Simviation Forum - The future of fsx?

Reply #30 - Jan 15^th, 2012 at 12:10pm

Faildozer. Ex Member

hyperpep111 wrote on Jan 15^th, 2012 at 10:38am:

I do not really want to pay $10 per week when I do not really fly all the time. It is a little steep.
And Btw this is not an Fsx vs Fs9 vs prepar3d. It's about the capabilities of the game.
And since Microsoft is "ending support" for xp, will it make win xp open source? Huh

No.

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Reply #31 - Jan 15^th, 2012 at 12:40pm

Strategic Retreat Offline
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hyperpep111 wrote on Jan 15^th, 2012 at 10:38am:

And since Microsoft is "ending support" for xp, will it make win xp open source? Huh

Now THIS is what I call Off Topic. Roll Eyes

Anyway, ceasing support doesn't mean releasing it on the abandonware circuit. Not even FS95 or Windows 95 are abandonware yet, I wouldn't hope it to happen too soon to XP of all platforms (which is one of the most successful so far). Tongue

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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Reply #32 - Jan 15^th, 2012 at 12:57pm

Rocket_Bird Offline
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Steve M wrote on Jan 14^th, 2012 at 9:19pm:

When MS would likely stop the whole registration thing is when the market share reaches 1%. They just ended validation for an early OS platform recently for that very reason. Daube made a very good point, Prepar3d won't need validation by MS. I give you a link just to refresh our corporate memory.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/endofsupport.aspx

Well, MS actually holds a bit of market share at least when it comes to Flight Simming. Unless people all of the sudden start moving to X-Plane and other products, and flight schools stop using FSX in their sims, then we shall see. Discontinuing support for an aging operating system when a newer version with more functionality and compatibility for both the home user and business user seems a little different than discontinuing FSX in order to flush people into buying Flight.

In any case, besides developer support, I'm curious what the real benefit is to investing in Prepar3d. It seems promising in the way that it has developer support, DX11, and 64-bit architecture, and it probably runs a little smoother, but the price tag is still pretty steep. I looked up their website, and the $500 is indeed the retail price. The $10 bucks a month is more the developer price, and while this is great, I'm not sure the average flights simmer would like to fork out money for a subscription service when they have most of the same functionality in FSX.

There are also other competing products out there: x-plane, and other developers trying to fill the niche. It seems almost absurd to go the Prepar3d route. It's a professional product used for professional training, and I don't doubt it's versatility, but for a flight simming community, investing money for that measure of entertainment is a little wild, and it wasn't really designed to please the armchair crowd anyways. At least not at the current time.

Cheers,
RB

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Reply #33 - Jan 15^th, 2012 at 12:58pm

hyperpep111 Offline
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Strategic Retreat wrote on Jan 15^th, 2012 at 12:40pm:

hyperpep111 wrote on Jan 15^th, 2012 at 10:38am:

And since Microsoft is "ending support" for xp, will it make win xp open source? Huh

Now THIS is what I call Off Topic. Roll Eyes

Anyway, ceasing support doesn't mean releasing it on the abandonware circuit. Not even FS95 or Windows 95 are abandonware yet, I wouldn't hope it to happen too soon to XP of all platforms (which is one of the most successful so far). Tongue

Actually, I was using XP as an example for if microsoft decided to cease support of fsx.
Prepar3d, Fsx and maybe even fs9 all have really bright futures.
Thanks faildozer and Strategic retreat.
And P.s I still think People flow is a great Idea. Cheesy

Most people think that flying a plane is dangerous, except pilots because they know how easy it is.
Arguing with a pilot is like wrestling with a pig in the mud, after a while you begin to think the pig likes it.

