In the period from 2006 to the introduction of FLIGHT, somewhere between 1.9 and 2.2 million copies of FSX were sold, depending on how you factor in resellers, bulk buys and the like.

 

We seem to be at cross-purposes. I took “FSX Community” to mean the numbers of enthusiasts who are still using FSX, buying add-ons, etc. as opposed to the total number of copies sold. Many buyers will have tried it for while and then moved on – in the same way as some will have joined AVSIM and moved on.

 

I don’t dispute your sales figures. 2.2M seems reasonable over 6 years. If, as has been suggested elsewhere, FSX sold 1M copies in it first year its subsequent average sales would be 240,000 annually - that’s 10 time the annual number joining AVSIM. I still suggest that the FSX community is in the low hundreds of thousand.

 

Going slightly off topic, FSX sales of 2.2M would have earning Microsoft some $110M over 6 year,s assuming an average price of $50. However, Halo 4 is reported to have earned Microsoft $220M on its launch day last year. That, I suggest, gives a guide to where Microsoft will put its future development resources – “follow the money”

Lots of people have FSX and FS9 collecting dust, but just educating them now that a sub-1000 computer can run those sims decent now. Another company will emerge besdies X-plane to create a sim because the farm sims, trucks sim, train sims getting more hungry for realism.

 

Figure this, someone gonna in time grow a brain and figure out to create and sell what the tubliner pilots, low and slow pilots, short haul semi drivers, long haul sim drivers want a realistic world.

X-plane is heading that direction but without landmarks wont happen. European Truck Simulator 2 has more landmarks than X-plane its got the Liege Airport, Amsterdam Airport, 3d lights, skyscapers, docks, the houses, castles. Like to see combo of FSX, X-plane, European Truck 2 world.