Microsoft Flight was described by the developers as a serious flight simulator wrapped in a candy shell.  I discovered this was true the first time I flew it.  But does anyone think of it as a serious simulation?  And how do you market a serious simulation to the masses?

I think some would prefer that Microsoft/Asobo would abandon this silly idea of appealing to a wide audience and make a hard core serious simulation that they'd prefer without any compromise.  I don't think this is going to happen.

I like the idea of bringing new people into flight simming.  Not everyone will agree.  I also like the idea of making an accessible flight sim.

They've certainly talked about some of the more serious aspects of airliner flight.  I don't know what they're like in MSFS because I don't fly that way.  We'll have to see what it's like on release.

Someone published a link to a French language interview where the devs said the "1000 points" only existed on paper at the moment.  Kinda makes me wonder what else only exists on paper.

But MSFS is very pleasant to fly, entertaining, fun, and it's even getting people in the Beta back into GA flying when they normally only fly airliners.  MSFS has done something right.

Hook

 

 

If I have any suspicions of Asobo/MS having any hidden agendas/unpublished motives, it would be to make a state of the art simulation that appeals to a broader audience, and the tech itself is going to be a big part of that. That would make good business sense, and the financial possibilities that comes with being able to reproduce the whole globe like this must be plenty. 

But that is actually not a particularly well hidden agenda, and it is, in fact, an attribute of striving for perfection. If you make something great, it will be interesting. I don't mind if it is interesting for several other groups than the ones I belong to. It doesn't detract from my experience. Actually, quite the contrary. 

With that said, I am probably gonna bite my tongue when all the kiddos are spawning in on the runway on live servers, and using the Air Force One callsign etc etc. 

42 minutes ago, Chock said:

I'm all too aware that what companies say and the reality, especially at press conferences and in press releases, don't always tally with one another

One thing I remember reading is that when management starts believing its own press releases, the company is in trouble.

The official company line doesn't always mesh with reality.  Companies have to maintain an image.  

I think Asobo totally believes in what they are doing.  I think they're trying to make the best flight simulator they can.  I also think they're doing an excellent job.  But "flight simulator" doesn't imply just one kind of flying, any more than "airplane" does.  Asobo has pretty much nailed GA flying.  Serious airline operations are coming, but right now it looks like they're intended for accessibility.

Hook

24 minutes ago, Andreas Stangenes said:

I am probably gonna bite my tongue when all the kiddos are spawning in on the runway on live servers, and using the Air Force One callsign etc etc. 

AirForceProud95 is gonna have a field day with that stuff. 🙂

51 minutes ago, LHookins said:

I think Asobo totally believes in what they are doing.  I think they're trying to make the best flight simulator they can.  I also think they're doing an excellent job.  But "flight simulator" doesn't imply just one kind of flying, any more than "airplane" does.  Asobo has pretty much nailed GA flying.  Serious airline operations are coming, but right now it looks like they're intended for accessibility.

Hook

Pretty much, what I was thinking of typing. I watched the developers series in depth and bits and pieces of other articles describing the research and background that has gone into the technology for 2020. Mind blowing is an understatement in my opinion. This team has set the bar for flight simulation in the household and they are serious to take Version 1.0 much farther. No doubt, there will be continuing industry awards and accolades for the key individuals and developers of FS2020. I can only imagine that the other sim platforms would dearly like to adopt aspects of the 2020 technology in order to compete and remain seriously viable. Time will tell.