With the economy spiraling further and further into a hole, Microsoft announced yesterday it was laying of 5000 employees. We learned today, though still officially unconfirmed by Microsoft, that the cuts include the disbanding of the ACES Studio team which is responsible for Flight Simulator. It appears as though the venerable flight simulator, which has been around since 1982, is no more.When mega businesses like Boeing or Microsoft eliminate jobs, the impact reverberates throughout the economy. The loss of 5000 Microsoft jobs is a huge blow in its own right, but the Flight Simulator community, which is truly global, will feel the loss as well. Many developers make their living creating addons for the program. The impact is far from localized.
As many of you know, I am an avid user of Flight Sim as well, having flown one version or another since 1995. In no uncertain terms, Flight Sim cultivated my love of aviation and helped me get to where I am today. I joke with my mother that all those times she was yelling at me during High School to do my homework and stop shooting ILS approaches to Kai Tai, I was really just getting job training for the future.
Microsoft Flight Simulator was an institution both personally and for the aviation community and its loss will be strongly felt.
on January 23, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply
Well...The first blow was discontinuing the CFS online service... Now FlightSim dev. What's gonna happen with online service for FlightSim?
on January 23, 2009 1:18 PM | Reply
maybe its time bill gates and other top ceos there adopt the japanese work ethic of company before pocketbooks and lower their salaries to save an awesome product like FS
on January 23, 2009 1:18 PM | Reply
maybe its time bill gates and other top ceos there adopt the japanese work ethic of company before pocketbooks and lower their salaries to save an awesome product like FS
on January 23, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply
I wouldn't worry too much: the talented code toads there have probably started another company and are negotiating a licensing deal with msft already. There's too much skill to let a whole industry go to waste. They just need a few adventurous coders and a little seed money.
on January 23, 2009 2:22 PM | Reply
I am left wondering how much business Microsoft will lose as gaming enthusiasts decide they no longer need to buy the fastest new computer to handle the latest version of MSFS, so don't, as I recently did, end up buying MS Vista and yet another version of MS Office.
I guess the bean counters will never know. This reminds me of similar short-sighted decisions I have seen in the airline industry over the years from those who fail to understand network economics.
on January 23, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply
Don't worry! There is an open source alternative called FlightGear. It may not have all the polish of a commercial offering but it's always improving thanks to an enthusiastic community.
What's more if you've got the time and interest you can look at the code, figure out how it works and even make your own enhancements!
on January 23, 2009 4:18 PM | Reply
Also, don't forget XPlane. As I understand it, XPlane's physics are much closer to actual flight dynamics, even if the scenery isn't as good as FS. I certainly enjoy it, and with a yoke and pedals, it is excellent.
on January 23, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply
I presume you mean IGS approach into Kai Tak?
I don't think this will have any immediate effect on the community - FSX has only just started its life cycle and developers have yet to exploit its full potential. Just because there's no new version in the pipeline doesn't mean development stops.
on January 23, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply
That is awful! I have every version since MSFS 98 and I too learned a lot about flying from that game. I really hope somebody does something so I don't have to go the X-plane route...
on January 23, 2009 5:48 PM | Reply
Hey help us save FSX! We have called Microsoft Corporate offices and I have called Steve lacey. I left him a message and I should get a call back this Monday! We are also starting a petition or if you would like more info or help us please e-mail us at any of the following e-mails!
savefsx@chicagoaviation.org
savefsx@gmail.com
savefsx@yahoo.com
Thanks please help because we know you love it as much as we do!
on January 23, 2009 7:18 PM | Reply
A sad day for Flight Simulator people, creators and users
on January 23, 2009 7:59 PM | Reply
This is very sad news indeed and in other way very good news as well.
The sad side is that FSX is most probably their best product graphics wise ever,
but most of us just can run it as its to expensive to upgrade our computers to
run it with full graphics at more than 30fps, also not all the add-ons are available
as yet for FSX that we so love from FS2004.
The good side is, that if FSX is the last version ever, that it will give time for
hardware to get cheaper and better for us all to run FSX in a year or so
and enjoy the graphics to the fullest.
Another good side is that developers of 3rd party products like scenery and aircrafts
will now only focus on developing their product for FSX/FS2004 and now that FSX will
stay for a long time, so no need to re-design everything again like they use to in the past
every time a new Flightsim was released.
I for one got peed of every time a new Flightsim was released.
Just as I though my flightsim was perfect with traffic, scenery etc
A new version was released, that’s why im still stuck with FS2004
As I get great frame rates and Im able to get allot of add-ons.
