The End of Flight?

[Vaped 0]

This is sad news.

 

With the recent releases of Alaska and Cub Deluxe, I was really looking forward to the future of the franchise.

 

Regardless, I'd rather have Flight in it's current state, than not at all. It was fun while it lasted, and I'm sure I will continue playing the game over the next few months.

 

There's no question that the entire game was handled "mediocre" at best; and that's really what's most troubling. Could you imagine how amazing this game could have been?

 

Overall, the entire MS Flight game has only made me more amped for future sims. In my opinion, the future is bright. It could easily take 5 years or more, but I'm positive about it.

[mgh 89]

Now that it’s official may be it’s time for a more realistic overview of the position.

 

Microsoft stopped the development of FSX’s successor several years ago. The indications at the time were that this was because it was no longer seen to be commercially viable by Microsoft because the potential market was too small. It’s worth considering the additional features of FSX compared with FS9. In my view, they had little appeal to to wider market and were mainly of interest to the relatively small number of enthusiasts – Simconnect for example. The proposed additions to FSX would have appealed to even smaller and smaller individual segments of the enthusiast market - SIDs/STARs would only have appealed to that segment that enjoyed flying from major airports. Also the underlying principles hadn’t changed from the earliest versions – take off/fly/land. Obviously more details and refinements were added but the principles hardly changed. During the same period other games developed by leaps and bounds and the public’s interests changed. I guess a consequence is that the relative flight simulator market shrank significantly in comparison.

 

Microsoft decided to develop Flight with the object of widening its market using a different approach. Joshua Howard’s interview made it clear that the traditional flight simulator community was not the target market and that Flight would stand or fall by its success in the wilder market and not its success in the traditional market.

 

It now appears that Flight isn’t commercially viable, nor unlikely to become so, and Microsoft has taken the obvious decision to cut its losses by stopping further development. That’s a perfectly rational decision and one that’s made frequently by all sorts of companies world wide. Microsoft developed Flight with the object of making money. It isn’t in the business of subsidising hobbies.

 

The outcome is that we still have Flight and whatever downloads we bought and can continue to use them. We still have FSX (and its predecessors) and can still continue to use them too. Also, it will provide an opportunity for new entrants, although I suspect that the practical barriers to entry are now too high for another firm to develop the equivalent of FS11.

 

The downside is that this must convince Microsoft that flight games are no longer commercially viable.

 

On a personal note, I downloaded Flight and was very impressed by its quality in relation to FSX. But my interests are VFR flight in Europe, so it offered nothing I really wanted. I’ve continued with FSX on my desktop and FS9 on my lap tap.

[OMGBBQ32 12]

And here comes the happy people on facebook...

 

I have no time for this nonsense anyway as I have a history project due tomorrow... summer school. But it's fun!

[raymar 969]

For those that asked if anyone had a new Flight Sim in work . . . MadCatz Online should have a MS Flight lookalike, except much more detailed and complete, in the same general flight area with lots and lots of planes with cockpits and guns that shoot and cause visable damage to opponents. If you choose not to shoot cannons or guns, just don't load your weapons,or use paint. (Splat vs bam)

 

Should be available for PC in a month or so. JvanE, hang on to those pedals.

 

Ray

[dmaher 0]

Now that it’s official may be it’s time for a more realistic overview of the position....

 

Microsoft stopped the development of FSX’s successor several years ago. The indications at the time were that this was because it was no longer seen to be commercially viable by Microsoft because the potential market was too small. It’s worth considering the additional features of FSX compared with FS9. In my view, they had little appeal to to wider market and were mainly of interest to the relatively small number of enthusiasts – Simconnect for example. The proposed additions to FSX would have appealed to even smaller and smaller individual segments of the enthusiast market - SIDs/STARs would only have appealed to that segment that enjoyed flying from major airports. Also the underlying principles hadn’t changed from the earliest versions – take off/fly/land. Obviously more details and refinements were added but the principles hardly changed. During the same period other games developed by leaps and bounds and the public’s interests changed. I guess a consequence is that the relative flight simulator market shrank significantly in comparison.

 

Microsoft decided to develop Flight with the object of widening its market using a different approach. Joshua Howard’s interview made it clear that the traditional flight simulator community was not the target market and that Flight would stand or fall by its success in the wilder market and not its success in the traditional market.

 

It now appears that Flight isn’t commercially viable, nor unlikely to become so, and Microsoft has taken the obvious decision to cut its losses by stopping further development. That’s a perfectly rational decision and one that’s made frequently by all sorts of companies world wide. Microsoft developed Flight with the object of making money. It isn’t in the business of subsidising hobbies.

