From the man himself..Joshua Howard

[Prowler1111]

Interview (http://forum.avsim.net/index.php?app=ccs&module=pages&section=pages&folder=%2FAVSIM+Pages&id=8)

important extracts:

JH: To deliver the improvements we wanted in Flight, we had to make some tough tradeoffs. One of those was breaking with the tools that enabled the rich 3rd party ecosystem we had with previous products in the franchise. I do think we will get back to that, but in the mean time we will be managing the content production

.and..

TA: We could spend the next week of your time asking questions of you; however one question is of importance to those of us that have supported the MS flight sim enterprise for decades. That question is probably one that you are not comfortable answering, but we’ll ask it anyway… Do you ever foresee a day when MS will return to its Flight Simulation product?

JH: Microsoft Flight is our effort to bring this franchise a whole new audience. Our focus now is on making Microsoft Flight the most enjoyable flying experience we can, for anyone who has imagined what it’s like to fly. If returning to Flight Simulator makes sense again sometime in the future, I am confident that Microsoft would not ignore that possibility, but it’s not something that is being actively considered today.


finally they admit is a freaking arcade game...regardless of those who enjoy it a lot or those of us who simply despise it.And is also evident they are not interested in develop a new simulator, which makes me think, prepar3d will be the next step, one day or the other.

Prowler

[CWOJackson]

MS isn't under an obligation to develop products in a specific manner; people can accept Flight for what it is to them, that's their choice.

Look at it this way, if there is that great of a demand for a new flight sim game that is completely open source for third party development, someone else will develop it.

[Major_Spittle]

I found Mr. Howard's comments very telling in how out of touch the Development team is for this game. He showed a lot of contempt toward the FS community and basically said that they don't care what the MSFS community wants that they are going a different direction and the MSFS community that is dissappointed in MS going this direction are dullards if they don't get behind the game or at least shut the hell up.

I would bet this is due to the person at MS in charge of this game getting heat due to all the negative press and the lack of acceptance by the public of this rather boring game with a lack of vision or purpose. My 10 and 14 year old absolutely thought it was pointless and they both play decided to play Wii Resort flying after about 8 minutes. Aerocaches did not thrill them and they were just plain bored after taking off and landing a few times. Oldest did (as he said) suffer through a mission in which you land the Icon by some boat.

So, not sure who the target audience is but they sure don't live in my house. I really hope the people that decided to go this route vs FSXI gets fired. I find it really strange with all the great computer hardward that they decided to make a simplistic game that doesn't even compete with the flight experience of none flight games such as Wii Resort, BattleField 3, BattleField 1942, and so forth.

And I am sure there will be people jumping all over me for wishing ill to MS management, but I have my opinion. Laying off Aces after making one add-on was real dumb, people have been making $ off FSX and still are. Pretty dumb decision for MS to not make money off their own game IMO. Then to hire a bunch of people to waste time and money making this flop, that is mismanagement. Mr. Howard's attacks on the MSFS community confirms he knows it was a big mess-up and that they made a game with no audience. Even if someone interested in flying did start playing this game and enjoyed it, how long before they would move on to FSX or X-Plane? My son asked me where the Helicopters were from before, I told him that was FSX and this is the new better FS. He said that flying around Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto) is more fun because you can land on buildings and get out and explore the city and it has people and cars. I thought about it for a minute and realise he was 100% correct. That has flying, missions, cars, boats, helos, planes, destructable content....... Flight has? That is what the Flight team missed out on with this game, a purpose. Heck, even I'd play it if it was built around a Grand Theft Auto environment (not the plot and killing, but the world with that mission style).

So there you go MS management, that is why you fail. Sad that everyone else sees it (took my 14 year old 8 minutes of play) but you are just that mismanged MS. And good luck with insulting people over your company's screw up Mr. Howard. :salute:

[wombat666]

Take yourself into a decent retail outlet that carries a full range of 'Computer Games' [so to speak] and play 'Find The Flight Simulators', even try 'Find the Simulators, Road, Rail, Sea and Air'.
SFA.
We are a minority market and yes, I KNOW there are decent numbers around the planet but compared to huge communities who are into garbage [my own personal opinion] such as 'World of Warcraft', 'Skyrim' and countless 'shooters' we barely rate a blip on Microsoft's radar.
Add the overdone 'Console Market' [I hate consoles with a passion!] into the mix and be thankful that we even have any decent 'Flight Simulations' available at all.
I was very interested to note that one of the major retail chains throughout Oz [JB HiFi] are carrying decent new stocks of FS2004 on the shelf at around A$40.00 each, more to the point, unless an item is in demand and selling JB will NOT stock it.
My local JB [managed by a close friend FWIW] has confirmed my observations, and as Steve reminded me, his store has seven aisles of Console rubbish compared to one and one only for PC users.
It is just supply and demand ........... PC users are vastly outnumbered and outgunned.

FYI, I'm a paid up 'investor' with WMD as part of a 'Community Developed' PC racing simulation, pCARS, and the Flightsim community need to get off their collective arses and do the same, it really works if enough people commit.

