I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.And the people who would actually buy add-on's for Flightsim will be sticking to FSX.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

You are correct.Those MS dudes pretend to know how businesses go without having even a faint idea of what this hobby is.We are involved since too many years in this hobby to be sure that MS this time has drilled the biggest and deepest hole in a water ever seen since early 80ies, sadly for us.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by Mark II

I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.And the people who would actually buy add-on's for Flightsim will be sticking to FSX.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

I sure hope you're right Bryan

I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.And the people who would actually buy add-on's for Flightsim will be sticking to FSX.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

Exactly the way I see it too unfortunately.

I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.And the people who would actually buy add-on's for Flightsim will be sticking to FSX.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

I have to agree 100%

Yeah I agree too. Clearly idea to make Flight mainstream kiddie friendly game came from someone who knows nothing about aviation or flight simulators generally, anyone who knows something about them would understand that trying to get mainstream with no interest to aviation to buy addons for flight game with no shooting is not going to work at all.

One thing I can't get over is how awful it looks given the size of the environment.You can forgive XP10 and FSX etc for 'sub-standard' graphics - because modelling the world accurately and to a high level of detail would take years and years. Considering they've just got Hawaii to worry about however, it looks absolutely horrendous! Especially when you consider what Orbx can churn out with the likes of PNW/Australia etc.

I have trouble with MS's business logic... maybe it's because I'm a bit slow...Consider this argument:1. Generally, most people who buy FS addons are usually 'hard-core / enthusiast' users. I'm guessing maybe 30 to 40 thousand people around the world.2. But Microsoft Flight does not generally appeal to the 'hard-core / enthusiast' market at all based on what I've read.So who is going to buy Flight's extra add-ons?I think MS may be mistaken in assuming that the casual, everyday 'Joe the Plumber' user is going to buy specialty addons, like extra planes. A few will, but most won't.I think what will happen is 'Joe the Plumber' will download Flight for free. Play it for 15 minutes... do some loops... collect some gold coins.... then forget the whole thing and go back to Battlefield 3 or Angry Birds.And the people who would actually buy add-on's for Flightsim will be sticking to FSX.I just don't see Flight's business model working.

This is exactly on point. At the AVSIM conference in Seattle sometime back, the ACES folks talked about how just 10% of FS buyers went on to purchase add ons. That told me they would be happy to continue to provide the engine, and let the talented third party developers serve the enthusiast market.So how do they go from that to an itunes marketplace model when so few people buy add ons?And how will you be able to do a long flight if you have to buy cities and states piecemeal?This feels like a newly minted MBA came up with it - I'm sure the charts and powerpoint slides were pretty but whoever said that most gamers will be bored with Flight in about 10 minutes hit the nail on the head.Flying to get coins floating in the air? That's going to get the Battlefield 3 crowd on board...Colin

I cannot read the Facebook comments, because I don't have a FB account (and I like it that way).But I did go to the You-Tube page and it would be pretty hard for the FB comments to be worse than

This is just sad. As of this morning:Ratings for this video (318 total)Thumbs up: 110 Thumbs Down: 208

Don't have a FB account either but I could read all the comments... Srange...More interesting though is that home made FSX videos posted the last couple of days have more views than the latest official Flight webisode on youtube...?

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by simmerhead

Don't have a FB account either but I could read all the comments... Srange...

I could read them too although I permanently removed my Facebook account some time ago...

the ACES folks talked about how just 10% of FS buyers went on to purchase add ons. That told me they would be happy to continue to provide the engine, and let the talented third party developers serve the enthusiast market. So how do they go from that to an itunes marketplace model when so few people buy add ons?

If you are in charge of the revenue stream/sales of a product like MS Flight and you are presented with the above facts, what do you think you'll do next? You'll CLOSE third party development and try to get the other 90% to buy add-ons from you!! why? because it makes sense! sounds like a logical decision, specially now that everyone is trying to replicate the Apple Store App Ecosystem. Do I agree? hell no!! I'm a hardcore FS user! I've been using Flight Sims since SubLogic created Flight Simulator... so, what can I do? well... I will organize an online petition :)Unfortunately, I will NOT be surprised if MS Flight ends up being a huge financial success for them...specially if they port this to XBOX and thats probably the driving force behind all this. Like it or not.. PC gaming *IS* dying and consoles are taking over.

This feels like a newly minted MBA came up with it - I'm sure the charts and powerpoint slides were pretty but whoever said that most gamers will be bored with Flight in about 10 minutes hit the nail on the head.

Yes, this is the typical decision a young hot shot newly graduated MBA with NO REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE will make. Pretty powerpoints help a lot too! and in my experience, 9 out of 10 are always wrong.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by bojote

I was one of those MBAs 20 years ago! LOLI'm not sure I can agree that PC gaming is dying. Gamespy is now dedicated only to PC gaming...

This feels like a newly minted MBA came up with it - I'm sure the charts and powerpoint slides were pretty but whoever said that most gamers will be bored with Flight in about 10 minutes hit the nail on the head.Colin

I think I said seconds, not minutes... :)

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by simmerhead

Like it or not.. PC gaming *IS* dying and consoles are taking over.

Tell that to the 4.5 million players on Steam right now.

Like it or not.. PC gaming *IS* dying and consoles are taking over.

PC gaming will stay alive as PC is still superior base for very many kinds of games and so far no console controller can offer so wide variety of different commands and such that keyboard can do.