"The Concorde-X for 64-bit is now officially on pause. (...), we have to ensure that we align our business model with the significant development news that we received from Microsoft, and since the aircraft is so specialized, we prefer to evaluate further once there are more details on the new platform."

"We were very happy to read the announcement of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator platform (which most now affectionately call "MSFS 2020"). It signals the return of one of the most prolific products that our good friends in Redmond have developed and we are all very excited to take a preview look into what looks to be technologies bringing the simulated world to a new level of immersion. We've seen the same previews as you have and they are certainly breathtaking! We cannot, however, provide any details or answer any questions about "MSFS 2020" at the present time, other than to say that our excitement about this next version is the same as yours!"

For the word "excitement" read instead; "Inadvertent bowel movement".

They tend to coincide with each other.

Pretty big decision for them to make if they don't actually know anything. We are at least a year off from FS2020 releasing.

Maybe they've been briefed?

To make such a decision so soon after Microsoft’s announcement seems knee-jerk to me. I have suspected for some time that work on a 64-bit Concorde was taking a back seat to their Airbus work. Microsoft’s announcement makes it easy for them to halt work without having to explain why.

Personally I couldn’t give two hoots about FS2020. It might look impressive but if there’s no SDK then what happens to FSUIPC, GoFlight drivers and all the 3rd party software we rely on to make flying so enjoyable?

Concorde is probably the world’s most iconic passenger aircraft. Not to have a 64-bit version would be a bitter pill to swallow. FSL need to reconsider this decision because I’m sure they would sell more Concordes than a third Airbus model. They all look the bloody same anyway and all fly at exactly the same speed - 850mph slower than Concorde! 😠

Just now, Ray Proudfoot said:

 

Personally I couldn’t give two hoots about FS2020. It might look impressive but if there’s no SDK then what happens to FSUIPC, GoFlight drivers and all the 3rd party software we rely on to make flying so enjoyable?

Come on Ray. No one has stated anything about there being no SDK.  This was just announced last week so virtually everything currently being batted about is conjecture.

Personally I think there will be an SDK. If not immediately on release, shortly thereafter. But, my opinion means just as much as the next guy.

 

11 minutes ago, bonchie said:

Pretty big decision for them to make if they don't actually know anything. We are at least a year off from FS2020 releasing.

Maybe they've been briefed?

Nope. They've self-briefed. There's a big difference.

There's no way they're in. Or I will eat my hat.

MS wouldn't touch FSL with a barge-pole - you think they don't do their research?

Edited June 17, 20196 yr by Guest

Way better response than some other devs.  

Aren't they the devs who took on forever to deliver their Airbus? If it is like this, it's no surprise that before doing something that takes years again they consider what happens with Microsoft.

Also all those who are worried about their current addons can still play their current addons in their current sims and be happy and let new platforms take on new challenges and hopefully improvements without the worry of backward compatibility.

50 minutes ago, 188AHC said:

Come on Ray. No one has stated anything about there being no SDK.  This was just announced last week so virtually everything currently being batted about is conjecture.

Personally I think there will be an SDK. If not immediately on release, shortly thereafter. But, my opinion means just as much as the next guy.

Okay Rick, let’s assume there will be an SDK for argument’s sake. We already have a 64-bit sim with P3D v4 with v5 probably within a year.

Apart from the improved scenery FS2020 shows for the limited parts of the world in that video what other benefits are there to switch from P3D? It will take time for drivers, utilities and scenery to be made available assuming Microsoft make it as easy as LM do now. That will come at a cost to the user. For what? Swapping one 64-bit sim for another!

If the new one requires you to stream it rather than have all the data on your SSD that is a massive turn-off for many including me. I wouldn’t go near it.

If we still had a 32-bit P3D I could understand the attraction of a 64-bit one but that isn’t the case. Microsoft has come to the party too late. They should have done it 3 years ago before P3D v4. Th3y would have cleared up. They won’t now because so many people have invested so much with P3D. I’m staying with LM and I suspect I won’t be alone.

Going back to FSL the work required to convert their P3D Airbuses to Microsoft code could take them years given how slowly the products come out. I just don’t see the attraction of this new sim.

Edited June 17, 20196 yr by Ray Proudfoot
Spelling

57 minutes ago, bonchie said:

We are at least a year off from FS2020 releasing.

Are we really? I doubt that. Don't be fooled by the name, every MS Flight Simulator version with a date in its name was released in the preceding year to its name: FS98 in '97, FS2000 in 1999, FS2002 in 2001 and FS2004 in 2003. And even if this were not the case, I'd put serious money on MS's new sim coming out this year, to allow MS to capitalise on the publicity wave they are currently riding.

Edited June 17, 20196 yr by Chock

2 minutes ago, Chock said:

 Are we really? I doubt that. Don't be fooled by the name, every MS Flight Simulator version with a date in its name was released in the preceding year to its name: FS98 in '97, FS2000 in 1999, FS2002 in 2001 and FS2004 in 2003. And even if this were not the case, I'd put serious money on MS's new sim coming out this year, to allow MS to capitalise on the publicity wave they are currently riding.

They already announced it coming in 2020 😛

I am afraid that this will only be one of many projects that are going to be put on hold for the next 12-18 months. It will most likely kill the sales for a large part of our developers for both hardware and software. As fancy as the MS trailer looks and 4 or 5 years down the road it may be quite the thing. In the mean time it is going to have some real down sides no matter how excited folks are right now. It is something that has not be discussed to this point. I am just not sure what the best answer is but it is going to be a big problem unless maybe MS is forth coming with a lot of info. For the young guys and gals...plenty of time to wait. To us old farts losing 18 months to Microsofts move to kill the market until they are ready is hard to swallow.

Edited June 17, 20196 yr by shivers9

1 minute ago, Christian2920 said:

They already announced it coming in 2020 😛

Yup, but they didn't sign that in blood, did they? 🤣

2 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Going back to FSL the work required to convert their P3D Airbuses to Microsoft code could take them years given how slowly the products come out. I just don’t see the attraction of this new sim.

Yes, this could be the case assuming there is a SDK for MS2020 of course.

I think it is important to clarify that basically you would not be talking about converting code, it is like starting from scratch (from P3D or FSX) so perhaps this is the reason FSLABS wants to wait.

It could take years to see many addons to be ported over, and depending on SDK capabilities they might be better, worse or impossible to be converted, so lots of possibilities will depend on the power MS wish to give to 3rd parties DLC content providers.

Regards,

Simbol

We don't know that some major players don't already have some sort of SDK to work with. 

Anyone is welcome to prove this either way.