Microsoft Flight

[Charlie]

I know that everyone has been let down by the fact that Microsoft flight will be a game not a sim but I still think that is is pretty good that you can get it for free. You have got to put in perspective, they will have made very little money if they only made a sim that satisfied the hard core simmers and that is not the way big companies work. It's not just Microsoft that is like that. Anyway, I still think that a flight game for xbox will be pretty cool and I might even buy it. As for the game, I have a mac so I will never get to try it. Thats just my opinion, whats yours?

[Simmo W]

That's the problem, Flight isn't available for Xbox.

Yeah, it's great it's free, just like I've downloaded countless demos on my PS3, and then uninstalled as many. I'll treat it the same. Best to stop the conjecture and (hopefully) be pleasantly surprised on the 29th!

[larjeet]

I have a theory that microsoft is about alow the use of Xbox games on PC . People have told me that this would not make sense because they make so much on the Xbox Hardware . But lets face most xbox users also have PCs, Game consoles are basically designed for the none technical gamers, users that dont want to or find it to hard to install and setup pc games . They just want Plug and play . Now that the kinect is usable on PC windows7 and 8 microsoft could create Xbox Emulation software to run Xbox games on PC . What would microsoft gain from this ? They could save money by producing games on only one format .

[ipaxton]

I can see microsoft making "Flight" available for xbox 360, unfortunately though with flight being marketed as a game not a sim I don't see it doing that well specially with hard-core simmers. 1600 microsoft points for the rest of the Hawaiian islands which is $19.99. Can you imagine how much money you would have to spend for the whole world? I guess I just don't see the big picture here as I can't see how Flight will survive.

[Charlie]

I can see microsoft making "Flight" available for xbox 360, unfortunately though with flight being marketed as a game not a sim I don't see it doing that well specially with hard-core simmers. 1600 microsoft points for the rest of the Hawaiian islands which is $19.99. Can you imagine how much money you would have to spend for the whole world? I guess I just don't see the big picture here as I can't see how Flight will survive.

The hardcore simmers have XP10, maybe microsoft flight will help people who have never played a flightsim to get serious about it, introduce them to the hobby. No-one has even tried it yet, all I'm saying is keep your mind open and before you complain, just think. For all we know it could be a lot of fun.

[ch47]

The only thing that truly EVER made FSX any good to begin with was their addons. MS Fight is pretty much starting as an addon now. They have Hawaii, and then it will probably be Southern California, Northern California, and then Arizona or one of those other 6 US states that seems to have better gps imagery, thus every single flight sim developer makes scenery for. Had they been smart, they would have learned from their flaws, produced a better full sim from the ground up, and relied on their aftermarket following to continue to develop the great addon products that made theirs sell to begin with. MS isn't even bothering to pay the cost of mass-producing software for it. It will run through GFWL, which is essentially little more than a tool that they use to control piracy. There is no financial loss to them if it does flop, and thats all MS cares about anymore.

I predict that Flight is going to flop horribly, aside from a small niche of people who will be new to it. If anything, I hope it will make that niche of people more interested in simulation, and further build this community.

[chris k]

Does it have power-ups? I heard it had power-ups. Power-ups give you aileron roll ability +1.

I also like how there's now a Flight Marketplace, so you can purchase additional power-ups (like more engines for your Cessna 172, I say 3 is the right amount, but Ive seen guys with 5 or 7 engines on their Cessna 172. Ive also seen guys with Rockets, and one with 5 landing wheels, but I think that costs like $4.99)

You can also pimp your vertical stabilizer with cool decal colouring for only $0.99, and add ring-tones and Justin Bieber sounds to your NAV radio.

I also like how you can trade stuff... like how you can trade altitude for airspeed.

Man, It's Gunna Be AWESOME!

- CK.

[Simmo W]

+150 MS credits Chris, very funny!

[Simmo W]

Hang on, I just saw your Justin Bieber comment, that's NOT funny, its very SCARY..

[larjeet]

Chris it sounds like you have Bieber fever . What next a de havilland Bieber

[chris k]

Now now.... the Canadian Government has formally apologized for Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, and Bryan Adams on numerous occasions.

Oooh MS points! what do I win? bigger fuel tanks? an ADF radio? =)

- CK.

[GrahamH]

Oh and sorry for Nickelback and Pamela Anderson as well! I'm sure that Sir Stanford Flemming makes up for the all. (Creator of the 24 hour time zones) Makes Jet lag more organized.

[TedG]

Now now.... the Canadian Government has formally apologized for Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, and Bryan Adams on numerous occasions.

I saw Bryan Adams in concert many zillion years ago and he was pretty friggin good. Then again Heart was the opening act

Ahhh....yeah....but there is Rush to consider as still awesome. And I always thought Celine Dion was actually a vamping Wayne Gretzky!

Also

[GrahamH]

Haha. How did this discussion get here?

[Bigbear]

Like a lot of hardcore simmers i was angry and felt left alone when became clear that Microsoft would not release a 'Flight Simulator 11' at this moment.

Nevertheless I shall try Ms Flight 'game or simulator' without prejudice, it's not my habit like some fanatics in several forums i read, to reject it before i know it or tried it.

