Video here claims to be ideas that could be in a future version of windows live. i.e. the platform flight will be launched from.I know microsoft have said it will still be a serious sim but when I see stuff like this I can imagine users being encouraged to spend money like some giant facebook app store thing.Want ILS at that airport = $0.50Pink wheels on your 747 = $0.75Taxi lights on plane = $2.00 (Hmm, probably buy that one!)Maybe I'm being paranoid!

Yeah, Microsoft could put new meaning in the phrase "As Real As It Gets"...Want to land your 747 at Heathrow during Peak Hours... get your checkbook ready... :-)

If that ever happened I just wouldn't buy it..On second thought this wouldn't be much different than the add-on market we have today.

Maybe I'm being paranoid!

Very paranoid, there's really nothing in there that hasn't been apart of Xbox live for a few years already. If you suck at a game so much and you want an upgrade then you can pay 99 cents. Or you can actually play the game and earn the points yourself.

Again, you are all looking at it as a customers point of view, look at it as MS and the dev. point of view and ask yourself.....does this make sense for them $ wise, can this new way be better compare to the old way, remember they are targeting a new breed of players including the moms and pops....The other important question is....can something like that protect the dev. and MS from piracy since the addons will be in MS market store......keep an open mind and don't focus on what YOU want Flight to be and you may be able to put more pieces of the puzzle together.

Again, you are all looking at it as a customers point of view, look at it as MS and the dev. point of view and ask yourself.....does this make sense for them $ wise, can this new way be better compare to the old way, remember they are targeting a new breed of players including the moms and pops....The other important question is....can something like that protect the dev. and MS from piracy since the addons will be in MS market store......keep an open mind and don't focus on what YOU want Flight to be and you may be able to put more pieces of the puzzle together.

There is nothing on Xbox live that can't be pirated... Microsoft even lets you play online as long as you keep changing your box($199) and renew your Live membership every year ($60). As long as Microsoft gets $260 dollars out of you every November they don't care if 3rd party vendors get ripped off.

I know nothing about Xbox and stuff like that since I don't have one and I've never used one, I'm just asking (cause I'm not to savvy with that kind of stuff) if it is possible to hack something in a virtual world?

I know nothing about Xbox and stuff like that since I don't have one and I've never used one, I'm just asking (cause I'm not to savvy with that kind of stuff) if it is possible to hack something in a virtual world?

I believe the number is still very low. But it's somewhere near 1 in 30 boxes have actually been banned from Xbox live. So about 2 million units to date. The problem is even a banned box can fetch the same price as a brand new one if not more, so it really doesn't help banning people in the first place since it means that many more Xboxes will end up being modified. Once that happens no one is going to pay $60+ for a 2 dollar disc. Now you might say 1 in 30 is not a lot but theres actually layer after layer of security to prevent it from happening in the first place, somewhere in the ballpark of 20 security features from the enclosure itself, down to the operating system and a hardcoded CPU to uniquely identify the unit. Windows Live and the Flight Marketplace would only have one layer of security and any 13 year old could do it just like they do today.

So if I understand what you'r explaining correctly any hackers (thief) can be using Flight online (virtual) and have access to what ever scenery or planes they want from the store after hacking it and just fly? Is that the way it's done?

Virtual Captains Uniform purchased from the MS Live Store... $185.00PMDG B777 add-on purchased from the MS Live store... $125.00Being denied landing clearance at virtual KORD because you did not buy enough virtual landing credits from the MS Live store...Priceless.

Want ILS at that airport = $0.50Pink wheels on your 747 = $0.75Taxi lights on plane = $2.00 (Hmm, probably buy that one!)Maybe I'm being paranoid!

I think a little. MS is trying to bring back the Windows Live concept that actually was around years ago. Windows Live was designed to allow Windows PC players and Xbox Live (XBL) players an opportunity to play with one another. Unfortunately the Windows Live side wasn't thought out carefully enough (big surprise I know) and devs failed to take hold of the idea. Shadowrun was the best example of the tech. MS is just trying to bring it back to live by including the marketplace ideals found on XBL. Basically an easier way to grab DLC for the sim/game. I wouldn't worry that MS will risk killing the franchise by nickle and diming users to death. They haven't done it yet on XBL where they have a greater opportunity too. Unless Flight will go the free-to-play approach where the initial sim is free and you need to pay for DLC like other aircraft, more airports/regions, etc. Look at BF Heroes for this type of business model. But again I highly doubt MS would kill the FS franchise by taking is approach. My only concern with the Windows Live and its marketplace is if MS requires it to be used with Flight and if so will MS be as restrictive on DLC requirements like they are with XBL.

So if I understand what you'r explaining correctly any hackers (thief) can be using Flight online (virtual) and have access to what ever scenery or planes they want from the store after hacking it and just fly? Is that the way it's done?

I doubt anyone could 'hack' access to the store and download free addons, surely the store will require purchase via credit card before supplying a download link. But they might be able to 'hack' Flight so that illegally obtained addons (via your mate, bittorrent or whereever) will run in Flight without Flight trying to validate the addon as legally purchased. Though I think Microsoft would be making an extra effort to ensure the whole 'games marketplace' infrastructure is as secure as possible. This would help attact devs (the promise of less piracy).

I see, that is my way of thinking, I mean if MS want to have addons for sale in their store (exclusively) they have to have something in place where the dev. making addons for Flight are protected from piracy, it work both way cause MS will not make as much $$ (% wise) per addons is they sell less because of piracy.Like I said before it's a scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.....

...future version of windows live. i.e. the platform flight will be launched from.I know microsoft have said it will still be a serious sim but when I see stuff like this I can imagine users being encouraged to spend money like some giant facebook app store thing.Want ILS at that airport = $0.50Pink wheels on your 747 = $0.75Taxi lights on plane = $2.00 (Hmm, probably buy that one!)Maybe I'm being paranoid!

Sounds like an online poker site to me... :( Alan :(

I just hope that they don't go to extremes to protect the software. To the point where it becomes a PITA for us legitimate end users to use without jumping through hoops.