Boxed version will require DVD at every start-up

[Mgard78 141]

Guess all the modern "geniuses" bashing MS for the boxed edition, their discs and requirement of having the disc in the drive at startup have never heard of the boxed X-Plane edition...

[travelabroad 177]

Now I may be wrong, and it's been quite a lot of years, since I've purchased boxed games on PC (on PS4, I only purchase boxed copies and they ALWAYS require the DVD to start!) but isn't it quite common for a boxed / DVD version of a game on PC, to require the disc inserted, when playing it? I don't quite understand the commotion and confusion to this...

I can understand the frustration, but it shouldn't be surprising, to be honest.

[Farlis 2,287]

16 hours ago, Chock said:

I bet you can't tell me what DVD actually stands for?

Digital Versatile Disc. 

I didn't even have to google it.

[737_800 434]

3 hours ago, travelabroad said:

Now I may be wrong, and it's been quite a lot of years, since I've purchased boxed games on PC (on PS4, I only purchase boxed copies and they ALWAYS require the DVD to start!) but isn't it quite common for a boxed / DVD version of a game on PC, to require the disc inserted, when playing it? I don't quite understand the commotion and confusion to this...

I can understand the frustration, but it shouldn't be surprising, to be honest.

If I remeber correctely, FS9 required a DVD. FSX didn't. So technically it possible to launch without. At least I was always annoyed to insert the DVD for FS9 to launch it. Without it is much more comfortable.

What I don't like about it is, when a DVD is requiered to launch, I am probably not buying the DVD version. But usually I prefer them, because you still have the option to sell them in the further. But this is rather hypothetical, because never bought and afterwards sold a Flightsim (expect addons).

Can you preorder the DVD or will be avaiable on 18th August in every store in the EU?

[shawty1984 106]

5 hours ago, Mgard78 said:

Sure it can change... that's why they released the digital only xbox recently, with no drive...

And that's why they are releasing the all digital PS5 alongside the disc drive PS5. They aren't confident enough to just release all digital though for one good reason. 

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

A DVD shouldn't be required to start up the game because your licence is supposed to be tied to your Xbox account. This is how it has always worked with Steam, even with physical editions. This isn't like consoles where you can sell or trade your physical copy, so it is quite a surprise indeed.

[Afterburner 374]

1 hour ago, 737_800 said:

If I remeber correctely, FS9 required a DVD. FSX didn't. So technically it possible to launch without. At least I was always annoyed to insert the DVD for FS9 to launch it. Without it is much more comfortable.

Sometime in year 2012 (if my memory serves me right), a Windows 7 update indefinitely broke the FS9 CD4 verification mechanism, so that you had no chance to legally run Microsoft's own FS9 on Microsoft's own OS. (The only way to get around it was to use a cracked fs9.exe). Isn't that funny?

With regard to MSFS, I hope that you can at least run the DVD version offline without having to log into any MS stores at each start (as it happens with Steam).

I like how P3D handles things: You download a few files, install them in any folder you want, and after activating the sim, you can run it on- or offline as many times as you want without having to link your account to anything. Why can't Microsoft do that?

[travelabroad 177]

1 hour ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

A DVD shouldn't be required to start up the game because your licence is supposed to be tied to your Xbox account. This is how it has always worked with Steam, even with physical editions. This isn't like consoles where you can sell or trade your physical copy, so it is quite a surprise indeed.

While I agree with you, that it's not the most elegant solution, I assume that they require it for the user to be able to launch the sim, without any internet connection at all. If there's no connection, it cannot verify your Microsoft Account - hence the DVD check?

This is of course speculation on my part, but it's the only reasonable cause I can think of.

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

22 minutes ago, travelabroad said:

While I agree with you, that it's not the most elegant solution, I assume that they require it for the user to be able to launch the sim, without any internet connection at all. If there's no connection, it cannot verify your Microsoft Account - hence the DVD check?

This is of course speculation on my part, but it's the only reasonable cause I can think of.

It will require a connection to start up, according to Aerosoft. It will also prompt you to create an Xbox account during installation.

To avoid any sort of confusion, here's the post by Mathjis Kok which explains everything, for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

Quote

Friends, there have been a lot of questions about how the DVD versions exactly work during installation and how the boxed sim differs from the download version. Here is the low-down. Do not worry about it. Insert the first DVD, click okay and follow instructions on the screen. Get a drink as it will take a while.

