Microsoft - An Editorial

[january 19]

What's going to keep Flight Sim alive is the ability of folks to adapt and produce add on's that will enhance the program and make it more 'realistic' and enjoyable. One thing to remember though, is that many people who want to try out Flight Sim may not have and can't afford the "latest and greatest" system that's out there. In reading the forums and posts on this site (and others) many people have older systems that just don't have the hardware capability to run FSX at its full potential. That's why there are quite a few folks that are still running FS8 (like myself) and FS9. If anything, developers, both free and payware alike need to remember that and at least try to make product available for those other platforms. FSX is incredible, but don't forget the "little guys" out there, too!Alan

Quite so. Rather than the supposition that FS9 will die a slow death, the recent stats from the AVSIM poll suggest a different scenario.On the question-"What is your primary sim?" in the past four months: Oct 5/09 to Feb 5/10, simmers who hadn't voted prevoiusly (new simmers?) responded with 69 votes for FS9 & 60 votes for FSX.Food for thought- I leave the interpretation to others, particularly software developers.Alex Reid

[Gavin 99]

With all due respect... "The reports of the death of the flight simulation hobby have been greately exaggurated."

greatly exaggerated

[mgh 89]

In my editorial (above), I illustrated how bad things have become at Microsoft under Steve Balmer's leadership. I read an interesting editorial in the New York Times yesterday titled "Microsoft's Creative Destruction". It seems they are content to concentrate only on the OS (operating system) and Office products as their key (and perhaps only?) means of income. How sad. The PC is no longer the premeir gaming platform and we can no longer expect anything cool coming out of Microsoft. Including Flight Sim. Here's the article (not sure how long this link will be active):http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/opinion/...t&st=Search

The author of that report has an axe to grind - Microsoft didn't take up his suggestions when he was associated with them. He has to admit that under Steve Bulmer Microsoft's profits were more than US$100 billion over the last ten years and that current profits are US$6.7 billion in the last quarter. The profits from Flight Simulator are negligible in that context. I suspect the FXNext was axed because a review showed that continuing to develop it it wasn't commercially viable. That's the sort of decision that's made daily in business.

[btacon 1,849]

greatly exaggerated

I agree.Computers are here to stayAviation is here to stayPeoples desire to experience aviation, while not incurring the costs and risks is here to stay.Give it a year or two...the next "ultimate" flight simulator will emerge. It may come from MS, it may come from Oracle, it may come from an outsider like DCS the Russian software company who developed Black Shark.To paraphrase Mr. Costner, "...build it and they will come."Braun

[Guest JoeInCT]

I agree.Computers are here to stayAviation is here to stayPeoples desire to experience aviation, while not incurring the costs and risks is here to stay.Braun

I agree Braun. But with the coming of emersive (and INTENSE) first shooter video games AND Microsoft giving up on the PC as a gaming platform, I'm afraid "the market" is so small for Flight Sims that the expense of creating a new QUALITY FS product exceeds the potential revenues. I'm afraid we will never see anything like the former FS franchise again.I think when Vista was a complete bomb, the mindset at Microsoft became: we can't even do our operating system right so we should NOT be doing ANYTHING else that distracts us from our base (income producing) product (PC games included). A well run company with creative people could do both. But Microsoft is not that company anymore. The best they will do under Balmer is to keep the OS and Office on the PC side, and not much more. Under Balmer they simply do not have the creativity to drive the PC gaming market -- or even a smartphone OS at this point. Google however has the deep pockets, a simular product (Google Earth) and the creativity. They could easily wrap an airplane around the "eye point". We'll see.Joe

[mgh 89]

, I'm afraid "the market" is so small for Flight Sims that the expense of creating a new QUALITY FS product exceeds the potential revenues. I'm afraid we will never see anything like the former FS franchise again.

I agree completely. Much as we'd like a new better flight simulator I don't believe the marklet will support one That's I'm afraid a fact of life that applies universally. No one is going to invest the serious money needed unless they are convinced they'll get it back. Developers are not charities. I think we've been fortunate that Microsoft continued as long as it did.

