With the recent threads about the possibility of not having any more versions of Flight Sim, does anyone really have any real reason to believe there won

Conjecture at this point. I think people are concerned because MS has apparently canceled their Train Sim and Combat Flight Sim titles and has not yet announced that a new version of Flight Sim is in the pipeline.

Every computer needs a flight sim but not all need an operating systemSo they will drop Windows development in order to trim their staff needs and eventual pension obligations.Just my dishonest opinion.al

From a business perspective it all comes down to the returns they make on the product. If FS provides the returns they will make another version if not they will not....hopefully they will sell the title to someone else that wants to keep it going.Mark.

If there wasn't going to be a new FS why were some of the FS team filmed a couple of months ago sitting on their backsides in front of monitors? I wouldn't have thought they were just waiting for a pizza delivery!

those monitors didn't show what they were doing. Maybe they were beta testing Halo ;)

Mainly conjecture as already stated. But given the attitude of a highly vocal group of users towards the team and company as a whole one has to wonder if they aren't getting extremely disgruntled with us users as a group, maybe disgruntled enough to throw in the towel and go create a Doom 3 killer (which is both easier and gives a far higher return on investment than creating a flight simulator).

MS has released the beta version of FS10.I think we can look for the new version of FS2006 sometime this year.

do you think Microsoft has the talent base to make a Doom3 killer? I don't. They spend lots of money on flight sim and (arguably) just barely do better than the skin and bones, no funding operations out there.

Personally, I'd be shocked if we didn't see another version sometime. Although I am not sure the next version is going to be "fs2006" along the same time frame as previous releases. Just total speculation on my part of course. I would find it odd that MS released a video of the MSFS team if it had no plans on doing future versions. The announcement for fs2004 came out of nowhere as well, so the lack of any news is not bad news. Just no news.

And see there the typical attitude I was talking about...A perfect example of the type of user that makes developers pack up and leave in disgust.

"And see there the typical attitude I was talking about...A perfect example of the type of user that makes developers pack up and leave in disgust."OH MY GOD JEROEN DID YOU ACTUALLY SAY THAT??!?! :-eek That is the first time in all these years that I can say I finally agree with you!! That is a good thing! ;-) It always amazes me the people that have gotten careers and pleasure with Microsoft are so willing to bash them instead move the train in a better direction! Carmine http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/Images/wave.gif

>Mainly conjecture as already stated. But given the attitude>of a highly vocal group of users towards the team and company>as a whole one has to wonder if they aren't getting extremely>disgruntled with us users as a group, maybe disgruntled enough>to throw in the towel and go create a Doom 3 killer (which is>both easier and gives a far higher return on investment than>creating a flight simulator).Anything would beat Doom 3 :). Though it

>MS has released the beta version of FS10.>Wouldn't the NDA prevent anybody telling you that or you telling anybody else?

Can you really see Microsoft killing the goose that lays the golden egg?Flight Sims may not sell in numbers like your Dooms, and Half Lifes', but it's probably the one thing other than Windows, that everyone knows about, maybe it even has a larger public awareness than Office? And it may seem an odd thing to say, but Microsoft have always seemed to be 'fond' of Flight Sim over the years, enthusiastic about every release, and they do go to great pains to attempt to make it as real as they can and yet suit the average PC user/gamer. 'Fond' almost in away that it seems like a bit of a 'labour of love' for them!!It is certainly a figure-head programme for them, and even from an economic viewpoint, it may cost them dearly to produce, but it is always going to sell well...the fan-base is almost rabid for the next release, and it must say something of the viability of a piece of software when a whole industry has grown around it...look at how many independant developers obviously see the financial benefits from developing payware add-ons for Flight Sim...OK, it may not be a 'get rich quick' scenario, but many of the current payware developers have been around for quite a few previous versions of FS, and don't seem to be in any danger of dissapearing soon, which of course they probably would if Microsoft pulled the plug on FS!! How many other PC games are there that can boast that knid of 'external' add-on industry? I don't know of anyone that charges for a new set of maps or guns or enemies for Doom/Half Life/Far Cry, etc....OK..you get a few 'official' expansion packs, but thats it....you can't walk into your local Game store and see a whole section of shelving dedicated to Doom add-on packs, yet with FS.....A320 Pro, A340 Pro, Commuter Express, FS Terrain, World Airports, Holiday Destinations, 737-600/700, 727 Pro, FS Traffic, Ultimate Traffic....the list goes on!!I'd be very surprised and shocked if Microsoft killed off one of their biggest and best known, and reknowned titles. OK, the commercial add-ons don't make them money, but they do bring public awareness to the title, and possibly encourage sales indirectly.And also, if Microsoft were planning on killing it, then why did they have that public online questionnaire last year for users/enthusiasts to voice their opinions and requests for what they would like to see in upcoming versions of Flight Sim?