Dovetail & Flight 1, Nothing To See Here, Move Along.

[User72 28]

This doesn't amount to much in my opinion, as far as I can see this is just another revenue stream for Flight 1. Nothing new is being done that I can see from the following;
Flight 1 just released a press release announcing they are partnering with DoveTail on the new FSX....
July 2014 Following the recent announcement that Dovetail Games has acquired the rights to distribute the multi-award winning Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition via Valve’s popular digital retail channel Steam, the company is pleased to announce that it will be working in partnership with Flight1 for the launch. A developer and publisher of flight simulation content, Flight1 is best known for its extensive range of add-ons for various editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator titles. As part of this agreement, Flight1 will be delivering a range of add-ons for the forthcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition.
In addition, this partnership will see Dovetail Games distributing a range of selected Flight1 titles via Steam on an ongoing basis.
Steve Bainbridge, COO at Dovetail Games said, “We are very pleased to be working in conjunction with Flight1. They are highly experienced in creating quality content that supports Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series and we are looking forward to working together to help Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition realise its full potential.”
Mungo Leir, Managing Director of Flight1 Europe added, “I am delighted that Flight1 is working with Dovetail Games. Dovetail’s vision for Flight Simulator is good news for the flight sim community in all sorts of ways. We’re very excited.”

[Fitz505 21]

     I wonder if you buy FSX via Steam,if you will be locked into buying third party content via Flight1? Doesn't Steam have some sort of online verification gizmo to use their content. I don't use Steam, so just wondering.

[nathanpinard 0]

No. Addons and DLC can be purchase from anywhere as long as it's legal. The only games that can't be modded are ones that are coded so they can't be modded.

 

Plus a lot of addons operate using SimConnect, and outside of FSX. Dovetail would have to pretty much AXE SimConnect to do prevent that.

[User72 28]

In a way I'd be surprised if other devs don't follow suit. It stikes me as a win/win going that route to a fresh market whilst still maintaining their own established channels to market.

[ohsirus 241]

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-flight-simulator-series-to-live-on-but-n/1100-6421000/

Update: Unfortunately, it doesn't sound as if the Steam Edition of Flight Simulator X will feature any improvements. Dovetail told GameSpot, "We have the license to re-release FSX on Steam and this does not extend to making product improvements. However, we will include all possible bug fixes we can. One area that will require some work is the use that FSX made use of GameSpy for multiplayer features. As you may know, GameSpy is no longer available and so we are looking for alternate ways of providing this functionality including using features in Steam."

Additionally, Dovetail says the new game it's working on won't actually be called Microsoft Flight Simulator; it will simply be using Microsoft's technology. As of yet, there is no title for the new game coming next year.

[nathanpinard 0]

Right so basically FSX will be downloadable, and Flight 1 products will be easily integrated, and maybe a few bugs will be fixed.

 

FSX isn't downloadable now, and it's a fairly low cost product for what it does.

[KingGhidorah 209]

I find that in order to get the very best out of FSX, you really need to be down in the dirt with all the config files of every component piece and intimate with the structure of the simulation.  I haven't used Steam very much, but I found that managing 3rd party addons is hard enough as it is, the last thing I would ever want is to have a 4th party like Steam involved in the administration aspect of my installation.  Is it going to be like the few other Steam games that I've used where your "mods" get managed by Steam, and it tells you that you've used FSX for 85 hours in the last week?   FSX just doesn't seem like a good fit for Steam, but maybe that's just because I'm too old fashioned for, and haven't used Steam enough to really understand what's so great about it. 

[CrownCityMisfits 58]

This changes nothing for current owners of FSX. I hope that, at the very least, it brings new people into the sim community, and generates more profit for 3PDs.

 

Indeed, I will move along.

[ohsirus 241]

I find that in order to get the very best out of FSX, you really need to be down in the dirt with all the config files and intimate with the structure of the simulation.  I haven't used Steam very much, but I found that managing 3rd party addons is hard enough as it is, the last thing I would ever want is to have a 4th party like Steam involved in the administration aspect of my installation.  Is it going to be like the few other Steam games that I've used where your "mods" get managed by Steam, and it tells you that you've used FSX for 85 hours in the last week?   FSX just doesn't seem like a good fit for Steam, but maybe that's just because I'm too old fashioned for, and haven't used Steam enough to really understand what's so great about it.

 

Steam is the best thing going for PC Gaming and dare I say it is what has kept AAA titles being made/ported over to PCs.  Steams Workshop (MODs) is a godsend, you subscribe to a Mod and it keeps it updated with no user intervention. It's ability to combine forums/groups/screenshots/guides/mods/friends/stats/sales/exposure is nothing short of pure awesomeness. I can guarantee that 3PD will be monitoring the sales/stats once FSX does get released and I imagine a few more besides Flight1 will be partnered up. You can't beat the exposure of 4+ Million users on at one time and your product is front and center on the homepage. I've seen a lot of games developers that originally only sold their products from their homepage are now selling on Steam and most say that those products become their biggest sellers of all time and provide enough $$$ to push forward for future projects.

[nathanpinard 0]

Steam might simultated the freeware market a bit more for FSX too. Sorry, but some mods out there should not cost $50+

[User72 28]

This changes nothing for current owners of FSX. I hope that, at the very least, it brings new people into the sim community, and generates more profit for 3PDs.

 

Indeed, I will move along.

 

Yeah, we the old guard just keep shufflin' but this can only bring in new blood which is ultimately good for us all.

 

Steam might simultated the freeware market a bit more for FSX too. Sorry, but some mods out there should not cost $50+

 

I honestly think we've long passed the freeware scene. It's possible we lost a bit of common courtesy and civility between ourselves along the road but so it goes. We'll all need to support the new blood as they arrive which at very least will give us something to do other than ###### at each other. It's all good. I do agree, the prices asked by some today are just ridiculous though. Devs have run away with themselves in some cases. I suppose they will charge what the market will bear though so perhaps we are our own worst enemies.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I bet ya Dovetail will only allowed Third Party onto FSX Steam Addition through Steam only, and likely change the directory system of FSX to lock it down. Reason being is they payed a lot for licencing FSX and would want a return on their investment. So Flight1 seems to go the first one to sign up so far. If others don't I will have to stick with buggy old FSX.

 

Also a new version of Flight Sim from them will certainly be Steam distribution kind of like Train Sim 2014 is. I like the way Train Sim 2014 works just find the price for add-on routes still a bit steep. Waiting for the price to come down before I start buying more of them.

 

If FSX add-ons averages $50 per item on Steam it will get really pricey as well, but I get a feeling it will be even higher then that.

[ohsirus 241]

More sales would mean lower prices. Xplane has its first DLC listed, an Airport. Flightsims taking over.

[nathanpinard 0]

I bet ya Dovetail will only allowed Third Party onto FSX Steam Addition through Steam only, and likely change the directory system of FSX to lock it down. Reason being is they payed a lot for licencing FSX and would want a return on their investment.

 

 

Not sure if that's the right move, and it's possible that the license agreement doesn't allow them to lock it down.

[LeeL 272]

This mightve been answered but, would one be allowed to install freeware into it? So the only DLC for XP right now is an airport. Would a new user be able to install freeware already available, or will they find a way to lock it so they can protect their profits?