Madden is the same game every year, in fact this is the first year I didn't buy it since the early 90's, EA ruins everything it touches.I think it points out the sad reality when a yearly best selling game like Madden has problems, games have become like movies, insanely expensive to make. Look at GTA4, $100 million to make that game, to me somebody else making a flight sim is nothing but a pipe dream. The harsh reality of flight sim is the market size is tiny, why would anybody sink millions into a flight sim title that will sell very few copies in the grand scheme of things. Just like movies, the cost to produce a title is so astronomicaly that we are left with mostly unispired, generic crap. I know there are exceptions, but given the current state of the world economy I don't see anybody making another flight sim for a long time, if ever.

I don't think MS would continue development if there wasn't profit in Flight Sim Market, ESPECIALLY for as long as they have been developing the product. Unless the whole funding for FS was based on Bill Gates, and his love for products like this and DOS. If you notice, there is still a Command.com shell in Vista today. People at the Game Stores (EB Games, Game Stop) have always told me, that when a new version of FS is released, there is a huge anticipation and inquery when the actual shipping date is announced. I know on AVSIM FS forums, there are reports where the product is availabe the second it is released.I would be very interested to hear what the actual sales numbers by version for Flight Sim has been since MS took it over eons ago.It is sad that we as you said may see an end to flight simulation. At least new development.

I don't think MS would continue development if there wasn't profit in Flight Sim Market, ESPECIALLY for as long as they have been developing the product. Unless the whole funding for FS was based on Bill Gates, and his love for products like this and DOS. If you notice, there is still a Command.com shell in Vista today. People at the Game Stores (EB Games, Game Stop) have always told me, that when a new version of FS is released, there is a huge anticipation and inquery when the actual shipping date is announced. I know on AVSIM FS forums, there are reports where the product is availabe the second it is released.I would be very interested to hear what the actual sales numbers by version for Flight Sim has been since MS took it over eons ago.It is sad that we as you said may see an end to flight simulation. At least new development.

Here is the read on numbers sold since release of FSX through Decemebr....one million copies.http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/rumor-c...true&page=1

With the latest news about ACES and the future of Flight Simulator, will some other developer step up to the plate and provide a NEW Flight Simulator product? I know we have X Plane, but is there even a possibliity of a product that can compete with the Microsoft investment in this wonderful hobby of ours?Truly, I am very concerned. FSX is satisfying....but how we we ever progress past this point?Stan

Seems to me Flight Simulation is poised to integrate effectively with satellite imagery like we see in Google Earth. Whoever comes up with the next version will do well to build this around satellite imagery, so that as the sample quality improves so will the sim. As you well know you can get into places with very high resolution such as downtown san diego and end up with spectacular visual quality. Done RIGHT, I could see people paying a subscription for access to satellite imagery by area, at a monthly rate. I think the user base could be huge eventually, so there you have it.Noel

I might have to work more on my little project.

Here is the read on numbers sold since release of FSX through Decemebr....one million copies.http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/rumor-c...true&page=1

More than... In the US...

More than... In the US...

Good point!

but I am careful to say I will never use X-Plane. We have no clue as to what he has in mind for his product.

I use X-Plane!But just for the topography of the global disks.Austin would have to re-vamp his highly touted flight model more along the lines of FSX before I could really get in to X-Plane.In essense, the X-Plane flight model "stinks". It has fluidity but almost absolutely no feel. What's produced in plane maker can be far offthe specs of the real aircraft. This includes airspeeds, reactions to flap deployment, going inverted, inertia, dampening, and a few others.Basically, the X-Plane model needs a host of magic & invisible tweaks to get closer to specs.The only better qualities that X-Plane has at the moment, is ground travel in regards to the horizontal surfaces. This is something that MSFS somewhat eliminated a few versions back. Where I often enjoyed several hours of cross country flights in FS9/FSX, and especially some landings..................I just never seem to with X-Plane.L.Adamson

The only better qualities that X-Plane has at the moment, is ground travel in regards to the horizontal surfaces. This is something that MSFS somewhat eliminated a few versions back.

Although X-Plane has to improve a lot on flight models, scenery and other things compared to MSFS, it's very reductive to say that its only advantage on MSFS is the behaviour of flight controls on ground. Some things are better, others are worse.Marco

Steve Ballmer is going to have to live with the record of the longest developed piece of computer software in history, and his decision has ended this dynasty. I know its just about dollars and sense. And financial business models.I love the product, been involved in MSFS for a long time. But I think it was time for a complete overhaul. I think the FS community keep getting sold goods that were patched and based on old technology. With the game development tools now in place, I think some RAD could be done. RAD in this case 2-3 years. If you have seen some of the XBox and Sony PS3 games, the graphics of FSX don't even come close.Now a second thought.If I were Austin Meyer of X-Plane, I would raise some venture capital, create an XPUIPC (FSUIPC) interface to my product, and hire a couple of developers and take advantage of this opportunity!The sky's the limit!A truely sad time for the Flight Simulator industry.

XPUIPC you can find here: www.tosi-online.de

Here is a link that might give hope to a 'New & Improved' FS. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25919 .Chuck BNapamule

I think FS's future is basically dead. All we can do is use FS9 and FSX and just keep on flying.Hopefully the aircraft developers will stay with us.

I don't see Flight Sim as dead....not even on its last legs at all. Almost 1 year on from the, very sad admittedly, destruction of ACES and its seems to me that devs/programmers/publishers etc etc are only just beginning to realise the potential of this sim (fsx). Add to that the fact that i7 and other massive hardware upgrades are here or just around the corner, and that also allows us to push the boundaries in what we expect of this "beast" and what can be accomplished with it.Admittedly, with a code thats as old as the hills in fsx, it will only go so far but in hindsight, to me anyway, it seems a blessing in disguise. In the next couple of years, someone will pick up the flightsim baton in one form or another, but in the meantime we, as the user, can slow down the ridiculous cycle of hardware upgrading every 5 minutes and the developers have a sim that is "standing still", i.e. they don't have to worry about throwing their resources at a sim that will be obsolete in less than 6/12 months. Its only now that we are seeing the true potential - look at what FTX/ORBX, REX, PMDG, Realair, Feelthere/WILCO, Carenado, Aerosoft & Flight1 (GEX Europe when released)to name a few of my addon makers,have done recently, or are doing now for release in near future and this sim is kicking!!!!I think its just beginning :(

I'm very happy with FSX. Thanks to Orbx, it's only going to get better.All I need is new sceneries and maybe faster technology.It's great right now!

Here is a link that might give hope to a 'New & Improved' FS. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25919 .Chuck BNapamule

I just don't know what to make of that article. I'm glad to see them carry on, but they are awfully concerned with making things easy, which to me is code for "dumbing it down." I am happy to see ANYONE doing ANYTHING related to simulation.

DJ,I think your banner is a bit too large for the forum rules.