1 minute ago, ca_metal said:

They have access to the photoimagery, for free, and also the access to the Azure AI that can be used to fix/improve the imagery and autogen objects.

Only limit they have right now is how much of their resources Microsoft is willing to provide to make it possible. Let's not forget the time the Azure AI would have to process simulator stuff could be used for something else (for their profit, of course).

 

Yep - We shouldn't rule out the potential for other games that aren't FS that they could perhaps build off the work done on the FS world/scenery too.  Train sims, Ship sims and a whole wild variety of potential is out there to use this sort of work over time as it grows in depth and breadth.

Edited June 10, 20196 yr by irrics

38 minutes ago, eslader said:

I think the worst case is still pretty good. If MS comes out with some janky Flight II pile of junk, the fact that MS is getting back into the flight sim game might just spur hardware developers to release some more flight controllers.

The current state of sim hardware is atrocious. You either buy cheap junk for $100, slightly less cheap junk for $300, or really good stuff for a grand and up. Or you're like me and you're still using a Saitek X45 because the only things out there today that are properly featured and don't feel like Galoob's Baby's First Cockpit because they use the cheapest, lightest plastics everywhere are insanely expensive and the underpinnings are often poor quality.

Used to be I could go get a HOTAS setup *and* a racing wheel with pedals for less than the Warthog costs now. It'd be nice if competition increased again to bring prices back down to reasonable levels, and I think maybe MS re-inserting itself into the genre might help.

Well, the reality is that it simply costs more to build a mostly-metal and high quality rig like the Warthog HOTAS. And there is nothing flimsy about the underpinnings on a Warthog set. I've used it for years and it still works like new.

You want high quality, mostly metal construction that feels like actual aircraft-grade equipment? You're going to have to pay more for it than entry-level plastic flight hardware.

Now, what would be great, is if this new MS sim supports force feedback. That's a feature that's been dying on the vine for lack of good hardware that could drive developer support. I would pay any amount of money for a force feedback version of my Warthog rig, so I could feel things like VRS onset in a helicopter, instead of having to judge it visually. Or wing buffet from a high speed stall doing aerobatics in a fixed wing plane.

We ooh and ahhh over eye candy these days, but there are some fundamentals that are still lacking in our sims.

7 minutes ago, Montie said:

I don't believe Cloud gaming will ever take off. Streaming RD2 from my XBOX to PC on my local network is awful in quality, I doubt Cloud gaming will ever catch on.

I wouldn't be so quick to rule it out. Personally I think Google Stadia is looking very promising. I'm currently using my PC in the cloud, thanks to Shadow. It's working quite well. I've been playing P3D, Witcher, GTA V etc... all fluent and very nice - on a 11 year old laptop. Yes, it has drawbacks and a small delay - but I don't notice it. 

Besides, more and more things are moving this way as XXX-as-a-Service. I may very well be alone, but I personally think, that the future of computing will be 'in the cloud'. 🙂

40 minutes ago, Sethos1988 said:

At this point you're just being obtuse because you were proven wrong multiple times.

What are you talking about?  As Anders Bermann helpfully pointed out (and thanks again, Anders, I appreciate you bringing clarity to this discussion), the official website explicitly lists Xbox as a target platform along with Windows 10.  I'm not sure how pointing out this undeniable fact makes me obtuse.

Some negativity here and there, but in the end we got a new simulator by MS which is great. They've also advertised it as a simulator whereas Flight was not advertised as one (at least in the title).

Time will tell what we'll get but I'm definitely looking forward to the streaming technology, I do hope they'll allow it both ways (stream or replace with custom scenery) - getting best of both worlds. Eagerly awaiting more information MS!

Ok guys - can we please stop the Xbox/PC thing?

It's coming to PC - and first - that's all that matters to most of us here I think.

46 minutes ago, HighTowers said:

If its any kind of in depth sim with the visuals like it is displayed, it will need PCs to run well. Not necessarily the latest and greatest, but I think any reasonably heavy duty pc will outmatch a console, even the future gen consoles in the works. 

The next gen consoles will be able to run what's in that trailer just fine. They're targeting 4K resolution, and gamers go nuts if they don't have at least 60 frames per second at high refresh rates. VR support also requires a very strong system.

A super high-end PC will no doubt beat the next-gen consoles, but it's going to be a heck of a lot better than what I'm running now! Heck, I'm happy I can get 30-45 fps on a measly 1920x1200 monitor. 

1 minute ago, irrics said:

Ok guys - can we please stop the Xbox/PC thing?

It's coming to PC - and first - that's all that matters to most of us here I think.

Oh, oh!  I just read that it's coming to flip-phones only  Bummer!

47 minutes ago, Der Zeitgeist said:

As Anders Bermann pointed out, Xbox is explicitly listed as a target platform along with Windows 10.  It's on their official site.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page:

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/microsoft-flight-simulator

I can understand why people might have misgivings about this revelation, but at this point, y'all are just shooting the messenger.

2 minutes ago, charliearon said:

Oh, oh!  I just read that it's coming to flip-phones only  Bummer!

 

I can confirm after interviewing Bill Gates that the next iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator will be made available exclusively to the Texas Instruments TI series of graphing calculators starting this Fall!  

49 minutes ago, Montie said:

The official Twitter announcement was for PC. It's Windows 10 and XBOX, so XBOX is not the target group.

The website only lists XBOX one place on the page alongside Windows 10. 

I never said it was THE target platform, but it is clearly A target platform along with Windows 10.

50 minutes ago, irrics said:

Yeah - As much as I love X-Plane, I'm totally done with their excuses on core things like ATC and proper weather.

Austin always has some diversion or weird "thing" he's more concerned about than core major things we'd all like addressed about 10 years ago.

True, but the fact that he only works hardest on things he's personally interested in, means we got what is arguably the most advanced modeling of a PT-6 turboprop in a flight sim. That happened when he sold his Cirrus and bought a Lancair with a PT-6. 😄  

So there are pros and cons to his method. What we need now, is for Austin to spend more time flying in bad weather. Then maybe we'll get a better weather model...

4 minutes ago, TechguyMaxC said:

 

I can confirm after interviewing Bill Gates that the next iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator will be made available exclusively to the Texas Instruments TI series of graphing calculators starting this Fall!  

Nope, too new!  This one:

 

4 minutes ago, Paraffin said:

True, but the fact that he only works hardest on things he's personally interested in, means we got what is arguably the most advanced modeling of a PT-6 turboprop in a flight sim. That happened when he sold his Cirrus and bought a Lancair with a PT-6. 😄  

So there are pros and cons to his method. What we need now, is for Austin to spend more time flying in bad weather. Then maybe we'll get a better weather model...

 

I just don't care about it being hyper accurate in such micro-niche areas/ways while things like weather and ATC are completely ignored - for years.

 

It's just way past time for them to work on addressing much much bigger issues than all the weird little edge scenarios Austin gets interested in.

 

I mean - hell - let me know when they bother to even get ground handling right and the 172 doesn't steer like a drunk motorcycle driver twisting in the wind.

Edited June 10, 20196 yr by irrics

12 minutes ago, irrics said:

Ok guys - can we please stop the Xbox/PC thing?

It's coming to PC - and first - that's all that matters to most of us here I think.

Right... but wondering what compromises will be required to maintain parity between console and PC is a question worth asking.  After all, that's the whole idea behind Xbox Game Pass, that you can play the exact same game on multiple platforms.