Captains!

Hello and welcome to your weekend update for 15JUL23.

I have quite a few topics to touch, so lets dive right in!

PMDG 737 for MSFS: New Updates Pending:
We have just pushed a new series of updates to our beta team for the entire 737 series. There is nothing earth-shaking in this series of tests, but we have made quite a few changes behind the scenes in preparation for final testing of the Universal Flight Tablet, so we wanted to push these changes to the testing teams and then out to you in order to reduce the number of moving parts as we enter final testing of the tablet. We anticipate pushing these updates to you as a micro update in the week ahead, with the update rolling through the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace intake process at the same time, and probably landing a week later.

I'll keep you informed as this happens.

PMDG 737 for MSFS: Xbox Liveries:
We were happy to see that the last round of cooperation between PMDG and Microsoft in order to leverage some currently undocumented functionality of Marketplace distribution process worked- and that un-stuck the process of publishing liveries for Xbox users. We have a ton of livery packs currently going through intake that we are hoping to see released in this coming week, and then a bunch more that are going into intake on Monday/Tuesday for release likely the following week. We are still exploring ways to minimize user cost for liveries on Xbox, but we need to get them into marketplace effectively before we can start working on that aspect of the process. One step at a time, and we are in good communication with Microsoft to ensure we partner with them in a manner that is beneficial to them and our customers. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available, but you should start seeing more liveries for the 737-700, 737-800 and DC-6 late this week? (always an asterisk when talking about MS Marketplace timetables since we don't control them!)

PMDG 737-600 and PMDG 737-900 into Marketplace:
Now that we have the livery process un-stuck, we are pushing the 737-600 and 900 to marketplace, along with their associated liveries. Timeline for their arrive is dictated by how the testing process goes and how fast the intake process moves. I anticipate both will be available before end of July, along with their liveries.

PMDG 737 Issues Cleanup:
There are a number of higher-order issues that we are chasing in the 737 (spinning knobs for xbox users, for example) and a bad design implementation of a fix that was supposed to allow engine relights above 17,000' that had the unintended consequence of effectively eliminating the normal spool-lag you'd expect in a turbine engine, as well as a bunch of others. With the liveries headache off our desks, the 777 progressing rapidly and the tablet finally wrapping up we are shifting a bit of resources back toward addressing these and some other issues that bother us within the 737. No ETAs available on them, but you will likely see a few rapid-sequence micro updates that pop fixes into place for some of the nuisance items we are chasing.

Note: We don't generally give you hints as to what we are fixing because it tends to trigger lots of debate and opinions about what we should prioritize- and that discussion tends to be largely blind to the realities we work with in the background- so please do refrain from asking us if your favorite issue is addressed or being considered... We have been at this a long time- we have a plan- we are working through it. Thanks!)

PMDG Universal Flight Tablet:
We are preparing to move the tablet into the final leg of it's testing journey. We anticipate pushing it to our full testing team in the week ahead, or early the following week, depending upon a few details that are being worked out. As of this moment the tablet has only been tested in a single airframe. Currently the tablet is testing in only the 737-700, in order to minimize the potential for data-rebuild in the event we needed to make changes to how the data and communications interchange works. While the tablet is int testing, we will begin bringing in the rest of the data that it needs, and we are fleshing out some finer detail stuff in the UI to eliminate some unfinished corners we don't like. Overall we are really happy with how it is progressing after a very difficult gestation period due to the entirely new technology that had to be built in order to get around barriers native to C++/WASM airplanes and their inability to communicate with the outside world like their Javascript brethren. Not the path we would have chosen if we had been given a choice- but- the path has been worn now and we are pretty close to installing it on the flight deck of your 737!

(Inevitably someone is gonna ask: "can we see a preview?" Sure. When we are satisfied that it is pretty much finished for release...)

PMDG 777 for MSFS
Since our return from FSExpo, we have enjoyed massive forward progress on some of the more difficult areas of the 777 development. As usually happens with projects as complex as this, there comes a point when all of the pieces start to snap into place and suddenly you have a fully working product on your hands. The last two weeks have seen the fastest forward motion on the development agenda timeline we have yet experienced while working in MSFS. (Including the 737 and DC-6). We think this comes from our continued increase in experience with the platform finally beginning to pay off with productivity.

Generally speaking the 777 has benefited tremendously from many of the lessons we learned bringing the 737 into MSFS- and this changed the way we entered development on the 777. The end result being a really incredible product with some incredible refinement. We had given significant consideration to unveiling the 777 at FSExpo in Houston, but in the end we decided to sit on our hands because we thought it was best not to rush things. Initial impressions are important, and we want you to be blow-away by the quality of what you see.

We think you will be- and we are looking forward to pulling open the hangar door and inviting you in to see her very soon!

PMDG DC-6 Detail Cleanup
The DC-6 team is dispersed between the tablet, the 777 and the 737- but we predict a short lag in their work flow on those other projects that will give them some time to dig into our continuing improvement program for DC-6. Again the "no I won't talk about what we will be adding/adjusting" but I think you'll likely see an update on the DC-6 during August- just for those who like to look ahead.

Okay- that is all the news I have for this week. We have lots of stuff going on around the halls at PMDG and a proper long-hauler will be in your PMDG hangar soon enough!

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend,

Edited July 15, 20232 yr by BrammyH

Counting the seconds until "it" starts .

TLDR:

Soon.

Awesome!

I’m really looking forward to the 777!! 

I'm looking forward to the 777 and the 747-8.

Wonder what plane they'll go for after these?

The 777 is my favorite plane and I look forward to the day it releases. I know everyone is tired of the 737s but I am looking forward to a 737 Max. I fly a lot of Southwest flights so the Max would be a nice addition to the fleet. 

All I'm interested in is the 777 and the EFB!!!!!!

49 minutes ago, SKEWR said:

Wonder what plane they'll go for after these?

It's been so long since PMDG has made a brand new, "bespoke" plane that I can't even imagine what it would be. Hasn't it been over a decade since we've gotten something new? I'm not being critical of PMDG at all. I've been a loyal customer since 2002. But, man -- it's been a while since we've seen something from them that was completely...new. 

8 minutes ago, Bdub22 said:

It's been so long since PMDG has made a brand new, "bespoke" plane that I can't even imagine what it would be. Hasn't it been over a decade since we've gotten something new? I'm not being critical of PMDG at all. I've been a loyal customer since 2002. But, man -- it's been a while since we've seen something from them that was completely...new. 

Agreed, would have loved to have seen a 787 from them, but I think that will never happen.

Cool.

Edited July 16, 20232 yr by MikeH99

5 minutes ago, DavidP said:

Agreed, would have loved to have seen a 787 from them,.

Or even a 757 or 767. Back in the day PMDG made a 757 for Fly!2!

45 minutes ago, Wise87 said:

Or even a 757 or 767. Back in the day PMDG made a 757 for Fly!2!

Yep, I had a copy of the 757. Fly! Would have been a great platform but for the untimely death of it's lead developer

I would love a PMDG 737-300,400 and 500. And the 757,767

I think I'd love anything PMDG chose to do.