Classic British Flight Sim

Just got wind of a "NEW" flight sim from our pals at M$. Anyone tried it yet? there is a beta floating around somewhere to test.

here is the link:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/

Sounds to me like dumb-med down version of the old FS, not realistic with working cockpits and lifelike flight physics, more like Crimson Skies game play. The $64 dollar question is: will FS add ons work with this baby? it is my understanding that the scenery is akin to something like Google earth, very photo realistic.

I'm pretty sure there's a multi-page thread in the Escorts & Stewards section on it, but my search function doesn't want to work right on my current connection.

From what i know the Beta isnt out in public yet nor in closed beta either...

It's in beta, release date is on 29th Feb, free to download.

FSX addons will not work, all addons supplied by MS via windows live.

There is a lot more info on some of the other flight sim forums.

Hi Chaps,

Its been in beta since Jan. Its NOT a flight simulator at the moment, its a flying game although the environment is from FS. Its still to be decided if there will be a flight simulator version of the game although I believe thats the intent.

Reading the review in PCPilot, it looks dire.

No ATC, no AI and no real time weather. Although a free download, this only includes part of Hawaii and a couple of aircraft.

I for one, won't even bother with the free download.

Kevin

Okay, the free version includes the items you state. What about the addons? Still no one has a list (not even Microsoft) of what DLC will be available. No info on whether it'll have those things as DLC or not. Until there's a list of what's actually going to be available, I'm still don't see why so many people are happy to write it off. When they release it, if it doesn't come up with anything close to what FSX had for the same price, then complain, but until then, why are people wasting so much time and emotion?

I'm inclined to agree Chris, but the main point is that this is NOT a flight simulator and is not being marketed as such. What is clear is that the virtual world that this game sits on looks very promising and if MS release another version of Flight Simulator, using this world as a base, it could be very good.

Fair point, it is a game and seems to take this from FSX which was the tipping point from a sim to the game. I doubt myself if anything will come from this in the way of a sim, mainly due to the limited commercial gain for MS, if its a game they keep a tight control on what add-ons are produced as they will be the ones creating and selling them. This means that no more will they provide a cheap platform but they will also make money from the add-ons.
FS I doubt will progress any more than we already have split across two platforms FS9 and FSX.
We are lucky that both sims are good enough already and suit two different types of user, Flight will appeal to the gamer more and should be seen as such and not as a replacement.

Is this really it??

Back in arround October it was being said that MS were talking about the new Sim as working hard to try to hopefully get it ready for Christmas 2012

So maybe later in the year something will show...or perhaps they changed direction??

Or maybe something misunderstood??