.  DeltaVA (2500 pilots) publishes their stats and show 75% of  ACARS flights are flown using FSX/SE, FS2004 10%, and P3D 7%. DG has two distinctive advantage over LM.  First, a much larger indented audience; second, a  distribution platform with millions of registered users (i.e. STEAM).  I can't imagine P3D ever eclipsing DG, nor do I believe they view DG as a competitor...

wish I would of waited 5 min before posting....you articulated my thoughts precisely....

 

Actually your Delta VA  figures  for P3D are a bit off. For the month of March, on Delta VA:

 

FSX 76.1 %

P3D  12.2%

FS9    11%

 

X Plane   0.7%

 

This month so far P3D has increased it's percentage, as it has done every month as more pilots switch to P3D, and it is now around  14.2%

So, Richard, you have a spy working at LM?  "Not that long" sounds like wishful thinking.

  Ftx central phones home, every time you install a new Orbx product. As well as when you start FTX central to change regions or check for updates for the Orbx libraries. Orbx are not the only devs to do this. (FSDT, Flightbeam) 

 

 

FSX 76.1 %
P3D  12.2%
FS9    11%
 
X Plane   0.7%

 

 

These numbers don't mean or prove anything!!!

Not yet, sports fans, and that's where the bottleneck will be with 64-bit sims and scenery using 4096 resolution

 

Those 4096 resolution textures will still be 32bit (8 bits per color channel (R, G, B, and then 8 bits for the alpha channel) so 32bit registers are all that is needed.

But todays GPU's are already doing 32bit and 64bit floating point anyway.

I wonder how he would know this? In other words, where the data comes from? If you get a new orbx product, it comes with a triple or quad installer. Does the installer send data back to orbx regarding your machine?

Every time you run there central program you have to tell it which sim you are using. It then checks with the mothership for updates. It is very easy for them to know what their installed base is using. Plus the downloads for the new installers which are only really need for p3d.

 

I think he said their customers were switching to p3d at the rate of 5% a month. It makes sense to me as I can't figure out for the life of me why anyone would still be on FSX with the quality p3d now offers.

 

Terry

So, Richard, you have a spy working at LM?  "Not that long" sounds like wishful thinking.

 

DTG improved VAS management, then P3D improved it some months after. 

 

DTG announced 64 bit, and I am sure somewhere down the line LM will announce it as well. When? No one here knows. 

 

The point is, DTG is a consumer company that serves consumers needs first and foremost. LM may adjust to what they do but they will not be the leader on innovation. Just look how long it took to get a transparent ATC menu. P3D was a good tool to fill a gap for me, but I suspect the future will favor DTG. Thats the bet that PMDG and Orbx have made and I for one agree with them. 

DTG improved VAS management, then P3D improved it some months after. 

 

Time will tell - should be interesting 

These numbers don't mean or prove anything!!!

 

They were not meant to other than responding to the post I replied to  with numbers that were incorrect. 

DTG improved VAS management, then P3D improved it some months after. 

 

DTG announced 64 bit, and I am sure somewhere down the line LM will announce it as well. When? No one here knows. 

 

The point is, DTG is a consumer company that serves consumers needs first and foremost. LM may adjust to what they do but they will not be the leader on innovation. Just look how long it took to get a transparent ATC menu. P3D was a good tool to fill a gap for me, but I suspect the future will favor DTG. Thats the bet that PMDG and Orbx have made and I for one agree with them. 

 

Been a long time customer of DTG products. If you don't mind products that are filled with bugs , many of which will never be fixed, they make products that are OK for many people. 

85% by the end of this year. LOL

 

Good luck with that prediction.  :smile:

over 85% of their customers...

Which is a bit different to the title you gave your thread. You are John Venema and I claim my $5 (AU)!

I'll stick my oar in from the sidelines, seeing as I am a diehard FS2004 user.

 

As has been noted here P3D aims at a professional market, so I suppose their focus in development will be on stuff these customers want. This may or may not coincide with the needs of simmers - serious or otherwise.

 

DTG aims for a mass market, so I suppose each new version will implement stuff that the simmer wants. This will always be aimed at the simmer and will likely coincide often with what the serious simmer wants, as they tend to spend the most money on the hobby.

 

WHat intrigues me is the future business model DTG will follow: New version like MS? Or download content like Flight? Technical updates? A mix of everything?

 

Cheers!

Sascha

But how about 64-bit GPUs?  Not yet, sports fans, and that's where the bottleneck will be with 64-bit sims and scenery using 4096 resolution.  I don't say it won't happen, but later rather than sooner.

 

64-Bit has little to nothing to do with performance, it's the ability to use all available system memory rather than just 4Gb.  It will reduce the VAS issues people have, but conversely because people will install more add ons it could make performance worse.  Nor will it entirely eliminate VAS issues, i asked over at the X-Plane forums about VAS on the 64-Bit sim, somebody reported they ran out of memory (system mem) at 16Gb!!!!!!

 

You see, it's very likely that developers who currently ring every Kb of memory for there product will be far more laissez faire at 64-Bit.

 

 

WHat intrigues me is the future business model DTG will follow: New version like MS? Or download content like Flight? Technical updates? A mix of everything?

 

I think it's probably fair to use Train Sim as a bench mark in this context.  I see a £30 sim engine followed by a large amount of shovel-ware DLC, most released trains are Abacus quality releases.

Just saying, Orbx customers are likely the most dedicated part of the playerbase, but doesn't make it the majority.

FSX Steam edition have sales in the 500,000 copies range.

64-Bit has little to nothing to do with performance, it's the ability to use all available system memory rather than just 4Gb.  It will reduce the VAS issues people have, but conversely because people will install more add ons it could make performance worse.  Nor will it entirely eliminate VAS issues, i asked over at the X-Plane forums about VAS on the 64-Bit sim, somebody reported they ran out of memory (system mem) at 16Gb!!!!!!

 

You see, it's very likely that developers who currently ring every Kb of memory for there product will be far more laissez faire at 64-Bit.

I don't have X-Plane, but I asked the same question to a high number of X-Plane users in different fora. While they report or complain about different issues, nobody actually reports VAS problems. I also made a search on the Internet about this specific issue and all data appear to confirm that VAS is not a problem on X-Plane. The fact that someone is reporting to be running out of memory on their forum does not mean anything. There are several possible causes for that, for example other applications running at the same time, not to mention the hardware where the flight simulator is running on.

 

But you are right as to the fact that 64-bit does not make itself an application running smooth and free of hiccups. It is not the solution to all problems, but definitely it is the solution to the current VAS limitations.