Just the other day, I was already holding my creditcard and starting up my computer, all set to buy the Level-D 767 and some other great add-on's.Then I hesitated... oh ohhh...Just started wondering (shouldn't have done that!)...If we look back at the release schedule of new FS versions that MS has followed the last decade, we can almost be sure that there will be a new version, somewhere this summer.But.... As far as I know, no official (or unofficial for that matter) statement from MS has been released concerning the production of FS10.If memory serves me right, FS9 ACOF was announced early 2003 (I think it was February?) and released somewhere in the early summer. Now you will all probably see where I going at with this story... Is it still worth it to spend 30, 40, 50 dollar/euro or even more on add-on's, knowing it is likely a successor to FS9 is right around the corner and NOT-knowing if all those really great FS9 add-on's will work in FS10.I would appreciate it very much if Microsoft would release at least a timeframe in which we can expect to see a new FS version.Does anyone on this forum have any serious information on when FS10 will be in our hands? What's your opinion? Should we continu to buy FS9 addon's right uptil the day FS10 is released?Should developers like PMDG, Level-D, PSS, SimFlyers, etc, etc, hold off on developing new products until the requirements for FS10 are known?Best Regards,Frank

Hello Frank,Why wait for a new version if you can have fun with a new add-on right now? If I remember correctly it takes a long while for the add-on market to get into the new version. After FS9 was released there where some quick patches to fix existing FS8 add-ons. The general result was not so great working add-ons. In my experience it takes half a year for the developers to catch up. so whe are looking at about a year of fun while others wait and struggle with the new version and there is always the possibilty of an update to get the FS9 add-on working in FS10.

I think that this time might be different, in that a feature of the new FS will have to be backward compatability with FS9. FS9 has some excellent features and in my opinion needs some fine tuning rather than a reconstruction. MS also knows that the number of add-ons that function well, are the most MSFS has ever seen, and that many of the people that own FS9 and a couple of hundred dollars worth of planes and scenery and Meshs, etc.. are going to be rather reluctant to toss it all for a new MSFS version unless the is dramatic difference in the way FS10 works. 100FPS on a 2.2 Gig Pentium, a built in selection of a couple of hundred payware quality aircraft, default scenery like Misty Fjords and Megascenery..default weather like Active Sky, etc... etc.. Not likely to happen. I think I am going to be flying my FS9 for quite awhile if I have to dump everything I bought for it. It looks great as is now, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As long as addon producers stick with the published SDK their products will be backwards compatible unless there's a major policy shift in the MSFS development team.But of course many addon developers do NOT stick to the SDK, leading to compatibility problems.That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy those addons of course. Even if they don't work and the producers refuse to (or are incapable of) update them (there can be many reasons) you still have had your money's worth out of them and of course you can always keep FS9 installed. This argument "we shouldn't buy new addons because the next FS version is coming" is coming up sooner and sooner. I think I first saw it only a few months after FS9 hit the market (as pertaining to the coming of FS10).

Hi Frank,Don't hold your breath! I'm still not convinced we will see the next version this year and, I have to say, that would suit most of us just fine as there is still a lot of mileage to be had from FS9. So go for it! Why deprive yourself of all that enjoyment and pleasure?I have a feeling the next version will be something very special and certainly worth waiting for. We keep hearing those who predict the inevitablity of the continuing adherance to the 2 yearly cycle releases. In fact this might be the first occasion when we experience a change to that policy particularly if, as I suspect, our favourite sim is currently undergoing a radical overhaul.Over the past 2-3 years we have seen some pretty powerful GPUs entering the consumer marketplace. My own view is that this capability now needs to be exploited properly to enable as many end users as is reasonably possible to enjoy the next version to the max.FS2004 is undeniably a wonderful all-encompassing sim in its own right and certainly deserves to remain on our hard drives for some considerable time to come. I can wait :)Cheers!Mike

Why buy anything at all if tomorrow you might get run over by a truck? Be well and... cross the streets carefully (grin)!Jaap Verduijn.

I still buy addons. Basically even if the next version of fs is announced and comes along in a similar time frame, many people will still be running fs9. Remember that when a new sim comes out, we all lose all our addons (unless some major compatibility is announced, but this never seems to work). One popular option is to run both sims at the same time. I know when fs2004 came out a lot of people kept fs2002 installed as well to keep using addons like pic767.

I have heard from a reliable source. (MSFS stand at recent air show team) that it may well be delayed until early next year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------Don't hold your breath! I'm still not convinced we will see the next version this year and, I have to say, that would suit most of us just fine as there is still a lot of mileage to be had from FS9. So go for it! Why deprive yourself of all that enjoyment and pleasure?------------------------------------------------------------------------Thats great advice and well said too :)I too have been in the same frame of mind...wondering wether to drop money on FS9 or kinda slow it down and wait for a new one.But strictly speaking for me personally the freeware planes & scenery are brilliant and good enough for me!!Cant thank em enough!

"I have a feeling the next version will be something very special and certainly worth waiting for. "I agree .. my hunch is that they're totally revamping the graphics engine, since they have a Dx9 shader specialist on the team. That probably means a longer than normal development cycle.

Worst case scenario.....you keep FS9 and run all your addons.:-)Best case scenario......you run FS10 and all addons become updated within a week.:-)Just being positive...either case seems fine to me as a user:-)

I'd heard that also from a reliable source (head of a major commercial addon group, who has contacts inside the MSFS team and probably enough cloud to be able to say such things without it being speculation).

This might be a bit off, but I think this has been the best year and a half or so for FS addons since I can remember. :-)

Just a minor correction on historical release dates...FS9 was released earlier than any previous version in order to time it's theme, a Century of Flight, with the Oshkosh event.Historically, all the way back to FS1 for the IBM PC, the release date is during the Sept-Oct timeframe. The one exception is FS8, which was set to release mid-Sept and in stores first week of October, until the 9/11 event. It was held back a couple of months, which bought the developers more time and kept the sim out of the headlines (sims were not getting good press at that time).

Hi Frank,Get the add-ons you want now and enjoy them. 'FS10' WILL be using 64MB technology DUAL-CORE PROCESSOR UNITS and 'PCI express motherboards' all of which aren't available yet but shortly will be launched and Pentium have eclipsed AMD with a new lead in the market.Your FS9 will not run on the new requirements for FS10. FS10 will not run on the 32MB P.Cs' we are all using now.If you are interested in what is the future of Flight Sim you should join the 'Flight Sim Users Group' at.................. http://www.flightsimgrpuk.free-online.co.uk/Where you will get all the latest info on this wonderful hobby.-------------------------------------------------------------------Right, should I do another quick lap of the old Nurburgring circuit with 'GT4' or go flying?Dave T.