I bet, and it's only a hunch, that MS will drop FSX as soon as they can. They may well have backroom support, but retaling FSX is no longer in their interests as it will impact sales of Flight, which has far more commercial and financial longevity with ongoing and growing income return.

I don't think they need to though. Nobody is going to get in the car, drive to the shops and fork out $20 for the previous version of something they can download for free. This is how "new customers" are going to see it. People who want FSX are the ones who know what's going on, they won't bother with Flight.So I don't think the two compete at all really...

I don't think MS would ever kill it, but as some of you have pointed out, FSX is an old piece of software and at some point we might need a Windows XP emulator or something to run it. All it takes is a new piece of hardware or software that is incompatible with the old FSX code. I loved BOA Tower simulator, but when upgrading from Windows Me to XP I couldn't get it to run anymore. It could be an installer issue, driver issue, killing of older Windows/MS-DOS apps that triggers it, I'm not sure, but a lot can go wrong, though hopefully FSX will be a thing of the past when such isues surfaces.

Edited January 15, 201214 yr by simmerhead

at some point we might need a Windows XP emulator or something to run it

I am no software/hardware expert. Having said that, wouldn't it just be possible to keep one PC with XP or Win 7 and the FS9/FSX working as long as you like?

Sure would, but it's too much hassle. Most flight sim users aren't computer experts and/or willing to keep a deficated PC for flight sim use. Setting up a dual boot Windows system is for the very advanced PC user only.

Should'nt this be in the Flight Forum?

Should'nt this be in the Flight Forum?

I don't think so. The subject is about Microsoft shutting down FSX/FS9.

I have not read this thread in quite awhile and I hope that what I am about to say has not been mentioned. I was wondering if due to the sale of the fsx engine to LM, that this sale provided all rights of ownership to LM. If true, this would mean MS would need to start from scratch or use the new FLIGHT engine if they did, which I don't think they will get back into the serious FS business.Bob

In the meetings with Microsoft in December, the question of FSX's future was asked.. I can't remember the details of the answer, but I can sum it up by saying that MS has NOT SAID they are abandoning the product or ruling out a future successor. You can interpret that, anyway that you wish. From Tom's blog post http://forum.avsim.net/blog/1/entry-24-the-ms-flight-sim-my-thoughts/

3. Will Windows 8 support FS9 and FSX, or will MS use the new OS to make sure that many past, unprofitable product doors are slammed shut and locked? It is a perfect oportunity to have a fresh start that paves the way for FLIGHT's and other refreshed product's future.

I have a friend who tested out the Alpha version of Windows 8 and he said that FSX and FS9 worked fine.

there are always the combat sims like Falcon 4.0

And that's a very good example of what can happen when the community decides to take up the continued development of an "obsolete" product. I can remember when Falcon 4 was dropped; not long after, it was resurrected again with added and fixed content by indie devs who loved playing it..I can see this being an option with FSX even if MS do can it

Edited January 16, 201214 yr by quadraspleen

If Microsoft did discontinue FSX and shut off the activation servers, they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

I am no software/hardware expert. Having said that, wouldn't it just be possible to keep one PC with XP or Win 7 and the FS9/FSX working as long as you like?

Right now, I can't say yes or no to getting Flight because it is a new product that will undoubtedly grow over the years just as FS9 and FSX have. I am just going to sit back and see what happens. Maybe other Flightsims like X-Plane or AeroflyFS will grow into what we now enjoy from MSFS now. Who knows?The idea of buying a second copy of FSX to keep on hand as a backup is one I hadn't thought of before, but I will consider having one now if I find a cheap copy somewhere.I bought my first custom built PC for FSX last summer and I plan on using it as long as I can find replacement parts. I don't think it will be a hassle to keep a second computer. At the rate PC's are evolving, in a year or two my custom PC will probably only be good for Flight Sim anyway. Like many others, I have a good deal of payware I don't want to trash to jump over to Flight. I find myself spending more time on my iPad now than my PC now when it comes to checking email or surfing the Net.As to what MS plans to do in the future, I have no idea what they will do anymore than I expected them to dump the ACES crew. They will do whatever is best for MS. They are a business, not a charity.I hope that the Real Weather server stays operating, but if it doesn't, there are weather add-ons I could buy. If there is one constant with MSFS, it is that is always changing and we just have to change with it.

Edited January 16, 201214 yr by Lifeguard911