Hello CaptainSims and everyone else, I do not know if this question has been answered before but I was just wondering if the Captain sim's team think they might look into the possiblity of creating add-on aircraft for the newly released X-Plane 10 in the near future?  

I do not know if this is true or not perhaps someone here can clearify, but I heard that the soon to be released MS Flight (currently in beta testing) will be tied into/or with MS Live and MS will control who and what 3rd party add-on companies and aircraft clients will be able to install into MS Flight. Is this just false rumors ? If this is the case then I for one will definatly be switching over to X-Plane.

I have also heard that MS are planning to control of 3rd party add-ons for MS Flight. Personally, I think this is a huge mistake. Because of that, I think that MS Flight will suffer from a lack of either sales, or 3rd party add-ons. Most likely the latter. A lot of developers might just decide it isn't worth the bother of doing add-ons for either, which would be a slap across the face for MS trying to be too controlling. It would serve them right too! It will probably also keep the interest in FSX for quite a while longer if MS are going to do that.

Mark

I really hope Microsoft doesn't mess up the Flight Simulator franchise. I have taken a serious look at X-Plane, but I still like FSX more. Maybe future versions might be better, but I'm going to stick with Microsoft for the moment, and if Flight doesn't meet my expectations, (and it better be a good simulator, because it looks amazing) then I'll switch, but not until then.

I think Microsoft (MS) are trying to get back what they inadvertently handed away with FSX and the SDK (ACE Editor and GMAX) release (Well done the former ACE team they finally got their own back after MS did them over when they first started out as ATP and wrote the original progams for flight sim) otherwise nothing much would be  happening now with FSX.

I guess it is typical MS trying to control the whole thing or vertically integrate their products. MS have always hated open source software and community collaboration but in the case of FS every time they changed it there was enough coding out there to prevent them form basically licensing everything. If the go for third party addons you can bet the first thing they will do is make them licensed not owned and charge you a fee for them every 12 months and find away of making users pay for everything else that you would need to make it a decent flight sim program.

They also ignore the huge number of enthusiastic developers and programmers who with their contributions of add ons: aircraft, scenery, utilities etc have helped make FSX and other previous versions the great programs they are.

I am with MarkOZ everyone will vote with their feet and stay with FSX and if they persist then hopefully an open source public license flight sim program compatible with FSX stuff will turn up, it has been done before and it can be done again.

Basically MS missed the boat with gaming and game programs and this is just part of their strategy to try and control the world again, sorry guys your times up this time.

I downloaded the X-Plane 10 Demo. Extracted it. Played it.

Sorry, but I would rather stick with FSX than switch to that...

Here's what some think will be the case ---- or close to it:

"Hi,

The FLIGHT will be released with a limited scenery (Hawaii) and a limited number of aircrafts. Both scenery and airplane will be of very good quality compared to FSX.

A new FLIGHTSTORE will also be released, where add-on developers (and MS themself) can sell their add-on airplanes, sceneries ( new parts of the WORLD) and other utilities.

With the FLIGHTSTORE concept (ala APPLE STORE) they will make sure to get a steady revenue stream by taking 15% profit from all add-on sellers.

New add-on sceneries will be developed and sold thru FLIGHTSTORE.

In addition the initial release with Hawaii only scenery will also be XBOX verified.

Multiplayer and VATSIM alike system will all be part of XBOX LIve.

This concept is well within the strategy of MS."

This was posted on the AVSIM FLIGHT Forum yesterday, but has been a fairly common supposition in one form or another for some time.

Another concern cropping up by some developers talking amongst themselves is that for the first time MSFS files will not be editable.

This is pretty much essential for most of the content being provided to us from 3rd party developers. It is also one of the reasons we are able to push better performance out of most previous versions of the platform over default. Under M.S. logic this will greatly enhance stability at the price of being able to provide content. Developers would be forced to work with what M.S. code supplies and that's it. Far too limiting to developers. All products look like they will need to be vetted by M.S. before being sold through it's Market Place. This policy will work great for "Lite" product developers but be detrimental to developers of more sophisticated products that need to work around crappy programing and limitations to provide us with superior products.

