Sky Blue radio interview with PMDG's RSR on various topics

[lwt1971 7,464]

Some timestamps:

lukewarm reception of UFT: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=2260
- they expected a broad swath of reception across the spectrum
- they don't view products as release and move on, fully expect to continually improve, in a 1-7 year timeframe (they expect at least 2 more years of improvements coming to the UFT/EFB) .. "2 years from now the drama from today will be in rear view mirror"
- he's ok with being not appreciated or people having problems with it, they "just allow the products to speak for themselves"
- later on at end of interview he also touches on the developers who worked hard on it and had to do re-work once they support they wanted in MSFS finally came etc (I think personally for me at least I have nothing against those devs)

censorship of criticism on their forum and threshold article: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=2823
(Pilot Club lead asked this question, he's seen such concerns within his own club too, also concerns about PMDG under-delivering)
- in any community there have to be behaviour expectations so they have some for their forum
- they are fine with actual product criticisms and they want it .. what they actually remove/censor is grandstanding and "being a d***" behaviour
- "if you come to our forum and you're upset about our product then your voice should be heard" ... but in this dialogue they have an expectation that people are kind to each other without attacking/trolling or being antagonistic (bans are only for very serious infractions)
- he admits there is a perception that he and PMDG is "rigid" .. he admits a portion of the community feels that PMDG is antagonistic towards them, and PMDG is working on improving this, and how perception is reality.
- they felt they were like a big fish in a small pond in the P3D days.. and now market size is orders of magnitude larger, so they need to change and learn, especially from other developers in the MSFS market.

dev community and future, given MSFS changing flight sim market: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=4221
- incredible competition in freeware and payware after msfs, vs before when they were "comfortably" at top (good that he admits that I guess? 🤷‍♂️)
- bad products being available on MSFS marketplace dilutes everything else, can tarnish value of actually good products on the marketplace
- nearly everyone on PMDG team came from freeware community

more casual simmers & gamers getting into the community: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=4782
- RSR thinks this is a good thing since coming into MSFS is an opportunity to expand their interest in more fidelity i.e. "gateway drug", even if it's a small portion of these who get interested in higher fidelity aircraft as that's net new users interested in more serious simming
- PMDG trying to lower price point to increase this entry of more casual users

737 MAX plans: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=5249
- plan is still to release it, but not giving timeline
- will get a short window of notice before release
- currently some of the primary developers for 737 MAX are on 777 development

Possible airbus in future: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=5422
- RSR would like to do an A350 (out of all the airbuses that's what he really wants to do), lack of documentation is a problem

ACARS, CPDLC, Datalink, 777, GFO, etc: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=5617
- 777 has datalink capabilities currently simulated, but needs to connect to outside world (to be fed data)
- intending to release 777 with these capabilities

Future products for MSFS, team expansion, etc: https://youtu.be/QByw5jN43Bc?t=6329
- re: community frustratation who feel PMDG are slow: recent hiring binge has dramatically increased the team size, they plan to hire more in 2024
- apart from 737, 777, and then 747, there are other airplanes they'd like to develop, so therefore have been hiring and will hire more
- those teams are working on these other aircraft currently and when ready to talk about they'll reveal
 

Edited November 19, 2023 by lwt1971

[Drumcode 1,908]

Thanks for the cliff notes. Can't stand the man and his voice so I'm going to pass on this. 😉

[regis9 4,041]

Thanks for this, I’d be curious on the cliff notes for the first two items.

[lwt1971 7,464]

1 minute ago, regis9 said:

Thanks for this, I’d be curious on the cliff notes for the first two items.

Hehe actually I skipped those sections and wanted to learn more about the future stuff, will try to re-listen and update.
 

[outermarker 237]

PMDG A350, sign me up!

[JYW 2,990]

RSR's responses, as always, was articulate and prose-rich.

The problem is, I saw the Threshold editors post (that led to his ban, then reduced to a penalty) and it was not a personal attack whatsoever.  It was long and comprehensive but it really was limited to criticism about the direction and performance of PMDG.

And yet in this interview, RSR states "We LOVE criticism".

