Would you accept Microsoft Flight to be subscription based?

[V1-Rotate 15]

Well here is a question that was on my mind many years now.What if... Microsoft would release MS Flight or something else in the future that is subscription based?Well, you could say subscribe, for what?Let's say that MS would supply you with updated data all the time, regarding New buildings,new planes,airport info (official and correct) , NAVAIDS, Routes, Charts (accurate and updated as in real life), Real traffic if not flying on line.Real accurate weather.NAV CYCLES for FMS (FMS in it's planes)On line service as VATSIM or IVAO (including clients for radars and in 3D towers , simulating ATC environment)A decent voice chat system.Even support for virtual airlines (ranked or not).A realistic economy system.Would you pay for that and how much per month?If and only if...What else would you expect in a paid service?I would love to hear your comments.Nick

[rhodges 6]

Probably Not. Such an approach would in all probability lead me to retain FSX and FS9 and continue to enjoy only them. I am very apprehensive and suspicious of most such scenarios.The proof would be in the pudding LONG after a track record was established. Results as posted on forums such as this would be the determining factor as to whether I would ever buy into such an offering or not. Sounds like the possibility of another case where one MIGHT pay to become a beta tester to me.Respectfully:RTH

[vololiberista 205]

Absolutely NO!vololiberista

[ubersu 78]

No - and it won't happen. MS isn't in the aviation business.DJ

[Tierborn 188]

No - and it won't happen.  MS isn't in the aviation business.DJ

What does this response mean? We all know they are not in the aviation business but MS still releases Flight Sims, perhaps you didnt know this?  So you can still have a subscription based flight sim without being in the aviation business.

[ubersu 78]

What does this response mean? We all know they are not in the aviation business but MS still releases Flight Sims, perhaps you didnt know this?  So you can still have a subscription based flight sim without being in the aviation business.

You sure can't have one with the feature set proposed by the OP without being in the Aviation business - or buying a substantial segment of that business's time and product. Things like:<<airport info (official and correct) , NAVAIDS, Routes, Charts (accurate and updated as in real life), Real traffic if not flying on line.Real accurate weather.NAV CYCLES for FMS >>come from the Aviation industry and government - not MS. There is absolutely no reason for MS to want to go there for the simple reason that there's no money in it and a lot of potential aggravation. Incidentally, the question of whether or not MS still releases Flight Sims seems to be open - we'll see. Is that all clearer now?DJ

[Glynn 405]

Are you truly going to have any choice ?

HelloYes FS9 and FSX

[Tierborn 188]

You sure can't have one with the feature set proposed by the OP without being in the Aviation business - or buying a substantial segment of that business's time and product. Things like:<<airport info (official and correct) , NAVAIDS, Routes, Charts (accurate and updated as in real life), Real traffic if not flying on line.Real accurate weather.NAV CYCLES for FMS >>come from the Aviation industry and government - not MS.  There is absolutely no reason for MS to want to go there for the simple reason that there's no money in it and a lot of potential aggravation.  Incidentally, the question of whether or not MS still releases Flight Sims seems to be open - we'll see.  Is that all clearer now?DJ

If providing these aviation items, helps to sell more copies of FS .. then MS has motivation.  Apple is not in the record business .. but selling music moves their Ipod devices.   MS could use a similar model.Additionally, the micro-transactions for selling those aviation products could be a decent revenue stream as well.

[ubersu 78]

If providing these aviation items, helps to sell more copies of FS .. then MS has motivation.  Apple is not in the record business .. but selling music moves their Ipod devices.   MS could use a similar model.Additionally, the micro-transactions for selling those aviation products could be a decent revenue stream as well.

I doubt that there are enough buyers to make the investment and upkeep worth while. We enthusiasts are a very small market when compared to the investment to produce and maintain these items, and it's very unclear that the general market cares about them. We've seen the simulation market dwindle to near non-existence over the past 20 years as a consequence. It isn't like the printer (read, licence to sell ink) market or music market that has a much larger base of possible sales. My daughter will (left unimpeded) buy hundreds of dollars worth of music each month - I doubt that kind of market is possible in FS.DJ

[Tierborn 188]

