No News Is Bad News ?

[Tierborn 190]

I come here every so often in the high hopes of finding just a shred of something new, and all I ever get is non-stop speculation that for the most part runs off the charts on improved experience issues. Just look at some of the thread names and the many number of messagesIf those high hopes do not get delivered, MS has created a PR sales nighmare with their core fan base of giant proportions.And that is what the public relations people are supposed to prevent in setting a basic tempo.Following the past, in the world of games on computers, other operating system options, and drastically changing gamebox hardware in a world of severly reduced disposable income, may not necessarily be the smartest move.I for one, do not have high expectations based on what little I've seen and heard so far.  Sounds to me like a free Google map cloud-based flyer with three stock airplanes that someone with a $350 Walmart computer can race with others on the Internet if they buy Windows 7 only, and it will run smoothly. And we experienced flyers will have nice scenery. Frankly, thats about what I get from what they have said so far. It doesn't say simulator as far as I know.Now, if I get more it will be a good thing....... :( Bob

the speculation happens with each new iteration of MSFS .. so nothing new.  Again,  MS has said that "Flight" will have elements for the casual player as well as the enthusiasts.

[Guest 64kts]

It's not going to be a game. It's going to be a "light" simulator, just like the previous versions. How do I know? Three videos of a Boeing Stearman. There's not a gamer in the world that will find those ads appealing. No action, no adventure, no shooting, no explosion, no mystery - just pure flight. For as long as Microsoft remains a corporation they'll make products, not out of passion, but out of greed. Flight will have to make money and with a limited sales potential it will have to be made cheaply, meaning lots of compromises. Realistically we can expect a better simulator than FSX, just as every new version of FS has been an improvement over the previous releases. But it is not going to be great. To be great it would need a much larger customer base willing to buy the product at a much higher price.

[Tierborn 190]

It's not going to be a game. It's going to be a "light" simulator, just like the previous versions. How do I know? Three videos of a Boeing Stearman. There's not a gamer in the world that will find those ads appealing. No action, no adventure, no shooting, no explosion, no mystery - just pure flight. For as long as Microsoft remains a corporation they'll make products, not out of passion, but out of greed. Flight will have to make money and with a limited sales potential it will have to be made cheaply, meaning lots of compromises. Realistically we can expect a better simulator than FSX, just as every new version of FS has been an improvement over the previous releases. But it is not going to be great. To be great it would need a much larger customer base willing to buy the product at a much higher price.

Only  3 posts, this guy has, and he gets it. :(    Others have hundreds, thousands, and they don't get it or remember past MSFS releases.  Only addition, I do think that the releases have been great.  Look at the countless hours of enjoyment we all have gotten for 49.99$.  $49.99$ = family of four night at the movies, 3 members out of 4 getting to eat out at olive garden.  the prices of Chinese take out for the family of four, etc.   FS is a tremendous product and value.  

[Guest 64kts]

Only 3 posts, this guy has, and he gets it. :( Others have hundreds, thousands, and they don't get it or remember past MSFS releases. Only addition, I do think that the releases have been great. Look at the countless hours of enjoyment we all have gotten for 49.99$. $49.99$ = family of four night at the movies, 3 members out of 4 getting to eat out at olive garden. the prices of Chinese take out for the family of four, etc. FS is a tremendous product and value.

You can't beat it for the price, that's for sure, but then again, looking at what addon developers have created, it is quite evident that Microsoft themselves have cut a lot of corners. Nonetheless they've made the simulator open to external developers, something they should be appluaded for. Let's hope that trend continues.

[mmann 72]

The price of Flight Simulator X is fantastic. What addon developer gives us scenery spanning the entire globe or the number of aircraft that FSX includes? I still think some of the default aircraft in FSX have the best compromise between function and performance.Regards, Mike Mann

[sunhawk7 0]

I for one, do not have high expectations based on what little I've seen and heard so far. Sounds to me like a free Google map cloud-based flyer with three stock airplanes that someone with a $350 Walmart computer can race with others on the Internet if they buy Windows 7 only, and it will run smoothly. And we experienced flyers will have nice scenery. Frankly, thats about what I get from what they have said so far. It doesn't say simulator as far as I know.

I guess every body sees what they want to see. It's a great test actually as to whether you are basically a positive person or a negative person. There is a lot of similar griping on this board about what they have not delivered in a several second teaser on a program that is probably a year away. To me, I see what appears to be an improvement on FSX just the same as every teaser that I've ever seen seems to be a further improvement of their last product. If they reverse their direction and release what many FEAR is coming, i.e. a "dumbed-down" arcade simulator appealing to only the X-Box player then it will be a landmark in the Flight Simulator line dating back to 1983 (I've only been using it since then, so they may have done differently before that). Some version releases have been better than others and that pretty much falls in line with everything else in this life from movies to cars to dishwashers. I saw the previews with great optimism and in the spirit with which they were released. I love the magic of flight, both real and simulated, and I look forward to each step any developer makes to allow me to have this experience.

