gaming history, such "Plants vs Zombies"

 

A.

 

Could be partially attributed to inertia...

 

Flight started out on Live, and everyone started using it there...

 

I suspect the vast majority of users haven't bothered to switch over to Steam... I know I haven't.

 

Just a theory...