Well, as a loyal X-Plane user since v. 2.5.......X-Plane, you were a good friend. I won't speak for the professional community of persons using X-Plane (flight schools & instructors, aerospace corporations, government agencies, etc.), but I'd have issues knowing that my software that I use can be purchased from steam, right along side with (as another poster here pointed out), violent, gore filled GAMES. Can you imagine the following conversation?: Student in NTPS (National Test Pilot School): WOW, this sim is GREAT! What's it called?! IP: X-Plane! Student: Could I get this for MY computer? IP: Uhhhh, yeeeaaah. Student: How? IP: (Putting his head down and trying not to say it too loud).....Steam. Student: Oh. All THIS coming at a time when X-Plane was attracting more and more 3rd party developers, especially those that have been well established in the MSFS world. The only saving grace will be that XP will be available on disk as well, which I understand they said it will.....but for how long? I work away from home in the Gulf of Mexico, and am gone for days, if not WEEKS at a time, with NO INTERNET! if and when the day comes DVD and / or dongle is dropped from the lineup (and I can see that coming), how is someone with no internet connection available supposed to enjoy his software that his computer demands to be connected to steam on? I remember a few years back, Austin gloating how MS listed their MSFS under the "games" section on their own website. How different is this now for X-Plane? Chris