PMDG's Position on Microsoft/ACES Layoffs

[bob34 124]

It's actually somewhat of a relief to a company like us that we have known quantities for the foreseeable future as far as what platforms we're developing for. There's not going to be any second-guessing now, (ie we get into NG2 development, but then suddenly FS11 comes out and we wonder if we should drop what we've already done and move to that etc) So yeah, we're proceeding full speed ahead on products for FS9 and FSX. :)

I share your thoughts Ryan. I'm ready to settle in with FSX and let the users and 3P developers catch up and stabalize their work.If FS-11 came out, I would have to get it (Meds don't help that problem.)Then it would be useless without add-ons, then I would need hardware when the add-ons come etc. etc. etc. Same thing every couple of years.I'd like to have more than 2 PMDG products to fly before I have to upgrade. :)It will be nice knowing FSX won't end up on the bookshelf with Jet, Chuck Yeager AFT, FS3 through FS9, Fly!, Flight Assignment ATP, Pro Pilot and 2x wives. :( BobKMEM

[SLKVP 13]

Robert, Thanks. I believe it is good thing for the hobby to have a PMDG's point of viewwith regard to recent Microsoft/ACES issues. Sam

[Guest carst84]

In my opinion FSX is such a good simulation it can last 4 more years... it was ahead of its time when it was released and i think most people are still far away from being able to play it with maximum grafics settings.So who needs an FS11 now or in 1 or 2 years? From an economical perspective we all should be able to play the game on maximum setting before investing in a new game which would demand too much from our computers again for the first 1 to 3 years.And if MS would stop the FS franchise forever PMDG could still hire all ex-ACES members and continue the saga on their own. The PMDG FlightSim! With some PMDG Express products for the kids and gamers out there who want to "play" and with all PMDG airplanes as Gold Edition for the enthusiasts. ^^Regards,Carsten Rau

[Alado 0]

HyeThe best thing will be that PMDG will develop also a flight simulator !!!! and the addons !!! yeah ! will be so nice !!! regardsPatrick

[Tom_s 0]

HyeThe best thing will be that PMDG will develop also a flight simulator !!!! and the addons !!! yeah ! will be so nice !!! regardsPatrick

I hope so too....!!!! Regards from Germany

[Guest AirAmbulance]

I think that one good thing that wikk come from it is that great companies like PMDG will pick FS9 back up and develop a few more great add-ons for it since there are a lot of people like myself who are just not willing to give up FS9, and re-spend all the money and time on making FSX match their copy of FS9 as far as add-ons / modifications. And, since there may not be a new FS for years to come. Randy Turner

[mikkel 9]

It's about time you change over to FSX. It's faster on most dual + core systems, and sound and graphics are much better. I would rather see more good add-ons to the flight sim community, than see developers wasting their resources on people that are mostly sticking to an old and dated version of the simulator due to stubbornness... Might sound a bit harsh, maybe it is, but it's not personal :)BTW: Microsoft are now re-hiring people to develope a flight simulator...

[Johnny767 40]

Windows Vista was such a disaster that Microsoft terminated about 98 % of the Team who worked on it... Source-- Microsoft employees !When FSX was released customer's bought the product with the hope that they were buying the "next great thing,"the newest Flight Simulation software," etc. etc. But when people started using it, the reaction was the same (or worst) than when what Windows Vista has been.Now, Microsoft is developing a operating system Windows 7Now, Microsoft is closing the Flight Simulation dept....why? Well, eventhough they might have sold thousands of software (FSX), only a handful accepted the product itself-- yes, just a handful !!!Folks, let's face it (not contradict anyone), but what's good, let's call it good...What's bad..call it bad !!! No questions !!!Juan Gonzalez (John)

[mikkel 9]

"When FSX was released customer's bought the product with the hope that they were buying the "next great thing,"the newest Flight Simulation software," etc. etc. But when people started using it, the reaction was the same (or worst) than when what Windows Vista has been."FSX has been a sucsess for Microsoft, both critically and commercially. FSX had problems when it was released I've heard, but I didn't start using it after SP1, so I know very little of these problems. Could not be more happy with FSX. But it's a pity that they don't support sloped runways and ATC with SIDS & STARS, and updateable navigationdatabase... But maybe in the next version. It's always room for improvment.BTW: On friday Microsoft annonced the new postion of lead programmer on the new/next flight simulator game. It would be interesting to know why Microsoft choose to close down ACES? Maybe they just wanted to create some new dynamics within the game devision? Micorsoft seems like a quite progressive company. To bad they lack moral sense, but I guess this is a problem with any big company.

[Aristoteles 471]

It's about time you change over to FSX. It's faster on most dual + core systems

Just let me,... :( :( :( Sorry, had to do it.

[bob34 124]

I actually like the "earth" concept MS was planning.I would love to drive a car down Interstate 40 and watch FS traffic overhead.Or fire up the rail sim and haul goods to the ports and watch the sim ships and cranes in the ports.Once the engine is done, developers could plant almost anything they want on the surface.How about a house building sim, government sim (sim city???) or a gumball rally.I hope to see that one day.BobKMEM

[mcbellette 145]

Saw this in another forum. I've copied and pasted it...There has been a lot of speculation, rumor and simple guesses as to what Microsoft is going to do with the Flight Simulator

[Ehmjo 2]

What is Microsoft

[klk232 0]

HiI for one am glad to see how PMDG is taking this in stride. I am thrilled that I won't have to buy a new pc for the next FS, I can tune this one till everything runs perfectly. I bought a hotrod pc to run FSX and since day one I have loved it, the differences are perhaps subtle, but it is more immersive than 9.1.Let's all enjoy being able to fly our current sims with all the new addons that will come out, and just maybe when or if they build a new one, we can decide if we want to leave our comfortable sims for the new one.Karl KleiberVATNA2

[Gryphon 0]

Robert, This all makes very good reading and I too am very hopeful for the future. One very slight note of caution though around the 'Sales' comment in your original post. In the UK, retailers very quickly latched opn to the fact that the minimum system specified my Microsoft may in fact have been too low for a viable use of FSX as buyers came back to request refunds because FSX would not work on their systems. This resulted in the retailers refusing to refund wherever FSX did not work on the buyers hardware. This of course left many users - including me - with a copy of FSX that would not run at anything like sensible quality even though my hardware spec did then (and does now on a new system) far exceed the minimum stated hardware requirements. You only have to read the irate tales from FSX purchasers around the globe to know there were problems. Similar actions may have happened elsewhere in the world by other retailers and therefore I suspect there may actually be many thousands of copies of FSX that were bought and have never been put into use and as no refunds were possible, they still count as sales. This will of course skew the real position as MS will always quote the sales figures because they will of course look the best. I wonder what the actual Sales v In use ratio really is. Impossible to establish I suspect, or at least very difficult. Even looking at 'Registered' versions, my comment about 'in use' is still valid.Richard