New Microsoft Flightsim!

[IslandBoy77]

QUOTE (AndrewJamez @ Oct 25 2010, 07:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think (and hope like hell) that they are just using a tweaked FSX to pre-market "FLIGHT" because they are not advanced enough yet to showcase anything and they want everyone to get hooked on these little soap opera teasers. On the other hand if Microsoft have given their new developers the fsx code as a starting base, they should toss the towel in now because no one will fall for all the hype.

( I was going to say that if they use the old flight simulator code as a base that they should all be shot. But I refrained.)

Dieogo's comment from Ice Age comes to mind "You were thinkin' it..."

[Ian Warren]

As complex as it is or seems .. DX9=DX10 .. 10 works with your hi end hardware , FSE 'FLIGHT' hmm they dumped the team , more problems in the future ?

[ZK-DWF]

I see the Microsoft Flight site has a new 'teaser' video (Webisode2). Same biplane, but a lot more look at the scenery and runways.

By the commentary, sounds like it is part of a tutorial.

[Yankiwi]

Hmmm...interesting developments afoot in SimLand. Actually, what MS are doing with "Flight" is quite clever: They are signalling a 'vague' strategic intent, doing so as both pre-marketing and as a competitive blocking manoeuvre, whilst giving out little really useful or telling information. Given MS is a dominant player, all of this teasing and 'vapour-ware' activity benefits them significantly -- and at very little relative cost -- by increasing 'noise' and confusion in the marketplace. Competitors and add-on developers, usually fairly small operations, don't/can't know what actually is coming, or when, and may be tempted to delay or limit their investments and development efforts to reduce their (perceived) risk. Potential customers may well be inclined to wait to see what "Flight" actually is before they purchase additional add-ons, etc. - which also weakens MS's competitors -- and perhaps partners, too, if Flight truly is to be wholly/largely internally developed. [Interestingly, X-Plane is doing somewhat the same thing with their now-delayed introduction of X-Plane 10.] Stay tuned...it's going to get very, very interesting in 2011!

[Adamski]

QUOTE (Yankiwi @ Jan 18 2011, 05:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm...interesting developments afoot in SimLand. Actually, what MS are doing with "Flight" is quite clever:

Agreed. Sadly, this ploy is as old as the hills. What used to be "healthy/genuine competition" is now "bully-boy" tactics employed by the bigger companies to get an unfair advantage over their perceived adversaries. It used to be something MS were particularly well known for, but they certainly didn't invent the strategy. I suppose it's all part and parcel of this wonderful capitalist system - that delivers (to us) amazingly powerful sims/add-ons for relative peanuts!

I think the single cleverest thing MS did with MSFS was to make it open-ended - opening up the possibilities for all these other companies to add value. Cynics would say that this is just MS making sure other people finish the job for them, but I've reinstalled FS2009 and FSX enough times to know that even vanilla MSFS is an amazing piece of software. Granted, I'm so used now to my favourite add-ons that it all looks pretty bleak without them, but it's still "pretty damn' good", I say.

With "Flight" (or whatever it ends up being called), if they can create a robust but open engine/platform, they simply can't fail.

[Olderndirt]

QUOTE (Adamski @ Jan 18 2011, 02:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With "Flight" (or whatever it ends up being called), if they can create a robust but open engine/platform, they simply can't fail.

"Aye, there's the rub" as the guy from Denmark would say. My view is that MS intends that there be no 'open ends' or loose ends with this next venture. Whether it's an Xbox game or a product for PC's, all aspects - before and aftermarket will be under MS's direct control. This is their M.O. - like it or not.

[connor]

Well I have one word for Microsoft, "Backwards Compatability." Ok, that's actually two words, but you get the picture

[Adamski]

QUOTE (connor @ Jan 19 2011, 12:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I have one word for Microsoft, "Backwards Compatability." Ok, that's actually two words, but you get the picture

I know what you mean but if the whole engine is substantially improved/re-written, I wonder whether that'd be possible. To be honest, I don't know how software producers *ever* manage to make their new apps compatible. I suppose they're just cleverer than me .

Certainly would be a shame to lose most of all those luvverly (and expensive) add-ons accumulated over the months ...

[connor]

Surely a simpe (ish) conversion tool could be written. You know, file goes in one end (BGL for example), and comes out the other in the "new and improved format," (SBDALDG, or what ever convoluted encryption the boys and girls at Microsoft manage to come up with).

[Adamski]

QUOTE (connor @ Jan 19 2011, 06:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Surely a simpe (ish) conversion tool could be written. You know, file goes in one end (BGL for example), and comes out the other in the "new and improved format," (SBDALDG, or what ever convoluted encryption the boys and girls at Microsoft manage to come up with).

May work for scenery/static objects, but what about aircraft ... moving parts, avionics ... arrrgh!!!

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (Adamski @ Jan 19 2011, 07:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

May work for scenery/static objects, but what about aircraft ... moving parts, avionics ... arrrgh!!!

Dont worry Adam......just do what you do, its all part of a global conspiracy....mind control....another facet of this "your never good enough" society we have too endue day after day.. ..FSX Rules ...i refuse too bow down too these people......dollor driven pack of w*****s .......blatant exploitation of a hobby that started with the right motives.

[Timmo]

QUOTE (connor @ Jan 19 2011, 12:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I have one word for Microsoft, "Backwards Compatability." Ok, that's actually two words, but you get the picture

FSnext/FS11/Flight is planned not to be backwards compatible- This decision was made due to the poor performance of FSX caused by all that code sitting there just in case someone had an older aircraft/addon.

Flight, in terms of addons is going to simply drop (or at least not guarantee) backwards compatibility so that they can make best use of current technology.

[connor]

QUOTE (Timmo @ Jan 20 2011, 04:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FSnext/FS11/Flight is planned not to be backwards compatible- This decision was made due to the poor performance of FSX caused by all that code sitting there just in case someone had an older aircraft/addon.

Flight, in terms of addons is going to simply drop (or at least not guarantee) backwards compatibility so that they can make best use of current technology.

That's fun, now that all the developers are finally getting there heads around fsx and creating brilliant addons like VLC and CS C-130, Microsoft go and change it all. It's a shame really it will hamper there sales drastically due to people not wanting to leave fsx (now there is something I didn't think I would say )

[deaneb]

Its not going to be catastrophic - a 3d model is still a 3d model, a texture is still a texture - it will just mean it may need exporting to a slightly different format. Its happened before - it just took a little time to get the converters out there to do it. To be honest FSX has been the longest version I've ever stayed designing for, so change is nothing new.