Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming back from the grave

[Scorpus]

Microsoft Flight Simulator was one of the most popular simulator games of the 90s and early 2000s, until Microsoft closed the studio responsible for its development in 2009. The series made a brief return in 2012 with Microsoft Flight, although the title was critically panned and the studio was closed once more.

Now it appears that Microsoft Flight Simulator, in all its glory, will be returning once more to the world of PC gaming. Dovetail Games has announced a licensing deal that allows it to develop and publish new games in the series, as well as redistribute Flight Simulator X.

With the new licensing deal, Dovetail Games will publish Microsoft Flight Simulator X to Steam for the first time. The 2006 game will be released as Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition in late 2014, packaging together the Deluxe Edition and Acceleration Expansion Pack into the one product.

The company is also "investigating new concepts [...] and is expecting to bring a release to market in 2015". With Dovetail Games' experience in creating popular simulators such as Train Simulator, any future title will almost certainly be a return to the detailed simulator roots of Flight Simulator, rather than a more game-like experience like we got in Microsoft Flight.

Kevin Perry, Executive Producer at Microsoft, said that "when it comes to licensing our simulation engine, Dovetail Games is the obvious choice for us to work with. We respect their approach in terms of delivering premium quality simulation games and look forward to seeing their vision of the next chapter in flight simulations unfold".

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https://www.techspot.com/news/57368-microsoft-flight-simulator-is-coming-back-from-the-grave.html

 

[Jad Chaar]

I remember Microsoft Flight having pretty hefty system requirements. That is about it.

 

[thelatestmodel]

Yup, FSX is a huge, bloated mess of a program. X-Plane is much better, and hopefully the new MS Flight Simulator will be better still.

 

[oldikes]

Its not a simulator to me unless the world is accurately simulated...which it isn't. the "simulator" just felt pointless and dull in every sense of the word, as there was nothing to fly over expect some hills and massively blurred textures.

 

[GhostRyder]

Loved Flight Simulator series, would love to see a new one come out with amazing graphics, physics, and detail!

 

[Neojt]

Man I wish they bring back Combat Flight simulator. the 1 and 3 where awesome. (3 and a crappy campain thought )

 

[learninmypc]

Is it anything like Google Flight Simulator using Google Earth?

 

[davislane1]

Its not a simulator to me unless the world is accurately simulated...which it isn't. the "simulator" just felt pointless and dull in every sense of the word, as there was nothing to fly over expect some hills and massively blurred textures.

MSFS was never intended as a VR simulator. Its primary utility was for actual pilots who wanted to practice approaches and for enthusiasts who wanted to get a feel for actual flying. In other words, it is (was?) a flight physics simulator.

 

[9Nails]

I might pick it up if it's on Steam. If I can find my stinking joystick that was put away years ago.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I'd love to fly around in a 3D world created by Googles Street View images, even if people are the size of 2 or 3 pixels. The flight would be mesmerizing and keep me interested for hours.

 

[oldikes]

MSFS was never intended as a VR simulator. Its primary utility was for actual pilots who wanted to practice approaches and for enthusiasts who wanted to get a feel for actual flying. In other words, it is (was?) a flight physics simulator.

in that case it was sort of falsly labeled; I recall the box feeling more...gamey...than a physics simulator, for flight simulator X anyway.

 

[davislane1]

in that case it was sort of falsly labeled; I recall the box feeling more...gamey...than a physics simulator, for flight simulator X anyway.

According to commercial pilots I've spoken to, the physics are decently approximated. I've heard X-Plane is much better, though. The primary complaint about MSFS was that the cockpit controls (important knobs, switches, etc.) were either non-functional or incorrectly programmed by the devs.

Not being a pilot myself, I simply take their word for it.

 

[thelatestmodel]

According to commercial pilots I've spoken to, the physics are decently approximated. I've heard X-Plane is much better, though. The primary complaint about MSFS was that the cockpit controls (important knobs, switches, etc.) were either non-functional or incorrectly programmed by the devs.