[Toys_R_Us 0]

For every argument one way, there is a counter argument to be made the other way. And it is usually from one's own high hopes.Now.... don't get me wrong, I hope it has just everything.But lets get real, like it or not. The more computers it will run well on, the more money there is to make. That is what MS does. They make money. And that does not bode well for the hopes of a higher end game.Yeah, Yeah, I can hear it now, they'll have sliders. But that did not work in the past to draw the kind of volume they clearly wanted. Sliders cause and breed complication and confusion. Even the "experts" around here couldn't agree on much in this area. And the total number of settings was off the charts. And how many "side logs" did you have ???? I had multi-page colored spreadsheets full of stuff to help run this game. After two weeks away, no one on this earth could remember 5000 commands. It was about like Photoshop CS5.Unfortunately, high quality eye candy and breadth, easy to learn and use, and smooth flight is about all the casual user is looking for. And he wants to do that on a dirt cheap machine. And that is where the real masses are !!!!I'll admit, if they have some form of a two+ tiered simulator, as opposed to sliders, it will work. Or perhaps the sliders will be in tier 2 and above only. But any way you slice it or dice it, the old simulator got way, way, way, way to complicated for anyone except those people who would be reading this forum. And that is a limited group. The one thing they are indicating, is that they are not going to repeat that.Something that will just fly, and something for all of us, need to be separated by more than just defaults.Bob

[Mike T 211]

Because I am no spring chicken, and have been around the block a bit, I am getting concerned. When a company has a dynamite new product, with a high expectation of acceptance, they generally can't wait to tell the world at least a little about what they are planning to do.Here, in Flight, we have zero. nada.... nothing.... and that is alarming.What that does, is tell me there is change, and an acceptance issue is looming. And that also tells me, as a fairly avid FS guy, not to get too excited.....I say that simply because they don't appear to be.Bob - Las Cruces, NM

No. Microsoft at least learns from their mistakes. Remember Aces? Magic screenshots? DX10? Vista showcase software? Remember how all that blathering before release exploded like Fat Boy over Hiroshima when none of that was true upon release? This time I think MS is keeping their mouths shut, no promises, no claims of grandeur and that is probably the best thing.

[turner112 52]

"Unfortunately, high quality eye candy and breadth, easy to learn and use, and smooth flight is about all the casual user is looking for. And he wants to do that on a dirt cheap machine. And that is where the real masses are !!!!"Like, say, on an XBOX 360....Sorry, couldn't resist.

[MickH 3]

"Unfortunately, high quality eye candy and breadth, easy to learn and use, and smooth flight is about all the casual user is looking for. And he wants to do that on a dirt cheap machine. And that is where the real masses are !!!!"Like, say, on an XBOX 360....Sorry, couldn't resist.

Personally speaking I look for most of those aspects. Afterall some people spend £300 on a graphics card so they should get some eye candy for their money don't you think?Also whats so bad about being easy to learn and use? Does something have to be a complete nightmare to operate to be 'real' or 'serious'?I'm not sure what you're meaning by 'smooth flight' though? Actually can you elaborate on what you are meaning please.And was there really any need for the Xbox comment?

[greggerm 312]

We are their customers, and right now we are being ignored.

For months, the public knew literally nothing about any new flight simulations that Microsoft was producing, even though they were hard at work in the early development stages of a new product. Were we being ignored for all that time as well? Now that we know MS Flight will likely exist, why are we now accusing Microsoft of withholding information when truth-be-told, they've been holding out for months, if not a year or more?I'm as enthusiastic as the next person about what the future holds for our hobby... but the release of details this early in the product development phase would be foolish. Features get added and removed... enhancements get added, changed, and removed... all sorts of things can change, especially this early. Even releasing their product hopes and goals would be a major misstep, because the criticism they would encounter if such goals couldn't be achieved would be horrible press. Let us allow the MS Flight team a little breathing room to get their jobs done. In due time we will learn more about the product. For now, I think we are all pleased to know that Microsoft *IS* working on a new product. -Greg

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

Microsoft would be very foolish to give details now of features or facilities it intends to include in Flight. Despte its best intentions, it's always possible that some may have to be omitted before release. Can you imagine the howls, screams, and foot-stampng there'd be in these forums if that happened?

OH Gawd ! spare us from yet another never-ending angry (eventually) , abusive , I am cleverer than you post.PLEASE!

[JET 1 0]

OH Gawd ! spare us from yet another never-ending angry (eventually) , abusive , I am cleverer than you post.PLEASE!

Too bad, but the guy is right.

[bsmfinegan 12]

My benchmark for Flight is running all sliders to the right (if they have sliders)in a PMDG 747 type aircraft around somewhere like FTX Seattle with a smooth framerate of 30fps which never drops below that.They produce that out of the box and they can have my money in a shot.They fall short of that and they can take a hike, I'm done with all this teaking nonsense.Bryan.

[Guest MtDeltaVA]

Personally speaking I look for most of those aspects. Afterall some people spend £300 on a graphics card so they should get some eye candy for their money don't you think?Also whats so bad about being easy to learn and use? Does something have to be a complete nightmare to operate to be 'real' or 'serious'?I'm not sure what you're meaning by 'smooth flight' though? Actually can you elaborate on what you are meaning please.And was there really any need for the Xbox comment?

I think he made his point quite clearly. Get with the program............