This is a shout out to anyone over at Laminar, who may (and I hope) read this.  A kind of public shaming.  

 

First, thanks for getting X-Plane on to Steam.  It was an accomplishment for sure, especially with the Greenlight vetting process.  

 

But now what?  Well, there is nobody from your company helping out or moderating in the Steam forum.  Guys are asking for help with their systems and software.  People have sales related questions or are complaining about the pricing.  There are no "stickies" offering tips or clues.   No links to other support forums,  nor any mention of the great community mods out there.   It's like someone took the time and energy to run a marathon, but quit at the 25 mile mark.   I've been dropping hints here and there for your potential customers, but don't know why I am bothering.  Isn't that your job?  Don't you want X-Plane to become successful?  Steam is unforgiving, because once you ignore or ###### off the users, X-Plane will be finished.  There are many examples of that.   

On the other hand, some of the comments I've read are borderline ridiculous. One "person" was complaining that there are "no animations" for heaven's sake!

 

Another complained that he couldn't get the engines on the space shuttle started... <thud!> :blink2:

Steam opens up a new customer base of people that to be honest aren't really Flight Simmers.....They are looking for a turn-key experience and Flight Sim is far more complex then that.

 

Same will most likely happen when FSX makes its way onto Steam as it will be sold to the Steam Masses who never really bothered with Flight Sim before. A handful will get hooked onto it but many will not be able to figure it out.

 

We are a niche market.

On the other hand, some of the comments I've read are borderline ridiculous. One "person" was complaining that there are "no animations" for heaven's sake!

 

Another complained that he couldn't get the engines on the space shuttle started... <thud!> :blink2:

That's only to be expected from a community that consists of gamers of all kinds, of which very, very few are "serious simmers", or even potential ones. Unfortunately the process of turning potential into actual is not helped by Laminar's or Aerosoft's apparent disinterest in giving support. Also we have the usual militants screaming out the "IT'S A SIM, NOT A GAME" mantra in the face of everyone who "doesn't get it", which isn't helping one bloody bit.

 

Having XP10 (and soon FSX apparently) on Steam is a great opportunity to reach out and get some fresh blood into the flight simming community, and as expected it's being handled in the worst possible way.

 

 

Having XP10 (and soon FSX apparently) on Steam is a great opportunity to reach out and get some fresh blood into the flight simming community,

 

Ive heard that analogy for 20 yrs and it never changes. Those involved or interested in a Flight sim/game first and foremost have a love or interest in aviation and not Zombie gaming! Besides is there something wrong with us "Old Blooders"?  We are the ones buying the addons.

Having XP10 (and soon FSX apparently) on Steam is a great opportunity to reach out and get some fresh blood into the flight simming community, and as expected it's being handled in the worst possible way.

 

Let's be realistic for one moment.  Flight simulation is a not something that is consumed by the masses (rather that's good or bad [it's good; we're special]).  Flight sim enthusiast seek it out because of a love of aviation in one shape or form.  A platform such as X-Plane is by no means accessible to the average casual gamer,  pure and simple.  A gamer perusing STEAM for a serious flight sim would seem a bit odd to me.

 

In short: X-Plane will be inaccessible and darn near unmarketable to the masses -- in current form.  We're a niche market for sure.  "Appealing to the masses" might bring in revenue but as is evident in "FLIGHT", can seriously damage the experience for more hardcore simmers.

Whatever the case, any flightsim that is released, in this scenario, where it would otherwise not fit (like steam), I believe - can spread the word about flight simulation, better said, introduce this category of software onto others that may not know much or anything about this.

 

As a few have already mentioned, most users on steam are gamers looking for point and click games, most commonly, first person games, and pretty much any (if not every) flight simulation software is far from that.

 

Looking around in the simulations library of Steam, many of the 'simulation games' there, aren't based on realworld, unlike X-Plane. I don't know how X-Plane will do, but overall it seems this is not a bad opportunity for flight simulation software.

Honestly, I think that having ported X-Plane to Steam was a bad idea.

i don't think this "Steam" thing will actually bring some fresh blood to the community. Aviation isn't for everyone. The fresh blood by definition is looking for the community. It's not being "bring"

 

Hopefully Steam will give LR some financial boost though

 

 

i don't think this "Steam" thing will actually bring some fresh blood to the community. Aviation isn't for everyone.

 

I completely disagree.....it is the 12 to 13 year old kids out there that discover something like FSX for the first time over Steam and become hooked.

 

I was 12 years old when I got a crack copy of FS1 on a 5.5" Floppy Disk I traded in the school yard and when I put that in my Apple //e I was completely hooked.....I never knew about it before I traded it and it forever changed my life....43 years old now and still hooked.

I completely disagree.....it is the 12 to 13 year old kids out there that discover something like FSX for the first time over Steam and become hooked.

 

I was 12 years old when I got a crack copy of FS1 on a 5.5" Floppy Disk I traded in the school yard and when I put that in my Apple //e I was completely hooked.....I never knew about it before I traded it and it forever changed my life....43 years old now and still hooked.

+1

X-Plane's future cannot be found on Steam.

 

And kids get hooked by aviation elsewhere. And IF they got hooked, they'll manage to find XP and FSX outside of Steam.

Edited July 16, 201411 yr by olli4740

Hi, for a non english speaking what does mean going Steam for a product (FSX, X-plane) ?

Thanks alot, Serge

I completely disagree.....it is the 12 to 13 year old kids out there that discover something like FSX for the first time over Steam and become hooked.

 

I was 12 years old when I got a crack copy of FS1 on a 5.5" Floppy Disk I traded in the school yard and when I put that in my Apple //e I was completely hooked.....I never knew about it before I traded it and it forever changed my life....43 years old now and still hooked.

I fully understand you, though, time changes. Those kids are already spoiled by heavy 3d engines and games. XP/FSX (out of the box) fails in comparison (graphically-wise) to mainstream 3D softwares nowadays. If the mentioned above kids haven't been in close encouters to actual aircraft i really think they'll have thought time being hooked. Of course exceptions exist but are in really rare cases and shouldn't be considered in that kind of calculations

X-Plane's future cannot be found on Steam.

Disagree, think it will do fine on steam it bring in new users, and fresh blood and viewpoints are needed in flight sim world.