Will someone else "step up to the plate"?

[spilok 1,132]

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

[michal 44]

and provide a NEW Flight Simulator product?

Starting from scratch I don't think is feasible, it would be a huge undertaking and very risky financially - in current business climate (and even when it gets better) I don't see anyone getting any loan for this kind of endeavor. More likely someone would team up with X-Plane or Elite or even acquire rights to the current MSFS software.

[byork 2,258]

Starting from scratch I don't think is feasible, it would be a huge undertaking and very risky financially - in current business climate (and even when it gets better) I don't see anyone getting any loan for this kind of endeavor. More likely someone would team up with X-Plane or Elite or even acquire rights to the current MSFS software.

I'd like to see the guys who did DCS Blackshark take on the franchise.However, I'm pretty sure Flight Simulator will return, though. There's a lot of emotion right now and people tend to jump to extremes in situations like this.I would put my money on there being an FS11, but it may be several years off.

[ailchim 206]

Well, the obvious business solution would be for remnants of the ACES team to buy the Work In Progress code for FS XI off Microsoft & take it from there...

[michal 44]

Well, the obvious business solution would be for remnants of the ACES team to buy the Work In Progress code

Well, they just lost their jobs, I think it is the last thing on their minds to run and empty their bank accounts to purchase software in progress ... unless of course you extend a hefty loan to them :(

[ailchim 206]

Every cloud has a silver lining. Things cast off by corporate monsters do have a value once they escape from under the constraints applied to them. Assuming these guys believe in their product, there is an opportunity - which I'm sure they've thought of.The FS name has minimal value to MS now they have cut their development team.Maybe we all chuck in $25 and become shareholders in the new company?

Well, they just lost their jobs, I think it is the last thing on their minds to run and empty their bank accounts to purchase software in progress ... :(

[Guest shinysuitman]

Every cloud has a silver lining. Things cast off by corporate monsters do have a value once they escape from under the constraints applied to them. Assuming these guys believe in their product, there is an opportunity - which I'm sure they've thought of.The FS name has minimal value to MS now they have cut their development team.Maybe we all chuck in $25 and become shareholders in the new company?

I'd do it.

[timest 472]

However, I'm pretty sure Flight Simulator will return, though. There's a lot of emotion right now and people tend to jump to extremes in situations like this.I would put my money on there being an FS11, but it may be several years off.

Fully agree.

[ailchim 206]

There we go, $50 already.Also, maybe there are some other players out there who'd want to get in on it. Flight1? LevelD? PMDG?Believe me, every cloud does have a potential silver lining.The big problem would be MS sitting on their hands whilst they try to figure out whether to sell the brand or develop it later. Once the people have dissipated, it's too late.

I'd do it.

[ahuimanu 50]

I'd do it.

I mentioned in another post that I'd be happy to pay MUCH MORE for the base product to keep it alive. To Microsoft, FS was a "game" (hence creating the missions and hiring a "game designer" for the FSX release). However, to many of the fans here on avsim - people that spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the 3rd party market - MSFS is worth a higher sticker price. I've seen other titles that lived for awhile as "games" and then graduated to becoming a pro product. There might be hope if a single-seat license for ESP comes down a bit. However, as Tom A. pointed out in his blog, the guys moving the rendering engine forward have been let go. Many are convinced that FS11 will exist one day. I say, without ACES or a team of similar ilk (dedicated to "as real as it gets"), we'll have a "flight game" on our hands, like the PR lady said. We'll have a silly game made for the XBOX - a pale substitute. Alas, we are likely entering a "Falcon 4"-style demise; except in this case, I doubt that the source code will make it into community hands.Computer gaming has backslid into nothingness.

[Plainplane 6]

Maybe we all chuck in $25 and become shareholders in the new company?

If it would help I could donate server space on my website.

[Guest rdg]

If it would help I could donate server space on my website.

I would be in for a shareholder, but it takes a hugh amount of money, talent and dedication to bring a project of this magnatude to fruition. More companies die on software development efforts than those who survive. Granted, this software already has a hugh customer base (not sure how big it really is though), which is a start. I am sure there are many who will dedicate their time for testing etc but the effort is really something that is difficult to explain to anyone who has not experienced it. Maybe I am preaching to the choir. I wonder if MS let go of the source code and documentation and all that surrounded the project, what price tag would it have?Well, I am really disappointed because I really had high hopes for the next version. I had thought the next release would have been the best of all the rest!Bob G

[Geofa 108]

I'd like to be optimistic but history makes me feel otherwise. In the 90's we had Flight Unlimited, Fly, Pro Pilot, Fs, and Xplane.I used them all-and felt a similar death when Pro Pilot, Flight Unlimited, and finally Fly failed.Of course I thought MSFS would never go under with the might of Microsoft.It has, the feeling is familiar and it is another sad day.I hope I am wrong but it is deja vu for me at least.

[n4gix 4,947]

Bill Gates should buy out the TS, ESP and FS franchises and set it up as a completely independent game studio. He could likely fund a five year development cycle out of less than a half-day's earnings on his portfolio... ;)Have two versions of FS and TS: Game and Professional, with the Pro version being an content-rich version of ESP. Sell it in the $100 to $200 price range.

[dmaher 0]

Ailchim has a great idea