62110
We are presently at the 'pre Alpha' point and I'm more than pleased at our progress, the above is running at 60FPS with everything maxed out to 'full' at 1920x1080.
:jump:

[snowbird552]

Wow... I have to admit that until I read about the picture being a game, I truly thought it was a real photo. Well done.

[stansdds]

Wow... I have to admit that until I read about the picture being a game, I truly thought it was a real photo. Well done.

I thought the same thing.

The beauty of the console platform is that all of the consoles of the same version will have identical performance. That makes it easier for software developers to design games for that console. They can work out the bugs and optimize performance and know that everyone is going to have the same experience. I don't have a console, but I can see the allure.

[wombat666]

I thought the same thing.

The beauty of the console platform is that all of the consoles of the same version will have identical performance. That makes it easier for software developers to design games for that console. They can work out the bugs and optimize performance and know that everyone is going to have the same experience. I don't have a console, but I can see the allure.

I can agree 100% on that point, but we should also remember that a console is far cheaper than a PC, which is a very 'parent friendly' sales factor.
Re pCARS, just downloading the 'weekly Build' right now, all 3GB of it ......... should be a good weekend for racing.
:jump:

[Lionheart]

FYI, I'm a paid up 'investor' with WMD as part of a 'Community Developed' PC racing simulation, pCARS, and the Flightsim community need to get off their collective arses and do the same, it really works if enough people commit.

62110
We are presently at the 'pre Alpha' point and I'm more than pleased at our progress, the above is running at 60FPS with everything maxed out to 'full' at 1920x1080.
:jump:


Awesome looking racing game/sim Wombat! Brilliant realism... Imagine that being a runway, the countryside in the background, a plane instead of a car. The possibilities are endless....




I can agree 100% on that point, but we should also remember that a console is far cheaper than a PC, which is a very 'parent friendly' sales factor.
Re pCARS, just downloading the 'weekly Build' right now, all 3GB of it ......... should be a good weekend for racing.
:jump:


The only thing the 'Console' needs is to be able to plug in a keyboard. If you can plug in a keyboard to a USB port to run the things like landing gear, etc, then the console will be a threat to the PC market / gaming world. Its the keyboard thats holding them back. Fix that and put FS2004 or PrePar3D in there and I'll be getting that console.

[Lionheart]

One of those was breaking with the tools that enabled the rich 3rd party ecosystem we had with previous products in the franchise.

Prowler quoting JH

I wish the part about 'rich' was true. I could use that. :icon_lol:

[OleBoy]

FYI, I'm a paid up 'investor' with WMD as part of a 'Community Developed' PC racing simulation, pCARS, and the Flightsim community need to get off their collective arses and do the same, it really works if enough people commit.

For the amount of time I've had interest in flight simulation, and a drive trying to 'participate' and/or get involved, those in the know have never displayed any likings for new kids on the block.
Maybe all this stuff is going to remain a family, or ancient Chinese secret that some day someone will find again while geocaching.

[nigel richards]

Anyone waiting for Microsoft or any other commercial company for that matter, to give us all the 'perfect' flight simulator is living under a dillusion.

By their very nature, they will be catering for the masses. And I'm afraid to say very few regular visitors or contributers to the 'House' or any other dedicated site fall into the mass category.

We all tend to forget one very major legacy, however.
In producing the basic simulators FS9 and FSX, they provided us all with the excellent bones to literally build the very simulator(s) we all dream of.

And lets not give room for anymore 9 versus X nonsense. They're both full of enormous development potential and neither can be totally replaced with the other.

9 or X? It sounds like a childish joke...as if we all had to make a life or death decision on having just the one.
For goodness sake use both and darn well enjoy the merits of each.

They're both part of the same thing - Flight Simulation. FS!

So what am I talking about?

It's simple: what we really need to be doing is discussing the future of OUR simulators!
Because from the very first day someone decided to make an custom addon, FS ceased existing as a Microsoft simulator and began its long journey to becoming ours.

No room for development?
Are you kidding me?
I'd say that all the combined efforts of hobbyists and developers probably represents a generous 5% of true potential.

What else can be done?
Bad question!
What can't! It seems that everytime someone provides an explanation as to an FS limitation, someone else goes out and breaks those rules. Beautifully!

There are many examples of exciting doors and challenges laid ajar.
'Golden Wings' springs to mind. What an exciting concept, full of potential - aircraft, scenery, objects, weather....you name it.
And this is just one of many 'themes' possible for our simming world.

No Gentlemen, what we desperately need is not a new anything.
We need to pool our ideas, rescources and thoughts, and start pushing OUR simulator to greater heights.
And we need to do this as a creative, flourishing community ever seeking to enlist new talent and contribution.

Just looking around the 'House' each day, it always amazes me to see so many different projects in progress.
Aircraft, scenery, texturing and even tweaking.

The ball's in our corner, it's always going to be our choice as to the way WE as a community meet our own dreams and aspirations.