SimCity is an other simulation franchise that is going to be rebooted next year, the last version being a least as old as FSX. It's not flight sim, but let's see if any parallel can be made between Maxis and Flight studios strategies. Most of you have Joshua Howard interview in mind, so I will be quoting only Simcity spokepersons here :About the simulation engine :"Over the years, we knew what the game needed to be, and that's when we started to build Glassbox, a simulation engine that can deliver the type of city-building game that we wanted to build", said Kip Katsarelis.About targeted audience :"We're trying to build a game that satisfies a wide audience and different play styles as well", said Kip Katsarelis.About multiplayer :"This SimCity is multiplayer, and that is what this game is built for. But we understand that some people don't always play games online, and especially with SimCity, you're used to playing by yourself for long periods of time", said Kip Katsarelis.About mods/third parties :The game won't support mod tools at launch, but Maxis acknowledges the value of adding that functionality. "The data set in Glassbox is modable," said artistic director/creative director Ocean Quigley. "The mod community re-created [simCity]. We recognize it. We're not idiots."About DRM :"The game will use the contentious always-online DRM method, even during private, single-player games", noted Steve Watts.About DLC :SimCity is set for a 2013 release date, and surprisingly enough won't be a social or free-to-play game. It's an old-fashioned packaged product, and it'll be strictly for Windows, at least as first.There are some similarities. The quote about mods/third parties is especially juicy...Sources : shakenews.com and 1up.com

I'd only play Simcity multi player as a Co-op, and my SC3K keeps me busy when Internet is down! Why do we have to buy games, that we well actually rent? I'd rather pay a subscription than full price + constant Internet with DLC's

SimCity is an other simulation franchise that is going to be rebooted next year, the last version being a least as old as FSX. It's not flight sim, but let's see if any parallel can be made between Maxis and Flight studios strategies.

Yes, I think the comparison with the news about Simcity is really interesting. Actually I opened a thread here about the subject some days ago :Whistle: :http://forum.avsim.net/topic/366784-flight-as-simcity-societies/A.

"The mod community re-created [simCity]. We recognize it. We're not idiots."

maybe MS should ask Mr. Q for some advice here

Yes, I think the comparison with the news about Simcity is really interesting. Actually I opened a thread here about the subject some days ago :Whistle: :http://forum.avsim.n...city-societies/A.

Sorry, I missed your thread. I read your posts and this is indeed interesting. I do believe, like you, that the comparison is relevant. History on repeat ?

I am following this one too. I was happy when they said it was being rebooted and the multiplayer aspects really has me too.I am a loyal fan of the Old and failed Cities XL Online. I really enjoyed it but it was ahead of its time for an online city builder. Plus they rushed it to market too quick and the reason showed why for it when it failed 4 or 5 months later when the company went belly up. But they also stated that mods would not be supported right away.If the new C&C Generals comes out and doesn't support mods you will see a lot of disgruntled people there too, as that is another franchise supported by its fans through some pretty big mods.It seems to be a trend though with the DLC and Free to Play era. The games we love and hold so close to us are being rebooted and rebranded under a new strategy and its usually not this is for our loyal fans but more less we want to reach a wide audience which in turns leaves the people that made the games what they are, sitting out in the cold wonder what happen to their fav franchises.

Sorry, I missed your thread. I read your posts and this is indeed interesting. I do believe, like you, that the comparison is relevant. History on repeat ?

Don't feel sorry, it really wasn't a very long thread :-)I'm glad that you too find relevant the comparison between tha two franchises because, in my opinion, it can indicate interesting things about Flight. Here still many people believe that, with time, MS will reintroduce some of the missing things from FSX. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have different ideas (and the very latest airplane DLC seems confirming them). I consider Flight as a sort of "lateral" branch respect to the MS involvement in flight simulation, just as Simcity Societies was for EA. The two products have a lot of things in common, in particular the idea that a simpler game could have more success that the previous, more complex.But the mistake, for me, consists in the lacking capability to really understand the feelings of users. FSxx, as Simcity xx, for many players are much more than simple "games". During many years they became involved with them, in some sort they feel them as a sort of "friends", that allow exploring some aspects of our world by simulation and amusement.If you strip many of the elements to offer a much simplified experience, a good part of the old customer don't more recognize the "friends", and become upset about the poor substitution.So I am really happy for the news about Simcity, hope that it will be good as the ancestors, and expect some day a similar announcement from MS, for a true FSXI.A.