2nd anniversary of MSFS, a look back at memory lane

[abrams_tank 7,417]

So two years ago today, August 18, 2020, MSFS was released.  And what a wild roller coaster ride it has been, with some ups, but also some downs. With the latest SU beta build (beta build 1.27.14.0), a lot of folks are also unhappy that DirectX 12 is not running as good as the first beta build, possibly because in the first beta build, there were some visual artifacts for some people.  So we may still encounter some downs in this journey.  Having said that, MSFS has made tremendous progress over the last 2 years, since it's release.

I wanted to look back at memory lane, when MSFS was released. While MSFS has made so much progress over the last 2 years, I can remember a lot of controversy and frustration at the release of MSFS.

Anyways, I think this is one of my favorite comments from August 21, 2020, 3 days after the release of MSFS:

Quote

Anything more than a year is a miracle for FS2020. 

Microsoft could very well shelf this within the next 6 months and fire Asobo. Like what they did with the FSX team. 

Well, that was a fun prediction.  Microsoft still hasn't fired Asobo yet, and Microsoft didn't shelve MSFS within 6 months.  MSFS has lasted more than a year, so I guess, according to this poster, it's a miracle?

Here is another fun advertisement, making fun of MSFS on its release:

(for more information, check the Reddit thread about this advertisement here)

I also like how this advertisement makes fun of "proper systems" in MSFS. The irony is, when the G1000 NXi becomes the default G1000 for MSFS in SU 10, MSFS will have the most advanced and more sophisticated G1000 among any home market flight simulator.  Took MSFS 2 years to get there with the G1000 NXi, but we're almost there already.  And then you have the systems for the Fenix A320, which shows how deep systems can go for MSFS.  Having said that though, the systems for the default planes in MSFS on release were pretty disappointing, so this advertisement was accurate 2 years ago. But this also shows the progress MSFS has made in the last 2 years, so it's fun to look back at 2 years ago.

If you have any other interesting comments or tidbits from 2 years ago, please post it here.  It's fun to take a trip back down memory lane, it's been a wild roller coaster ride in the last 2 years for MSFS, but I definitely enjoyed the ride!

[kt069 569]

Happy Birthday MSFS 2020  !!!

[steve 86 287]

roll on the next 2 years, i cant wait

Edited August 18, 2022 by steve 86

[MarcG 2,978]

It's been a rough two years from a development viewpoint, although from an actually experience side I've had many pleasant moments up in the air some of which have been fantastic.

I feel a proper "review" coming on, something I was gonna wait for SU10 release to do but may add my little voice to the steam section sooner rather than later.

Edited August 18, 2022 by MarcG

[MrFuzzy 2,118]

Certain comments on the FS debate are cringy, even today people attack each other and spread disinformation.

Why can't people just enjoy the game they prefer without putting down others?

I shelved P3D and XP11 the same day I bought MSFS (exactly 2 years ago, on day 1) but I hope that XP12 will be good and successful in order to push the competitors to improve their respective sims. And if it's good enough for me, I will even buy it and play both.

It's in the interest of everyone that more than a product succeeds, especially in a niche market like this.  

[lwt1971 7,414]

A wild but amazing ride the last two years and very much looking forward to all that is to come! MSFS completely disrupted and upended the stagnant flight sim world when it arrived in 2020, and I'd only hope that both it and other sims continue to do that in their future incarnations because at the end, we the users are the winners.

Personally I think the SU11 (40th anniversary edition) release in November will be the big one with core support for helis and gliders which also advances the core flight dynamics even more, even more realistic atmospheric airflow simulations backed by CFD, a high fidelity long-hauler/widebody by none other than iniBuilds included for free, and all the other content known to be coming as well as surprises.

A lot of predictions and commentary re: MSFS by detractors before release, when it first released, and even now, continue to be the height of farcical nonsense.. and this speaks more to those detractors' agendas and insecurities than anything else. A particularly comical one from two years ago was the insistence by one peculiar clown that MSFS will require a game pass subscription... also gotta love the chorus of other commentary that was out there before about how high fidelity aircraft would never be possible in MSFS, which of course were nuked to kingdom come when a slew of high fidelity birds started to arrive in May 2022. Ok, there's a lot of interesting comments, predictions and tidbits to now laugh about, but I'll just stop there 🙂

Edited August 18, 2022 by lwt1971

[Fiorentoni 4,225]

