FSX-SE "Microsoft Sells License to FS Franchise"

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Let me add some clarity here folks... Remember that FLIGHT was rolled up in May of 2012...

 

In the latter half of 2012, AVSIM was made aware of efforts to sell licenses by Microsoft for its FS product line (note the all inclusive "FS", not specifically FS9, FSX, FLIGHT, etc.). AVSIM subsequently participated in meetings and discussions with a couple of the teams in 2012 and throughout 2013. We understood from the outset that MS was looking to issue a license to multiple teams.The original terms of the sale of the license were pretty steep thereby ruling out any single participant from the FS commercial community.

 

The teams that were formed, for the most part, reflected that reality. I will leave it to you to figure out how multiple licensees would compete with each other and how they could be expected to meet MS' demands for down payment, commission on sales and control of their IP. The news we posted yesterday is that ONE licensee will be announced. We can only conclude that the single licensee had significantly deeper pockets and was able to negotiate an exclusive license. What of the other pretty stringent terms of the original license (i.e, IP, commission on sales, etc.) have they been able to negotiate out? We don't know of course.

 

All the speculation regarding LM, and some others going on here are sure entertaining, but way off base. LMOC bought the license for ESP (as did Northrop Grumman). ESP contained the core and hooks for things like submarines, subsurface navigation, etc. that FSX never had. MS developed ESP specifically with the military and military suppliers in mind. Imagine ESP being used as a real time 3D'ish background for flying a UAV in... Imagine operating an underwater ROV using it to provide navigation and cuing. ESP provided the basis for the likes of a LMOC to build upon for their military customers. I am pretty confident in saying that LMOC was not a participant in pursuing the FSX license.

 

Speculations on who the licensee is are probably going to be mute by the end of this week. There are important questions that should be of concern; distribution methods, EULA's, price, third party content, FLIGHT like distribution of add-on's, ad nauseam.

 

Just remember that you read it first on AVSIM... B)

[Matthijs 74]

Until now there is no official statement/source.

So maybe it's better to wait a while before posting "news" and rumours until we get an official statement, or a trusted and confirmed source.

[Christopher Low 4,606]

I just spent the past half an hour compiling a post about how crap 3D first person games are these days when compared to legends of the past like Half Life and Deus Ex, and then one careless key press saw the lot disappear in a flash. I feel so depressed when that happens :(

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

Well I'm disappointed. I don't think Microsoft really cares about their PC franchises anymore.

[WotanUK 289]

 

 

but I don't see how anyone can look at the violence happening in society and the violence in consumed media without seeing some kind of relationship. 

 

I agree with you, violence was entirely unknown before computer games.  I remember when the first Medal of Honour came out, and soon after D-Day happened.  Not to mention that shocking scene from Call of Duty inspiring the Battle of Stalingrad.  Computer games caused 25 million deaths in the Soviet union alone, all caused by Hearts of Iron 3.

I, personally, am a huge fan of the Total War series, but i can't get it out of my mind that they actually CAUSED the Roman Empire and the Tokugawa Shogunate.   Sometimes i wonder why i still play them.

Not to mention that disgusting manhunt game, inspiring that Jack the Ripper character, no way he would have committed those crimes without that game.  BAN GAMES NOW!!!!

 

...All i can say to you is...seriously?

[oskiatl 27]

I wonder if this would include Train Simulator (2) ? , as it as developed based on the FS X earth model and was pretty far along before ACES was shutdown.

 

Hmmm.

Good question!

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Until now there is no official statement/source.

So maybe it's better to wait a while before posting "news" and rumours until we get an official statement, or a trusted and confirmed source.

Did you read my post directly above yours?

[Aamir 2,008]

Let's try and steer this thread back onto topic, because we're currently actually discussing Microsoft's E3 Presentation, and Video Games' effect on violence. 

 

--
 

At this point, whoever has licensed the code from MS is far behind the developments of LM's P3D, and has a lot of catching up to do, but I imagine the core difference will be the licensing. Can't imagine how LM are going to react to this. I guess it's good. Open-markets benefit from competition. XPX, P3D, a now a new entrant. Things are looking hot for the future of our hobby! 

(Not to mention the work being done by the Devs of Outerra! I certainly have my eye on them, although it most certainly cannot be them who have managed to license the code, the have barely any capital.)

[shivers9 1,115]

Let me add some clarity here folks... Remember that FLIGHT was rolled up in May of 2012...

 

In the latter half of 2012, AVSIM was made aware of efforts to sell licenses by Microsoft for its FS product line (note the all inclusive "FS", not specifically FS9, FSX, FLIGHT, etc.). AVSIM subsequently participated in meetings and discussions with a couple of the teams in 2012 and throughout 2013. We understood from the outset that MS was looking to issue a license to multiple teams.The original terms of the sale of the license were pretty steep thereby ruling out any single participant from the FS commercial community.

