Mathijs Kok is Leaving Aerosoft

[Paul K 1,458]

49 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

By the way, what happened to the Twin Otter?  A few months ago he said we would find out in a few weeks.

Judging by a conversation on the Aerosoft forum, I think the Twin Otter will be coming as a default aircraft in MS2024. Can't be certain, but that's the impression I got.

[Dominique_K 10,157]

5 hours ago, St Mawgan said:

Kok Simulations, here we come 😇

Might not be the best of names in the English-speaking world. Just a thought.

[micstatic 4,510]

I always was disappointed with the "that's good enough" approach that aerosoft had in the past.  Sometimes it seemed he would cut corners on products.  My preference would be for that attitude to not come to the MSFS project management side.  

[bobcat999 8,623]

7 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

Might not be the best of names in the English-speaking world. Just a thought.

  It is definitely the case that I related his name to his attitude on a number of occasions! 

But enough of the MK bashing from me, he has gone now - it's done, and like I say, I wish him all the best.

[Paul K 1,458]

Personally, I always liked Mathijs. I haven't participated much on the Aerosoft forum since MSFS2020 came out, but it was a good community back in the FSX/P3D era. I wish him all the best.

[GSalden 4,737]

I have met Mathijs a couple of times and he is a nice guy.

Wishing him all the best 👍

[pmb 5,142]

I know Mathijs had a lot for enemies, but he certainly was a distinct and committed character. I know, he formally was a mere employee, but certainly one of the intellectual heads of Aerosoft. 

I get poor feelings comparing Aerosoft to ORBX after John Venema left, from which point it went downhill, maybe not money-wise, but product-wise and even more user engagement-wise. And in a way, John was in the same way controversial, but certainly a committed and ingenious character, too.

Kind regards, Michael

 

[Dominique_K 10,157]

28 minutes ago, pmb said:

I know Mathijs had a lot for enemies, but he certainly was a distinct and committed character.   

I get poor feelings comparing Aerosoft to ORBX after John Venema left, from which point it went downhill, maybe not money-wise, but product-wise and even more user engagement-wise.  

 

Enemies is a big word 😉. I'd say Kok has annoyed a lot of his customers, over the years, with a well-known cumulative effect in the social networks. That being said, I agree that he has been among the few in the industry who have made Flight Simulation what it is now. One has to give him credit for that.   

Venema is, if I am not mistaken, still the majority owner of Orbx. So the company is now what he wants it to be even if he is not involved in day to day ops. MSFS (and FS.to...) has forced  upon Orbx a radical change of strategy (including subcontracting for MSFS) which, I suppose, has been engineered by him. The only point I do not understand is why some former star devs don't make addons for MSFS under their own names if they don't want to work for Orbx anymore (Harris, Marshall etc.). 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Dominique_K

[Pilot53 565]

4 hours ago, micstatic said:

I always was disappointed with the "that's good enough" approach that aerosoft had in the past.  Sometimes it seemed he would cut corners on products.  My preference would be for that attitude to not come to the MSFS project management side.  

That was always the biggest problem I had with him and Aerosoft products in general.  I wonder how much of that was his descision though vs Aerosoft management and their overall strategy.  It seems from his job title he was in charge of customer support and interaction.

[edpatino 2,029]

Aerosoft needed a change. Good for Mr. Kok and Aerosoft and the best wishes on the new career.

[PTI139 149]

MK is a living proof for unrestrainable passion is not allways beneficial for bringing up projects - I cannot imagine how he living the life of a pensioner now - but we all are replaced one day.

I wish him all the best.

[109Sqn 1,668]

12 hours ago, St Mawgan said:

Kok Simulations, here we come 😇

 

6 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

Might not be the best of names in the English-speaking world. Just a thought.

I, for one, am not typing that into Google!🤣

[Reader 2,056]

15 minutes ago, 109Sqn said:

I, for one, am not typing that into Google!🤣

You can do so without fear.
"Kok" is the Dutch equivalent of the English and then American surname "Cook".
For the record, I am also one who is quite happy with his direct approach, seen by some as rude.
In an international forum, leeway needs to be given to cultural differences.
That does not mean that I agree with everything that he has written, but the art of discussion is to respect the other's view.
Regrettably, in internet forums, that respect is often overwhelmed by the posters' apparent need to convert everyone else to their own view.
I wish Mathijs well in whatever he goes on to do.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Reader

[threexgreen 3,315]

20 hours ago, Abriael said:

Some people don't like Mathijs because he says it like it is, without sugar coating stuff. That's exactly (one of the reasons) why I like him.

I mean, saying something like 'there is no cabin because we are focusing on the fidelity of the cockpit' or 'there is only one engine type because people don't know what engines they have anyway' is just... nonsense.

[Dominique_K 10,157]

50 minutes ago, Reader said:

  

 the art of discussion is to respect the other's view.

 

We are not talking of some ethereal discussion but, very prosaically, of after-sale service.  

52 minutes ago, Reader said:

 
Regrettably, in internet forums, that respect is often overwhelmed by the posters' apparent need to convert everyone else to their own view.
 

<cough cough> 😇