Hi all.The makers answered this question,and the have the right to name it.Microsoft Flight Simulator X. How you use a flight simulator program is up to the person who as it on the monitor in front of him or her.Evan the big expensive simulation for airliner and military jets have been used to play with for films and TV .So I am going to say it is a Flight Simulator that you can play games with if you want.Best regardsRex. :-spacecraft Beam me up scott'y

Hi Rex,But now some hot dog is going to come in and say that the "Games" Division of Microsoft puts this software together!Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/banners/hifi-community-sigbanner.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/

Well I don't know if this is true for FSX also, but the US Navy is or has used FS2004 for a training aid for it's student pilots! So if it's good enough for the Navy as a simulator, then I guess it really is a simulator!!http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computin...26/missile.idg/

Agreed. After 25 years I still grind my teeth when I read a reference to FS as a "game". I guess MS do it for commercial and perhaps legal reasons. Believe me FS is actually harder to "fly" in many ways than the real thing. I know a 767 captain who swears by it as a very useful aid. Thats good enough for me to put in the class as an inexpensive flight simulator engine. Re WOZ

Microsoft actually spoke to this issue at last September's AVSIM conference. Mike Singer of ACES (his official title is "Experience Architect" of FSX) elaborates at length on this in his January 29 blog entry: "A realistic simulation of a compelling real-world activity is game-like by its very nature." (http://informationmike.spaces.live.com/) Mike's fundamental point is that even REALITY can be game-like under certain circumstances. As far as Flight Simulator is concerned, this depends on (A) what the individual brings to the experience, in terms of expectations, expertise, etc.; and (:( the extent to which PC technology allows you to suspend disbelief and create a compelling emotional experience. There is no universal answer to the "game vs. simulation" paradox that applies to everyone, or that will even fit a single individual all of the time. It's subjective. It varies depending on the circumstances. The answer ultimately depends on the experience you derive, and not on FSX per se. (Except to the extent of providing many different experiences that are suited to a wide array of users.) The job of FSX is to provide the user with that "compelling experience" that Mike mentions, and to let the chips fall where they may. I would encourage anyone who's interested in this to read Mike's January 29th blog. It makes for fascinating reading about the philosophical approach that ACES has taken to FSX development (and now to Train Simulator as well), and the results they're trying to achieve for users. Incidentally, Mike himself refers to FSX as a "simulation game." I hope that clears things up. ;)

Pilot to Pilot, the point is none of these contentions mean anything to anybody. What you can do with this product and what we call it are non-issues.A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.Bob

The concept of me in the pilot of seat of a large aircraft is so divorced from the possibility of reality - game.No motion - no feel in the seat of my pants - game.No prepherial vision - game.Having to use a mouse to turn cockpit knobs and switches - totally a game.Now, I can eliminate some of those by spending close to 5-10,000 dollars - though at that cost, I'd probably be better off buying a FTD.Flight Simulator can be a fantastic learning tool if you choose to work with it's strengths.But if you want to call it a simulator - then it should shutdown and refuse to let you fly if you don't show up with charts, approach plates, airport diagrams and have filed your flight plan correctly.

Really Reggie?Then please explain this:http://www.flight1tech.com/The Avidyne is FAA FITS approved.It's a simulator. But it can also be a game. Ideal crossover for someone looking to make the transition from gamer to aviator, and ideal for aviator to finally comprehend what these `games` are capable of. :)Allcott

The word "simulator" means basically: a device that allows the operator to reproduce or represent under test conditions phenomena likely to occur in actual performance. A machine that simulates actual performance for the purpose of training or testing. This is the consensus of several dictionaries.So the way I see it, whether MSFS is a game or simulator solely depends on the way the operator uses it.John M

Totally right John. It's in the hands of the user, or else Ctrl+E wouldn't exist and your computer would blow up your house every tme you crashed.Allcott

Sure it is a game, although of a very special nature :)

>I think the best answer I ever saw to this old question>was...."It's a Gameulator". :)>I Like IT!!