I don't get why people can't see that MSFS civilian flight sim is a different thing than Il-2 and the future SOW. This is not good for anyone in flightsim.

I think that some of that could be people's distaste toward M$ more than toward the sim itself. I enjoy FS9 it immensely flying vintage multi-engine a/c in golden wings. Fighters gets a little boring which is where 1946 comes in but to each their own as well.

Flyingbullseye

Quality
 

Doesn't matter if we're in boom or bust, quality will always win through! and that's IL2! SOW should hopefully be better.

I can only talk for myself but I never buy games unless they get good reviews -ie Totalwar series, IL2 etc. A recession won't stop me buying a quality flight sim - it's a cheap way to kill a few hours! :)

As to MSFS being axed, I never liked it but then I'm a WWII airwar nut. (a aging breed!). younger generations like car chases and criminal activity (very sad).

As to job loses, the IT industry in Australia has been outsourced since the late 90s, with jobs going to india and china. nothing new there. Now we have a severe recession, will the IT industry get any worse? probably yes but hopefully not another collapse. The problem is, the world is full of nerds - skilled IT people, alot in 3rd world countries that can easily undercut rates in 1st world nations. This was always going to put pressure on jobs. It would be good if wages were reduced rather than jobs lost but if Flight Sims are consistantly losing sales then a clean cut might be for the best?

BUT this is an opportunity for these unemployed skilled nerds to show their stuff and develop their own software, hopefully another IL2? or quicker-released SOW? :\

He111.

Ummm MSFS has nothing to do with young seeking thrills. You can fly hundreds of quality GA aircraft in dynamic weather over current scenery, or fly the latest high tech airliners with all the bells and whistles. That said, you are right it is all about MS catering to the young crowd and the mindless shooters.

But, maybe the effects will go deeper with Flight Sim shows?
 

I bought FSX, as I wanted to see what it really had going for it, and was impressed initially with the amount of RW detail it had.

My system, although very powerful, was only able to run it at between 15 and 32 FPS though, and that was after much internet trawling to find settings that others had to use to get playable fram-rates, so ultimately I sold it on as I wasn't having an enjoyable time with it.

Now, something sprung to mind, which I haven't seen discussed here though, is a visit I made to see Oleg in Birmingham a couple-of-years-ago, when he attended a Flight Sim show.

Turning up at the venue, I had to search really hard to find his stall, tucked away in a dark area to the left of a hall and not-at-all easy to find.

The rest of the hall was virtully crammed full of PC's running the newly launched FSX and other retailers selling additions for the game, with landscape packs, airport packs, hardware, etc,etc.

Why do I mention this? Well, I cannot believe that a Flight Sim show organiser would be willing to hold a show if the only new software was Olegs BoB (as Rose-tinted as our spectacles may be), and maybe the closure of the FSX franchise, resultant in lack of advertising and promotion, will or at least could, severly affect any Flight Sim shows of the future.
This means that the enthusiast will no-longer be able to se hands-on presentations of these sims, it will al bee report based over the web, and the chance to meet Oleg and other developers, well frankly looks as though it will be a closed chapter from no-on?

I'm wondering if it really is going to make that much difference, no MSFT FS.

MSFT started with Halo and now the Halo team is a totally separate company doing their own thing.

I would think all those guys with MSFT might be able to put their own company together, because getting a job developing a flight simulator is probably out of the question.

It wouldn't surprise me to see something really good come out of this.

The CFS2 enthusiasts are probably licking their chops, because I've read postings of conversations with members of the MSFT FS team. As I recall, it seemed the MSFT FS team members knew how to put together a top notch CFS as well as a FS. THey were retricted from doing a CFS, because the impetus within MSFT was the FS.

The cup is half full

*remembers CFS3*

Half full of vomit...

Could be that MSFS is folding due to overwhelming competition and having vanquished the evil empire Oleg will post BOB:SOW in open beta prior to an April release date?

Nope.

The MSFS series is the largest selling, longest running series in the history of computer flight simulation. Remember we are talking the Micorsoft Flight Simulator series here, not the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator series.

Oleg's success has had nothing to do with this. Oleg's IL2 series is not competition for FS 2009, FSX, etc. Completely different animals.

This is simply a matter of size. Microsoft is so large that even the largest seller in our tiny genre is chump change to them.

Hey, some of us were Oleggists from way before it was released in 1999-2000 and had a minimal interest in CFS2.

I actually enjoyed the first CFS but the sequel didn't seem to offer much in way of improvements (at least in the areas I cared most about) and I'm relevantly ignorant of the pacific theatre compared to say, North Africa, or the Night Bombing campaigns.