Might wanna be sitting down for this one...

**bkeske** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:36

It's happening all over. I'm a residential architectural designer. Believe me, we have been decimated this past 6 months.

Thank God we are still alive an kicking, but it sure does not look good right now. Only the 'highest end' projects are currently keeping us afloat....for how long?

**Lionheart** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:38

Man... This is a big chunk of news.. I never though this day would come.

:faint:

Bill

**stiz** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:39

of course if the bosses of the big firms and such took pay cuts as well, heck could cull some of them off instead of the workers

**N400QW** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:39

Originally Posted by bkeske

It's happening all over. I'm a residential architectural designer. Believe me, we have been decimated this past 6 months.

Thank God we are still alive an kicking, but it sure does not look good right now. Only the 'highest end' projects are currently keeping us afloat....for how long?

Times are indeed tough Brian. Here's hoping your industry stays as healthy as possible.:focus:

**heywooood** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:42

Originally Posted by PhilTaylor

yes, I have contacts.

it's a sad day, that is all I can say at this point.

Sorry about your friends at ACES, Phil.

This IS a sad day, but talent is talent and there are viable flight sim development companies working now and others just waiting to be born.

the times are the times - but renewal is an ongoing process - this is just part of the process.

I hope this sad day will soon be looked back on as a golden opportunity and the day some NEW dreams were born

**war.ace** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:43

I heard how Canada's government is giving GM a loan so they won't have to lay off some more jobs. And thank God that Bombardier isn't being affected with this whole "loonie crash" thing.

**bkeske** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:45

Originally Posted by N400QW

Times are indeed tough Brian. Here's hoping your industry stays as healthy as possible.:focus:

Me too Ron. There are some upcoming aircraft I want to be able to be able to afford....hint....hint....

Thanks for the kind words.

**crashaz** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:52

Ugh... dejected is the word.

I haven't felt this bad about a simming company disappearing since Microprose.

**c87** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:57

It is a sad occurrence, for the people involved. But it could also be an opportunity. I could see a group of Aces individuals coming together to form their own flight sim development company -- the future of the (former) MS Flight Sim franchise.

I have a brother-in-law who was squeezed out of an engineering firm making high tech equipment (mngmnt was running the place into the ground). He and about 4 others started their own company, doing essentially the same thing as the company they left. That was 12 successful years ago. He's now the president of the new company and they're doing just fine.

**heywooood** · January 22nd, 2009, 16:59

Good Bye ACES - you made an outstanding Flight Simulator Series - providing endless amusement and entertainment and employment for many people, for many years.

That is No Small Achievement! :ernae: Thank You All

**heywooood** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:01

M/S - you have made another HUGE blunder - congratu-frikkin-lations

**kjb** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:09

I sure never saw this coming. The flow from this through the companies that make things for FS could be devastating. The design team at MS may be just the tip of the iceberg. People who make hardware and software addons for FS have to be very worried that their market will simply vanish. X Plane might be the only one to profit from this decision.

MCDesigns · January 22nd, 2009, 17:17

Wow, I really feel for the employees, but can't help but be angry, especially if the decision came from the bean counters. That would probably mean that the console design studios within MS are still going strong, at least for now. if true, yet another reason to NOT support consoles for me.

Man, I was really looking forward to FS11, if for nothing else to hopefully bring the community more together seeing how divided it is f between FS9 and FSX.

Hmm, I've always been a supporter of MS, might to rethink that now. I find it interesting that MS has to make severe cuts to stay afloat and a retailer, such as JCPenny is in the black with 2 bill on the books.

Wonder if Obama can give ACES a bailout, they/we need it more than the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

**heywooood** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:19

last note here from me as I'm eating bandwidth like candy here...jeez this sux

I hope the 3rd party development on FSX will continue as I look forward to flying FSX for many years to come and promise to spend $$ to the extend that I can on new terrain, scenery, aircraft etc..

and further - I would hope that some of the 3rd party groups would get in contact with any ACES people that might be available for hire directly or for consultation - to help with ongoing FSX related projects..or in Razbams case future 'from the ground up' flight simulations...EULA's and NDA's notwithstanding ofcourse

dammit - and to think - it was just a few weeks ago that the biggest problem we'd ever had around here was a smelly smilie

Ickie buddy - if only that could have been the end of it

**Prowler1111** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:19

Originally Posted by kjb

I sure never saw this coming. The flow from this through the companies that make things for FS could be devastating. The design team at MS may be just the tip of the iceberg. People who make hardware and software addons for FS have to be very worried that their market will simply vanish. X Plane might be the only one to profit from this decision.

