This isn't a debate about if flight is gonna be a good or bad game. This is a debate about the possible consolization of MS Flight, the merits of Microsoft flight being used for FAA training and the future of the aviation industry as a whole.From the get go, Microsoft flight doesn't feel like it's primary market is PC gamers. We already have FSX, X-plane, and a whole list of other flight simulators that are far better then 'Flight' and it's current offerings, and probably future offerings for that matter too. However on the console market these offerings are new and unavailable, making them more realistic for that market then our own. The Xbox 360 is well above the specification to handle MS Flight (remember that you need vastly less ram on a consoles) and when you combine this with what has been said in recent interviews, that MS is targeting the next 30 million, instead of the next 3 million -that to me sounds like a conformation that this game was made from the get go, to be put on the Xbox 360.I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I just don't see why they would release a game like this otherwise, unless their stupid, and their not. We should know that much about MS by now. So in my mind, Flight is probably going to be regarded as "console trash" by the PC gamer crowd. Hardcore simmers will probably just have a heart attack but, I digress.I don't really care if MS Flight is console trash or not, that's not why I play flight simulators. The reason I play flight simulators, and the reason flight simulators were made in the first place, was to teach people how to fly airplanes. That's what is important about a flight simulator to me. For all anyone knows, playing one of those missions in MS flight could save your life in the real world someday. And how much is that worth!?On the other hand, MS flight could be terrible for training pilots. I hope not, but if it is then regard this game as the console trash that it is, and scold it back to the depths of hell from whence it came! Otherwise, I think there is a lot of potential here, especially if MS and the FAA teamed up to try and get more pilots certified.If Flight becomes big on consoles then undoubtedly there will be console hardware, and eventually someone will put together a simulator using the Xbox 360 and Flight, but why wait? I think it would behoove Microsoft to start working with the FAA right away making custom hardware for real-world flight training to sell to the mass market on the 360. The advantages here would be immense.*First the FAA could check your hardware setup using the internet via Xbox Live. There would be little need for an FAA inspector to come over and check your hardware because once you've seen one Xbox 360, you've seen them all.*It would be easy for end users to set up, because everything would just be plug and play. The consumer buys the simulator hardware and plugs it into the Xbox 360, congrats you now have an FAA-approved flight simulator.*Using Xbox live the FAA could keep track of what pilots know and what they don't know, far increasing the knowledge base to accurately train pilots and streamlining annual proficiency checks.*The availability and affordability for pilot training would increase, thus increasing the number of certified pilots that has been in decline since the 70s.*Flight simulators would be cool again.The way I see it, if people are willing to pay for Rockband 3, then people would probably be willing to pay for an FAA-approved flight simulator: So long as they can get real FAA flight training out of it. It could totally revolutionize the way the FAA operates too. What happens when the FAA figures out that if a pilot plays a few challenging missions in flight that they become drastically less likely to make mistakes in the real world? Would it not be easier to just use flight simulators for training?It's really the next logical step for Microsoft and Flight Simulator. The Aviation industry as well. MS Flight could be the end of the end for Flight simulator, or it could be the beginning of something totally new and revolutionary.

As far as I know, FAA certification is all about standarized hardware (as in expensive controls and panel displays)...getting software to do the job isn't really an issue ;)I suspect you could write a simple approved FAA simulator…using only 8bit graphics :wink:But I do agree with the spirit of your idea, that Flight is about experiencing aviation.And that things here can unfold in unexpected ways.

As far as I know, FAA certification is all about standarized hardware (as in expensive controls and panel displays)...getting software to do the job isn't really an issue ;)I suspect you could write a simple approved FAA simulator…using only 8bit graphics :wink:But I do agree with the spirit of your idea, that Flight is about experiencing aviation.And that things here can unfold in unexpected ways.

The FAA will only approve a complete system (hardware and software) that's submitted to it and meets its requirements, which is why no flight simulator software, such as FSX, XP, Flight etc can be FAA approved.

If you're thinking FLIGHT can somehow achieve FAA-approved sim status, then Red Baron at your local arcade or 7-11 has an equally impressive chance! LOL