4 minutes ago, sarp_79 said:

The problem with Bing textures is that if Bing lacks the tiles for any area or is infested with clouds, you face one single treatment, that is good old weird FSX textures being surfaced to cover the area and they all look lame.

If you are flying in the real world, you are not going to get perfect visibility everywhere either.. so this is not really a problem IMHO.

After a hundred hours of flight test with Google Mod .I much prefer bing's color balance without any hesitation.

1 hour ago, Sesquashtoo said:

...and everybody keeping these threads open and being updated in the forums surely will....self-prophesy happening for sure....

If threads like these were left to die...and fall off the forums...so would perhaps Google's attention to them and it.   I just don't understand that anybody that is using this perk, will keep bringing it up on the forums and not let mention of it disappear.  Use, it and like the saying goes; Loose Lips SINK SHIPS, keep feeding threads like these with constant comments, and the ship will indeed be scuttled by 'G'.   It's like those that aren't using it...and enjoying its perks,  WANT 'G' to drop the hammer. That is all I can deduce from this...  If you were and are using this....why would you keep flapping a red flag in front of the 'bulls' face?!??!?

Totally weird forum behavior in this regard.

signed;

A user...

...and yet here you are keeping the thread alive 😆

I dont think a forum thread will have any bearing on the outcome, as before MS/Asobo are well aware of the Mod so they'll do what's necessary regardless of what AVSim members say or do!

1 hour ago, MarcG said:

...and yet here you are keeping the thread alive 😆

I dont think a forum thread will have any bearing on the outcome, as before MS/Asobo are well aware of the Mod so they'll do what's necessary regardless of what AVSim members say or do!

You can bet that Google is aware of it too. 

10 hours ago, MarcG said:

Will it up their game? I'm not so sure

I very much doubt that (relatively few, I expect) users employing Google's data in the sim will make MS feel forced to improve Bing Data. As much as they may tout MSFS as a way of showing off Bing (and I'm not sure how much they've actually done that), I don't think how well it looks in a 'game' is their biggest concern. I'm sure they are far more interested in how much Bing Data they can sell commercially to businesses (e.g. TV companies). If those businesses are buying Google rights instead of Bing rights, that's what will be driving them to improve their data quality IMO.

10 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

It is not all bad for Google, far from it. They loose bandwidth but gain a great commercial argument against its main competitor on the map market 😁. Thats why MS cannot tolerate it.

Precisely. As long as nothing about it is harming Google's market value and reputation, they are probably sniggering about it right now, whilst still being ready to clamp down on it when they see fit. Now, if Google were either planning their own commercial flight sim, or selling the data to another developer, that would be a very different matter - they'd already be making a big noise about blocking its use in MSFS!

7 hours ago, saifs said:

People are going to ... revert to stock sim Bing maps simply because Google will have baked in clouds and watermarks and mismatched colours ...

Other than the prospect of having to revert to Bing, that's why I haven't tried Google data to this point. Static clouds and seas affect that immersion factor (and I'm not one who usually complains about losing immersion!).

1 hour ago, MarcG said:

I dont think a forum thread will have any bearing on the outcome

Me neither. Not only are there likely only a tiny percentage of people using the Google data, there are probably only a small percentage of those people actually talking about it in forums. I suspect it's a much smaller issue, in some ways at least, that people think it is. MS will do what they want, Google will do what they want and, if necessary, the courts will do what they want to resolve it. The opinions and musings of forum members will have no influence on that.

I am currently using Google Maps Replacement and am quite pleased with it.  I worked in the software and hardware business full time for 40-years in both marketing, tech support, and software development. I began using MS Flight Sim with the very first edition and have spent a medium sized fortune on upgrades ever since and will continue to support the new Flight Sim in every way possible.  I did love to use TileProxy in FSX.

Please - can someone tell me:

- HOW is this mod any kind of threat to MS/Asobo?  There is no loss of revenue when we use the mod.  There is a lessening of demand on the Azure servers when we use the mod.

- HOW is this mod any kind of threat to Google?  The load I place on their server(s) is minuscule compared to when I am using Google Earth to map a mountain bike ride or check on real estate in Location X.

- WHY would any of the vendors involved care a whit about my use of Google Map images in place of Bing images?

This whole thread seems a tempest in a teapot. 

 

Edited November 14, 20214 yr by TacomaSailor

10 minutes ago, TacomaSailor said:

- HOW is this mod any kind of threat to MS/Asobo?  There is no loss of revenue when we use the mod.  There is a lessening of demand on the Azure servers when we use the mod.

