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Microsoft makes a return to Flight
One of the casualties of last year's layoffs at Microsoft was the Aces game studio responsible for the company's long-running Flight Simulator game. At the time, Microsoft promised that the flight simulation franchise would continue in one form or another. This week, Redmond confirmed that it is indeed following through with a new title: Microsoft Flight. The game is in its early development stages, with an alpha version nearly ready for internal testing, according to Kevin Unangst, a… (news.cnet.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
FlightGear is a good free option. I have been with MSFS since version 2 (first version for PC). I fairly recently discvovered FlightGear. It is open source software, and consequently is a constant work in progress, though the current version 2.0.0 on a 2.4 GHZ homebuilt system with a decent 1 GHZ video card will produce 50 + framerates through mountainous terrain on a partly cloudy day. It is amazing to fly though the clouds with these framerates. It is something I have never achieved with MSFS. The link is www.flightGear.org.
The visuals look appealing, but 'arcade-like' gameplay will kill it for me. I still work my FS9 pretty hard, and log onto VATSIM if I want to interact with others while simming. If I want a "game", I'll fire up the trusty old Sega Genesis.
Flight sim is alive and well. Many add-ons to Microsoft Flight Simulator are out there. FMC's Garmin G1000 Glass Cockpits....you can build a simulator at home now for less than you would expect. Heck you can even have radio in the virtual cockpit via SkyBlueRadio.com's Wee Tune Beastie program. Those of us who love flight sim are pleased with this news. Many were devastated when MS closed Aces Studio. There is an entire "Cottage" industry out there with add-ons...planes, helicopters, scenery, airports, etc etc... Many real world pilot hone their skills on simulators at home and it even helps with a new pilot as training costs less than renting a 172 wet with a CFI. It's not a substitute of course, but you go with the CFI, do your thing, then go home, practice on FSX the same things you just did real world....it's very realistic.
Yea, I picked Beta over VHS too. There is always X-Plane. I tried that on a Precision platform at Airventure. It was fine. Too many code heads playing with it on that install. The Garmin was pretty well implemented.
I agree with jmcf, there's always X-Plane and from what I have seen and heard the new version 10 will be something worth waiting for.
According to a former MSFS team member quite a few of the ACES team are still with MS and working on MS Flight. Sounds like it will be an online game. :-(
ernest7