How important are the exterior views?

[Guest Fly II Pilot]

I wanted to share something I recently experienced...Could the following observations or behaviors explain the emphasis that Microsoft places on the exterior views?Some time ago, a friend of mine and his triplets visited us and, in an effort to entertain these three 6-year-olds, I offered them to play a DVD in my PC. When they saw the yoke and the pedals the plan suddenly changed; they wanted to use them! Since I didn't have any flying games such as Crimson skies, I fired up Fly! II. Initially they were quite impressed with the panels but once I cycled through the exterior views, they chose to fly the plane from the outside; they had no interest in the detailed cockpit inside.Most recently, another friend with his 8 and a 12-year-old sons visited us and again we ended up in front of the simulator. Interestingly, despite being older, these kids also chose the exterior view to fly the plane.Maybe Microsoft did some pretty good marketing research and found out that kids prefer the outside view and that's why they put so much attention to exterior details in aircraft.Maybe that's the secret behind selling millions of copies of every version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.Just a thought...Alejandro AmigorenaCheshire, CTFly! II Beta Team MemberAthlon XP 1800ABIT KR7A-RAID768Mb RAMMSI GeForce4 Ti4600 8xAGP 128MBSB Audigy GamerCH Flight Yoke USBCH Pro Pedals USBhttp://home.earthlink.net/~finsdad/FlyII/p..._aamigorena.jpg

[zfehr 1]

Interesting finding that I have also found true. An 8 year old just last night was visiting with his parents and he too preferred flying with the outside view. He soon became bored with both Fly!II and FS2k2 because the planes weren't fast enough and he couldn't shoot at anything.I can't recall who first used the term "game" for MSFS and "sim" for Fly but pretty much matches my views.Zane

[LAdamson 240]

>Maybe Microsoft did some pretty good marketing research and>found out that kids prefer the outside view and that's why>they put so much attention to exterior details in aircraft.>Ever noticed that the 800,000+ who flock to the Air Adventure at Oshkosh every year------------ have a great interest in "exteriors"Is Airliners magazine & Airliners.net just for kids, when so much is geared to exteriors?Did all these commercial pilots that I know, who have built great looking homebuilts, with beautiful exteriors------------- do it for nothing!Do museums let the exteriors rot------ or do only "kids" admire them?And lastly----- if the plane looks like crap on the outside, do you really want to get in it? Afterall, even in a simulation, you're trying to create a sense of reality. Poor renditions of exteriors, just "blow" the whole thing..L.Adamson

[Guest Fly II Pilot]

Larry,I think you're missing the point.What I was trying to say is that to sell millions of copies of a game (and no matter how much we love our sims they are still games) publishers can't forget about market segments such as kids, who seem to prefer the exterior views. That's all.The rest of your statements, although true, are totally unnecessary and uncalled for, since we all know that.I think your MS alarm is set too sensitive...Relax...Alejandro AmigorenaCheshire, CTFly! II Beta Team MemberAthlon XP 1800ABIT KR7A-RAID768Mb RAMMSI GeForce4 Ti4600 8xAGP 128MBSB Audigy GamerCH Flight Yoke USBCH Pro Pedals USBhttp://home.earthlink.net/~finsdad/FlyII/p..._aamigorena.jpg

[Guest Dean]

>And lastly----- if the plane looks like crap on the outside,>do you really want to get in it? I think that every time I board a worn out Southwest 737-200!

[LAdamson 240]

>I think your MS alarm is set too sensitive...>>Relax...>>I've had to put up with Avcomware (tv) in two different MSFS forums for two days now..... pushing FLY :)That must be the problem! :)L.Adamson

[flyfisher 0]

Alejandro,Maybe the reason is that the children prefer the scenery and greater sense of movement/speed that one experiences from the exterior views. Perhaps they just want to fly the plane and not bother about all the guages. (More of the instant gratification.)Next time you see them you should ask them why they prefer the exterior views.:-jumpy

[LAdamson 240]

