Don't know what kind, or if Steam and Microsoft have a licensing agreement for the use of FSX, but the execs at MS may be be feeling a little foolish these days, what with the flop of "Flight", and the continuing interest in FSX  (now almost a ten year gaming product).  Bet they wished they never stopped issuing boxed sets of FX Gold - I mean, at look the going price of a "new" unopened box sets throughout the world + the corporate decision to end MS Flight Sim development after FSX...     

 

 

Don't know what kind, or if Steam and Microsoft have a licensing agreement for the use of FSX

 

Steam have no licensing agreement with Microsoft concerning FSX.

That would be Dovetail Games who are a different entity entirely who happen to sell through Steam.

Well it can be noted that x-plane have 30k units sold. And that will equal about 15%.

NPD annual sales figures for FSX were 280,000 for  2007 in the USA.  FSX-SE sales are currently 215,000 since it's release. That's an estimated annual equivalent of 955,000.

 

Don't be too hasty in discounting FSX-SE's sales

Well it can be noted that x-plane have 30k units sold. And that will equal about 15%.

 

(X-Plane 10 Global - 64 Bit) Current Price: $59.99 - Lowest Price: $29.99 at -50%

 

(Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition) Current Price: $24.99 - Lowest Price: $4.99 at -80%

 

Makes you wonder how X-Plane would have sold at a lower price point.

 

 

but the execs at MS may be be feeling a little foolish these days

 

Seriously doubt it. FS is/was just a tiny little blip on their screen. Why do you think they passed everything on?

MS stock dropped from a high of about  $70 around 2004 to around $30 shortly after where it langished until last year.  Perhaps they saw no future in further Flight Sim developement after FSX & drastically cut back on staffing for that project  - but as we know, they tried to review that program much later with the "Flight" sim flop. 

 

I myself am very happy with Steam - better FPS & less stutters...

I still get p'd off that MS dropped development one of the best selling franchises of 2006/2007 that had a guaranteed customer base over 2 two-year release cycles.

Seriously doubt it. FS is/was just a tiny little blip on their screen. Why do you think they passed everything on?

 

 

I still get p'd off that MS dropped development one of the best selling franchises of 2006/2007 that had a guaranteed customer base over 2 two-year release cycles.

Correctly so. regarding the FS franchise, Jim. It was more of a pain in the butt for them, with us moaning & demanding!

 

Us 'simmers' have always regarded us as essential to Microsoft, & I recall the demands & petitions that happened when ACES was closed down.

Microsoft is probably making far mor now from licensing fees that what they made from selling the game. Remember, in those days, they had world-wide distribution, manufacturing & storage/inventory costs to contend with as well.

Also, there is no such thing that guarentees a customer base. It is with thanks to all those dev's out there that have taken the basic FS engine & given us all the add-ons. Microsoft gave us an update (a single one) called Accelleration. That's all!

I still get p'd off that MS dropped development one of the best selling franchises of 2006/2007 that had a guaranteed customer base over 2 two-year release cycles.

 

Unfortunately, Microsoft had different ideas about where to put its development money by 2009.

Unfortunately, Microsoft had different ideas about where to put its development money by 2009.

 

 Xbox......

 

Such a sad decline of a PC gaming giant.

 Xbox......

 

Such a sad decline of a PC gaming giant.

 

Be careful, you're not considering the already announced Windows 10 details. If MS have there way, Xbox gaming and PC gaming wont exist. It'll just be 'gaming' on a windows platform. Have a Google for the latest Win10 features/details to be announced.

 

cheers,

Lewis

 

 

Such a sad decline of a PC gaming giant.

 

Microsoft is continuing to develop games.

 

 

 

It'll just be 'gaming' on a windows platform.

 

I understand  from   Microsoft  that it is creating the tools to develop PC and Xbox games based on the same code base.

I understand  from   Microsoft  that it is creating the tools to develop PC and Xbox games based on the same code base.

 

It looks to be breaking down the barriers between, trying to open up console players able to play with PC players. Its natural progression given the route the industry is on. Steam are also doing this, but they are doing it like right now, opening up the steam platform to Linux and SteamOS might not seem much now but it has potential to really change things down the road.

I still get p'd off that MS dropped development one of the best selling franchises of 2006/2007 that had a guaranteed customer base over 2 two-year release cycles.

 

MSFS was in need of a huge overhaul (DX10, multithreading, more GPU, less CPU), so I doubt that the next cycle could have been met with satisfactory results. Just remember the horiffic mess that FSX RTM was.