Friday 2010-07-23 Dev. update and Discussions

[zapatista]

Originally Posted by Feuerfalke

Microsoft closed the complete FS-studio, in case you didn't hear it.

That's how much trust Microsoft had in their own team to compete with the current market.

doesnt have anything to do with competition. after bush's cronies had raided the piggy bank and the american empire collapsed (almost taking the rest of the world with it), microsoft simply shut down many low profit non-core departments as a radical cost cutting methods, and prepared for the worst possible economic climate scenario.

microsoft still kept a 3 man skeleton staff to keep the old flightsim information viable for later revival. since, like in the time of the romans, the peasants are now back to their "wine and games" mindset and lulled back into the trance of acting like passive consumer units they have been so well groomed for, i dont doubt microsoft will revive yet again one of their old proven games like ms-flightsim in the near future.

[Feuerfalke]

Originally Posted by zapatista

doesnt have anything to do with competition. after bush's cronies had raided the piggy bank and the american empire collapsed (almost taking the rest of the world with it), microsoft simply shut down many low profit non-core departments as a radical cost cutting methods, and prepared for the worst possible economic climate scenario.

microsoft still kept a 3 man skeleton staff to keep the old flightsim information viable for later revival. since, like in the time of the romans, the peasants are now back to their "wine and games" mindset and lulled back into the trance of acting like passive consumer units they have been so well groomed for, i dont doubt microsoft will revive yet again one of their old proven games like ms-flightsim in the near future.

Interesting. So you say that the valuation, "low profit non-core department", has nothing to do with it's marketing value?

[zapatista]

Originally Posted by Feuerfalke

Interesting. So you say that the valuation, "low profit non-core department", has nothing to do with it's marketing value?

i am saying that to microsoft its flightsim department was mere peanuts in its bigger picture, as can be illustrated for ex by its 2007 annual revenue surpassing $50 Billion

but like all companies riding an economic wave that ebbs and flows, when suddenly the bottom falls out of the world economy it makes cuts where it can, for microsoft those cuts would have been easiest and quickest in its non-core business area's. whatever tabloid speculators might say, once the economic system is more stable and its future easier to predict, the less important (but previously profitable) products for niche markets will reappear no doubt

[Feuerfalke]

Originally Posted by zapatista

i am saying that to microsoft its flightsim department was mere peanuts in its bigger picture, as can be illustrated for ex by its 2007 annual revenue surpassing $50 Billion

but like all companies riding an economic wave that ebbs and flows, when suddenly the bottom falls out of the world economy it makes cuts where it can, for microsoft those cuts would have been easiest and quickest in its non-core business area's. whatever tabloid speculators might say, once the economic system is more stable and its future easier to predict, the less important (but previously profitable) products for niche markets will reappear no doubt

That's exactly what they said and still say about the Falcon-Team.

Fact is, though, it was closed because it could not make enough money to support the expensive team. And as with Falcon, it was closed to be reopened, whenever suitable. But as you know so much about business: If you close something now to reopen it later, you will lose a lot against companies that even with a small team continue to produce, grow, gather experience and of course make themselves and their products renown. And then we're back at where we started: At the very heart of competition.



@AED:
I'm glad you made a new account to post this. It's not only complete BS, your attitude and appearance is the very reason why the unspeakables are still officially referred to as hackers, not as modders.

[SlipBall]

Well forgive me if I came across as being rude to you. In my defense, I very much want the sim released this year. The complaints worry me that, the game will only be delayed to address them.

[zapatista]

Originally Posted by Feuerfalke

That's exactly what they said and still say about the Falcon-Team.

Fact is, though, it was closed because it could not make enough money to support the expensive team. And as with Falcon, it was closed to be reopened, whenever suitable. But as you know so much about business: If you close something now to reopen it later, you will lose a lot against companies that even with a small team continue to produce, grow, gather experience and of course make themselves and their products renown. And then we're back at where we started: At the very heart of competition..

your off on your own tangent there, i never mentioned falcon and it has nothing to do with what we were discussing

for microsoft it is easy, and good business practice at he moment, to put some non priority projects back on the shelf and cut the money it spends on them during "the economic crisis". its also very easy for them to revive it later should they choose to. ms flightsim still has a lot of legs in it, since only the latest hardware can at long last run fs-x fluidly with decent scenery on a high resolution, so it is not as if an imminent upgrade was/is needed.

as oleg supporters all we can hope for is that his project is a success, and that many 3e party flightsim software developers who initially made programs for ms will transition to his flightsim during that hiatus.

[Flanker35M]

S!



As of a shell casing hitting a windscreen. Sure it would not penetrate the screen but if the windscreen, armored or not, is hit by multiple objects the dents or marks alone can call for a replacement as pilot's view will be affected by the damage. A shell casing has a mass and with enough speed hitting an object moving at speed as well there will happen something, not just a ping. If you work with airplanes, you would know that a surprisingly small object can cause damage on the airplane

Well, the update was nice as stated. Waiting for more in future

[Feuerfalke]

Originally Posted by zapatista

your off on your own tangent there, i never mentioned falcon and it has nothing to do with what we were discussing

for microsoft it is easy, and good business practice at he moment, to put some non priority projects back on the shelf and cut the money it spends on them during "the economic crisis". its also very easy for them to revive it later should they choose to. ms flightsim still has a lot of legs in it, since only the latest hardware can at long last run fs-x fluidly with decent scenery on a high resolution, so it is not as if an imminent upgrade was/is needed.

as oleg supporters all we can hope for is that his project is a success, and that many 3e party flightsim software developers who initially made programs for ms will transition to his flightsim during that hiatus.

Of course MS-Flightsim has still a large market-value it's just been quit!
But when BoB will be released and DCS offers more SDKs, these "lots of legs" can easily stumble and fall. This position is far from save and sound DUE to competition.
No matter what you call it, hybernation, dead, whatever - the longer the studio is closed and the competition still produces the lower the chances it can be revived.

Again exactly these arguments have been used by Falcon-fans for years, as well as for good old Janes simulations. Especially the last comment with the hardware needed to play it fluently. Looks like copy'n'pasted right from Frugals-World

[The Kraken]

Originally Posted by zapatista

your off on your own tangent there, i never mentioned falcon and it has nothing to do with what we were discussing

for microsoft it is easy, and good business practice at he moment, to put some non priority projects back on the shelf and cut the money it spends on them during "the economic crisis". its also very easy for them to revive it later should they choose to. ms flightsim still has a lot of legs in it, since only the latest hardware can at long last run fs-x fluidly with decent scenery on a high resolution, so it is not as if an imminent upgrade was/is needed.

The main issue with Microsoft from how I see it, is twofold: first they have all but abandoned the PC games market, despite occasional claims of the contrary. Second is the classic ROI problem: even if their flight sim line is profitable, it binds too much capital for a substantial time. And of course it's a niche market that is only getting smaller, so there's not much growth potential. Stockholders don't like that. I don't see that changing in the near future either so I guess they are out of that market for good.

Which does of course open opportunities for other develoeprs. I appreciate that Oleg is going against these trends, even though I assume SOW won't be "perfect" on release. Feel free to prove me wrong though