[Guest JoeInCT]

One more point. Gamer kids are "whores" and will change platforms in a millisecond if it means having the "coolest" and "best" platform and associated games. For now, there are enough households with PCs and Windows to make further inroads on the platform. I saw a commercial for an HD TV however for the first time last week that had Internet browsing capability built right into the TV. Once browsing moves to the TV and gaming moves fully to the XBOX (or its future replacement), the PC for the home will become COMPLETELY irrelevant. The one saving grace for the PC in the home is the ability to edit documents and photos - a function that can also be done on a "TV" as well (or as a service via the net). I also read a Gartner article predicting that "smartphones" will overtake PCs as the web access device of choice by 2013. The PC and Windows is fast becoming irrelevant. Great CEOs drive the technology. Lousy ones try to mearly "hold on" to the lead.As of today, Balmer is still: THE WORST CEO IN THE WORLD.

[dmaher 0]

For what it

[flaminghotsauce 1]

As long as the next version of FS doesn't get that dumbed-down treatment like the OS's got. I like Vista, but it wants to do too much for me. Windows 7 is the same. "You seem to be trying to lean the mixture. Are you sure? Continue?"

[Guest JoeInCT]

In case you missed it yesterday, Apple computer overtook Microsoft in terms of market cap (value). It is obvious to me that Microsoft under Ballmer's leadership is suffering immensely. This comes on the heals of Ballmer firing consumer products head Robbie Bach last week.I am mentioning this here because I have made the argument that we can no longer expect good things out of Microsoft under Ballmer's leadership, including great PC games. DX10 was supposed to bring us to PC gaming nirvana, however under Ballmer, the PC is being abandoned as a gaming and sim platform. Very sad.Ballmer is a complete and total buffoon.If you are interested, here is a great article about Microsoft under Ballmer's leadership:http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/techtonic-sh...of-excuses.html

[7107delicious 0]

Joe,your post is superbly thoughtful. I didn't quite like FSX before, but since it runs very well, and that it runs FS2004 add-ons so perfectly, I chose to use the sim as my main platform. I had to turn down expectations for models such as Wilco though, they didn't make the most of it to be a winner of add-ons for precision.I am not leaving MSFS, but I am looking forward into new sims. Remember that MSFS is not dead, and will continue to grace the virtual skies with better aircraft in the near future. I sure hope that the new Cascade Game Foundry will make FS11 into something far more realistic than today's 737-800 models. The sounds could have been more realistic.IMO, I am a total MSFS fan ever since FSX came out and under no circumstances will I ever leave this series.

[Guest JoeInCT]

I've made the argument that we cannot expect anything creative out of Microsoft (including Flight Sim) under Ballmer's leadership. Here's further proof... From today's news:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/2010063...ech_gadg_tc2982The Microsoft KIN (phone available at Verizon) sold a whopping 500 units and they are pulling the plug. Way to go Ballmer - the worst CEO In The World.I hope the Microsoft Board of Directors figures this out and cans the guy before it is too late.

[turner112 52]

One major irony here is that FSX worked, arguably (and very arguably at that) much better and more bug-free than just about every other Microsoft product I've used, except maybe their corded optical mice, which I love, and even use with my Macs.If Ballmer is in charge - and that seems to be the case - he's responsible. And churning out a product like Word, which isn't worth its digital weight when it comes to trying to lay out or format just about anything... well, he needs to have his bags packed and ready.If it was his decision to kill FS, I'm not really sure what to say because there is some reasoning behind it I don't know about. He strikes me as being very out of touch. :(

[Guest JoeInCT]

The New York Times did an article today (7/5/2010) on how bad Microsoft has gotten under Ballmer:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/technolo...;ref=technologySteve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) = Buffoon.

[mgh 89]

The New York Times did an article today (7/5/2010) on how bad Microsoft has gotten under Ballmer:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/technolo...;ref=technologySteve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) = Buffoon.

Microsoft's profits rose by 35% in the 1st Quarter of 2010.http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/ap...rosoft-profitsNot bad for a company led by a buffoon!Am I right in assuming that assuming you are the CEO of a multi-billion international corporation that is doing better than that?