 

The teams that were formed, for the most part, reflected that reality. I will leave it to you to figure out how multiple licensees would compete with each other and how they could be expected to meet MS' demands for down payment, commission on sales and control of their IP. The news we posted yesterday is that ONE licensee will be announced. We can only conclude that the single licensee had significantly deeper pockets and was able to negotiate an exclusive license. What of the other pretty stringent terms of the original license (i.e, IP, commission on sales, etc.) have they been able to negotiate out? We don't know of course.

 

All the speculation regarding LM, and some others going on here are sure entertaining, but way off base. LMOC bought the license for ESP (as did Northrop Grumman). ESP contained the core and hooks for things like submarines, subsurface navigation, etc. that FSX never had. MS developed ESP specifically with the military and military suppliers in mind. Imagine ESP being used as a real time 3D'ish background for flying a UAV in... Imagine operating an underwater ROV using it to provide navigation and cuing. ESP provided the basis for the likes of a LMOC to build upon for their military customers. I am pretty confident in saying that LMOC was not a participant in pursuing the FSX license.

 

Speculations on who the licensee is are probably going to be mute by the end of this week. There are important questions that should be of concern; distribution methods, EULA's, price, third party content, FLIGHT like distribution of add-on's, ad nauseam.

 

Just remember that you read it first on AVSIM... B)

Thanks Tom for a bit more info. I must say though that it is a bit of a puzzle to me why anyone would now want to spend that kind of money for pretty much a bunch of dead or nearly dead titles. Using LM's track record with ESP, it took they a couple of years to clean up the trash pile that Microsoft left, just to get a first release. I would sure like to hear your take on how that might be profitable. I guess maybe someone could convert FSX to 64 Bits but that is a lot more money out the door and once again a long ways down a rough road. I know you are some what limited in what you can say.

[dave2013 921]

The violence happening in society is documented to be at an all-time low, actually.  What's up is the widespread instant and continuous reporting of it, giving the illusory appearance that it's a growing problem instead of what it actually is... a declining problem.

You're exactly right.  Violent crime in the U.S. has been on the decline for many years.  Remember how bad the 70s, 80s, and 90s were?

 

With the 24 hour news cycle and the constant barrage of bad news from every little corner of the globe, the multiple television news shows, the Internet, etc. it can seem like things are worse than they actually are.

 

Unfortunately, we're seeing a lot of these mass killings by a single nutjob lately, and these types of events make the world seem like a horrible place.  However, these are isolated events which, at least historically, don't occur frequently.  They are akin to an airliner crash, i.e. they don't happen very often, but when they do the results are very, very bad.

 

Dave

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Thanks Tom for a bit more info. I must say though that it is a bit of a puzzle to me why anyone would now want to spend that kind of money for pretty much a bunch of dead or nearly dead titles. Using LM's track record with ESP, it took they a couple of years to clean up the trash pile that Microsoft left, just to get a first release. I would sure like to hear your take on how that might be profitable. I guess maybe someone could convert FSX to 64 Bits but that is a lot more money out the door and once again a long ways down a rough road. I know you are some what limited in what you can say.

You are assuming that they are going to continue to develop it. I hope they continue to develop it, but they could just as well milk sales at $14.95 a copy until the cows come home.

 

 

Can't imagine how LM are going to react to this.

 

They knew about this. Why do you think their license reads as it does?

[N1G 88]

Why the big secret though. What are they afraid of a riot.

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

I agree with you, violence was entirely unknown before computer games.  I remember when the first Medal of Honour came out, and soon after D-Day happened.  Not to mention that shocking scene from Call of Duty inspiring the Battle of Stalingrad.  Computer games caused 25 million deaths in the Soviet union alone, all caused by Hearts of Iron 3.

I, personally, am a huge fan of the Total War series, but i can't get it out of my mind that they actually CAUSED the Roman Empire and the Tokugawa Shogunate.   Sometimes i wonder why i still play them.

Not to mention that disgusting manhunt game, inspiring that Jack the Ripper character, no way he would have committed those crimes without that game.  BAN GAMES NOW!!!!

 

...All i can say to you is...seriously?

To be fair, he does have a point. All those "M"/"18" rated games are being sold to minors, and a lot of them are starting to think that being in the army would be cool, or that kind of stuff.

[MarkW 1,405]

Well I'm disappointed. I don't think Microsoft really cares about their PC franchises anymore.

 

If you were Microsoft would you care?  No, because all of the money is now in mobile.  They are there to make money for their shareholders and nothing more.

[tf51d 284]

 

 

At this point, whoever has licensed the code from MS is far behind the developments of LM's P3D, and has a lot of catching up to do, but I imagine the core difference will be the licensing. Can't imagine how LM are going to react to this. I guess it's good. Open-markets benefit from competition. XPX, P3D, a now a new entrant. Things are looking hot for the future of our hobby!

 

Maybe not! Who's to say said licensee didn't already have a developers ESP license. ESP was released in early 2008, so whatever they are developing may have already be far along. This may be just for the rights of distribution of what they already achieved.