Well if they do that, they should at least give us the ability to activate our CD key so you don't have to buy it twice.

 

I agree, but I really don't think they'll do so. Dovetail are probably placing FSX on Steam just to fund their new simulator.

I agree, but I really don't think they'll do so. Dovetail are probably placing FSX on Steam just to fund their new simulator.

 

Oh that wouldn't surprise me one bit. It will work really well for them if they create and release a new simulator too, lot of customers I'm sure that will take a shot, and with their base prices, they will surely make something out of it... I feel a lot of people need to research into Train Simulator 2014, read the Steam reviews, and get a feeling for how they operate.

 

I also highly doubt our keys will work with Steam unless you own the Gold Edition. Anyone who just owned Vanilla FSX and the expansion pack would be out of luck not having a Gold key. I'm sure they won't make just a base FSX key activate and give you the Steam Gold Edition, that is a free DLC pack (Acceleration)... 

Well, a few notes having read the thread so far:

 

1. For those wishing to jump to P3D, check out the purchase arrangements.  As a PPL ASEL, working on my IFR ticket, and then my commercial, I fit in the training category for the $199 license.  Those who are hobbyists, don't, though I know that they are not checking credentials at checkout.  Further, folks like PMDG are still working through the EULA and other legal aspects of releasing for P3D.  Not a negative, just a state of affairs observation on the P3D front.

 

2. If this company, who I had not heard of before today, wants to turn their license for the underlying FSX engine into a DLC cash-cow, good for them!  At least someone will be making money off of it.  The bummer is if there is a different party who wants to release FSXI (Pronounced FiSksE), a true rebuild of FSX, and this will hold them back from doing so, bummer, but that's the way it works.

 

3. There is a third way here.  There is nothing restricting someone from writing a new flight simulator.  X-Plane did it.

 

4. If the approach that they take is not well received, then they will change tack, or fail.  Pretty much solves itself.

 

For me, I hope it goes well, and a new, "entertainment" EULA flight simulator emerges that allows usage of previously purchased add-ons.  Even if it means having to purchase upgrades.  But that may be a pipe dream.  I'll just have to be thankful that my usage model does fit the described usage models from P3D, and hope that P3D editions of my favorite training aircraft are not priced out of my reach.

Oh that wouldn't surprise me one bit. It will work really well for them if they create and release a new simulator too, lot of customers I'm sure that will take a shot, and with their base prices, they will surely make something out of it... I feel a lot of people need to research into Train Simulator 2014, read the Steam reviews, and get a feeling for how they operate.

Exactly. Here's the link (Scroll all the way down): http://store.steampowered.com/app/24010/

2. If this company, who I had not heard of before today

 

That's because their Train Simulator and the people owning it has been through a identity crisis since launched in 2007

 

Rail Simulator was developed by Kuju and failed

Then it was sold to Fund4Games

Named changed from Rail Simulator to Railworks

Then they created RailSimulator.com Ltd (RSC for short)

Named changed from Railworks to Train Simulator 2013/2014 

Went from  RailSimulator.com Ltd to DoveTail Games once they decided to venture away from trains being their only simulator

Oh that wouldn't surprise me one bit. It will work really well for them if they create and release a new simulator too, lot of customers I'm sure that will take a shot, and with their base prices, they will surely make something out of it... I feel a lot of people need to research into Train Simulator 2014, read the Steam reviews, and get a feeling for how they operate.

 

I also highly doubt our keys will work with Steam unless you own the Gold Edition. Anyone who just owned Vanilla FSX and the expansion pack would be out of luck not having a Gold key. I'm sure they won't make just a base FSX key activate and give you the Steam Gold Edition, that is a free DLC pack (Acceleration)... 

 

You're right, even if they do allow us to activate our keys on Steam, it will be only for those who have FSX Gold. I have FSX Deluxe, so if the activation servers are shut down, I'm out of luck.

No activation would put alot of add-on companies out of busines for FSX immediately, which would have a ripple effect throughout the market and lead to the shut down of flight sim stores whose top sellers are regularly FSX products. I'm not saying it can't happen - not at all, and that is what scares me. But if MS/DT want to play hard ball, they could very well collapse an entire community/economy.

No activation would put alot of add-on companies out of busines for FSX immediately, which would have a ripple effect throughout the market and lead to the shut down of flight sim stores whose top sellers are regularly FSX products. I'm not saying it can't happen - not at all, and that is what scares me. But if MS/DT want to play hard ball, they could very well collapse an entire community/economy.

 

This is why we need to move elsewhere as soon as possible. I hope Prepar3D 2.3 will fix most of the problems people are having so FSX can be ditched by more.

Ernie Alston in his great wisdom had it right all the time!

No activation would put alot of add-on companies out of busines for FSX immediately, which would have a ripple effect throughout the market and lead to the shut down of flight sim stores whose top sellers are regularly FSX products.

 

Well, if they disabled current activation system I'm sure people would find their own ways to get their products working. Nobody will prevent me from using a product that I've legally purchased. 

I am sure some else pointed this out already but I am not reading this whole thread to find out.

Its a funny old world; this announcement comes hot on the heals of the announcement that X-Plane 10

Is to be available on Steam. Game on!

I do not understand the frustration... Don't you see how this is relevant? They are doing trains and FS planes fly like trains! They are experts!

 

 

 

(Hope you understand the joke...)

 

  

I just wanted to ask, I feel I might have missed out on something regarding the activation. Is MS taking down the FSX online and phone activation system? Or is this just a thought that might happen? I mean I can't see why they would need to since a lot of their other products use similar systems, and the phone system was universal from what I recall, but I could be wrong.

I just wanted to ask, I feel I might have missed out on something regarding the activation. Is MS taking down the FSX online and phone activation system? Or is this just a thought that might happen? I mean I can't see why they would need to since a lot of their other products use similar systems, and the phone system was universal from what I recall, but I could be wrong.

 

All conjecture at this point

This is why we need to move elsewhere as soon as possible. I hope Prepar3D 2.3 will fix most of the problems people are having so FSX can be ditched by more.

 

 

I've been saying this all along... 

 

I'll add to this in pointing out it took LM years to update the FSX engine to where P3D is today.  In 2015 I can't see a company like this doing any better with the code in a shorter time frame.  More like a half baked effort in making a Steam installer... If they took FLIGHT to steam that would have been something but mass marketing FSX (7+ year bugs and all) over to Steam seems to be a bad idea.  Flight could have been built upon as it was more optimized for this type of marketing\installing.  All DT would have needed to do was open it up for 3rd party development so we could expand on the overall world of Flight.  FSX/DT (from what I heard of the company) seems like another failure in a long list of failures for this company.  The community will have to move to another platform and fast as I'm sure MS will shut down activation servers trying to help push users to the Steam version (look at how they pushed W8).  It's beyond time for many in this community to wise up and look at other options...  

 

The irony in all this is FS9 will be unaffected no matter what happens...  :He He:  MS's last buy and use as long as you like simulator.

 

LM's timing in the release of P3D v2 was impeccable.   I'm glade we have X-Plane and P3D as options because there may be a big storm coming for FSX users and developers in the next few months...  Many will be asking, "Where's a good .exe hacker when you need one".