 

The outcome is that we still have Flight and whatever downloads we bought and can continue to use them. We still have FSX (and its predecessors) and can still continue to use them too. Also, it will provide an opportunity for new entrants, although I suspect that the practical barriers to entry are now too high for another firm to develop the equivalent of FS11.

 

The downside is that this must convince Microsoft that flight games are no longer commercially viable.

 

On a personal note, I downloaded Flight and was very impressed by its quality in relation to FSX. But my interests are VFR flight in Europe, so it offered nothing I really wanted. I’ve continued with FSX on my desktop and FS9 on my lap tap.

 

I agree. And gaming has silently suffered a dot-com-style bust. And it really came to a head over the last few months. Particularly the last few weeks as the new fiscal year 2012 started. The industry landscape is going to look a lot different going forward. For the most part we’ll see a few massively commercial blockbusters and many small indie-games…with many casualties. The middle (where FSX was) is basically gone. I think Flight did a lot of things right, but they did hold onto DLC creation. I don’t personally believe that was their intention…but a freemium model didn’t give them a good alternative or the clout to get 3PD’s onside. The Flight team did an awesome job under very difficult circumstances…they deserve a lot of credit and respect for that :)

[HiFlyer 9,363]

For those that asked if anyone had a new Flight Sim in work . . . MadCatz Online should have a MS Flight lookalike, except much more detailed and complete, in the same general flight area with lots and lots of planes with cockpits and guns that shoot and cause visable damage to opponents. If you choose not to shoot cannons or guns, just don't load your weapons,or use paint. (Splat vs bam)

 

Should be available for PC in a month or so. JvanE, hang on to those pedals.

 

Ray

 

Hmmmmm...... should be interesting. I was expecting you to mention one of several flight games with a combat basis that are out or soon to be out. I don't want to even imagine the horror that would have ensued across the web if Microsoft flight had implemented a subscription model, though. :t0103:

 

But I was expecting you to say either World of Planes or World of Warplanes.

[Glynn 405]

For those that asked if anyone had a new Flight Sim in work . . . MadCatz Online should have a MS Flight lookalike,

Hello

This one ?

http://combatpilotseries.com/flight-training-operations/

[raymar 969]

Hello

This one ?

http://combatpilotse...ing-operations/

 

Nope, not that one, Look for something with campaigns in the Pacific starting on December 7, 1941 with the word 'Damage' in the title. The aircraft are introduced in the game as time allows. Starting with the A model, then B or C or successor models. You can't fly it before it was built kinda thing. Same with firepower. You can land and takeoff from carriers, single and multi play.

 

Maybe 40+ different airplanes. A dozen or so major campaigns. All ends in Japan in 1945.

 

 

" . . .23 historically accurate missions and 100+ mission objectives, your experience will include all the challenges that actual pilots faced – - dogfighting, torpedo and dive bombing, carrier takeoffs and landings – - in a mix of intense air-to-air, air-to-ship and air-to-ground combat"

 

http://damageincthegame.com/ and NOT subscription.

 

Ray

[pilota 0]

MS did not pay attention to loyal decades long followers and customers, as many others around here did not either, because of their greed..................good for you Microsoft....FSX has a life for many more years, P3D is flourishing and the door is wide open for anyone who wants to make a Flight Sim, what could be better??....The King is dead, Long live the King!!!!.......

[mikea76 184]

There is times when your right about something and it still makes you sad.. This is one of them. :(

[rtodepart 761]

I wonder how much more dlc was done till this day that was not out in the market ,i have to give alot of credit to the developers . Till today i saw alot of thing that make me wonder but instead i just closed my eyes and keep hoping for the best i even posted a long list of all the AC i have time in real life in the beta forums and ofered my free time to help out with no answers at all . Flight itself has alot of potential and i hope at one point MS give out a SDK ..

Im not putting any time on pr3d i quess the old work horse FSX has now many more years ahead .this is some sad crap ......

Edit : ok now i went thru my emails and i feel a bit better . Its just a waiting game now yayyy...

[Com. Casey Ryback FO 2]

Yes, i still think about getting money back, and yes , u are right , nobody hold a gun on my head, but they promised us a never ending game, that's why i aspect to buy something from the game....

[ak416 0]

Yes, i still think about getting money back, and yes , u are right , nobody hold a gun on my head, but they promised us a never ending game, that's why i aspect to buy something from the game....

Woah, when did they promise us a never ending game?

[mgh 89]

Yes, i still think about getting money back, and yes , u are right , nobody hold a gun on my head, but they promised us a never ending game, that's why i aspect to buy something from the game....

 

Wrong- Microsoft promised no such thing.. The EULA has a "Complete Agreement" clause which means the EULA is the agreement and anything said or done elsewhere is irrelevant.

[Jacoba 55]

Here is why MS is failing.

 

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2012/08/microsoft-lost-mojo-steve-ballmer