FSX-SE DoveTail Games Buys Licensing Deal with Microsoft

[frankielera 5]

You won't get that from DTG. They don't believe in complex realism. They want the casual market. The reason those other sims users demand realism? Because the sim LACKS realism (but it sells like hot cakes so why change it?). Casuals don't want to think about cold starts, priming fuel lines, switching breakers off and on. They want to get in, crash cars, cause derails, and do barrels rolls.  Yes the simulation market is thriving but the realism section of that simulation is nearly dead as far as active development with the exception of Prepar3D and a few indie titles. 

 

So, are you saying That the consumers they(DTG) are really after, are only  those who just want to fly a 747 straight through a c172? I don't think that's the case at all." Casual" or not, if you buy any flight *SIMULATION* (being the key word) software, is most likely because you love, like or have interest in this beautiful thing called aviation.  

[styckx 1,872]

So, are you saying That the consumers they(DTG) are really after, are only  those who just want to fly a 747 straight through a c172? I don't think that's the case at all." Casual" or not, if you buy any flight *SIMULATION* (been the key word) software, is most likely because you love, like or have interest in this beautiful thing called aviation.  

 

Look at their train simulator. It's the furthest thing from a simulation.  It's aimed purely at casuals. The only people doing any sort of realism are 3PD like Oovee,  Waggonz, and  Armstrong Powerhouse.. DTG themselves go for the standard issue "choo choo train" approach to in house product. It used to be joked that they were copy/pasting the same simulation files (that games physics configs) from one engine to another because almost every train seemed to behave just like the others.. Early on in the games development most were 100% certain even they didn't know half the parameters in the own games physics engine.  There are still locomotives today available developed by them that can pull 100 cars up hill in notch 1. 

 

And I know there are others here who can vouch for their laughable physics configurations. 

[HiFlyer 9,363]

Look at their train simulator. It's the furthest thing from a simulation.  It's aimed purely at casuals. The only people doing any sort of realism are 3PD like Oovee,  Waggonz, and  Armstrong Powerhouse.. DTG themselves go for the standard issue "choo choo train" approach to in house product. It used to be joked that they were copy/pasting the same simulation files (that games physics configs) from one engine to another because almost every train seemed to behave just like the others.. Early on in the games development most were 100% certain even they didn't know half the parameters in the own games physics engine.  There are still locomotives today available developed by them that can pull 100 cars up hill in notch 1. 

 

And I know there are others here who can vouch for their laughable physics configurations. 

 

Good thing there are no FSX or XPX products that are anything less than perfect.

[frankielera 5]

It's aimed purely at casuals

 

 

Yes, but that doesn't mean all they want to do is head-on collisions.look, I don't know anything about this company or train sim for that matter so you could be 100% correct about DTG way of doing business. 

[shortbus74 2]

Styckx

 

It's taken DTG a few years to understand , the railworks code, it's customer base, and they are much better than when you beta tested for them.  They actually understand that some of thier customers, usually the most loyal and vocal ones want and demand more realism. Most of the 3rd party folks doing locomotives and rolling stock are pushing the envelope for realsim in TS2014, look Smokeboxe's next Steam Engine release the Northern, they have introduced a whole new level of realism.  The biggest problem DTG had before is they didn't understand what the North American railroad sim market was about. Now they are starting to get thier heads around it, after a whole lot of begging from the users.

 

What nobody wants to admit, is the customers who demand realism, are the most vocal on the forums, the most vocal on facebook, but a huge minority in purchasing.  In just about every genre of simming the simple sim wins, TS2014 vs Run8, Run8 is by far the most realistic Railroad simulation hands down, but TS2014 out sales it tremendously . Codemaster racing titles vs iRacing. Codemasters light racing sims every time.  In DCS the title that sold the most units, was FC3 with the simple aviaonics vs all the other super in depth military modules  ED created combined.   

 

The Fact is DTG does understand the market, they understand who is BUYING DLC , its the simple sim guys , sad but true.

 

So while us folks who love pushing buttons and learning systems , the average user, and the people who are speaking with thier wallet mostly just want to point click and go. Realism be dammed.

 

DTG has done a novel approach by allowing the realistic guys have it thier way, and the simple control guys can also use the same sim by turning on and off different helpers. Dovetail is a different company for the most part than when you tested for them.  You have to give them credit for that. 

