Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - News and Footage

[bobsk8]

I believe you might be mistaken about your choice for the target base for Microsoft and the new simulator.
(Don't ask me how I know this
Dudley Henriques

I'll ardently disagree with that statement. If it were true, Xbox One would never have even been mentioned. The Xbox Live install base is where I draw my conclusion from. If you can show me that there are more hardcore flight simmers out there than the 2 million+ Xbox Live subscribers, then I'll admit my thoughts on the target base are off. The biggest reason for this is simple: If MSFS is good, then hardcore sim users are a given, if MSFS bad, then appeal to the massive Xbox Live install base and make some quick money back on the development costs before it goes the way of MS Flight. So, no, I don't think my target base if off even in the slightest. MS doesn't want OUR money, if it's as good as they say, they will already have it, but as we know "we happy few" are not enough to entice MS to develop this. They must be reasonably sure that they are going to make money with this, and they are looking at way bigger numbers than the hardcore flight sim group. We might drive the simulator industry but simulators are already niche, and those looking for more such as A2A and PMDG are not the numbers that will support a new flight simulator alone; so where do those numbers come from? Casuals. I welcome rebuttal.

Working under the Microsoft Studios umbrella I can say this sounds like our Gaming for Everyone initiative. Yes, it's going to come out on Xbox One and more than likely it'll be on Game Pass and streamed on Mixer for maximum exposure because you're right, the hardcore sim community can't pay for a project as big as FS2020 on its own. But beyond that, these platforms (Game Pass in particular) are great for getting people to try things they never would've approached before. Believe it or not, this kind of inclusive thinking is going to grow our community. Making FS2020 playable with an Xbox controller on an Xbox lowers the bar for entry and Game Pass takes away the monetary risk of trying something out of one's comfort zone.

As a kid, I dabbled in flight sims occasionally because I like airplanes. It wasn't until I spent years reading about aircraft and aviation and months of watching A2A's AccuSim videos that I decided to get serious and dive into FSX. I made a check list of all the software I needed in addition to FSX itself. I bought a stick, throttle and rudder pedals. I bought a TrackIR. I read multiple guides on how to get all this working together, and I'll be honest, it was a lot of work. I also have a passion for military aviation but I never would've given DCS a chance had I not already spent so much time and money getting into FSX, much of which would transfer over. I happen to love flight simming, both civilian and military, but it was quite a cliff to jump off on the hope that I'd like it as much as I thought.

And as for the product itself, I don't think the added accessibility will take away from the depth of simulation. Think about it, what does it really take to get a Skyhawk to fly on a game pad? Put a layer of fly-by-wire on top of the study sim. As players get more comfortable they can start to take the training wheels off. Then they might get curious about the wider world of flight simming. Say, that's a cool add-on plane I've never seen before... A2A, take my money.

FS2020 isn't targeting casuals or hardcore simmers. They're targeting everyone.

I think for younger people to get into simming, it will have to develop aircraft that are combat ready.

[BPL]

Feature Discovery Series Episode 4: Cockpits

[patful]

Feature Discovery Series Episode 4: Cockpits

Nice, but compared to the A2A Bonanza gauges, kind of a yawner.

[madrid45]

MS at least is giving lots of information so we can make a decision I don’t know why A2A is so tide lip about projects and new sims

[madrid45]

Why A2A is so secretive about new projects all the time I think is a sale strategy to keep us salivating for their products

[CAPFlyer]

MS at least is giving lots of information so we can make a decision I don’t know why A2A is so tide lip about projects and new sims

Simple - until they get into the last phases of development, nothing is "in stone". MS have been developing FS2020 for at least a couple years. Only now that they've made most of the major tech decisions have they revealed the project. When you're a year or less away from release, you've done 95% of the work already, now you're just integrating it into the whole to make a final program. A2A has learned from both their own past and the past of many other devs - the minute you announce a project, it must be released or you loose a large portion of your customer base. Most people don't care that you might run into major roadblocks in the last 5% of the project. They just want what you teased and promised. So A2A just don't talk about the projects until they're sure that they will be coming out and are mostly done with the project, usually about the time they're ready to start external BETA testing, their last phase of development before release.

[Medtner]

MS at least is giving lots of information so we can make a decision I don’t know why A2A is so tide lip about projects and new sims

Simple - until they get into the last phases of development, nothing is "in stone". MS have been developing FS2020 for at least a couple years. Only now that they've made most of the major tech decisions have they revealed the project. When you're a year or less away from release, you've done 95% of the work already, now you're just integrating it into the whole to make a final program. A2A has learned from both their own past and the past of many other devs - the minute you announce a project, it must be released or you loose a large portion of your customer base. Most people don't care that you might run into major roadblocks in the last 5% of the project. They just want what you teased and promised. So A2A just don't talk about the projects until they're sure that they will be coming out and are mostly done with the project, usually about the time they're ready to start external BETA testing, their last phase of development before release.

Also, isn't there a saying that goes something like this:

"The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time."

In my experience A2A spends 110% of their time in the last 10%, perfecting stuff. * Before reaching that stage they are probably not inclined to say anything, because then they will have in the customers eyes have "committed" to completing. It is a wise decision, and it allows us to go about our lives without too much waiting and grinding of teeth.


* Yes the math is completely wrong, by design.

[Marvin-E34]

Flying the A2A P51 (one day in a distant future) in FS 2020 is going to be an heavenly experience

[MarcE]

MS at least is giving lots of information so we can make a decision I don’t know why A2A is so tide lip about projects and new sims

Simple - until they get into the last phases of development, nothing is "in stone". MS have been developing FS2020 for at least a couple years. Only now that they've made most of the major tech decisions have they revealed the project. When you're a year or less away from release, you've done 95% of the work already, now you're just integrating it into the whole to make a final program. A2A has learned from both their own past and the past of many other devs - the minute you announce a project, it must be released or you loose a large portion of your customer base. Most people don't care that you might run into major roadblocks in the last 5% of the project. They just want what you teased and promised. So A2A just don't talk about the projects until they're sure that they will be coming out and are mostly done with the project, usually about the time they're ready to start external BETA testing, their last phase of development before release.

Also, isn't there a saying that goes something like this:

"The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time."

In my experience A2A spends 110% of their time in the last 10%, perfecting stuff. * Before reaching that stage they are probably not inclined to say anything, because then they will have in the customers eyes have "committed" to completing. It is a wise decision, and it allows us to go about our lives without too much waiting and grinding of teeth.


* Yes the math is completely wrong, by design.

very well said and 1000% correct

[BPL]

Let it snow!

[BPL]

Feature Discovery Series Episode 5: Soundscape

[bullfox]

I'm waiting to see how you have to pay for it.

[BPL]

Feature Discovery Series Episode 6: Airports

[Neon]

I would love to know what A2A Simulations has planned for FS2020. May I make a request and
ask that you follow your history, and release the Boeing B377 Stratocruiser again for FS2020 as your first plane. I just
love that plane, and I plan to rebuild my channel around FS2020 and I'd love to put A2A on the front line of that focus.

[BPL]

Feature Discovery Series Episode 7: Multiplayer