Hi everyone.

 

Sorry if someone this has been brought up before but I had this thought the other day and was wondering if people agreed. FSX was obviously designed as a 32 bit piece of software and centred around CPU's that were going to be very large single core CPU's that never appeared. Microsoft then create flight which obviously was not a great success and people like me and most people I know that use FSX would never go to it. From my point of view, apart from some rushed programming the sim itself if not bad in the slightest.

 

My point is that I think that the best option would be to improve an already good product by making it use multiple cores effectively and it being 64 bit, whilst still being able to work to the programming the addon manufacturers have to conform to, the basic programming shouldn't be too much of a change. Hence the addons would still work or would require very basic changes so that they work better. Then Microsoft could sell the 64 bit version. I know if there was a new version out there to improve the way the program uses hardware I would buy it straight away.

 

Does anyone agree with that?

First thought for 64bit is Prepar3d.

Yes I agree, but Microsoft don't give a ******* about flight simulators anymore... Very sad, but that's just the way it is.

First thought for 64bit is Prepar3d.

 

+1

Looking back it should have been clear that MS contining this franchise was in trouble the moment Bill Gates stepped down from an active role in running the company. He's the reason MS took it up in the first place way back when and knowing Chairman Bill had a soft spot for MSFS must have had lent intangible support to its rather odd position in the company.

 

I somehow doubt that this "game" has ever produced the level of revenue and profit Microsoft expects from its products. Made money? Surely, but not to the scale a software giant wants to fiddle with.

 

It's clear it's a niche product. 50,000 dedicated simmers buying a new version at $60 a copy is a lot of money to you and me but a tiny drop in the Microsoft bucket. They probably only pay attention to things that sell in the millions of copies.

 

Once MSFS had to pay its own way without some vice president having to explain to an irate company founder why he wanted to terminate something said founder might have had a sentimental attachment to...

 

Well, we got Flight, probably MS's last attempt to find a mass market for a flight sim game. It isn't there. Flying airplanes just isn't exciting enough for the youth market and the youth market is where the mass game sales are at.

 

I'm not an insider or anything, just speculating.

 

Dutch

Yeah likely in the future we will see most of the flight simulators coming from smaller developers who don't require such a high amount of copies to be sold to make enough profit, just like X plane has been doing all this time.

Hi everyone.

 

Sorry if someone this has been brought up before but I had this thought the other day and was wondering if people agreed. FSX was obviously designed as a 32 bit piece of software and centred around CPU's that were going to be very large single core CPU's that never appeared. Microsoft then create flight which obviously was not a great success and people like me and most people I know that use FSX would never go to it. From my point of view, apart from some rushed programming the sim itself if not bad in the slightest.

 

My point is that I think that the best option would be to improve an already good product by making it use multiple cores effectively and it being 64 bit, whilst still being able to work to the programming the addon manufacturers have to conform to, the basic programming shouldn't be too much of a change. Hence the addons would still work or would require very basic changes so that they work better. Then Microsoft could sell the 64 bit version. I know if there was a new version out there to improve the way the program uses hardware I would buy it straight away.

 

Does anyone agree with that?

 

I 100% agree.

 

It should be re-written as a 64 bit program, and use the latest version of DirectX.

 

It should support as many cores as your PC has.

 

It should have every airport in the world, and all the navigation information should be up to date.

 

It should have 100's of GOOD aircraft included with the product,

 

It should have regular FREE Updates.

 

The new version should be a FREE update to FSX.

 

Isn't it great that you and I think the same .. seems obvious .. One has to wonder why Microsoft or P3D has not thought of this, and done this already. ?

 

Sounds so easy, one you think about it -- really Obvious.

 

I just have one question for you ..

What world do YOU live in ?? ( I want to live there too !!)

 

-----

Just had another GREAT Idea, Why don't Microsoft BUNDLE this new Flight Sim with "WINDOWS 8" .. would be far better than bundling their IE Browser, and imagine all the sales, and all the people that could then play with Flight Sim. at work, instead of wasting their time with MS OFFICE.

 

I should be PAID for these great ideas !!

Yeah likely in the future we will see most of the flight simulators coming from smaller developers who don't require such a high amount of copies to be sold to make enough profit, just like X plane has been doing all this time.

 

This may be true, but the price will be very high if the simulator has any degree of sophistication. That's OK by me. I would not mind paying more if the systems are in place.

 

Bob

It's clear it's a niche product. 50,000 dedicated simmers buying a new version at $60 a copy is a lot of money to you and me but a tiny drop in the Microsoft bucket. They probably only pay attention to things that sell in the millions of copies.

 

FSX has sold millions of copies, and was among the most popular game titles when released. In fact, for a niche product it has done extremely well. The entire flight simulator franchise is the best selling game series ever.

 

I am positive that FS11 would sell millions as well, if they managed to balance the gaming elements with the simulator elements in a good way. Also, usability needs to be greatly improved to make it as easy as using an iPad or iPhone for upgrades and installing addons. People love simming, and a new flight simulator should look towards titles like Minecraft, Sim City and the Sims for inspiration. Fun, interactive and easy to use carrer modes and scenery creation coupled with an online universe would attract common users.

I think it's not really possible to get big masses interested in peaceful civilian flying no matter what, majority of ordinary gamers find it boring and rather seek for combat flying. FSX did indeed sell pretty well, but probably very many people who bought it didn't use it that long.

 

I think merging a combat flight simulator and civilian flight simulator would create a simulator with much bigger audience.

The flightsim franchise is nowhere near the best selling game franchise of all times.

The flightsim franchise is nowhere near the best selling game franchise of all times.

 

They might have moved down the list in recent years, but in 1999 official figures (just after the release of FS2000) were over 21 million copies. I highly doubt any other franchise surpassed that up to 2006/07 when FSX was still fresh, but you are probably right that today there are a few titles above FS.

As mentioned above, Microsoft has exited the Flight Simulator business and is not

likely to re-enter it, no matter what we all believe to be the potential.

 

"Flight" was their last effort, and unfortunately, they screwed it up..

 

Luckily, we have a pretty stable FSX platform to use for the next while, with fresh add-ons appearing all the time.

 

And, LM is working away at P3D - so there may well be a future migration path..

As of September...

 

http://izismile.com/2012/09/08/the_bestselling_video_game_franchises_ever.html

As of September...

 

http://izismile.com/2012/09/08/the_bestselling_video_game_franchises_ever.html

 

Yep, but those are titles on multiple platforms. In the context of FSX I was only thinking of IBM-PC games.