And I quote from this thread ( http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?t=47503 ) over a simflight........For the cynics here and at Avsim (where I unfortunately cannot reply to them), here is the litteral text of the e-mail:"....We are very excited to be bringing the next installment of the Flight Simulator franchise to the world. Please note that PC Gamer

believe the information in the PC GAMER article is correct, except perhaps for the release date, why?1. They provide a PICTURE of the Extra 300S. Load up FS9 and compare that version to the one in the picture. This one looks a thousand times better.2. They give SPECIFIC INFORMATION about new planes that will be included.3. Everything else in the article MAKES SENSE (except perhaps the release date).If you disagree with me, then lets have a bet ok? What I am curious about is, if the article was not authorised, how the #### do they get such information ??Also, as someone already mentioned, MS blogger Mike Gilbert is going to the Consumer electronics show in Vegas. Also Bill Gates is going there to make a keynote speech:http://www.cesweb.org/attendees/conferences/keynotes.aspExpect that to include information about FSX.-John.

summer 06July 06 in the U S of A!

>summer 06July 06 in the U S of A!

Does this press release actually exist? Has anyone seen its text? If so, why has no one published it here or given a link to it?May be it's because it doesn't even appear on Microsoft's own list of recent press releases!http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/todaynews.mspxEDIT"...next installment of the Flight Simulator franchise..." I never knew FS come in installments or that it was a franchise. Who are the franchisees?

It may be literal but it's not complete: see the .... at the beginning and end.

Hey guys I don't know if this information has been mentioned earlier but Microsoft registered the following domains; flightsimulatorx.com, flightsimulatorx.net and flightsimulatorx.org on Dec 13th.

>Hey guys I don't know if this information has been mentioned>earlier but Microsoft registered flightsimulatorx.net and>flightsimulatorx.org on Dec 13th.Yep, as you can see !!!! Also the .com domain registered with MS all on the 13th of December...Registrant: Microsoft Corporation Domain Administrator One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US Email: [email protected] Registrar Name....: REGISTER.COM, INC. Registrar Whois...: whois.register.com Registrar Homepage: www.register.com Domain Name: flightsimulatorx.net Created on..............: Tue, Dec 13, 2005 Expires on..............: Wed, Dec 13, 2006 Record last updated on..: Tue, Dec 13, 2005 Administrative Contact: Microsoft Corporation Domain Administrator One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US Phone: 1--4258828080 Email: [email protected] Technical Contact: Microsoft Corporation MSN Hostmaster One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US Phone: 1--4258828080 Email: [email protected] DNS Servers: ns3.msft.net ns4.msft.net ns1.msft.net ns5.msft.net ns2.msft.net

>>Hey guys I don't know if this information has been>mentioned>>earlier but Microsoft registered flightsimulatorx.net and>>flightsimulatorx.org on Dec 13th.>>Yep, as you can see !!!! Also the .com domain registered with>MS all on the 13th of December...>>>>Registrant: > Microsoft Corporation> Domain Administrator> One Microsoft Way > Redmond, WA 98052> US> Email: [email protected]>> Registrar Name....: REGISTER.COM, INC.> Registrar Whois...: whois.register.com> Registrar Homepage: www.register.com >> Domain Name: flightsimulatorx.net>> Created on..............: Tue, Dec 13, 2005> Expires on..............: Wed, Dec 13, 2006> Record last updated on..: Tue, Dec 13, 2005>> Administrative Contact:> Microsoft Corporation> Domain Administrator> One Microsoft Way > Redmond, WA 98052> US> Phone: 1--4258828080> Email: [email protected]>> Technical Contact:> Microsoft Corporation> MSN Hostmaster> One Microsoft Way > Redmond, WA 98052> US> Phone: 1--4258828080> Email: [email protected]>> DNS Servers:>> ns3.msft.net> ns4.msft.net> ns1.msft.net> ns5.msft.net> ns2.msft.net>Yup. I think it's fair to say that we should be hearing some news from Microsoft very soon concerning the new FS. Maybe around CES?

With the domain name registrations - it appears very certain that the PC Gamer article was the first to use FlightsimX - though that name was used on some forums about a year ago.I did some checking. I placed my order for Flight Simulator 2004 on May 27th, 2003 - with an expected release of "mid to late summer"That order was on Amazon.comI've seen reports - I have no idea how valid - that Amazon had the highest "first day sales" of Flight Simulator 2004 of any vendor / outlet.I did receive my copy the day BEFORE the official release - though I remember that date was pushed back twice in the final month due to shipping issues.Nothing in the PC Gamer note looks unbelievable to me - except the release date. Magazine glossy page printing on clay coated paper requires about 60 days lead time. So the information we are seeing was probably written in late October.It's coming, it's coming in a couple to few months - and I personally will expect my copy on the release date - about 60 days after the major on-line retailers start accepting orders.I tried this morning and found no one willing to accept an order - but I will try again tomorrow.Edit - PS - ordering could start Jan 2 and would be able to meet a Feb 28 release data.

I hope you are right, but I'm getting ready for a Summer 2006 release :)---------------------------------------"If it doesn't have a VC, I won't be flying it http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/DarrenA300/smug.gif" ... hang on a minute .... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/DarrenA300/unsure.gif ... that is too restrictive! Most flight simulator planes don't have a fully functional VC .... I'm happy to fly non-VC planes such as the brilliant iFDG range, Samdim's fantastic aircraft, POSKY's wonderful planes, and many many others! I'm the richer for it :).

Frankly, all that can be said of everything published thus far about the next version of Flight Simulator -- regardless of its source -- is that it is pure speculation. The only time we will have accurate information will be if and when Microsoft makes an official announcement.It is certainly not unknown for even the most reputable magazines and websites to be "inaccurate" at the best of times! This is how the software business and the journalism trade works, and this case is no exception.Matt

Just thinking about AI baggage handlers makes me laugh. If they take corners the same way as the airplanes do:-roll the bags will be scattered all over the tarmac.Lemonadedrinker.

>Frankly, all that can be said of everything published thus>far about the next version of Flight Simulator -- regardless>of its source -- is that it is pure speculation. The only time>we will have accurate information will be if and when>Microsoft makes an official announcement.>>It is certainly not unknown for even the most reputable>magazines and websites to be "inaccurate" at the best of>times! This is how the software business and the journalism>trade works, and this case is no exception.>>MattBe that as it may Matt, can you or anyone else at AvSim confirm whether you received an email or other communique in the same vein as the one discussed above?That should clear up any issues as to the legitimacy of the said communique.Cheers,Chris Porter:-outta

Or how about pilots that actually flick switches and stuff in the cockpit - so you can see them move....Or...your family waving from the terminal building....Or...maybe not !I doubt these things will be included as standard.....All I want is the weather to be completely redone...I want the smoothness in visibility changes as it is in real life..... not sudden clear skies as you break through overcast or haze...I would also like to see more realistic runway textures with concentrated skidmarks at either end like the way they look in real life...But who knows what will be in there......