Microsoft ACES Closing Down?

[AchillesP]

Hi,

We are talking about a company and the next move is to sell the title to another company. Nothing finished. Just started. We will see better days.

[mauriceb]

No offense, but there is no one forcing you to always use the latest version if you don't want to. If you decide that what the new version gives you is not enough to warrant an upgrade, then don't I get so sick and tired of people constantly complaining about the added hardware requirements with new versions.

Hmm!! I wasn't aware I was complaining. I guess I didn't realize that I must have been very upset when I very willingly & happily upgraded to FSX over a year and a half ago.

Since it appears that my earlier message was not clear enough, let me explain that I was simply trying to put a positive spin on an otherwise sad event.

Maurice

[Bob Reed]

There was a post the other day and I almost said I would be surprised if there was another version of FS released. I know the sales where not what MS was looking for and with the economy in the dumper, it was all the push they needed to shut it down. I think that FS will be around for a long time and maybe with no more updates, some of the folks who where writing add ons for FS9 and stopped because they wanted to switch to writing for FSX and found it was too difficult, will go back to writing for FS9.. It may be a good thing in the long run. Only time will tell.

[JBaymore]

I think best case scenario they are at least 5 years from another release.

Which will be about the time that FSX has the hardware firepower available at a decent price that will allow us to actually achieve the promises that the packaging and the marketing made. By then, FSX will run as well as fs2004 does now (and still has plenty of life left)......... with all the bells and whistles that Microsoft and add-on developers will be able to provide to us.

Then the "flightsim dance" will begin yet again with a new software package far exceeding the hardware capacity and everyone complaining about the excessive demands it places on their hardware and the cost to upgrade the machines.

What has happened, first with fs2004 and now with FSX, is that Microsoft lengthned the "shelf life" of the "current" sim. Extend the time that the product creates cash flow while keeping the development cost the same.

Any CFO worth his or her salt would be watching the "holding power" of FS2004..... and the slow adoption of FSX and realize that the shelf life of "The X" is going to be very long. Add in the general econiomic realities, with a dose of the Vista economic debacle ....and "downsizing" is an obvious conclusion of it all. There will be plenty of time to consider the next FS development team in the next few years. No rush now.... and a big short term cost savings.

I strongly believe that when the time is right......many years from now........ there will be FSXI (or whatever it is called).

best,

..................john

[No Longer Active]

iFSX for Mac.........

Wouldnt that be good!

i only have a pc because of FS9, it would be nice to play on the mac abit more!

I just dont get this x-plane thing though, someone explain what it actually does and why it compares to MS FS?

[Prof Bill]

Any CFO worth his or her salt would be watching the "holding power" of FS2004..... and the slow adoption of FSX and realize that the shelf life of "The X" is going to be very long. Add in the general econiomic realities, with a dose of the Vista economic debacle ....and "downsizing" is an obvious conclusion of it all. There will be plenty of time to consider the next FS development team in the next few years. No rush now.... and a big short term cost savings.

I strongly believe that when the time is right......many years from now........ there will be FSXI (or whatever it is called).

best,

..................john

John, an analysis that I very much agree with!
Based on the above I would like your good self see a very long life for "The X" now potentally supported by the arrival of WINDOWS 7 which on current experiences is helping resolve for instance "frame rate" and many other issues!
FSX really was going nowhere fast until the base platform operating system was sorted out as a priority. A good business decision by Microsoft in using this opportunity to sort the basics out potentially giving a much needed "earlylife/midlife kicker" to the product and also a period of stability to FSX.
Microsoft will be very careful where it will "park" FSX (or any other flagship product) in the interim and much of what we read at the moment is somewhat tempered by journalistic speculation.
FSX has a long term future !

Bill.

[AchillesP]

Hi,

We are talking about a company and the next move is to sell the title to another company. Nothing finished. Just started. We will see better days.

My estimations came truth.

By now, many of you have heard that Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, the publisher of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This was not a reflection of the quality of the products Aces has developed, the sales performance of the games, or the quality of the team at Aces. This difficult decision was made to align Microsoft’s resources with our strategic priorities. Microsoft Flight Simulator X will remain available at retail stores and web retailers, the Flight Sim community will continue to learn from and encourage one another, and we remain committed to the Flight Simulator franchise for the long term.
Microsoft Game Studios is investing significant resources in many exciting and new areas of gaming and entertainment, including Windows games. We believe these future investments will push innovation, community, and collaboration to unprecedented levels and will provide more synergy with our ongoing investments in Games for Windows - LIVE as well as other Windows entertainment technologies. We have nothing specific to announce at this time, but stay tuned for more information.
We are humbled and proud of the passion and support that the Flight Simulator franchise has developed over its more than twenty-five year history. This includes you, the large community of flight simmers, as well as the vibrant third-party ecosystem that has developed around the game. We will continue to produce, sell, and support the latest version of Flight Simulator as we plan for future versions of the franchise. Thank you for your understanding of our decision and for your continued support!


http://www.fsinsider.com/news/Pages/...eFromAces.aspx

[N242AM]

I'm not beliveing that statement at all!

There are too many inconsistencies in what has actually happended and what is stated in a press release. It is meant to appease us, those that have purchased the software, may purchase it, or those that offer addon products.

Please, don't insult me. How is Microsoft "investing significant resources" when it just fired all (most) of the individuals knowledgeable of the software's architecture?

"We have nothing specific to announce at this time.....", really? That's a profound statement.

Each time I re-read that press release I ........

Never mind.

[Matt Olieman]

N242AM (for lack of knowing your name and not listing where you are from),

You sound angry, angry at MS and have noticed some of your other remarks in other threads indicating you are angry. Too bad.

If what you say is true, I still have several useful versions of MSFS, so no loss to me, I keep on sim-ing.

Just too bad you think you've just had all of your sim enjoyment taken away from you.

MS will carry on with the continued adventure of building a FS. MS, just like most the rest of the business world, are stategizing their economic resources.

Perhaps you are not aware, we are in a recession, and on the edge of a depression.

Time to take action and MS did, responsibly. I can't deny them that.

Even if they do not come back to a new MSFS, someone else will, I'm confident of that.

So N242AM (who ever you are), chill out!!!

Matt Olieman

[mauriceb]

If there is one thing history teaches us is that things never go back to the way they used to be. Whatever MS has up its sleeves, it will not likely be a re-incarnation of Flight Simulator as we know it. They may well develop an even better alternative in the future, but it will not likely work with our current flight deck hardware & software.

Luckily for us though, FSX (& likely FS9 as well) still has a long shelf life and add-on developers will still want to tap this market until something better comes along, and something better will surely come some day.

So, why not enjoy what we have now & stop worrying about the future? The future is still bright for flight simulation as there seems to be an ever increasing interest in it based on all the new players in the market (customers & suppliers). Market demand will drive supply & Microsoft hasn't grown to what it is now by ignoring market demands & economic realities.

FS? is dead ... Long live FS?

Maurice