A new video has been put up on the Flight website along with an FAQ. Very cool!
http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/
Interesting. Hopefully we'll see some in game movies/shots soon (those look like renders to me). I am very glad that a preliminary FAQ section is present now, and answers many questions that users in the community have had.
So......we "know" the following:
It will be for the PC....NOT X-Box.
MS is claiming that existing fans of the FS franchise will be accommodated with no decrease in realism/fidelity with the new program. "...full fidelity simulation" (their words)
MS claims that "some" members of the ACES team are working on this project.
It will be designed to take advantage of our increasingly social online societies. New, easy ways to connect with others in the FS community will be present through this program.
New features will be added to cater to users who have never before used or considered using a Flight Simulator program, and will be designed as to not scare them off due to the complexity.
Unknowns/Unanswered questions:
There are still many unknowns regarding the third party addon scene.
We do not know what game engine is being used. The wording implies that it is a completely different system/approach from the FS code/style. This could result in a very fresh new start for addon creators that wish to stay relevant when this program hits the market.
Internet connection required at all times to use the software? (increasingly common with many other programs)
We have no screenshots/videos to go off of showing what the new sim/progam will be like, unless what is shown is in game. (Again, they look like renders to me....but I could be wrong.)
The bottom line:
There will VERY likely be a tremendous amount of upheaval across all reaches of the flight simulation community as this knowledge and more comes to light. We still have many unknowns, but we also have some comforting assurances that I believe dominated many of the subject lines in queries about this program.
The only thing we can do is wait and see what Microsoft brings us.
Arguing, demanding, pleading, and rumor spouting will do no good as the FS community absorbs more knowledge about this.
A common trend will be to see some users claiming inside knowledge. They may be right in the long run, but it's worthwhile to be cautious. If you have knowledge of a particular aspect of this program and cannot back it up with sources, do not post it.
A new era begins in personal flight simulation, and I for one am now very optimistic about this program, thanks to these new updates.
Intel i7 960 quad 3.2G LGA 1366, Asus P6X58D Premium, 750W Corsair, 6 gig 1600 DDR3, Spinpoint 1TB 720
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