A new version always meant upgrading my PC and buying new add-ons.
Any views on this
on January 23, 2009 9:53 PM | Reply
First off, 1400 people were layed off, with an option for up to 5000 in the future.
Second, although cuts were made at ACES, that FS was cancelled completely is just a rumour at this point. Let's wait for the facts shall we?
on January 24, 2009 12:38 AM | Reply
Well I have some more info on this. Unlike Sven said here "Although cuts were made at ACES" no, no cuts were made, they were shut down, Aces is not a game studio anymore. I have received two e-mails from Steve and Kelda Rericha. They both said the same thing, "Tom you not need to worry about the FS franchise. We are merely putting a hold on any new releases of the poplar FS products. While it is still uncertain when we will get started working with FS again, your FSX and FS products will continue to work and GameSpy will still be providing LIVE gaming for FSX. Think of Aces more of a consolidation instead of closing, we are still going to produce a flight simulators we are just going to be solely under the Microsoft name instead of "Microsoft game studios. I hope this helps,
Kelda Rericha"
So FS is still not over but like Steve said to me in his e-mail "right now FS is on the bottom of MS priority lists for funding, don't except anything from us for a while since other products require more attention right now" if you ask me, cut Vista and you wont need to to devote so many resources and money.
Tom B.
on January 24, 2009 2:57 AM | Reply
There's only one solution for the MSFS community. Abandon Microsoft like they have abandoned you.
Join the X-Plane 9 community.
on January 24, 2009 5:31 AM | Reply
Goodness JP, you make it sound as though MSFS is dead and with ACES demise MSFS suddenly stopped working. I can assure you my copy of FSX functioned just as well this morning as it always has, so why the heck would I want to abandon it for X-Plane? The developers may have gone, but myself and all the other MSFS users aint going anywhere, RIP ACES, long live MSFS!
on January 24, 2009 9:50 AM | Reply
Yes, I'm really sad that FSX will be the last incarnation from Microsoft. There was still so much to improve on - be it tightening up its code, keeping the software up with the latest in processors and graphics chips, or just providing more substance - and although there'll always be a great following in the Flight Sim community, it seems a great loss.
Once, I even managed to get Bill Gates himself to sign a copy of MS Flight Simulator 95 as a Christmas present to my brother, which still sits pride of place amongst his possessions!
In saying that, I'm a Mac fan - and have been so since the mid 80's. Yes, I do use PC's on a regular basis, and am fond of them too. But I also love flight sims, and have been an avid user of X-Plane for many years. Sure, it might have looked cruder than its' PC counterpart in the past - but that's all changed with X-Plane 9. It's a work of art - and with the blessings of their relevant authors, MS scenery packages have been able to be ported from FSX with relative ease.
It has over 70GB of landscape data taken from NASA, and has an incredibly active community producing fabulous add-ons. Seriously, I can't tell the difference now between FSX and X-Plane.
AND, it's multi-platform - right out of the box... (Windows/Mac/Linux)
But don't take MY word for it - check out their home pages and community pages on the web (www.x-plane.com and www.x-plane.org).
Please don't turn your nose up on a very good piece of software. It might not be MS-backed, but then again, look what happened to FSX...
on January 25, 2009 8:05 PM | Reply
Anyone know any good combat seires? You know...modern air combat?
on January 28, 2009 8:06 AM | Reply
X-plane is a well-proven flight simulator with versions for MAC, PC & Linux. The x-plane community is smaller, airport detail is rather less, but its flight modelling is very strong - give it a visit at www.x-plane.com.
on May 18, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply
X-Plane is the future.
MS killed FSX.
It is going to be a slow kill but an efective one.
on December 22, 2009 7:34 PM | Reply
Well looks like we r all going to have 2 switch over to x plane 9..which i feel is a better flight simulator anyways
on January 24, 2010 10:24 AM | Reply
This is typical of the bloody Microsoft company. The latest fsx is a con because it has terrible framerates even on great computers, but they advertise the recommended computer specifications as much less than they actually are. This is false advertisement and any other company would be taken to court for this. I hate this company like a lot of people and they don't do anything to help its customers get the games to run properly after spending money on the f...... thing. I'm an aircraft engineering student and msfs is very realistic, and i have bought most of them since 95 but the company should be made to answer. We should get a petition to make them help us get a 6 year old simulator (fs2004) and 4 year old simulator (fsx) to run properly on 1000 pound/dollar machines.