 

So I'm happy that dovetail is willing to try and revive a product that came out 2006/2007, while they are not perfect, they are the ones willing to give it a go. My hats is off to them, and we should support them,  just to see where this goes.

[styckx 1,872]

words

 

You summed up what I've been saying. They're focused on casuals and the only people doing realism is 3PD who allow DTG to be their distributor... They're the exact same company as when I left with a new skin and more buzzwords..

 

Edit: And this is their newest in house developed DLC just released..

 

http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/222622/ss_799f6ba8f7a7808f6de1c8512fe64cb9591241e1.1920x1080.jpg?t=1404994491

 

That is without a doubt the most abysmal mesh, texturing and 3D cab I've ever seen.. Seriously. WHAT IS THAT? That's the best they can do in 2014? They didn't even try.   FS9 VC's look better. 

[HiFlyer 9,363]

Styckx

 

It's taken DTG a few years to understand , the railworks code, it's customer base, and they are much better than when you beta tested for them. 

 

+1

Edited July 11, 2014 by n4gix
Removed EXCESSIVE QUOTE

[BlueStar 323]

That could be. Last I heard, they still were, but that may have changed.

Tom,

 

Have you or anyone on your staff reached out to Dovetail for an interview/Q&A session?

 

Billy Bluestar

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Tom,

 

Have you or anyone on your staff reached out to Dovetail for an interview/Q&A session?

 

Billy Bluestar

 

Not yet, but it is on our radar. We typically wait for the dust to settle on these things, allow the gamut of questions to build and then we go in for a complete interview, as opposed to one that is nothing more than pablum and a transparent attempt to just claim a "first".

[Jamesie79 9]

I am speculating and my guess is that this will be another steaming pile of.....MS Flight.

 

Seriously though,only Microsoft can do what we want but won't.

 

DoveTail can't give us the redevelopment we need. If it does turn out to be the rebadged product with piles of poor DLC I for one won't be queueing up to show them the colour of my dosh.

[Dragonmount 5]

As long as I can keep using my FSX happily, I will not be getting anything this group puts out. Maybe its time to switch to some other flight sim.

[BeechPapa 32]

The only people doing any sort of realism are 3PD like Oovee,  Waggonz, and  Armstrong Powerhouse.. DTG themselves go for the standard issue "choo choo train" approach to in house product. It used to be joked that they were copy/pasting the same simulation files (that games physics configs) from one engine to another because almost every train seemed to behave just like the others.. 

Judged by its default form, FSX wouldn't come out looking great either. By this point, many simmers are flying with an installation of FSX that looks nothing like the default, and their addons fill up major gaps left in the original sim. People used to complain a lot about being "on rails" in FSX, but I haven't heard it mentioned as much recently, I think because of 3rd party solutions. Fly a plane from a good developer through weather provided by ASN and the "on rail" feeling is almost gone. 

 

What makes up for these deficiencies is the fact that Aces provided for things like sim connect. They couldn't do everything perfectly, but atleast they realized they couldn't do everything perfectly, and gave users power to improve things. Default FSX planes are not copy-paste jobs though. They might not be payware quality, but on some planes like the Maule and F-18 is definitely looks like someone with passion made it, albeit with limited resources. You can tell when a developer loves the plane they built as soon as you sit in the cockpit. I think it all comes down to that passion/respect for aviation ultimately. As for DTG's passion for aviation, we will have to see.

 

Anyway, this wonderful awe-inspiring simulator is still here for me to enjoy (knock on wood) and there's no better time to enjoy it than now... Good evening, gentleman, the skies are calling.      

[Boomer 1,619]

Trouble with P3D is major sim developers I like such as PMDG say they might make a 777 etc version for P3D but who knows how much that will cost...?

[THibben 16]

Hi Sam,

 

Don't give up to soon you have lots of years ahead of you.  I am 80+ and still fly most days.  The good thing for me  is FSX works fine especially with ORBX. A2A and a multitude of other fine planes.

 

You are only as old as you feel....grin

 

Keep flying.

 

Tom 

[stevekirks 3]

 

Not sure if this has been posted, but like mentioned on another site it looks like just a disturbution issue.

 

That's how I read the press release.  Also note--this information appears nowhere on Microsoft's website.  Nothing in the press release side or other likely places.  So the news websites simply reprint what Dovetail says.

 

Might be nice for an MS press release to show up here...