Additional Clues about MS Flight

[JC75 22]

This is just my personal opinion....But I believe that MS may actually get it right this time. I think they will release a sim that takes advantage of the new(or present) way techonolgy is. Taking advantage of GPU power, multi core processors etc. Which will result in a sim that will always get better with time, as I think for some time we will continue to see not only faster but more core processors appear, and more and more clever things that the GPU can do.In sense of the market, Its easy to write a sim, that can be simple or realistic, in essence FSX as this now, you can dumb down the settings, some addons dont have all bells and whistles, so CTRL+E to start engines etc, all they need to do is ensure the engine underneath can be accessed well with an sdk that allows developers to write addons either simple or complex. Which is good, having a sim that as "Game" elements to it will attract more users to the sim, who in time might want to ramp the realism up and will be able to do so. So sales wise MS will make big bucks, which is what we want because that will ensure we get Flight 2 etc.I think the key thing they will do this time which relates to the DLC rumours, is turn MS Flight into an Iphone type model. They will make it easy for developers to write addons for it, and in fact will want people to be able to make both complex and simple gimmick addons, as the more there is the more popular it will make the game. However to get these addons you will buy them possibly through windows Market place, live etc. which means that MS will make money off the addons, because at present they sell their sim for 40quid and dont see another penny out of the massive addon market. Now this may be good or maybe bad depending on your view, but in essence aslong as they get the model right for this, so that developers get their fare share of the cash, and the users dont end up being overcharged, again it could benefit the community with more developers and more chance that Flight 2 and 3 appear. If you take a look at the Iphone, technology wise there are far better phones out now than the Iphone, but it the app market that makes the Iphone sell over some of the better tech altenatives. Something again MS hopes to tackle with its realease of the Windows 7 phone...which is why I can see this same approach being taken with MS Flight.All we have to worry about, is how soon it will come, and that they talk to the addon market developers to ensure what the sim can do allows the developers to develop what they want without having to go to the lengths they do now to make it work.Regards

[kerosene31 349]

This prompted me to go find the manual in my basement (yes, FS1 came with a bound, 150 page manual..)

I remember dogfighting around those 2d mountains at the 'edge of the world'. Good times.

[WhiteKnight77 0]

Actually, since a lot of those guys WAIT to buy it, they pay even less ("I'm not upgrading from FS3, I just got it set up the way I like it!").  

Maybe I am misinterpreting what you are saying, but I have to bring something up. You appear to say that MS gets a smaller amount when someone buys FS  cheaper than what early adopters buy it. MS got their full cut. As retailers have to pay for their product and that MS (or any other business entity save for specific stores) doesn't do consignment sales. Best Buy, Wal-Mart and the like all have to pay MS for the product, either on delivery or within the month after delivery. If anyone loses money on a sale, it would be the retailer.Still, anything anyone comes up with about Flight is all speculation as to how it will be played, whom it is aimed at or what features it will have. Until MS states what will be included, everyone, including gaming websites, will be wrong.

[Tierborn 188]

Maybe I am misinterpreting what you are saying, but I have to bring something up. You appear to say that MS gets a smaller amount when someone buys FS  cheaper than what early adopters buy it. MS got their full cut. As retailers have to pay for their product and that MS (or any other business entity save for specific stores) doesn't do consignment sales. Best Buy, Wal-Mart and the like all have to pay MS for the product, either on delivery or within the month after delivery. If anyone loses money on a sale, it would be the retailer.Still, anything anyone comes up with about Flight is all speculation as to how it will be played, whom it is aimed at or what features it will have. Until MS states what will be included, everyone, including gaming websites, will be wrong.

Input from Microsoft ....http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013915-56.html

[n4gix 4,947]

Input from Microsoft ....http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013915-56.html

That is by now ancient news. It is the one and only bit of official news for that matter... :(

[Tierborn 188]

That is by now ancient news. It is the one and only bit of official news for that matter...  :(

Initial press release of Flight - August 17Link article date - August 18ancient?? - time must really be flying for you ...    :(

[Guest freebird77]

ancient?? - time must really be flying for you ...

In the world of tech anything older than 24hrs is old news, so...Old versions of FS also had that cool plane maker section that when you changed the visual model (default planes only) then the flight dynamics also changed, made it fun when you put 300' span on the fighter jet etc... it was a dumb fun.

[WhiteKnight77 0]

Input from Microsoft ....http://news.cnet.com...0013915-56.html

I saw the original press release and video back then. That is the only information released by MS on Flight so far. The "press" from other gaming sites is speculation, even though the little blurb about social gaming is there. It is not specifically stated that Flight will be browser based or that it will be specifically aimed at those who frequent social networks. The press released does state that long time fans will like what is released, but even then, that can be taken with a grain of salt. If anyone here knows about Flight, they are keeping what they know close to the vest and laugh about the erroneous speculation until MS does release more information as I stated above.

[n4gix 4,947]

ancient?? - time must really be flying for you ...    :(

As it happens, time is really flying for me. I've discovered that the older I get the quicker time seems to pass. Didn't we just celebrate New Years Day a few months ago? :(

[JoeD 0]

As it happens, time is really flying for me. I've discovered that the older I get the quicker time seems to pass. Didn't we just celebrate New Years Day a few months ago? :(

Yeah. I'm now retired and I'm amazed how quickly time goes by. I remember the words of the late George Burns when he was taking about his advanced age and how quickly the time past.He said, "when you get to be my age, breakfast is every fifteen minutes". :(

[january 19]

Yeah. I'm now retired and I'm amazed how quickly time goes by. I remember the words of the late George Burns when he was taking about his advanced age and how quickly the time past.He said, "when you get to be my age, breakfast is every fifteen minutes". :(

The sense of time speedup is very real. With 80 starting to show in my gunsights, I'm oft reminded of the rhyme-There was a young lady named BrightWho travelled much faster than light.She set off one day, in a relative way-And returned on the previous night.Alex Reid

[fxsttcb 1]

This prompted me to go find the manual in my basement (yes, FS1 came with a bound, 150 page manual..)

For the rest of you that are interested in the FS series from its inception, I posted this a while back at flightsim.comFor an exhaustive history of flight simulator,or to try your hand at flying the early versions go here,read a little, then follow the download link.I was introduced to FS with a bundled version in a Tandy CoCo. I've had every release to date and will purchse the next...Don

[Guest veeray]

Personally MSFS has always been a joke, up until Direct3D... I don't understand why you old timers like the older versions, given the competition back in the day.

[Guest freebird77]

Personally MSFS has always been a joke, up until Direct3D... I don't understand why you old timers like the older versions, given the competition back in the day.

There was no competition back in the day,( well sublogics sim was the same), and when there finaly was, it was either very limited or it got trumped by the next FS version

[frankla 44]

Personally MSFS has always been a joke, up until Direct3D... I don't understand why you old timers like the older versions, given the competition back in the day.

Its like saying why you have found memories of your first car.