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Old 23rd February 2009, 10:04 AM
Mike Scott Mike Scott is offline
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Default Journey's end for Flight Simulator

The news that Microsoft has disbanded the team developing its successful Flight Simulator computer game has come as a shock to virtual aviators like Mike Smartt. He looks back at almost 30 years of taking off and occasionally landing safely in the world's longest gaming franchise.

It's supposed to be the computer game that grown-ups can own up to playing.

For years, Microsoft's Flight Simulator set the standard. Initially, the bar was low as the processing and graphics power of early home computers - like Sinclair's rubber Spectrum - struggled with the demands of replicating global air travel.

But in the early 1980s, as others were still guiding blips across black-and-white screens playing Pong, the thrill of attempting to land a single-engine Cessna, in colour in Flight Simulator's first iteration, was fun unsurpassed.

Never mind that it looked as if the instrument panel in your plane was cardboard stuck on with superglue and the runway facing you was a single dark strip in a featureless yellow field - and that was supposed to be Heathrow. You just had to use your imagination. What every simmer dreams about is being called on to land an actual plane in an emergency.



Job cuts ground Flight Simulator

Twenty-seven years and many updates later, FSX - Flight Simulator Ten - uses the muscle of today's high-end PCs to reproduce faithfully most of the world's airports in millions of colours in minute detail. Cities and landscapes look exactly as they do from the air in real life and air-traffic control instructions for final approach crackle continuously, and often confusingly, over the cockpit intercom.

And still the appeal remains a mystery to many.

With today's computer games, you can wipe out an entire German Panzer division, navigate Formula One's most challenging circuits and manage your football team in the European Championships, all without leaving the comfort of the chair at your PC. So flying an imaginary Boeing 757 from Stansted to Sarajevo in real-time can seem pretty tame.

But later versions of Microsoft FS do seem to "flight simmers", as we are known, to be just like doing the real thing. And more importantly, those who actually do the real thing say it's like that too.

Passenger applause

As one real-world pilot writes: "As a pilot, I use Microsoft Flight Simulator for training scenarios and often fly to a new airport virtually before flying there for real."

Of course, what every simmer dreams about is being called on to land an actual plane in an emergency. A trembling stewardess announces over the public address that both flyers upfront are suffering debilitating convulsions from the in-flight catering and has anyone flown an Airbus before?

"Er, not really but ….." you splutter.

You are the last hope and with increasing confidence and cool, you inform ground-control that the myriad of dials and gauges you face, once the ailing captain has been hauled from his seat, are second-nature. Eventually, you plop the aircraft on the runway with a couple of harmless bounces, just for dramatic effect, and applause from the passenger-cabin rings in your ears.
Taking the controls of a real plane is a 'simmer's' dream

That, of course, is one of the few times you would actually admit to being a simmer in normal company. My wife once informed a telephoning friend that I was "flying around the Australian outback" which gained me more respect than Aretha Franklin until she explained, after which I was never treated in quite the same way again by that particular mate.

Now Microsoft has announced that the special team of developers who have been updating Flight Simulator constantly for a generation is no more. And when asked why and what happens now, Microsoft HQ have chosen to give about the same amount of information you get at most departure gates enquiring about flight delays. Zilch.

Flight simmers (and there are millions of them, believe me - just google Flight Simulator) are devastated. Branded by many as sad nerds, today they really are, at least, the former.

As one asked quite reasonably, why would Microsoft kill off one of the few activities for which they attract much affection?

Tough times

It may be that FSX is so good that further improving the franchise on a computer screen is almost impossible. It may be that yes, the number of people who get a kick out of spending hours at the controls of a pretend aeroplane at which no-one is shooting maybe quite large but there are few new recruits.

It could just be that games are not Microsoft's thing and it is true that there are few in-house success stories. So in tough financial times, concentrating on core activities is a good idea.

One could speculate for hours. But sorry folks, my 14.30 take-off to Lucerne awaits and in five minutes I miss my slot.
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Old 23rd February 2009, 11:20 PM
Brenden S Brenden S is offline
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Its a shame really, as they could have made a pretty good Combat Flight sim from the FSX game.
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Old 24th February 2009, 08:44 AM
NickN NickN is offline
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FSX is really good. Improving on it at this point in time would be hard. Maybe in 10 years time when technology improves and more can be done we will see a new flight sim release.
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Old 24th February 2009, 03:06 PM
SteveW SteveW is offline
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They even used FSX for some shots on the latest episode of Lost. It was for a fictitious airline and they had taxi, take off and cruise shots.
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Old 24th February 2009, 05:47 PM
Peter D Peter D is offline
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I think this is an absolute disgrace to flight simmers all over the world. I am deeply saddened
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Old 24th February 2009, 06:39 PM
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Tim Bowrey Tim Bowrey is offline
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Yeah thats dissapointing.

For the people who played FS, throw some screanshots up of what you liked doing the best.

This should be fun.

VH-EBW touching down in HKG from SYD as QF127


Taken from Blake Riley's 77W of me in my girl doing some quality air to air.
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Old 24th February 2009, 07:20 PM
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Ryan Hothersall Ryan Hothersall is offline
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Sad to hear there will be no new version of flight sim.

Screenshot of one of my many flights I have done on FS that would have landed me in serious trouble with CASA in real life

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...380bridge2.jpg
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  #8  
Old 24th February 2009, 08:12 PM
Matt N. Matt N. is offline
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Thumbs up

For fans of FSX checkout the FTX series of addon scenery and airports for Australia: http://www.ftxnow.com/

In particular the Gallery to see how it looks, and there also some vids on the main home page.

It is truly spectacular to see what they have done with FSX. I have all regions of Aust myself and its just fantastic.

You can actually download a demo of FTX which is the whole of Tassie. If you've got FSX and are sick of the crappy looking default scenery download it and give it a go. Also grab the freeware Launceston airport too while your there. Both demo and freebies available on the Free Downloads section. This might sound like a paid advertisement but I honestly have nothing to do with ORBX other than being a happy customer!

There is also another group OzX that cater for the GA enthusiast with hundreds of add-on aerodromes and strips all over the country. http://www.aussiex.org/
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Old 26th February 2009, 11:27 AM
NickN NickN is offline
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Some screenshots from 76 hops around Alaska in the King Air.





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Old 26th February 2009, 11:36 AM
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Philip Argy Philip Argy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan Hothersall View Post
Screenshot of one of my many flights I have done on FS that would have landed me in serious trouble with CASA in real life ...
Didn't Dick Smith really do that once in a helicopter? And I think they appointed him to head CASA at one stage!
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