Not being a pilot myself, I simply take their word for it.

My dad was a pilot, and he loses his mind over X-Plane. Absolutely loves it, can't get enough of it.

I've put in a good few hours myself, and am a bit of a flight sim fan, and I can tell you it is a very, very good product.

 

[Egon Spengler]

Lockheed Martin licensed Microsoft simulator tech long ago and has been publishing Prepar3d which is the real successor to FSX. Most add-on airplanes and scenery that worked in FSX also work in P3D. Unfortunately, it cost $200 and is intended for training rather than gaming, but it's what many hard-core flight simmers are using now.

 

[captaincranky]

Wouldn't, "M$ Flight Simulator is retaking the friendly skies, after a stint in mothballs and rusty hangars", have been a tad more poetic?

But seriously, with high hardware requirements and activation needed for FS "X", I'd just as soon they re-release M$ FS 2004.

Lockheed Martin licensed Microsoft simulator tech long ago and has been publishing Prepar3d which is the real successor to FSX. Most add-on airplanes and scenery that worked in FSX also work in P3D. Unfortunately, it cost $200 and is intended for training rather than gaming, but it's what many hard-core flight simmers are using now.

None of the real M$ flight simulators were ever actually games. They just found their way to that section of software listing for lack of a better classification.

Closer to a game was M$'s, "Combat Flight Simulator", an easily accessible shoot em up set during WW2. M$ licensed this to Atari a few years back.

And if anybody cares, "X-Wing" would be great subject for an update. That's actually a flight sim, but in deep space.

 

[SNGX1275]

I might pick it up if it's on Steam. If I can find my stinking joystick that was put away years ago.

I probably would too. Many years ago I asked for a pretty expensive Saitek joystick for either my birthday or Christmas and got it. I'm not sure I ever actually used it and I feel slightly bad about that...

 

[captaincranky]

I probably would too. Many years ago I asked for a pretty expensive Saitek joystick for either my birthday or Christmas and got it. I'm not sure I ever actually used it and I feel slightly bad about that...

I have a Logictech "3D Pro Extreme", which has been sitting on top of my eMachines for years. I just picked it up, and was quickly reminded I need to dust, way, way, more often than I do....

 

[SNGX1275]

You don't have a french maid to prance around and clean things for you once a week?

 

[davislane1]

You don't have a french maid to prance around and clean things for you once a week?

Captaincranky is cheap...errr...frugal. If she isn't free, he's got better things to watch. At least, this is what I've gathered from his typical responses to such matters.

 

[captaincranky]

Is it anything like Google Flight Simulator using Google Earth?

There is a significant amount of math involved in aircraft navigation. Navigation is a huge chunk of the test for a private pilots license, even for VFR only classification. M$ flight sims, offer a significant aid toward that end.

With the latest version I have, (FS 2004), the graphics are not as evolved as Google Earth's. But, it's still fun to buzz the casinos in Les Vegas, even if they're not photo realistic.

 

[captaincranky]

You don't have a french maid to prance around and clean things for you once a week?

@SNGX1275 Even if I did, the Logictech isn't the joystick I'd have her dusting

 

[SNGX1275]

Touche

 

[captaincranky]

I remember Microsoft Flight having pretty hefty system requirements. That is about it.

This was only true of FS "X". Earlier versions (FS 2004 & earlier), could be quite successfully run with single core IGP machines. Same with M$'s "Train Simulator". That said, the graphics on either game weren't anywhere near photo real.

Besides, a flight sim doesn't have frame rates anywhere near that of a FPS. So, with respect to FS "X", the guys with hefty gaming rigs might have been complaining without much in the way of just cause.

 

[SeanH]

That is already possible with add-ons

I'd love to fly around in a 3D world created by Googles Street View images, even if people are the size of 2 or 3 pixels. The flight would be mesmerizing and keep me interested for hours.