I doubt this will be the end of the MSFS series, by far...give the Strike FIgthers comunity a look, they are with a 8 yrs old sim platform, which JUST got a new version(vista able) and it´s very limited(scenery wise) but going stronger than ever (and actually making it a very good combat sim)
The FSX engine is very powerful, as far as i can see, we are just scratching it´s whole capabilities, besides, i read nowhere that they are killing the franchise...
Let´s just NOT PANIC..
Prowler

**bkeske** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:24

Originally Posted by MCDesigns

Wonder if Obama can give ACES a bailout, they/we need it more than the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Not in my business

...anyway, I have more faith that the free marketplace will fix all this before the government will, or can.

**mike_cyul** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:26

Let's be sure not to lose or damage our FS9 and FSX CDs then. May not be able to buy replacements down the line, and we may need 'em for a while!

The only constant in life is change, and I guess this is just another example of that. The answer is adapting, which is a part of that process.

Perhaps it also means that developers will gradually fill in all the possibilities of FSX as time goes on, and make it the best ever. I certainly won't be leaving FSX behind, unless something much, much better appears.

Be interesting to see what happens next.

Mike

**CodyValkyrie** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:41

I just got a couple of calls from some clients, and made a few of my own. I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I just found out.

***Moses03*** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:51

Originally Posted by Prowler1111

...Let´s just NOT PANIC..

Exactly. Let's see what happens when we know all the facts. It's too easy to get all gloom and doom here. I just feel bad for the Aces team.

**MHAircraft** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:52

I'm sure I'm not the only one who started FS when it was known as the subLOGIC Flight Simulator.

Sad news as it is, I don't think we need to think of this as the end of FS. Maybe MS will resurrect the project when there's more money available. Maybe another company will buy the rights and continue. As long as there are enough of us to make it profitable, FS will live on.

**N2056** · January 22nd, 2009, 17:57

After I made the initial post I headed off to the gym to work off the initial shock...now I'm back, and still stunned.
I really hate to see people out of work, and I do hope that somehow these talented folks find some way to get back together and continue the legacy. I have been addicted to this simulation from the very first version that I flew on an Apple IIe many moons ago. Hard to believe it might actually be done.

I am very thankful that we have a version that is certainly workable in terms of developing content for. We will at least be able to enjoy what we have now for many years to come

**Gibbage** · January 22nd, 2009, 18:40

Hi guys. Im sure a lot of you know me from my work on both IL2 with the P-38, Go-229 and many many others, and many of my FSX add-on's.

In October, I started my dream job at MS, working on the ACES team as an artist for an un-announced title. Due to NDA, im sure you can understand me being vague. All I can say is I lost my job this morning, and what has happened has not fully sunk in for myself.

Needless to say, I am going to start back to work on 3rd party add-on's. FSX is far from dead, as the engine still has a lot of room for growth, and lots of developer tools for us to work with.

Again, due to the NDA, and the fact that I want to work in the game industry again (Breaking the NDA will kill my chances of any new job), I cant say any details at all about what happened, other then I myself no longer work at ACES.

Anyone need a good aircraft modeler with LOTS of experience?

harleyman · January 22nd, 2009, 18:45

Gibbage... I am truely sorry to hear this for you and your family...It is indeed a sad day for all...

What the hell are they thinking over there???????

You and all the MS folks will be in my thoughts during these rough times....

**LonelyplanetXO** · January 22nd, 2009, 18:48

Certainly agree that its sad to see good people lose their jobs, but there may be a silver lining to this. The problem with both FS9 and FSX were that they were heavily entrenched in M$' doctrine of "force hardware upgrades" and "force people to buy our rubbish OS products" which led to some really crap code and resulting performance issues which is what split the community in the first place. Fact is only Microsoft can get away with that sort of behaviour. The FS franchise itself is a valuable title - possibly the worlds longest running game so the rights are worth $$$. What if someone like EA gets hold of it? Imagine a version of FS that runs smoothly on any machine...even a Mac, or Linux machine! Maybe MS selling off FS is the best thing that could happen to the title. And all those talented developers would find an open door if that occurred.

LPXO