Response from Joshua Howard

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

See the front page with Joshua's response to the question from AVSIM. We have followed up with others. We'll post an update when / if we receive one.

[Gibbage 199]

Thank you for getting this followup. Its good to know that at least for the foreseeable future, Flight will run for those who do enjoy it for what it is.

[CryogenicPilot 1]

Thanks, for the info! B)

 

However, I fear this is now just a case of damage control / CYA / Semantics because for all intensive purposes, the game is now dead.

 

Howard states there will be no more active development, but continued support?

 

The statement is an oxymoron, IMO.

 

Sure, they probably won't shut down the "Flight" MP servers and anybody can still download it free using GFWL... But what is the point if the game isn't finished?

[jcomm 5,939]

Famous last words...(about MS FLIGHT...)

 

"...But ultimately this was the right decision for Microsoft"

 

JH dixit, July 26, 2012

 

I begin to understand, only now, what this guy really did for MS FLIGHT....

[OMGBBQ32 12]

Such a pity. Anyways... this got me wondering...

 

Would Microsoft give Flight to the Flight community to continue developing it???

[A380 0]

I can't help feeling that had they swayed more to the simming side, and less to the casual side, this may just have survived.

The releases were just all wrong. Sure test the waters with basic cockpit less AC, but don't forget which side your bread is buttered.

 

[Gibbage 199]

Such a pity. Anyways... this got me wondering...

 

Would Microsoft give Flight to the Flight community to continue developing it???

 

Dont count on it. MS has in financial incentive to do so, and it would take a lot of work to remove the Live integration out of Flight.

[basic ils 0]

Not sure why they would have to remove it from Live. Just release the SDK, let the 3PDs submit content, sell it through Live. Seems to have worked out well for other games. Rock Band releases at least 3 songs per week from Harmonix (and has for 5 years now) and another 6-10 per week from RBN. (I understand Rock Band was never an MS title, but the work to put DLC on Live for Flight is already done).

[LHookins 3,103]

(Mr.) Howard states there will be no more active development, but continued support?

 

The statement is an oxymoron, IMO.

 

It's referred to as Maintenance Mode. This means it's basically dead, but they haven't turned off the lights. While it's possible that there may be another title update to fix bugs, it's unlikely in my opinion.

 

Hook

[Gibbage 199]

Simply put, Live is very secure. Releasing an SDK and code with Live support makes things vulnerable to hackers. It would be possible to keep a small crew to validate 3rd party add-on's for sale, but again MS may not think its worth there time to do so.

[dburne 2]

Well I would say this will end up being the end of civilian flight simming for me - eventually. I will continue to use and enjoy what I have with Flight currently, and at whatever point I start to get bored because of no new content, I will likely hang this part of simming up.

I do have other combat flight sims I enjoy very much, and will eventually migrate my simming time over to those when that time comes. At this time, I can't even really see myself going back to FSX - maybe at some point I will, but it seems to have lost much of it's luster with me.

[HiFlyer 9,360]

Well I would say this will end up being the end of civilian flight simming for me - eventually. I will continue to use and enjoy what I have with Flight currently, and at whatever point I start to get bored because of no new content, I will likely hang this part of simming up.

I do have other combat flight sims I enjoy very much, and will eventually migrate my simming time over to those when that time comes. At this time, I can't even really see myself going back to FSX - maybe at some point I will, but it seems to have lost much of it's luster with me.

 

Yes. And also...... many things I saw during this time were very disturbing. I feel that the community I thought existed showed a different face entirely, and it was, and is..... not a very pretty sight.

[Guest]

Well I would say this will end up being the end of civilian flight simming for me - eventually. I will continue to use and enjoy what I have with Flight currently, and at whatever point I start to get bored because of no new content, I will likely hang this part of simming up.

I do have other combat flight sims I enjoy very much, and will eventually migrate my simming time over to those when that time comes. At this time, I can't even really see myself going back to FSX - maybe at some point I will, but it seems to have lost much of it's luster with me.

 

I think I'll be going back to FSX. I don't like to play a game that has no future, no matter how good some things are... Well, maybe I will fire up Flight in a short while again but I certainly don't feel like doing so now. I reinstalled FSX when I came home and a few addons and although it's clearly not Flight it is nice for instance to have EZCA back again. Or the GPS in Bay Tower's RV-7A, in which btw you can set the mixture manually. Amongst others. Or better said, amongst everything else. It's also nice being able to pick your departure airport with ease. Or to load a flight plan and follow it... Ah, well, you know, it's nice to have everything back that was missing in Flight...

 

Then again, maybe I will ditch FSX tomorrow again... it does look a bit lifeless, despite ENB... In BOTH games I am missing things.

 

Most of all I am missing a bright future for civilian flight simming...

[dburne 2]

 

Most of all I am missing a bright future for civilian flight simming...

 

Yeah, me too that kind of says it all. Such a sad day, after all the excitement up to and the release of the VC Carbon Cub. I have not even bought it yet, and now may not.

I may make the transition over to my combat sims and start the training process on them sooner than I thought. One thing I know though irregardless, I plan on hanging out here on this forum as long as it is around and there are folks in here participating. It had some bumps in the road early on, but for the most part turned out to be one fantastic forum for us.

[jcomm 5,939]

Most of all I am missing a bright future for civilian flight simming...

 

FlightGear 2.8 is comming soon in August. It has a remarkable Earth model, very good FDMs (it's open so you can use your own, just as I think LM prepar3d v2.0 will be), and an improving weather model too.

 

Xplane10 might be an option. I don't really know :-/, not yet.....

 

I think M Prepar3d v2.0 will be a visual platform **only** allowing to couple external FDMs, just as ESP itself, and presently using both the FSX FDM...