Now that Flight has been out for a bit of time, many reviews and interviews with Joshua Howard have been publicized. From Joshua's persective, he wants Flight to appeal to anyone and everyone who has a passing interest for the "act" of flight. He wants people to be able to fly, without having to mind the nuances of operating the mechanical aspects of an aircraft-- like programming FMC's, etc. He made using the mouse to fly a prominent feature, and then threw in many "games" like collecting aerocache points. But then MS built up the graphics, physics and flight model of Flight-- which is much, much better than FSX. Even Joshua has stated that the game has the means to be a much deeper simulation......But then MS blocked the ability (at least for the foreseeable future) for third parties to really take advantage of that superior flight model and contribute to the community and hobby (with wonderful addons)....But then MS wants the masses and hardcore simmers to play Flight and buy DLC, but ignore our needs and requests and instead give us a plane like the P51 without a cockpit that would appeal to whom?....But then when the community asks what MS has planned (like trackir support) and they ignore us with vague, almost secretive speak as if they are protecting launch codes to a nuke... and thus alienate us further....So what is it that MS wants? Why bother building better physics, graphics and flight modeling for a game that 99% of the "masses" will not appreciate?? And why block the 1% of third parties and freeware community from making the game better for the rest of the 99%??

@dighostOn the spot. Good summary.

I don't know what he wants and I'm sure that's not me.I'm not what he wants the guy that was a "hard core simmer" (even if I really don't know what is that)and leaved the flight simulation. So I belong to a small group within another small group (ex simmer).I'm not what he wants since I truly believe in freeware addons (made those) and quality payware (belong to one of those groups that produced quality addons in my perspective);I'm not what he wants since I will not buy a lot of flight addons since I believe that fligth is perfect for all those moments:I'm waiting for my wife;I'm waiting for my daughter;There is nothing better on TV than "If you think you can dance";So I don't know what he wants but I'm sure is not me. Nevertheless I'm glad that they choose to build a program that alows me to spend some good and fun times.

Hi Dighost,I think they are doing what every marketing-led modern web-connected business is doing: exploring new ways of parting us from our money.As I've said in other posts, I think FSX11, were it ever built/released instead of Flight, would have exactly the same DLC model..I think that it is the Internet and SaaS that have killed FSX, not Mr. Howard. he didn't decide on Flights trajectory, I'll bet..Some marketing bod, from way up the food chain basically told the Flight team how it was..A bit like the "acceptable level of electric shock" that affected the older macbook cases..Apple's marketing department have the FINAL say on all Apple products. If it doesn't look the way they want it to, it doesn't fly...Way, way over the heads of the actual techies..Shameful, but true..They want your $$$. They have slightly miscalculated the long-term appeal of Flight to casual gamers imo, and I predict it will change...bestjake

From Joshua's persective, he wants Flight to appeal to anyone and everyone who has a passing interest for the "act" of flight.

To me, he seems to be saying that he wants Flight to appeal only to those who have only a passing interest in the act of Flight. Not a way to build a long-term revenue stream. He doesn't seem to understand that they can unlock the underlying sim for those who choose it without getting in the way of his gold rings and leaderboards. Hey, look! Money from everyone!

Imho,It seems to me the goal is to " reel in" a wider audience, a larger number of consumers for the product. I highly doubt that goal could have been realized with the creation of an FS11. They certainly would have made the hard core simming enthusiast of the MSFS franchise very happy if they did create FS11, but most likely would not have broadened the scope of consumers by doing so - many new users would do what many did with FSX and previous versions, by it out of curiosity, try it for a week or so, found it way too overwhelming, and shelved it - thereby not buying the next incarnations. Once this is rinsed and repeated as each version is released, they find their market not growing at all, if not diminishing to some extent.Whether this goal that I perceive it to be is realized, remains to be seen over the coming months and/or years...

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - multiple sources incl. bill cosby and meyes, I like flight, i have more than 50hrs on my hobbs meter, like missions and jobs, scenery and graphics.but: I start to lack diversion. I mean it is all hawaii. sure there are mountains and beaches and lakes and and and... but still it is hawaii. in fsx I am (was) usually switching between regions and countries on every flight. so for me I feel it slowly becomes time now to get another scenery, maybe I just feel limited but that feeling is just not good. let alone that as many others I am missing ATC (if just for the radio chatter and immersion), AI (MP is nice but still it does not populate the jetways at Hilo or let alone Honolulu) and basic autopilot functionality, at least heading hold and altitude hold. I mean it is nice to be glued to the plane when it's windy but if I want to fly a long mission which takes more than 1 hour I cannot leave the plane. yes, that is for sure real because even a pilot has to stay in his seat but I have family and little spare time and that means I want to leave the flight for bringing the kids to bed, drink a glass of wine with my wife or watch the news without coming back and realizing that the wind kept me flying in a circle or even back to where I started. just my 2 cents. but heck, I really like flight. did not touch FSX since March 1st but that may change in the very near future if MS does not bring out Alaska and a nice commuter plane (well, a 737 would do, too; would not complain).

bringing the kids to bed, drink a glass of wine with my wife

Pah - let them put themselves to bed..You have simming to attend to, Phil :)bestjake

let them put themselves to bed

tried that. mom did not like it ;-).

tried that. mom did not like it ;-).

And don't you dare! You enjoy that time spent putting those kids to bed, and that glass of wine with your wife!Take it from this old fart whose kids are grown and gone and have had kids of their own - enjoy those moments while you can.They are gone in a blink of the eye. And you come to realize some of those "other" things might have been so passionate about in the earlier years, mean squat.Life is too short and we only get one go-around.But still enjoy flight simming too!!

But still enjoy flight simming too!!

I've combined the two, Don..My 10-year old, Sam is now an avid Flight'er..he's level 6 already and he's never touched a yoke before..Now we both tell his mum to drink her wine on her own, while I take a little longer to put him to bed!bestjake

My 10-year old

in little more than 5 years I could be in your position then, hope flight is still around then

May be it's the right thing to do. Flight is a revival to me : free flight, easy to flight with assists, many missions challenges... Flight is a real VFR simulator for me, not a combat game.

not a combat game.

Agree with your post, Albaran..Microsoft - Please read this. We do not need another flying combat game! No shooting DLC please!!bestjake

Q: What does Joshua Howard and Microsoft really want?A short answer is: they want me! I have a little interest in flight training (for real flight), in procedures, in air traffic control, in big planes.I hope thousand or million of virtual pilots like me will follow the Flight journey to make it successful.