The cockpits look great and likely have the functionality of default FSX stock aircraft. I'm willing to wager system depth capabilities is going to be a bust with MS Flight. It might explain why more in-depth developers are starting to look away from it.

I am, and I would be willing to bet the vast majority of flight simmers are too, perfectly content and satisfied with the FSX default level of systems sophistication. I have no intention or motivation to delve into the more sophisticated FMS type aircraft. I do want super high end graphics but have no interest in FMC systems. I can live with Capt Sim ac as long as I can add the FSX default GPS tracking of FSX flight plans. Beyond that, I'm not interested. This is a computer game, as far as I'm concerned --- not a full motion flight simulator. I do think it's terrific that the FMS level of immersion is available for those that are interested.

btscott wrote on Dec 5^th, 2011 at 3:39pm:

Here's what some think will be the case ---- or close to it: "Hi, The FLIGHT will be released with a limited scenery (Hawaii) and a limited number of aircrafts. Both scenery and airplane will be of very good quality compared to FSX. A new FLIGHTSTORE will also be released, where add-on developers (and MS themself) can sell their add-on airplanes, sceneries ( new parts of the WORLD) and other utilities. With the FLIGHTSTORE concept (ala APPLE STORE) they will make sure to get a steady revenue stream by taking 15% profit from all add-on sellers. New add-on sceneries will be developed and sold thru FLIGHTSTORE. In addition the initial release with Hawaii only scenery will also be XBOX verified. Multiplayer and VATSIM alike system will all be part of XBOX LIve. This concept is well within the strategy of MS." This was posted on the AVSIM FLIGHT Forum yesterday, but has been a fairly common supposition in one form or another for some time.

Is there something that this is based off of? I'm not skeptical--it seems plausible, I'm just intrigued and would like to read into it further.

All speculation deduced mostly from the info released by MS on their Flight site. Read it on the AVSIM Flight forum.

http://forum.avsim.net/forum/365-the-microsoft-flight-forum/

Thanks!

If flight is "Hawaii only", then it is a big step backwards. When I first bought subLOGIC Flight Simulator 2 for my Commodore 64 (1984) and later for my Commodore Amiga 1000 (1987), it only came with, I think, scenery for Illinois and surrounding areas. I did end up buying some extra scenery (the entire USA I think) for my Amiga version, but it was a pity that it wasn't a "global" sim.

Sometimes I think MS is stupid with some of their ideas (if this is true with Flight, then this is one of them). This could really ruin a good franchise. Maybe we can/should hope that Bruce Artwick will restart it under a different name and give us a better deal!

Mark

Yep as I said earlier the plan is vertical integration and control so that everything is licensed and controlled, you can be sure that MS will do what they have always done, if any third party developers make good add ons for Flight, they will get screwed and then taken over.

Anyway i reckon FSX is good for another decade at least and I for one have no intention of buying another sim program unless there is a dramatic innovation in video graphic programming and the introduction of a miracle graphic chip. After all FSX is just fine and the models around very from fantastic, such as the Capt Sim aircraft and work great and there are many privateers and enthusiast who do very good stuff as well. I love the creativity that is evident in simming with everyone working to make things better and look great. I belong to a VA DC-3 Airways and the stuff guys do there for free to make it all better is great. (I have five diffenent DC-3 C-47 models in my hangar and they are all great in different ways but only one 707, 727 and 767 and C130 - guess who's?).

I guess if you want a McDonald's version of flight sim then Flight will be for you. ;)

CoastalDriver wrote on Dec 10^th, 2011 at 9:39am:

...I guess if you want a McDonald's version of flight sim then Flight will be for you. ;)

Huh? McFlightSim? No way! Maybe it would be pretty tasty but with few nutrients and a lot of dripping fat. Not to mention the chips. No, thanks! ;D

Yeah it just struck me thats whats missing from FSX - no golden arches!