Looking at the background of Orbx's new CEO (a PhD, a connection to information science, and an interest in "high growth and turnaround outcomes"), some questions that have been on my mind seem relevant: What, precisely, are the "quick growth and turnaround outcomes" available in a company that produces scenery for flight sim platforms? Why would one of the wealthiest companies in the world, Microsoft, decide to invest in a.......flight simulation game (that it's killed twice)?  So....to what extent is MSFS2020 actually a proof-of-concept for something that would make Google maps look like an etch-a-sketch (because BING has been mentioned frequently in the promo material)? What if Microsoft embedded a light version of this sim in BING? Is ORBX (not to mention Meteoblue and NavBlue) planning to get baked into some future iteration of BING and get paid till the sun goes supernova? That would certainly realize their new CEO's interest in "high growth"--cos it sure can't mean even more TE regions for XP11. 🤣

 

44 minutes ago, hypercide said:

"quick growth and turnaround outcomes"

Are we playing Buzzword Bingo?

Hook

1 hour ago, hypercide said:

 So....to what extent is MSFS2020 actually a proof-of-concept for something that would make Google maps look like an etch-a-sketch (because BING has been mentioned frequently in the promo material)? What if Microsoft embedded a light version of this sim in BING? Is ORBX (not to mention Meteoblue and NavBlue) planning to get baked into some future iteration of BING and get paid till the sun goes supernova? That would certainly realize their new CEO's interest in "high growth"--cos it sure can't mean even more TE regions for XP11. 🤣

FYI, it helps a bit if you adjust the tinfoil so that it still lets air in under the brim. Just a comfort tip 👍

2 hours ago, ZLA Steve said:

FYI, it helps a bit if you adjust the tinfoil so that it still lets air in under the brim. Just a comfort tip 👍

I know, I know—I'm as scientific as the guy; but even with the tinfoil back on the roll where it belongs, the same questions occurred to me.

The Orbx involvement as you described it, is maybe premature but not that far-fetched.

Asobo’s CEO said a couple of times that they were on a journey to make an Earth’s Twin.

Google Earth and Bing are free because they carry strategic commercial infos like ‘where is the closest pizzeria’ or ‘where could have my mufflers changed’ 😉 ?

I have the intuition (pure speculation) that Asobo’s Earth for FS20 is indeed a proof of concept and that smart developers will use it in the future for more than your round-of-the-mill airport.

 

 

I'm not really sure what this post is saying....

As for Orbx... well in the past year they've opened up a new UK dev centre and hired a large group of artists and developers. They've also opened up a new office in Melbourne with an interesting view. That sounds like "growth" to me in a niche industry.

 

I... think they just wanted to create a new Flight SImulator.

For the record, the Sun will never go supernova

8 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

For the record, the Sun will never go supernova

Well, if it ever does, I won't care because I'll be several billion years dead by then... 

12 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

I have the intuition (pure speculation) that Asobo’s Earth for FS20 is indeed a proof of concept and that smart developers will use it in the future for more than your round-of-the-mill airport.

Before the airline industry went in a ditch, a few airlines were using 3D models and a simple representation of the globe to show where specific flights were along their routes. I'm not sure that the demand for that is still there. But the concept for other online apps is viable, as you stated.

21 hours ago, LHookins said:

Are we playing Buzzword Bingo?

Hook

We need a dynamic solution baked in.