- HOW is this mod any kind of threat to Google?  The load I place on their server(s) is minuscule compared to when I am using Google Earth to map a mountain bike ride or check on real estate in Location X.

- WHY would any of the vendors involved care a whit about my use of Google Map images in place of Bing images?

I believe I pretty much answered much of that above. As you are no doubt aware, Bing is a Microsoft property. If people use Google data instead of Bing, that doesn't create a good impression of one of Microsoft's core products. The threat to Google is non-existent as far as I can see - they haven't encouraged anyone to use their data instead of Bing, so they only 'threat' is if MS take legal action against Google to block it in MSFS or clearly sate in their EULA that it mustn't be used in MSFS. I suspect MS would firstly attempt to block its use themselves anyway or reach a 'behind closed doors' agreement with Google rather than take legal action. I suspect both parties would be able to do so amicably enough, despite their rivalry. If by Vendors you mean parties other than MS and Google (3rd party devs?), I doubt they'd care unless it breaks their own products, and if you mean MS/Google, well the answer is what I've just said.

Edited November 14, 20214 yr by 109Sqn
edited for clarity

Quote

 

If people use Google data instead of Bing, that doesn't create a good impression of one of Microsoft's core products.

That is my question! 

How does me using Google Maps create a negative impression anymore than me using ORBX KTIW airport,, LVFR Arex, GAIST shipping, or any other addon that IMPOVES the quality of my flight sim experience? Each addon I use REPLACES an object/service provided by the native Flight Sim - SO I am baffled as to the difference when I use Google Maps replacement.

MS Flight Sim has always encouraged addons, upgrades, enhancements, better or new services (SDK & Community folder- eh?) so what is different here?

Edited November 14, 20214 yr by TacomaSailor

Well, one difference is that MS has come down hard on it in the official MSFS forum; all discussion of it has been explicitly banned over there.  So regardless of our opinions, it does seem that MS is not a fan of this mod...

The MSFS team works closely with the Bing team, it’s one company and most likely all are proud of their accomplishment.

And now someone rips it out of the game and replaces it with its competitor. How can this be accepted more than a day???

The community still considers MSFS as a sandbox we had with FSX. But it is not. Ok, maybe the community can convert MSFS to PS5, I am sure Microsoft does not care…

Edited November 14, 20214 yr by urthgental

It's a product that serves its purpose of generating revenue and showcasing (in its un-modded state) the Bing and Azure technologies.  I personally doubt if anyone at MS has any feelings about it one way or another.  If they're against it (and it seems they are), there must be a reason related to perceived revenue loss.  Since I've already purchased the software, they have my money, so my running Google wouldn't matter to them.  No, this must have either licensing or marketing damage ramifications for them. 

I'll continue to use the Google textures until they're shut off.  Flew the bonanza Denver - Aspen last night, and the difference is incredible... and my personal use of these textures don't affect MS at all.  It's the existence of the mod in the first place that affects them... and it exists whether I personally use it or not, so I'll continue.  😉

2 minutes ago, Stearmandriver said:

I personally doubt if anyone at MS has any feelings about it one way or another.  If they're against it (and it seems they are), there must be a reason..

Have you seen any videos with the MS/Asobo development team??

The reason should be obvious.  ( as noted by urthgental, above..)

8 minutes ago, Stearmandriver said:

It's a product that serves its purpose of generating revenue and showcasing (in its un-modded state) the Bing and Azure technologies.  I personally doubt if anyone at MS has any feelings about it one way or another.  If they're against it (and it seems they are), there must be a reason related to perceived revenue loss.  Since I've already purchased the software, they have my money, so my running Google wouldn't matter to them.  No, this must have either licensing or marketing damage ramifications for them. 

I'll continue to use the Google textures until they're shut off.  Flew the bonanza Denver - Aspen last night, and the difference is incredible... and my personal use of these textures don't affect MS at all.  It's the existence of the mod in the first place that affects them... and it exists whether I personally use it or not, so I'll continue.  😉

I work in software industry and I am proud of the products we develop.

I doubt this is only about revenue stream for anybody who is really involved with MSFS. But I do not doubt that some customers do not care a bit. 
 

Edited November 14, 20214 yr by urthgental

Bing textures are not MSFS Bing textures which have been tweaked for the sim is my understanding.

Cheers

bs

I must be blind, hard headed, or word not allowed!

They market addon products that REPLACE their offerings but somehow Bing tiles are different than LVFR KSAN that replaces and IMPROVES the images in San Diego?

How can one be so proud of tiles but not so proud of images?

They provide and SDK and  COMMUNITY folder structure to support modifications and replacements - but now don't want one of those mods to be used?

I guess it is beyond my understanding?