... I really don't get their PR/marketing at all. It makes no sense to me.

I don't get their whole approach, especially as far as 3rd party content. They claim to know what the "majority" of Flight users want, but in reality that majority could be much less than 70% of users. The rest of the users have a diverse range of what they want, but with 3rd party locked out, and being in the "minority" they are all out of luck.In the interview JH says:"...One great improvement in the way we now track player behavior is that we can see what players areactually doing, allowing us to pay attention to real user behavior, and not be inappropriately led by thevocal negative minority who post on forums and Facebook"Really? So apparently MS saw a lot of people chasing golden tokens, but absolutely nobody using real weather or ATC, therefore nobody wants real weather or ATC?? It looks to me like they are being led around by their own tail. They probably can't keep up with adding enough content for the "majority", and have no intention of creating any for the "minority" so would it really kill them to licence out specific content to 3rd parties, such as ATC, AI, Weather, etc.?Once that majority thins out they may wish they hadn't locked out everyone else.

For those who prefer a more condensed version of the interview..."My data managers, marketing department, analytics team and trend analysis computations is all I care about. If people aren't happy with Flight on Facebook or another forum, they are fools. That goes for anyone who thought that having world wide scenery, or would find any enjoyment in flying across the Atlantic any fun, and our data proves it. Ask me any questions about Flight, but you'll get the usual "we will verify our data and trends in the future and consider implimentation". I am a robot.

They just abandoned big community of simmers. No airliners, no world, no ATC...Future is not bright at all, as Flight moving in south direction. To bad they are going to waste all that potential...

Actually a certain percentage of serious flight simmers, not the big community of simmers - many of which, as evidenced by this forum, are enjoying Flight for what it is. I frankly am surprised at the product so far, I thought no way in heck am I going to like this. I cerainly consider myself not only a simmer, but a serious simmer.You may perceive Flight to be moving in the wrong direction - only time will tell if the direction they choose, will be successful. Keep in mind the the ecosystem the have with Flight - it is not so hard to change direction as time progresses.Flight most certainly has potential - how that potential is used down the road will be interesting to watch over the coming months and hopefully years.

I must really say IMHO their PR really sucks!

...and hence why the number of Facebook fans they have has been hovering at a little over 10,000 for weeks. I think Flight is quickly spinning out, with the less than stellar reviews, pricing value (for non flight sim fans) and reluctance to engage the community (us) that helped make the Flight Sim franchise go for 30 years...

Well, it depends on the product. Apple are very arrogant and succesful.

I don't think that you can compare these cases. Apple always said we are something different and something better. Otherwise they couldn't ask higher prices. And I can tell you: I am a software developer and I was at several developer conferences and I can tell you, they tried everything, that they don't look or behave arrogant. Under the protection of the NDA they always gave answers that were as good as they knew.There is a huge difference between the general image of a company and its internal behavior. As an example: when there huge banners declared "Microsoft, youz can start your photocopiers", there were at the same time a huge number of Microsoft developers present. Even repesentetives of companies that could be considered enemies are normally very friendly with each other. If you work in this environment you know that nothing is fixed in stone. You, or the other guy could switch companies, or the companies are suddenly cooperateing, and you have to work with the other guy. IMHO Joshua Howard saidf some things, that YOU MUST NOT SAY. There is NEVER an unimportant customer!You can always explain that you would like to write this feature for him but at this moment, you don't have the resources or the opportunity...The funny thing is: I am normally protected behind several layers of support, so that I don't need to bother how I talk to another person.I really have to wonder how did Joshua Howard got into this position?

See this post here:http://forum.avsim.n...34#entry2101534The number of 40,000 refers to the entire flight sim market. So I would think that the market for complex airliners is even smaller. Probably too small for MS.

Very interesting, so asuming this is right half of the FS comunity downloaded my scenery MROCv2.zip, ( 19032 downloads just in this website, regardless the other two in which is available). That is something I didn't dream of. But seriously, check this article in which I find a different account for FS consumers: http://fshistory.simflight.com/fsh/downloads/chapter1.pdf" In the year 2000 The GuinnessBook of Records confirmed this by reporting that as ofJune 1999 Flight Simulator had sold a massive 21million copies worldwide.That is in 2000, as population grows and accesibility also grows, I guess that the numbers should increase.

