https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/346842-15feb25-we-forgot-you-on-valentine-s-day-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-don-t-love-you-so-here-is-some-news-about-777-200er-ops-center-3-msfs24-747-100

777-200ER in beta testing, releasing first for 2020 then 2024
DC-6 for 2024 is being worked on
747 development is accelerating on both visuals/front-end and back-end, with addition of devs from other projects as they become available.

Re: 777 and MSFS 2024:
During the past few weeks we have been working with 777 in MSFS2024. Here is our current viewpoint:

We have been using the MSFS2024 SDK to build the 77W, 777F and 200ER inside MSFS2024 with a high degree of success. We have had a few intermittent, non-repeatable issues that caused the entire cockpit to cease updating, and for that reason we are still not entirely comfortable that all of the platform-side issues have been resolved completely. Work continues to push the airplane harder in sim to see if we can rule in or rule out problems with the very latest SU1 beta update, and if we are being candid all of us were quietly pleased to hear that MS/Asobo have elected to hold the SU1 update a bit longer, as stability for WASM based products is obviously extremely important to PMDG.

At this moment, I would describe my confidence in the PMDG/MSFS2024 combination as strong-and-growing. I am still laying awake at night terrified that some last minute change in the SU1 release profile might break our products- and this is why we continue to refrain from estimating release dates or promising a release concurrent with the SU1 update rollout.

We are aware that the existing MSFS2020 versions do work for some customers in MSFS 2024, but we know for a fact that these customers are effectively "playing with the fuse lit" and eventually some known instabilities between the 2020 and 2024 versions will bite you... This is why we are building the 2024 versions using the 2024 SDK- and you will eventually want to use them once we get them released to you.

Re: 737 and MSFS 2024:
We are not yet evaluating the 737NG in MSFS 2024, as we are using the 777 as the learning tool. Once we begin pushing the 777s into MSFS 2024, we will direct attention to the 737. 737 in MSFS 2024 will be getting a number of new features as part of a normal midlife update for that product line, but the exact sequence and rollout timelines won't be known with any clarity until we have the 777s off of our plate.
We are moving as quickly as progress allows!

Re: charging for 2024 upgrades:
I have seen a few folks try to create drama by proclaiming "pmdg just wants to charge us!" This is not the case. In reality, if we were trying to enforce an upgrade charge, we already know that those mechanisms are in place for MSFS 2024 Marketplace, and we'd simply be able to tell you to expect it. We are actually trying to go the other direction, toward no-charge transitions for our 777 customers, but there are some loose definitions and words in the information that we have been given thus far, and those need to be clarified with certainty before we promise you anything.
 

Edited February 16, 20251 yr by lwt1971

Hmm, it sounds like we'll be lucky to see the 737 this year.

 

 

You can fly the 777 in the 2024 SU1 beta right now if you just spawn on the runway first then just teleport/slew to a gate.

I've done 3 flights so far and the only issue I've noticed (so far) is that you can't change the altitude knob's.. I don't know the name of the function, the amount of numbers it scrolls through at once.

If you've spawned at a gate once already you'll need to delete the 777 WASM folder in the MSFS2024 AppData folder for it to rebuild.

There's just something with 2024 that breaks the WASM if you spawn at a gate.

Their 747 classic is slowly becoming my most anticipated aircraft ever in flight sim. I simply cannot wait for another advanced level 747. It's been way too long since the old ready-for-pushback 747 back in the FS9 days! 

By the end of February, many will be enjoying the iniBuilds A350 on either MS20 or 24. That will satisfy most for quite some time I think.

bring on the 744!

Well, if iFly get there's working in 2024 before PMDG I will purchase their aircraft. I sense a lot of self-importance with this dev and making things seem more difficult than they really are. Am I also reading this right that they are possibly back pedaling on no-charge for the 777 update? I didn't purchase this aircraft but I remember they said it would be a free update for those that did. This statement seems to be in direct opposition to that.

2 hours ago, lwt1971 said:

We are actually trying to go the other direction, toward no-charge transitions for our 777 customers, but there are some loose definitions and words in the information that we have been given thus far, and those need to be clarified with certainty before we promise you anything.

 

I wish every aircraft developer the fewest possible problems and the best of success in delivering products to the 2024 platform.  (Including PMDG).   

But... Past experience with the company leads me to never buy anything from them again myself.   Don't ask why, how I feel isn't intended to bash them or influence anyone else's choices, and I won't be persuaded by anyone else's views now.  But for those of you who do want these products, I hope PMDG are able to deliver for you in a reasonable timeframe...

Edited February 16, 20251 yr by kevinfirth

The PMDG 737 was my aircraft of choice in 2020.  They've since dropped the ball and I've moved on to other developers now I've migrated to 2024.  Too slow!

2 hours ago, flyingscampi said:

Hmm, it sounds like we'll be lucky to see the 737 this year.

 

 

So, you're the optimistic type then.

Very relieved to see the DC-6 is being worked on. It's still one of my all-time favourite aircraft.

I think charging for the 2024 upgrade isn't really the issue here unless I missed where they clearly mentioned that "no charge". 

I didn't see anybody bent out of shape when they paid big money for the MSFS2024, which is on the same platform with some minor changes and, unfortunately, so broken.

There are definitely some changes that require coding adjustments, which is time-consuming.

Unfortunately, PMDG never addressed bugs in their products during the transition to other platforms. So the question is, why would one spend more money on products or upgrades when they don't fix known issues from previous releases?

 

I don't think it’s a problem to pay for an upgrade to 2024. However, if they don't fix the obvious issues, I’m not willing to spend even a cent on the same broken items. They need to deliver a better product. Unfortunately for them, customers already see the difference with other developers and choose based on what is a better choice and a much better product. 

Part of me gets annoyed with PMDG when I read these but the other part of me gets  annoyed with Asobo.  There’s no reason for major devs like PMDG to have “uncertainties”  with varying things at this point.

My two personal takeaways are:

- hopefully iFly is close to getting their 737max into 2024 because it sounds like the PMDG 737 will be awhile.  
- I’m glad I didn’t buy the 777F on the premise that the 2024 upgrade would be free since it looks like they’re waffling again on that.  I’m tired of hearing the “we really don’t want to charge you for an upgrade but we might be forced to”.  I bought all of my aircraft from PMDG directly, they absolutely don’t have to charge for an upgrade for anything bought directly from them if they don’t want to.  If for some reason Microsoft “forces” them to charge for an upgrade on the marketplace, them’s the breaks of buying from the marketplace, just like delayed patches.  There’s no need for uncertainty in upgrade costs for people who bought directly from them.

I also thought we were promised at least the 777F would be a free upgrade, if not, that's my last PMDG aircraft. There's better devs out there now, raising the standard .

13.2K iFly 737 8 MAX
52.5K PMDG 737-800
58.7K Fenix A320
162.7K FBW A32NX

On the livery download numbers on fs.to..... £3 Million ($3.7M) give or take  as I've rounded the figures down to 50 k downloads to account for re-downloads ( obviously Xbox user sales haven't been accounted for in these figures) So it would make sense to get these products to MSFS 24 ASAP just like Fenix did for pretty much day one. If iFly can get the 8 MAX to 24 first they could make a a giant leap in sales. 

I for one have been flying the 737 and the 777 (SU1 beta) with no issues other than to spawn on runway and teleport via GSX to gate plus as Tuskin38 said the alt dial cant change between 100-1000. So fingers cross the issue is small to get this to MSFS24 with SU1 goes live just to be compatible, then if any new features are added to justify a upgrade cost it is down to the user to decide if its worth the new features.