Yes it has no real weather, no AI planes, no ATC,... but IF the flight dynamics are ok, IF you can, beside 'playing' it with low realism settings with your mouse or keyboard, also 'fly' it with high realism settings with my Saitek yoke, pedals and quadrants and if it is at least as realistic as FSX with addon expansions then it can be nice because the graphics look very good.

In this optimistic scenario it could have the technical potential for growing and even becoming a kind of FS 11. But even in that case i'm afraid it will be limited because there will be no room for third party addons so it seems.

So in the worst scenario there's besides an expanded FS 2004 or FSX, only X-Plane 9.7 or the new XP10 as a real modern simulator left.

Yes FSX is no more a game than XP10 like serious flightsimmers know, both have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Yes XP10 has indeed great potential but is still in an early beta with many drawbacks: At this moment there are still no buildings on most airports, no seasonal textures, clouds are more processor demanding than FSX even with my GTX 570 card, there is not much AI Traffic in the air unless you let drop your framerate, etc .....)

I still don't have the feeling in XP10 to be in a 'living, plausible world, but i hope it will be better in future updates. ( XP 9.7 took some it's time also).

Some call a realistic looking world 'eye candy'. I suppose those people fly only in night conditions or perhaps blindfolded.

There is also the new AeroflyFS from Ikarus: great potential but also very restricted at this stage: only (stunning graphics !) Switzerland, instruments: only the 'basic six' for VFR flying (no fuel or weight control, no radio's, no NAV, so no IFR and no ATC) but good flight dynamics thanks to their experience with gliding simulation i suppose.

And you have of course also the FREE Flight Gear and iFly! Legacy: very nice projects in evolution, especially !Fly! Legacy, but at this moment not a real alternative for an expanded FSX or X-Plane.

In my humble opinion FSX flight dynamics are in general still a bit more realistic at this moment than XP 10.04 ( i now buckle my seat belt and put my my helmet on ): groundhandling problems with wind, still exagerated yaw from props (to much left rudder in level flights, ...), luckily the flight dynamics in one of the the latest betas in wind and turbulence are more realistic, a roller coaster was fun but not realistic flying!

I fly from time to time as passenger with a friend of mine who pilot's a Cessna 182 RG.

He is not a simulator fanatic, he says no simulator feels 'real' enough to him, but tried several times my FSX and XP10 demo and has the same comments about the flight dynamics i mentioned. So he claims FSX has still the 'closest' feel in general, except for stalling where XPX should have some advantage.

I will test every new release candidate or beta, but i'm very happy at this moment to go back to my trusted and balanced expanded FSX. Maybe in the future i shall buy XPX.

Oh yes: the FSX bashers may start shooting NOW, but some arguments would be nice also.

I5 2500K @ 4.3 Ghz

Asus P8Z68 M-PRO

8 GB 1600 DDR RAM --------------------Saitek Pro Flight Yoke

Intel SSD320 160 Gb --------------------Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals

Asus GTX 570 DCII 1.28 Gb ----------2x Saitek Throttle Quadrant

WD Caviar Black 1 Tb

Windows 7 - 64 bit

Early days: FS2 > FS4 > FS5.1 > FS98 > FS2002 > FS2004

Now: FSX Expanded and X-Plane 10 Demo

Edited February 17, 2012 by Bigbear

[larjeet]

Graham because we are always saying sorry Eh

[chris k]

Bigbear - my comments were not to be taken with any serious consideration. =P

Agreed - We will look and evaluate Flight. I'm interested too - Hope it runs OK under VMWare (most things seem to work fine on my Macbookpro that way in VmWare4 using Win7-64).

- CK.

[Bigbear]

Bigbear - my comments were not to be taken with any serious consideration. =P

Hi CK,

Of course they weren't, i like humour.

It's just that it disturbs me every time i still read in a forum things like 'FSX is a game', 'there is only one 'serious' flight simulator', or that 'hardcore simmers have XP only'.

Usually by people who never tested FSX seriously with the right hardware.

Until now a third party like PMDG or iFly released their fantastic B737 NG only for FS9 or FSX. Why not for X-Plane? Lack of confidence, conversion problems, or was the community just still to small? (Not enough profit). Luckily PMDG announced they will start developing for X-Plane. I think that the community deserves it.

So things go the good way. I just hope it doesn't take until XP 10.7 before XPX is 'mature' like with 9.7

It's also a question of priorities for Laminar Research. I mean why for instance put they time and effort in a mobile 'telephone' (game?) version if they still don't provide most airports in the desktop version with generic but 'plausible' scenery?

The good thing is of course that there are constant updates for XPX, so i am optimistic

I5 2500K @ 4.3 Ghz

Asus P8Z68 M-PRO

8 GB 1600 DDR RAM --------------------Saitek Pro Flight Yoke

Intel SSD320 160 Gb --------------------Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals

Asus GTX 570 DCII 1.28 Gb ----------2x Saitek Throttle Quadrant

WD Caviar Black 1 Tb

Windows 7 - 64 bit

Early days: FS2 > FS4 > FS5.1 > FS98 > FS2002 > FS2004

Now: FSX Expanded and X-Plane 10 Demo

Edited February 18, 2012 by Bigbear