FSX-MS Microsoft hint: FSX update?

[A3bilbaNEO 7]

This was mentioned already in the MSFS 2020 forum, but not that much, since the main focus there is not FSX.

On the July 25 development update of MSFS 2020, microsoft left a "hint" about a special announcment for FSX on their next development update, which will be released on August 8.

What do you think this means for it? Service pack 3 with full Directx 10 support (and not just a preview)? Other major graphics upgrade? Some tool to port FSX addons to MSFS 2020 (in case it is not backwards compatible)? Port to mobile, console, or mac/linux? Release as free-to-play (mentioned on the forum, but very doubtful)?

[TextRich 88]

Can you please quote the part of the development update that hints a special announcement about FSX?  I don't want to be a downer, but Microsoft shut down the studio that made FSX (Aces Studio).  It doesn't make sense for them to devote resources to teach their programmers 32-bit FSX code just to update FSX.  If MS actually hinted something about FSX, it likely will be that the new SDK will be at least partly backward compatible with the FSX SDK for developers interested in the new MSFS platform.

[RayHff 6]

My guess is that it will be an incentive discount offered to any FSX holder who buys MSFS2020.

[Airbus 14]

I would like to see an upgrade to a 64 bit FSX which would still allow me to use most if not all of my aircraft and scenery that I have purchased over many years. I guess that I am really dreaming on that one!!

Also I will have to update to Windows 10 next year.  Busy time for me next year!

Airbus

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

53 minutes ago, Airbus said:

I would like to see an upgrade to a 64 bit FSX which would still allow me to use most if not all of my aircraft and scenery that I have purchased over many years. I guess that I am really dreaming on that one!!

Also I will have to update to Windows 10 next year.  Busy time for me next year!

Airbus

P3DV4 fits the bill nicely, if that is what you are looking for..

[FreeBird(Josh) 314]

4 hours ago, RayHff said:

My guess is that it will be an incentive discount offered to any FSX holder who buys MSFS2020.

That's what I heard too.

[threexgreen 3,139]

No offense but are some people really thinking FSX is getting an update? They're in the middle of developing a new sim. Why on Earth would they be working on a 2006 sim with old code? Especially since P3D basically is a much updated version of FSX.

Edited July 27, 2019 by threegreen

[jymp 168]

24 minutes ago, threegreen said:

No offense but are some people really thinking FSX is getting an update? They're in the middle of developing a new sim. Why on earth would they be working on a 2006 sim with old code? Especially since P3D basically is a much updated version of FSX.

I agree, don't think it's gonna be a update to FSX, hopefully MS has came up with a way to use FSX addons with their brand new code.

[anden145 2,285]

3 minutes ago, jymp said:

I agree, don't think it's gonna be a update to FSX, hopefully MS has came up with a way to use FSX addons with their brand new code.

I highly doubt that - and to a bit frank - I really, really hope not! That would be mean backward compatibility, which would mean remnants of the old ESP legacy code. I really hope, that they start afresh and 'forget' about their previous endeavors. 

How exactly would that even work?! I mean, given that FSX is a 32-bit sim, and the new (hopefully) is 64-bits, that would mean no straight 'conversion' would be possible - only a full re-compiling of the addon would suffice! And how exactly would Microsoft accomplish that? A re-compiling the code, would mean/require access to the source-code... 

Come on, people. No offense to anyone, but just think a minute about it. 🙂 Any 'conversion' (I really loathe that word in this regard!) or porting would be impossible for Microsoft to achieve alone. Maybe some simple sceneries, could be converted, but the vast majority of addons rely on some more advanced technique and complied binary coding, which doesn't 'just port over' to a different environment... Especially when that environment is compiled in a different architecture. 

Even if (and that's a big IF) Microsoft somehow came up with a genius way of overcoming this hurdle, there's still the licensing issue to deal with...

Sorry, guys - I love you (I know it doesn't seem so sometimes 😉 ) - and not to rain on someone's parade - but I just don't see Microsoft distributing/selling/offering an "FSX Conversion Tool for MS2020" (or whatever synonym people have for it).