JH - turn his back to - hard core simmers - and want the slice of the pie selling addons ??Let's right - Ms is selling addons Now and not any longer the main FS core program.Did everybody told him - that those who buy - and spend money for addons are mostly the hard core simmers and FS fans that actually love to fly ?The fish he try to catch on his net - are very thin and will not get entangled on his net ! Gamers are a very very fast moving kind of people - it has to be really really 'Cool' and well documented - recomended by friends that are also 'Cool' playing a Very Cool game !Now - can you see that kind of gamers - used to shoot - parachuting from air - setting everything on fire - etc etc - landing on the cool island - etc etc - sitting in front of flight aeroplane stearing at FS supertextures - or fly the empty alaska wilderness ?? - and buy dlc adventures etc etc ??i do not think soIs the flight simmers Loyal Fans that have supported through the year the addons industry ! they do it becouse they like what they got - they loved their simulator adventures - the love to fly - -Gamers do not have that kind of deep passion to be in the air as flight simmers - gamers will never spend hundreds of hours to produce an addon either free or pay ! you need passion to make it happen !!

Very interesting, so asuming this is right half of the FS comunity downloaded my scenery MROCv2.zip, ( 19032 downloads just in this website, regardless the other two in which is available). That is something I didn't dream of.But seriously, check this article in which I find a different account for FS consumers: http://fshistory.sim...ds/chapter1.pdf

My kudos to you. 19032 downloads is a lot !But the number of 40,000 was referring to the size of the flight sim payware addon market. I should have made that more clear when I quoted.Oviously, that number does not include:

• software pirates
• people who use only freeware
• people who use only a stock FSX without addons
• people who bought the sim but no longer use it

In the year 2000 The GuinnessBook of Records confirmed this by reporting that as ofJune 1999 Flight Simulator had sold a massive 21million copies worldwide.That is in 2000, as population grows and accesibility also grows, I guess that the numbers should increase.

Those are probably cumulative sales over the entire period 1982-1999. The best selling version of Flight Simulator was the first version with 4.7million copies sold, if the book of records is correct:http://www.guinnessw...ion-video-game/To get an insight about what happened later, after FS2002, please read these two posts from another rsepected member of the flight sim community whose judgement I trust:http://forum.avsim.n...52#entry2115052http://forum.avsim.n...86#entry2114286@allI'm going to bed now. Please do not set this forum on fire while I'm away...Have a good night/morning/day everyone!

I feel really stupid! I read every post in this thread and don't feel that I learned anything. (Except that spiritFlyer stayed up into the wee hours of the morning answering posts.) Woe is me.Cheersjja

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I feel really stupid! I read every post in this thread and don't feel that I learned anything. (Except that spiritFlyer stayed up into the wee hours of the morning answering posts.) Woe is me.Cheersjja

Lol yeah, just that there are all types I guess.Seriously probably the best thing anyone could do is just read the interview itself, and pay no attention to all these comments regarding the interview. Much of it is just rehashing of things that have already been said the last few months.

Gamers do not have that kind of deep passion to be in the air as flight simmers - gamers will never spend hundreds of hours to produce an addon either free or pay ! you need passion to make it happen !!

Oh look, it's another sweeping generalization about gamers. Tell me more about my lack of dedication or passion, I never get tired of people telling me what I should be like.

Once that majority thins out they may wish they hadn't locked out everyone else.

Microsoft won't be wishing anything. This entire discussion matters less to Microsoft than you and others may think.

I think what some of these none simmers would like is to fly an F15 head first into the ground and watch the jet disinigrate into a million pieces or off in the distance I can hear the young ones now laughing as they slice your wing off and watch you spiral out of control to the wasteland below.

Microsoft won't be wishing anything. This entire discussion matters less to Microsoft than you and others may think.

Certainly. Flight is only a tiny project for Microsoft, that doesn't really matter. For Microsoft this is just a very small experimant and they look what the result might be. This is obviously something that most people don't understand. Sure, the name Microsoft might open some doors, but it is only a small team with a very limited budget.