Is Microsoft Killing Off 'Flight Simulator?'

The venerable flight sim has been in constant development since 1982, making it Microsoft's oldest property. But word from gaming site Gamasutra is that many of the jobs being cut are at the ACES game studio, home of the flight simulation series.
We're not sure how 'Flight Simulator' does as far as bringing in cold hard cash, but with the series being one of the oldest and most popular flight sims on the market, this news can't bode well for the category of flight sim games in general.
Check out the gallery below for our retrospective of 'Microsoft's Flight Simulator' through the ages. [From: Random Thoughts and Gamasutra]
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Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsGary HJan 24th 2009 2:52AM
Microsoft wonders why many of its original customers have gone running to other systems. It is because what you produce is flawed in major ways and what isn't flawed you discontinue. If you put quality products out for consumption then the people will buy them. One way of starting out on the right foot in 2009 is to make an operating system that works and doesn't have so many security flaws. Microsoft may be a great company to work for, but it isn't a great company to buy software from!
KilgoreTroutJan 24th 2009 8:15PM
NOOOO don't kill it!!
Please don't.
I like it , every flight school student likes, and instructurs racomand it, since the simulators made by plane companies are affordable only by airlines.
Win7 is gonna be a great hit , you don't need to kill off the one program where MS is still unrivalled.
DRYJan 25th 2009 1:11AM
I have been enjoying MS Flight Simulator since the 98 version was introduced. I now have 2002 and finally Combat Flight Simulator 3. Every person that has tried it out on my system has gone on to purchase the software and various joy sticks, graphics cards, etc. for their own systems. Why would you (Microsoft) want to discard something that has been so successful, and an obvious money maker, since its inception? Ten or 15 years of success has to be worth something?
Every time I go to Frys Electronics (about once every couple of weeks or so); I check out the flight simulator games for PC’s. It seems that they are always out of the latest versions of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator games or only have one or two copies available of older versions. After I heard that MS Combat Flight Simulator 3 was out, every time I went there I checked for the game. Finally was able to buy the game on the third trip.
To me, that sound like a money making series of games. Frys is no small company. If they are always out of Microsoft Flight Simulator games because they sell so good, then MS ought to wake up! There’s something making this section of the company successful. There making money not loosing it. What ever it is, it needs to be applied to the rest of the company.
For example: They could take all the money being spent on that piece of junk Vista and use it to fund the cost of applying the same ideas, people, or whatever it is that has been working to make ACES and the MS Flight Simulator series so successful, to improving/upgrading the Windows XP operating system. XP has been their most successful system. Again, why discard something that has been so successful?
Maybe if they changed their thinking towards what appears to be a money making idea, they wouldn’t have to lay people off?
Lando CalrissianJan 26th 2009 12:30AM
You do realize that CFS3 came out in 2002, right?
DRYJan 26th 2009 1:46AM
Well at least you read my comments. I thank you for that. No I didn’t know that. Since my version is listed as 2003, I figured that was when it came out. However, I didn’t find out about the game until late 2005 and purchased it in early 2006. That may sound strange, but every time I went to the Frys Electronics store near where I live (it opened in 2004 or 2005) I never saw the game on the shelf and I always checked out the section with the flight simulator games for PC’s. I’m a retired NASA/Aerospace Engineer and I don’t follow the gaming thing. I also don’t shop at Best Buy. The way I found out about the game was from my oldest son. He is a multi-engine certified pilot and was up on the latest flying games. As soon as he told me about the game, I asked a Frys employee why I couldn’t ever find the game. They were always sold out within days of receiving each shipment. Like I said, why get rid of a money making item? They should be capitalizing on this instead of getting rid of it, especially with the economy in such bad shape.
Steve H (Alsip,IL)Jan 25th 2009 11:25AM
I too have every flt sim since flt sim 98 thru flt sim X. deluxe. But this Deluxe edition is the BIGGEST piece of CRAP I have ever purchased. It has somekind of operating bug in it and no matter what Microsofts upgrades are installed it still is a piece of CRAP and will no perform as it should. Would not recommend flt sim x. I have Windows XP.
Randy ManciniJan 25th 2009 11:05PM
that wa s good pic with biden long hair
dating
datingJan 25th 2009 11:06PM
i like bidens pony tail..
DaKrishtJan 26th 2009 2:28AM
I've been playing this game for years and years and it is truly one of the greatest simulation products out there. Sure, there's X-Plane and other pro stuff like The 747-400 Precision Simulator but Flight Simulator has always been a classic since the days of polygon Meigs Field!
Thomas NicosiaFeb 24th 2009 9:50AM
Microsoft like any other company that makes games that interact over the internet are suseptable to the gangs of cheats on the internet who think its fun to send out Viruses. Those of you who think you should blame Microsoft for these criminal acts are seriously in a mental deficit.
Every technology smart country in this world has laws covering these virus incidents. The reason they have these laws is because even non Microsoft systems are vulnerable to these viruses. So place the security faults where they belong, with the criminals who perpetrate the crimes.