Finally........ someone has finally realised the original deadline release date for project firebird or Flight to you all, it is slated for an October or a more likely November release date. A developer working on the project stated that microsoft were releasing 3 AAA titles(includibg Flight) this year when responding to a fed up member of the GFWL forum.

I wouldn't believe the release dates that you see on gamestore websites. They generally pluck dates out of thin air, and then cross their fingers.

Not true ... gamestores get their dates from reasonable sources ... the relationship with the distributors

More to the point, if this were an accurate release date, then MSGS must be using folks from an alternate universe for beta testing......since not one person with whom I'm acquainted (which is to say, pretty much everyone) is involved...

Microsoft never carry out public betas for AAA titles like this one, they are normally in house like the way EA did the beta for Sims 3.

Tierborn,I have some prime land and some well built bridges to sell you if you believe all that!

Highly doubt it'll be released this year. "Reasonable sources" can be wrong. The Devs themselves can be wrong. Pushing a release date back is not exactly far-fetched...especially at this game's early stage.Could be wrong (hope I am).

:( I think after E3, the retailers will know. They need to be in the loop.

...especially at this game's early stage.

It's hard to measure at what stage the game is at.It’s possibly around 30 months this coming October.From the screenshots it looks pretty advanced to me.But, of course they don't share unfinished pictures :(

ACES usually had ‘public’ betas.But maybe MSG doesn't roll that way...who knows ;)Testing is usually the domain of an in-house QA department.Also, any public testing could happen at the 11th hour.I’ve never put much credence in the 2012 dates...far too expensive to run the project that long - IMOThe only scenario I see for a 2012 release would be an extension.

You took my thoughts. I agree. This title was started at least 2.5 years ago when the listings for job openings for a flying game appeared in MS's web sites. Every year in production costs huge sums of money. I couldn't imagine this title releasing in Fall of 2012 which would have put it close to 4 year development. Flight Sim revenue while always healthy, has not been large enough to justify 4 years of development. If I were in the management I would not accept such long and costly development.While I agree that the date is not set in stone, I do believe that the indications of dates on the gaming sites show that it is not going to be a 2012 holiday release.

...they indicate that the release date of Flight in the UK is November 2011,...

Let's see...1. Get passport renewed2. Check flights from Los Angeles to London, or3. Check flights from Seattle to London4. Check currency rates and exchange USD for Pounds5. Drink warm beer for a week before I leave6. See if Chock has a spare couch to sleep on...Bring it on, Microsoft. This trip is pre-planned and ready for clearance! :(

Let's see...1. Get passport renewed2. Check flights from Los Angeles to London, or3. Check flights from Seattle to London4. Check currency rates and exchange USD for Pounds5. Drink warm beer for a week before I leave6. See if Chock has a spare couch to sleep on...Bring it on, Microsoft. This trip is pre-planned and ready for clearance! :(

Chock should be more hospitable and let you have the bed.

The Nov 2011 date sounds plausible to me.How many articles do you think MS will run in PC Pilot before the game gets released?Does it make sense to run what amounts to an ad campaign for a year and a half (to 2012)?Does it make sense to drum up interest in the game and then not continue the articles after a while?Given when the articles started, it makes sense that a planned release would be set for 4 or 5 issues (bi-monthly) later, which does put it in the neighborhood of November 2011.I do wonder why we have had no info for a while. There can be a number of reasons, but one could be that they are getting ready to make a big announcement.Some people think that the game is still in early development or that there needs to be a beta that people will hear about. I would think that given the resources at MS and the release cycles of flight sims every 2 years or so would not indicate a development of 4 years. Also, MS can find plenty of beta testers without letting us know they are doing it.

More to the point, if this were an accurate release date, then MSGS must be using folks from an alternate universe for beta testing... ...since not one person with whom I'm acquainted (which is to say, pretty much everyone) is involved...

Yes, but you're bound by an NDA, Bill. You can't confirm or deny anything! :(

Not true ... gamestores get their dates from reasonable sources ... the relationship with the distributors

Based on the accuracy of release dates that I have seen in the past, they must be close to divorce.

Yes, but you're bound by an NDA, Bill. You can't confirm or deny anything! :(

Actually, I am NOT under any current NDA, so I'm quite free to admit that! Truthfully I know NOTHING more than what has been released by Microsoft. That's been my point all along......as far as I'm aware, not one other person who was previously involved with the "Flight Simulator" franchise has been contacted either. Which, quite honestly is more than just a bit worrying, since it implies that MS decided that their sacking of ACES should include the "sacking" of everyone else as well. :( On the other hand, if this is what has happened, at the very least it means that everyone will start out on a level playing field, and be just as ignorant as everyone else... :(

Which actually puts developers and the so-called store further behind.

Which actually puts developers and the so-called store further behind.

Precisely! You've a positive gift for understatement, Jim! :(

means you should be able to play it maxed out with a sandy bridge processor i cant see it coming till ivy bridge and pcie 3.0 graphics cards are in store.