I think sometimes, it's not RSR who does this banning but over-zealous forum mods.

Edited November 20, 2023 by JYW

[F737MAX 5,738]

3 hours ago, OuterMarker said:

PMDG A350, sign me up!

No thanks. They're pretty good at Boeings and a payware quality/'study level' 787 from them would, generally, be well received.

[JBDB-MD80 1,490]

3 hours ago, OuterMarker said:

PMDG A350, sign me up!

PMDG don't do Airbus. That is more Lefteris @ FS Labs territory.

Edited November 20, 2023 by JBDB-MD80

[outermarker 237]

55 minutes ago, F737MAX said:

No thanks. They're pretty good at Boeings and a payware quality/'study level' 787 from them would, generally, be well received.

After decades of Boeings only it would be really interesting to see an Airbus, especially the A350 made by them.

28 minutes ago, JBDB-MD80 said:

PMDG don't do Airbus. That is more Lefteris @ FS Labs territory.

Did you read the OP or nah?

[JBDB-MD80 1,490]

15 minutes ago, OuterMarker said:

After decades of Boeings only it would be really interesting to see an Airbus, especially the A350 made by them.

Did you read the OP or nah?

Don't have to not going to happen anytime soon. Maybe in the 2030's

Edited November 20, 2023 by JBDB-MD80

[F737MAX 5,738]

3 minutes ago, OuterMarker said:

After decades of Boeings only it would be really interesting to see an Airbus, especially the A350 made by them.

If PMDG had the expertise of developing Airbus airliners and their FBW logic, it would be a more appealing prospect.

That they want to work on the most complex airliner in Airbus' range of products at their first attenpt is either 1. naive, or 2. a throwaway comment solely to spark some advertising. Fenix, FSLabs (if they ever show up) and iniBuilds have a far stronger pedigree and are more likely to develop the A350 before PMDG gets round to it.

[lwt1971 7,464]

RSR was just answering a question the interviewer asked, if PMDG would ever do an airbus.. and he said he'd *like* to do the A350 of all the airbus models as a personal preference. He didn't say they were doing it, and also said obviously due to the other aircraft in their pipeline any airbus would only come after those.
 

Edited November 20, 2023 by lwt1971

[chapstick 2,763]

3 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

RSR was just answering a question the interviewer asked, if PMDG would ever do an airbus.. and he said he'd *like* to do the A350 of all the airbus models as a personal preference. He didn't say they were doing it, and also said obviously due to the other aircraft in their pipeline any airbus would only come after those.
 

This...

 

10 minutes ago, F737MAX said:

If PMDG had the expertise of developing Airbus airliners and their FBW logic, it would be a more appealing prospect.

That they want to work on the most complex airliner in Airbus' range of products at their first attenpt is either 1. naive, or 2. a throwaway comment solely to spark some advertising. Fenix, FSLabs (if they ever show up) and iniBuilds have a far stronger pedigree and are more likely to develop the A350 before PMDG gets round to it.

...but also, PMDG would do fine programming an Airbus product. It's not like they've never done a FBW aircraft before. Also, very interesting that you'd group inibuilds with Fenix/FSL. They aren't at that level yet. Maybe in the future. 

[ryanbatc 13,053]

I'm still hoping for a pmdg B757-200.

[F737MAX 5,738]

23 minutes ago, chapstick said:

...but also, PMDG would do fine programming an Airbus product. It's not like they've never done a FBW aircraft before.

I'm not convinced. True, the 777 is FBW, but the whole Airbus ethos is different from what they are used to. IMO, it would involve either a long learning process, buying in expertise or both.

iniBuilds were listed solely due to having Airbus products in their catalogue with new ones in the pipeline. That puts them in a stronger position, even if they haven't demonstrated high capability yet.

 

34 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

RSR was just answering a question the interviewer asked, if PMDG would ever do an airbus

Fair enough, nothing to lose from saying he's interested.

 

3 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

I'm still hoping for a pmdg B757-200.

While I'm interested in the BlueBird Sim 757 coming next year, RSR was recorded holding with that 757 model aeroplane in a video some time ago...