The hint in the announcement, must mean something else... perhaps (as someone else suggested) FSX is being offered for free or something along those lines...

 

[rhumbaflappy 113]

MDL, BGL, XML, and config files are simply ways to store data. An entirely new core or 'engine' could easily access these old models and scenery. They are just bits and bytes of data. Data does not control the core. The core reads the data. I'm entirely supportive of a new core, and entirely supportive of backward compatibility. It's what 99% of active simmers want. No enthusiast wants to see hundreds or thousands of dollars invested (trapped) in FSX and not usable in Dos Equis.

Should the new sim have new data and new (or enhanced) formats? YES! But you can still have the older data formats used. 

Somehow people confuse the BGLs and MDLs with FSX' older coding. They will probably change the older coding and keep the ability to read the older data.

Some aircraft that use DLLs or simconnect, or FSUIPC, might not be compatible. This was true in some cases for P3D, especially after the switch to 64-bit.

Just don't confuse data with the programming that uses that data. Backwards compatibility is actually our friend. It means the team has taken loyal end-users of FSX into account.

[jymp 168]

26 minutes ago, Anders Bermann said:

I highly doubt that - and to a bit frank - I really, really hope not! That would be mean backward compatibility, which would mean remnants of the old ESP legacy code. I really hope, that they start afresh and 'forget' about their previous endeavors. 

How exactly would that even work?! I mean, given that FSX is a 32-bit sim, and the new (hopefully) is 64-bits, that would mean no straight 'conversion' would be possible - only a full re-compiling of the addon would suffice! And how exactly would Microsoft accomplish that? A re-compiling the code, would mean/require access to the source-code... 

Come on, people. No offense to anyone, but just think a minute about it. 🙂 Any 'conversion' (I really loathe that word in this regard!) or porting would be impossible for Microsoft to achieve alone. Maybe some simple sceneries, could be converted, but the vast majority of addons rely on some more advanced technique and complied binary coding, which doesn't 'just port over' to a different environment... Especially when that environment is compiled in a different architecture. 

Even if (and that's a big IF) Microsoft somehow came up with a genius way of overcoming this hurdle, there's still the licensing issue to deal with...

Sorry, guys - I love you (I know it doesn't seem so sometimes 😉 ) - and not to rain on someone's parade - but I just don't see Microsoft distributing/selling/offering an "FSX Conversion Tool for MS2020" (or whatever synonym people have for it).

The hint in the announcement, must mean something else... perhaps (as someone else suggested) FSX is being offered for free or something along those lines...

 

Quite possible on the free FSX,  yes it would need to be a absolute "Genius way" of converting (no fan of converting) to get FSX addons to work with the new sim, but it's just us speculating now, in some way ??, it will be good.

Edited July 27, 2019 by jymp

[Montie 124]

At this point it would be foolish to spend time and resources on updating FSX. The game engine is old, from a time where single threaded cpu’s were mainstream, back then experts were expecting to hit 9 GHz in future generation cpu’s and not multiple cores. The FSX/P3D game engine is still build on this idea. I do not believe it can be fixed to take advantage of modern cpu’s, P3D has been updated to spread out cpu workloads better between cores, but it’s still dependent on single core frequency.

My guess it a free copy or maybe entirely free maybe, something like that. But time will tell.

[ailchim 206]

14 hours ago, BF Bullpup said:

Can you please quote the part of the development update that hints a special announcement about FSX?  I don't want to be a downer, but Microsoft shut down the studio that made FSX (Aces Studio).  It doesn't make sense for them to devote resources to teach their programmers 32-bit FSX code just to update FSX.  If MS actually hinted something about FSX, it likely will be that the new SDK will be at least partly backward compatible with the FSX SDK for developers interested in the new MSFS platform.

And sold the rights to Lockheed Martin..........................

[TextRich 88]

Just now, ailchim said:

And sold the rights to Lockheed Martin..........................

That and the Steam version to Dovetail Games.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

MSFS, a gift that keeps on giving.