I doubt that there are enough buyers to make the investment and upkeep worth while.  We enthusiasts are a very small market when compared to the investment to produce and maintain these items, and it's very unclear that the general market cares about them.  We've seen the simulation market dwindle to near non-existence over the past 20 years as a consequence.  It isn't like the printer (read, licence to sell ink) market or music market that has a much larger base of possible sales.  My daughter will (left unimpeded) buy hundreds of dollars worth of music each month - I doubt that kind of market is possible in FS.DJ

that size of market isnt possible for FS .. but it doenst mean that if your demographic is smaller than the licensed music industry . .then you can't have a market.   Additionally, MSFS has sold 6 million copies over the years .. one of the best selling PC game franchises, period .... the only reason MS isnt still selling its 500k-700k/yr is because they need a new version .. thus, MS flight.  The sales will be back to the 500k - 700k number after release.   It might not make good business sense to add some aviation content to a micro-transaction based service .. most of which dont have anything to do with MS being in the aviation business or not. 

[ubersu 78]

that size of market isnt possible for FS .. but it doenst mean that if your demographic is smaller than the licensed music industry . .then you can't have a market.   Additionally, MSFS has sold 6 million copies over the years .. one of the best selling PC game franchises, period .... the only reason MS isnt still selling its 500k-700k/yr is because they need a new version .. thus, MS flight.  The sales will be back to the 500k - 700k number after release.   It might not make good business sense to add some aviation content to a micro-transaction based service .. most of which dont have anything to do with MS being in the aviation business or not. 

Let's try it again with this list:airport info (official and correct) , NAVAIDS, Routes, Charts (accurate and updated as in real life), Real traffic if not flying on line.Real accurate weather.NAV CYCLES for FMS airport info, navaids, routes, and charts are available for free in the US, the UK, and a good part of the rest of the world. For the rest they are available at minimal cost from Navigraph.Real traffic if not flying on line is available for free from various third party AI traffic sources.Real accurate weather is available for a one time investment of very few dollars from HiFi.Nav cycles are available at minimal cost from Navigraph for all, or most, FS aircraft on the market that are FMS equipped.Why in the world should MS go to the trouble of furnishing and maintaining this material on a subscription basis? It makes no business sense at all and destroys a fair part of the 3rd party dev market that MS has supported for years.DJ

[Guest veeray]

Don't rack your head man.... some of these people don't play any other games obviously. What they're asking for is World Of Warcraft and it's starting to get annoying that people can't distinguish a flight simulator from a MMOPRGP. How stupid do you have to be not to realize there is a huge difference. Even Starcraft II isn't subsription based and it's 100x closer to that reality.

[V1-Rotate 15]

Don't rack your head man.... some of these people don't play any other games obviously. What they're asking for is World Of Warcraft and it's starting to get annoying that people can't distinguish a flight simulator from a MMOPRGP. How stupid do you have to be not to realize there is a huge difference. Even Starcraft II isn't subsription based and it's 100x closer to that reality.

You jump to conclusions too easy my friend.

[Tierborn 188]

Let's try it again with this list:airport info (official and correct) , NAVAIDS, Routes, Charts (accurate and updated as in real life), Real traffic if not flying on line.Real accurate weather.NAV CYCLES for FMS airport info, navaids, routes, and charts are available for free in the US, the UK, and a good part of the rest of the world.  For the rest they are available at minimal cost from Navigraph.Real traffic if not flying on line is available for free from various third party AI traffic sources.Real accurate weather is available for a one time investment of very few dollars from HiFi.Nav cycles are available at minimal cost from Navigraph for all, or most, FS aircraft on the market that are FMS equipped.Why in the world should MS go to the trouble of furnishing and maintaining this material on a subscription basis?  It makes no business sense at all and destroys a fair part of the 3rd party dev market that MS has supported for years.DJ

I already said that it might not make business sense.....

[Tierborn 188]

Don't rack your head man.... some of these people don't play any other games obviously.   What they're asking for is World Of Warcraft and it's starting to get annoying that people can't distinguish a flight simulator from a MMOPRGP.   How stupid do you have to be not to realize there is a huge difference.    Even Starcraft II isn't subsription based and it's 100x closer to that reality.

I believe that most of these people do play other games .... plus, I don't see any one asking for a subscription service.  And if you are calling me crazy .. thats so far from the truth its not even funny... but, I do see when people are lost for words .. they start to call others names.My comments to the other guy was related to his statement that MS is not in the aviation business ..... I can think of a boat load of reasons why MS might not provide aviation aids, all of each have nothing to do with being in or out of the aviation business .. that was my pt.  Because I do play other games ... the micro-transaction model is growing and most game producers are looking for ways to provide DLC products. MS will likely have some level of DLC with the next release.