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Reply #34 - Jan 16^th, 2012 at 9:19am

Cusance Offline
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Rocket_Bird wrote on Jan 14^th, 2012 at 8:55pm:

Cusance wrote on Jan 14^th, 2012 at 5:35pm:

Steve M wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 6:35pm:

Here is my take, in short. FS9 requires a disc running in the tray, but FSX requires that you validate with a Key number and through a Microsoft site so you can use the full uninterupted version. All MS would have to do to shut down FSX is close down its validation site and stop taking phone calls that concern validation. Through attrition, one by one, our motherboards need replacing or we need a new machine FSX could basically be gone in 4 years. The only people left with FSX would be pirates who break the validation process. With 'Flight' the shutdown would be even quicker.

Surely this is a very valid point. I have some professional experience and dare I say battles with MS on licensing at corporate level and believe I have a fair understanding of how MS approaches these issues and what drives them. There isnt room for sentiment. If MS is planning to claim back for itself all revenues on MS Flight simulators or games, and the marketing strategy of flight strongly suggests that they want to do this, then trying to take out FSX use one way or another must commercially be attractive to them. Eventually. Whether they could legally render bought software useless in this way, is another point. But I cant see anyone going to court over this.

It's possible they can do this, and I can just dimly imagine them doing so (some corporations are stupid). On the other turn of the coin, it can be a double-edged sword. Commercially attractive or not, shutting down something with so many loyal customers attached to it is suicidal in business, even if flight simming is in the realms of a niche in the gaming market. As niche as it is, there are still competitors about who would gladly swallow up some market share should they anger customers in such a way (and I can almost guarantee that barring the usage of a product you sell to your customers in an effort to promote another product is bound to anger customers).

You are right althought it would depend on their objective. MS loves to dominate a market. Traditionally they have gone down the route of giving things away. IE was an excellent example. In the end they know that controlling a market is important. If we think of a scenario whereby Flight doesnt 'take off' as they expect and FSX will continue to flourish in the simmer and add-on world, they might be tempted, although they will do it 'nicely'. but i do hope all this is just speculation. I think that FSX can still be bought, but ofcourse that will dry up also.

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Reply #35 - Jan 17^th, 2012 at 3:33pm

Solid Offline
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I personally think that with the dropping the FS family by MS with their new game a great opportunity window has opened for FSX developers of all types and a very good one for those developing or planning a brand "New" Sim..The field is wide Open!!! but only those with a good eyesight for the future can or will see it. FSX has a lot still to be developed, just look how much new addons come in every month. Even X-plane is starting to get many new developers on line. Aerosoft will be coming next month with all european airports for X-Plane 10 and a brand new sim is emerging from Switzerland...I repeat, when the chips are down it is when real big opportunities become available for real Entrepreneurs. MS has commited a real mistake unless they change course, which I doubt....I am pretty sure we will be seeing our hobby become much better than what it is today, mark my words... Cool

Gera

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Reply #36 - Jan 19^th, 2012 at 7:12am

Strategic Retreat Offline
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Solid wrote on Jan 17^th, 2012 at 3:33pm:

I personally think that with the dropping the FS family by MS with their new game a great opportunity window has opened for FSX developers of all types and a very good one for those developing or planning a brand "New" Sim..The field is wide Open!!! but only those with a good eyesight for the future can or will see it. FSX has a lot still to be developed, just look how much new addons come in every month. Even X-plane is starting to get many new developers on line. Aerosoft will be coming next month with all european airports for X-Plane 10 and a brand new sim is emerging from Switzerland...I repeat, when the chips are down it is when real big opportunities become available for real Entrepreneurs. MS has commited a real mistake unless they change course, which I doubt....I am pretty sure we will be seeing our hobby become much better than what it is today, mark my words... Cool

You are fundamentally right, yet the words of bitter disappointment spoken here and elsewhere are understandable. The vast majority here and on other forums gained their virtual wings under previous Flight Simulator versions, and seeing our historical sim reduced to a iPad-like game just because M$ is getting overly greedy was bound to not receive a nice reaction from the NOT-gamers slice of the user base.

Of course there are other simulators out there, and of course when people will not be satisfied anymore with the old M$ software that still can boast to be a simulation, they will migrate elsewhere.

In the end, of course we will live on, but it's sad to see an age die in such an undignified way and for such crass reasons. Sad

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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