MS Makes Big Cuts At Flight Sim Studio

[BladeVenom]

Microsoft Makes Big Cuts At Flight Sim Studio
Sounds like they are going to be killing off their last PC gaming studio. I think they've killed off or converting to 360 development all their other PC gaming studios. I had thought they might just keep one PC gaming franchise going so they could at least pretend they aren't on an anti PC gaming crusade. Since the Xbox came out MS has been the worst enemy to PC gaming, and here's yet another salvo.

 

[Sam25]

Same here. Thought they would keep the Fligh Sim franchise on PC going. Sad though.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Since the Xbox came out MS has been the worst enemy to PC gaming, and here's yet another salvo.

Despite their vocal claims to the contrary. They've killed off or converted most of their PC development projects, with some venerable groups reduced to making Halo trash before they got axed completely. Ensemble, anyone?

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Since the Xbox came out MS has been the worst enemy to PC gaming, and here's yet another salvo.

Despite their vocal claims to the contrary. They've killed off or converted most of their PC development projects, with some venerable groups reduced to making Halo trash before they got axed completely. Ensemble, anyone?

Not to mention the scisming of Direct3D development by breaking with inter-OS compatibility to try and sell Vista.

At least the attempted Windows Live! rape of PC Gaming seems to have pretty much failed.

 

[marcplante]

Getting out of Gaming makes sense IMO. Microsoft suffers from a lack of focus, particluarly if you compare it to Apple. in these hard times, they'd be well served doing fewer things better.

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: marcplante
Getting out of Gaming makes sense IMO. Microsoft suffers from a lack of focus, particluarly if you compare it to Apple. in these hard times, they'd be well served doing fewer things better.

MS and financial analysts say the exact opposite. That they should diversify and not be so reliant on Windows for their income.

Microsoft Shuts Down 'Flight Simulator' Game Studio
Today they confirmed it. "Microsoft confirmed Friday that the software giant has shuttered ACES Studios, the developer of the Flight Simulator series of games, whose latest incarnation is Flight Simulator X. The simulation is considered Microsoft's oldest product, whose original version first shipped in 1982." I find it interesting that it's their oldest product.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: marcplante
Getting out of Gaming makes sense IMO.

No, they need to make games. Microsoft just never should have gotten into the console hardware business. They have lost billions of dollars in the xbox franchise. Those billions could have been spent buying up promising game developers and financing their development to success and releasing them on all platforms rather than trying to shove their own hardware and down the throats of consumers. Instead, they make the same mistake... twice.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: marcplante
Getting out of Gaming makes sense IMO.

No, they need to make games. Microsoft just never should have gotten into the console hardware business. They have lost billions of dollars in the xbox franchise. Those billions could have been spent buying up promising game developers and financing their development to success and releasing them on all platforms rather than trying to shove their own hardware and down the throats of consumers. Instead, they make the same mistake... twice.

Be prepared for a third time when they release the successor to the 360. The Xbox definition has yet to turn a profit, and the last I heard, they don't plan on actually turning a profit in the 360's life span. Their goals now are to build market base and solidify the console market under their dominion.

I agree almost totally with your statement though, that money would have been far better served financing quality PC titles or console releases on other platforms.

Lots of publishers are trying to kill off PC gaming by diverting funds to console titles, shipping the PC versions late, riddled with bugs, and crippled with DRM, and then citing poor sales of the PC title so they can divert more money into the console and continue the cycle.

 

[brandonb]

I guess I can go out and buy FSX. I was skipping that one and waiting for FSXI, but seems that one is dead now.

 

[Staples]

The Xbox 360 would be very profitable if it was not for all the RROD. IIRC, it still is profitable and has been for two years however the cost of fixing the systems is dragging down their profits by quite a bit.

The Xbox 1 lost MS tons of money but the Xbox 360 was actually managed with the hope of turning a profit.

As for their PC studios, with the rate of piracy nowdays, I can't blame them for moving to console only. Piracy is a lot less rampant on consoles than it is PCs.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Another blurb about the MS EDD layoffs Yet another case of cheap labor outsourcing?!?

 

[CrystalBay]

Very sad indeed...

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: Staples
The Xbox 360 would be very profitable if it was not for all the RROD.

The other problem was that they opted for weird hardware that doesn't make a lot of sense. The video card is from the GeForce 7 era, which makes sense because the console is from 2005, but it's paired up with a crazy powerful CPU. Most games are not CPU limited, so that was just a waste of money. To make up for it, the whole system only has 512mb of ram, which ironically gets worse performance than if it had some crappy processor with 2gb of ram, or even 1gb of ram.

Sony made the same mistake with the PS3. It has all this processing power but it's crippled by a lack of ram and a processor that is incredibly difficult to program for. Look how much money that console is losing as well.

I wonder how Microsoft would do if they just used standard desktop PC hardware. Cheap Athlon X2 processor, 1gb ram, cheap motherboard, built in wireless, Radeon 3xxx video card, cheap 3.5" hard drive. It would cost the same $400 as they are right now, but they would actually make money on each one sold. The development cost would be almost nothing since it's off the shelf parts, and it would still have the killer performance of a gaming console because every game is still optimized for the exact same hardware.

 

[Scooby Doo]

I miss the old flight sims :-(

Red Baron, B-17, Aces over Europe/Pacific, Secret Weapons Luffwaffe, Tornado, Falcon.....

 

[imported_Over50]

Originally posted by: Scooby Doo
I miss the old flight sims :-(

Red Baron, B-17, Aces over Europe/Pacific, Secret Weapons Luffwaffe, Tornado, Falcon.....

If you have an interest in WW1 combat flight sims you should take a look at Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven and Hell here . I was made aware of it in another thread on the board and after reading about it and watching the updates I recently bought the game. It's a mod and was built on the Microsoft CFS3 engine/game and as such you have to have CFS3 installed and patched to version 3.1 before you can install the Over Flanders Fields game. The link I included will take you to the game web site and forum.

The graphics are outstanding by the way. If you should happen to get the game I can't stress strongly enough that you take the time to read through the game FAQ when you visit the web site to become familiar with the installation and setup/configuration because the DVD you receive does not include a written manual.

 

[Oyeve]

I think Bill Gates needs to get his ass back to the office!

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
I think Bill Gates needs to get his ass back to the office!

No! Not more Gates jokes!

 

[chizow]

They also laid off Chris Early, head of Games for Windows. Yes Games for Windows Live is an utter failure compared to Live on the Xbox, but Early was one of the few pushing to improve the service, as he outlined in an interview last year.
These latest moves by MS finalize what we've seen written on the walls: Microsoft is done with PC gaming. Makes you wonder how much longer they'll even care about providing support and updates for gaming API and tools like DirectX.......

 

[you2]

I don't own a console but to be honest I have no problems wit h consoles if:
a) the games were a bit less expensive (ala pc)
b) they had keyboards as standard item so games were developed for keyboards
c) they produced graphics on par with the pc