1. The DVDs contain only the installer and the content (aircraft, world etc). The actual simulator software is downloaded during installation. That way you always have the latest version. For this the installer will guide you through the creation of an Xbox account (if you do not have one) etc. That means you need an active internet connection during installation. You also need a connection to run the simulator (it updates itself at every start when needed). But to be frank, it makes very little sense to run this offline.
2. After you ran the DVD installation, you will be asked to re-insert DVD 1. This will be checked during the activation.
3. At the first start the sim will check all files and update everything that is needed.  As time progresses this will be a larger download.
4. From the users perspective you will end up with exactly the same version as somebody who bought it at the Microsoft Store.

Keep in mind that the sim consists of four parts:

1. The simulator itself, obviously mandatory.
2. The default content (basic world, aircraft etc). This default world is on it's own far better then FSX could ever deliver. This is a mandatory part, always part of the simulator..
3. The downloaded content (more details for the world, better ground imagery, far more correctly placed trees etc etc). This comes in 'blocks' that can be buffered on your system so if you always fly from Detroit it will not have to be loaded every time). Contrary to what some less informed sources say there is absolutely NOTHING indicating this is paid content or will be paid content. We do not sell a time limited simulator.  This is an optional part, you do not have to stream any scenery, weather or traffic.
4. Third party content that can buy from the build in store or from external shops. Obviously optional, it is a super sim without add-ons.

 If you run into any issue make a ticket at: https://helpdesk.aerosoft.com/portal/en/home (or send an email to support@aerosoft.com, we prefer the ticket as the system will try to understand your question and offer automated advice. Tickets are normally solved 12 hours faster than emails because they are easier to handle!). We have MFS trained support standing by. Our new forums will be available as well. You can send us tickets is nearly any language, but we might default to English in our replies.

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by ChaoticBeauty

[travelabroad 177]

1 minute ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

It will require a connection to start up, according to Aerosoft. It will also prompt you to create an Xbox account during installation.

Fair enough. So there's no full-offline mode for it.

[HighBypass 2,339]

3 hours ago, 737_800 said:

But usually I prefer them, because you still have the option to sell them in the further..

Not necessarily... PMDG as a prime example..  licence is single user only - disk is only suitable for the dumpster once you tire of it as the key wouldn't be valid for the second-hand user.. 

EDIT - consoles where the user bought a physical copy still require the disk to be in the drive when you boot the game up.

Edited July 21, 2020 by HighBypass

[737_800 434]

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

Not necessarily... PMDG as a prime example..  licence is single user only - disk is only suitable for the dumpster once you tire of it as the key wouldn't be valid for the second-hand user.. 

EDIT - consoles where the user bought a physical copy still require the disk to be in the drive when you boot the game up.

Shouldn't that be illegal in some parts in the world? At least in Europe we get a law, that you can sell boxed version, even download version, as long as you state you dont use it anymore and delete everything. So it's law und the law says you cannot exclude your product form this law, in this agreement thing that users have to sign before using a product.

But I am not a lawyer, and I have been arguing with a addon pubilsher lately about that. He was very harsh and unfriendly, but I wasn't into arguing or going to an attorney. Just not buying anything like that anymore, especially not from that particulur publisher.

Sometimes I have a feeling that flight simmer are not threaded like customers, just like people who depend on the publishers and they can communicate as they wish. But since I dont 'play' other games and dont know how other publishers deal with it. Dont get me wrong, not all of them are like that. Fortunately, we have some friedly and professional too.

Edited July 21, 2020 by 737_800

[Brandon01110 407]

16 hours ago, OzWhitey said:

If you don’t have a DVD drive, I believe that you can still activate your sim session via either your AOL connection or using your MySpace login credentials.

Why would I do any of this when I can use Napster to obtain the cracked version?

 

 

just a joke MS, i'm goona buy the premium version.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Brandon01110

[ThrottleUp 617]

This is a complete and utter turn off for me. I was looking forward to getting the Premium Edition on DVD but now I'll just forget about it. Come on, Its not 1998. Surely they could have chosen a different method of authentication 😠

[n4gix 4,947]

18 hours ago, 109Sqn said:

This is going round in circles. I'll leave it there.

The last time I looked CDs and DVDs were still circular, so it sort of makes sense! 😊