MSFS deserved all the flak it got in the first year, just as much as it deserves the praise for the advances in those two years. But let's be honest - the success of MSFS comes from its visual quality, nothing else. That was what got them 1 million+ sales. I'm glad the IFR flying part is getting there now (also thanks to the 3rd party devs), but that doesn't make all negative statements from 2020 automatically wrong per se. MSFS was in 2020 a VFR simulator, and for many people it took close to 15 hours to download. Now I have more problems with FF's unproffessional way of advertising than with the actual truth of their advertising, but that's another story.
So while I can't prevent people from being the "Hah! I told you!!!!"-guy, I'd still like to remind that things were really looking dire in many areas in the first year. So let's agree that the only people really being wrong are those that said that MSFS will be gone one year in and will never have study level aircraft. Me personally I was half-part of that group back in 2021, when I stated that I have serious doubts about Asobo's capabilities and that all those delays from PMDG and the Fenix might mean that this is not going to work at all. I was wrong and hell yeah I'm glad I was, because what MSFS offers me right now is not only a procedural trainer (about 80-90% complete) but also an aesthetic pleasure that I've never felt before (outside of Tinder).
 

[Paul K 1,332]

I've been using MSFS since December of last year, when I bought a computer capable of running it. It has completely revived my enthusiasm for flight simming, and rarely does a day go past when I don't do something connected with the hobby. I've just flown from the UK to Australia in a Piper Arrow - something I would never have had the patience for with FSX or P3D's scenery. The impression of travelling and seeing the world was quite thrilling at times.  Yes, MSFS has its faults, but they are far outweighed by its virtues, and development continues apace. I've owned a lot of PC flight sims, but MSFS eclipses them all. Long may it continue and evolve.

[chickster25 153]

Its been an incredible journey so far with MSFS and there's still a long way to go.

Despite some of the frustrations and idiosyncrasies that we have had to endure, I think MSFS is one of the most incredible pieces of software for the home market.

It is amazing the detail covers the world and you can see street level to the point of finding your own home. There is so much you can do with this sim, from learning how to fly, running a passenger/cargo business, discovering new places or just navigating from A to B. It has so much depth that you could probably use it for the rest of your life and never see everything it has to offer.

When I showed the depth of detail of the PMDG 737 to a friend and then took him to his favourite airport, he was lost for words. We could only dream of having such a realistic simulator at home a few years ago and now here it is. It really does feel like flying.

Yes, there are a few irritations like the AI doing odd things and the size of the updates, plus messing up add-on scenery etc.. but I think this could be the greatest. most complex and enjoyable piece of entertainment  software that I have ever owned

[eslader 1,783]

I don't think anyone who was paying attention deluded themselves into thinking they were getting anything but an alpha version when we bought on release day. Quick-turn betas are one thing, but the MSFS release took it to a new level. It's obvious they were under pressure to release, either because P3D was coming out with their new version or just because M$ decided they wanted to start seeing revenue.

But we bought anyway because we saw the potential and knew it would never be realized without customers. Then we spent the next year-plus rolling our eyes as people bashed the sim for reasons both stupid and legitimate. 

I actually suspect this is going to keep going longer than the original 10 year commitment. Why? Because we simmers are nuts. We stuck with FSX long after support ended, then some of us upgraded to P3d which especially at the time was just barely warmed-over FSX. We're gonna stick with it beyond 10 years, and if they keep coming out with new content or significant upgrades to the core, we'll pay for it. 

 

 

 

 

[Humble Jim 51]

Must admit even with my old cynical jaded eyes I was much hooked by the original trailer video (below, remember that?).  I never expected that I would actually get that lush quality off my own kit...though it's come real close way more often than I expected.  But mostly I've been delighted over and over by how much I've enjoyed what the community has contributed (FBW,  et al).  Turned off all my add-ons recently.  The difference was like night and day.

And no other software can I remember spending so much time with.  A rough measure I do of "value for money" is taking hours spent using software divided by what it cost to purchase.  In those terms MSFS is great VFM from my perspective.

Roll on the next several years...

 

[virtualstuff 758]

@lwt1971,

I agree and don't care about those detractors 😉 I just have fun and amazed by what we have now 🙂

Edited August 18, 2022 by Ray Proudfoot
Long quoted post removed

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

There have been several reports recently complaining about people quoting a long post and then saying very little in reply. Just like the one immediately above this post.

PLEASE USE SOME COMMON SENSE AND ONLY QUOTE RELEVANT SECTIONS - NOT THE WHOLE BLOODY THING!

Use the @ option to tag someone whose post you want to refer to. It’s not difficult.

[virtualstuff 758]

@Ray Proudfoot apology and no need to shout to an old timer Ray 😉 It's not done on purpose 😨Missing the old times here with a friendly and polite PM

Edited August 18, 2022 by awf

[cobalt 798]

There was a memorable prediction that MSFS would "go down like the Titanic". Well, a freeware driveable add-on version of that ship is available and it floats -- as does MSFS itself, flying high after two years!