A grandchild of mine, likes to pan around in exterior views. The panaramic views from spot view are more represenitive of what you'd see in real flight, due to "tunnel" vision of a monitor.I like to pan around myself.L.Adamson

[Roger Mazengarb 0]

G'day Alejandro,Whilst what you are saying does have a large element of truth in it; I mean looks is the initial attractor for all things. E.g. a meal well presented on a plate, an attractive woman, a snazzy car. We are all caught up in the looks appeal stakes. It's only when we delve deeper that we start discriminating on other parameters. Youngsters just aren't interested in glass cockpits no matter how well the cockpits have been modelled. It's boring for them. They want to fly under bridges, between buildings etc - everything that's illegal! :-) And to be able to view themselves doing it. :-) I think we were all a bit of an extrovert in our youth.I'ts only as we mature and take an interest in Aviation, flying and aircraft operation, that we start looking at what else a sim has to offer other than a good looking airframe.There was a thread in this forum not too long ago where people had a sudden urge to state their ages and not surprisingly I think the average was quite high ( about 50 ). I would be quite surprised to see any single digit ankle biters using fly! series. Unfortunately the sim is beyond thema. in complexityb. more importantly there is no way one can classify Fly! as a plug 'n' play piece of software. It requires technical know how to get it up and running.c. all their friends are using MSFS and peer group pressures come into play.As to whether Microsoft actually target people with a preference for eye candy is debateable ( and I don't intend to debate it):-)I will however state that it was the "eye candy" of beautiful clouds and unbelivable cockpit panels that first attracted me to Fly!. (from FS 95 )Cheers,Roger @YSSY

[Roger Mazengarb 0]

G'day Larry,>I've had to put up with Avcomware (tv) in two different MSFS>forums for two days now..... pushing FLY :)Now you know how I feel ! :-lolCheers,Roger @YSSY

[Guest Hagar]

"Youngsters just aren't interested in glass cockpits no matter how well the cockpits have been modelled. It's boring for them. They want to fly under bridges, between buildings etc - everything that's illegal! :-) And to be able to view themselves doing it. :-) I think we were all a bit of an extrovert in our youth."(Cough...!) At an age of 40, I still recognize myself here :(Except from still being childish, correct flight dynamics and natural skies is what i go for :)

[Sonar5 3]

Hi,I agree with you. With two boys, 12 & 8, They also prefer to fly outside the cockpit.When their friends play, they prefer outside, although I do make my kids fly inside the plane and do pattern work.ANyway, I agree with you, and Oshkosh bears that out. They fly outside and I think you ar eright about MS and their strategy. Outside views sell for the majority of customers, although in our segement, it is only a part of our reasoning, at least in my case.Regards,Joehttp://www.pbase.com/image/17687844.jpg.Politics - Give Me Liberty or Give Me Deathhttp://pub207.ezboard.com/bpoliticsgivemel...tyorgivemedeath.Contribute to the Richard Harvey Scholarship Fund.http://www.avsim.com/pages/scholarship.shtml

[Guest Steve Brown]

Its so true!I did show Fly2 to my Brother in law & Sister in law a while back. Both changed to the outside views. (Ages 40 + 30) When I asked why they said the dials put them off!If you dont know what the instruments are for it looks a bit too much maybe?All I know is Im lost without the instruments, I love Em!Steve.http://mysite.freeserve.com/fly2theuk/aragon.jpg][/divTHERE'S A BIG WAVE COMING!Whats New!http://mysite.freeserve.com/fly2theuk/fly2theuk/whatsnew.htmMy United Kingdom Scenery.http://library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=...&Go=Change+Viewhttp://mysite.freeserve.com/fly2theuk/avsim/bart.htm

[Guest Jan]

You have a point Alex.I have both friends outside the aviation buisnesand inside ( from my work)The first one's prefer outside view,and the latter the cockpit view.And if I had to chose between a nice external model with the wrong cockpit,or a correct cockpit with the wrong 3D model,I would prefer the latter.I'm not into RC flying :)Jan

[Guest chezz]

here's a exterior view.chris