May Lockheed Martin take over the virtual world (and more)

[Highiron 21]

All the energy spent on endless speculation of what L.M. may or may not intend should be spent on something way more productive. I think it's safe for me to remove my tinfoil hat now, but only for a minute...If you can't afford Prepar3D, dont use it.If you have doubts about L.M.'s intentions, don't use it.If Prepar3D is inferior to your FSX installation, don't use it.If you're concerned about issues, even ones that have been fixed for the next update, don't use it.If you do not like the EULA, don't use it.If you want 100% backward compatibility for the next 10 years, don't use it.If you feel you have nothing to gain from Prepar3D, (can you guess it?)Why is there no forethought on these simple concepts before someone hits their "post" button?What is it going to take for the seemingly endless full circle of the same topics to reach their conclusion?There are now platforms out in the community to suit everyone's individual needs. Find yours and go use it and enthusiastically participate in those forums. :(

[Ben Cap 89]

If you can't afford Prepar3D, dont use it.If you have doubts about L.M.'s intentions, don't use it.If Prepar3D is inferior to your FSX installation, don't use it.If you're concerned about issues, even ones that have been fixed for the next update, don't use it.If you do not like the EULA, don't use it.If you want 100% backward compatibility for the next 10 years, don't use it.If you feel you have nothing to gain from Prepar3D, (can you guess it?)

Amen! :( Edited February 12, 2012 by benorg

[flyerkg 62]

The more I look into Prepar3D the more that it seems like a good idea for me considering I spend most of my flight sim time modifying scenery. If I decide to test Prepar3D, there would be no lost time and no lost money for me.

[Ian McPhail 55]

HIghIron: A beautiful and clear summary. +1

[gfd 15]

Have read with interest, all of the speculation regarding the future of P3D. We are all apprehensive about the future of simming. I personally don't have any knowledge of X Plane. I haven't used P3D. I do use FSX and if LM does one thing only, they should take a page out of Microsoft's book and stabilize the platform (read Windows XP and Windows 7). If someone writes sub standard software to get a quick sale, then buyer beware. The platform should reject the application. It should surprise no one that many sales of FSX addons are final. Now why would the vendor do that.......?I would think that if LM really didn't want us using the software, there would be a serious vetting process before one would even be allowed to make a purchase. Instead, LM has said, quite clearly I believe, that the software is not to be used for entertainment purposes. That seems to leave a lot of room for use: Education, therapy, training, on and on. The day may come where the purchase requirements are tightened up. I don't see that soon. Normally, requirements are tight to start and are then loosened up.As far as we enthusiasts being used as P3D beta testers, think about that. Most of the P3D users are saying that the platform is superior to FSX. If that's true, what are FSX users? Alpha testers?As far as PMDG goes; as far as I can understand, they have a business model that states that their product is for entertainment purposes. That would disqualify their product. But hey, the world will not end if PMDG does not develop for P3D. They create amazing product, but they are not the sole reason FSX is still used. Furthermore, if FSX users migrate wholesale over to P3D, PMDG will adjust or see their revenue go south.It's in our nature the speculate, but maybe we should all just relax for awhile and let events play out. For all we know, LM and MS have a deal to create a retail version of P3D once it hits vs 2 and call it FSX XI. That may be far fetched, but as long as we are speculating...I personally wonder if MS had some concern about the users that got left high and dry when FS development was discontinued. As has been stated several times, MS and LM have legions of legal eagles who could have crafted the terms of sale for P3D any way management desired. Perhaps we now have a new/newer platform which will just keep getting better as time goes on.OK, now I'll take off my rose coloured glasses and get back to business.

[Noel 4,501]

The Unofficial Prepar3D AVSIM forum , is there because AVSIM welcomes all sim-users.Among our flightsimfriends are many professionals using Prepar3d , thats why.Nevertheless on that same forum you can read Prepar3d is absolutely not ment to be a consumer-product.Latest developments in simworld will probably open LM`s eyes and I expect them to start building the wall shortly.Alltough it might generate some revenues for LM ,its very unrealistic to expect them enter the gaming industry.Leen de Jager

Leen, they don't have to formally enter the 'gaming industry' to take full advantage of the fact as they develop P3D there will be 1000's of hobbyists who wish to use the product. As long as the software is designed to run on public OS' such as MS Windows, what is their big loss? Further, the fact that there is full backwards compatibility w/ FSX add ons suggests there their first audience is indeed the hobbyist since these are the only people en masse who know about these add ons. World wide, there are enough hobbyists who will cough up the $500 entry fee, or more as the product develops, PLUS the monthly subscription fees start to turn into real $$--at least enough to help support its further development. I can't see them ignoring this just so they can appeal only to 'professionals' or 'students' or whatever. What is their worst case scenario, that because their high end product is used by 1000's of hobbyists, it is somehow not worthy of the attn of professionals? I don't see much downside really. I don't think they need to make a formal announcement they are 'entering the gaming industry' because there is no fixed border between 'gaming' and 'simming' and 'training'. Students who use this product aren't going to suddenly stop having fun and get all serious ;o)Let's say, worldwide, as P3D improves steadily, enough to where all sorts of RW pilots right on thru to hobbyists, begin to see that THIS is an awesome product worth paying for. This could most certainly happen (i.e., the market will grow substantially as the product matures), perhaps to the point that 100,000 hobbyist/would-be student pilot/etc subscribers, worldwide, join up. This doesn't sound at all outlandish to me. Just look at what happens when something really cool develops (like iPhone if you will), millions of folks who would otherwise not be interested suddenly become so. So w/ 100K subscribers, at the new sign on price of $1,000, plus $15/mo ongoing subscription (recall WOWC and it's following, about 10 MILLION as of last November). At the end of year 1, LM collects $118,000,000 gross. That's enough to keep the product alive and developing. Yes, hypothetical numbers, but to me this doesn't really seem unrealistic provided the product truly matures. Think about streaming realtime photorealistic scenery, ultra high mesh resolution etc. We're not too far from this possibility, so for LM to try to prevent this by not considering it, seems incredibly odd, no matter what their core audience starts out to be. Further, as they continue developing it, they may sell it back to someone else to manage the consumer arm--I'm convinced there is a market there as the product gets really really mature, which it likely willNoel

[OzWhitey 3,353]

Agree with the concepts expressed - but 100,000 hobbyists@$1000 plus ongoing sub?I don't work in the FSX addon industry but i'm guessing at that price you'll get 1,000, maybe.

[Noel 4,501]

Agree with the concepts expressed - but 100,000 hobbyists@$1000 plus ongoing sub?I don't work in the FSX addon industry but i'm guessing at that price you'll get 1,000, maybe.

I think you have to frame this as what if the product really matured to a level you don't see currently:

• Streaming realtime photoreal scenery w/ mesh and texture resolution down to 10 cm
• Far superior ATC

Add to this the fact that worldwide there are some 200,000+ pilots. How many wannabe pilots are there? Let's say, for every RW pilot there are 2 wannabe pilots. That's 600,000. How many of those wouldn't want to use something so cool and so real? Doesn't sound that outlandish to me!I think if you think about this as how many people would do it today, w/ P3D in the condition it's in, sure, 1000 sounds reasonable. But what if the product becomes something you just have to have because it's so dang cool?!