There was a time when Microsoft Flight Simulator was one of the most well known and respected names in digital aviation. In 2009 the company that made the games bearing the name, ACES, was shut down by Microsoft in a series of studio closures by the company. That came much to the dismay of the thousands of people who sat at their PCs pretending to fly planes. It looks like Flight Simulator could soar once again.
Microsoft has signed a licencing agreement with Dovetail Games to to develop and publish a series of games "based on Microsoft’s genre-defining flight technology." Dovetail Games is responsible for one of the few simulator games that isn’t out to take the piss: Train Simulator.
Their new games won’t be branded as Microsoft Flight Simulator, but they’ll be just that, in spirit. The licencing deal also gives Dovetail the rights to publish 2006’s Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition on Steam later this year. It’ll feature that game’s expansions.
"We are thrilled to be exploring new flight simulation opportunities using Microsoft’s technology, and look forward to using our extensive expertise of Steam publishing to successfully bring Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition to a broad new audience on the Steam platform," says Dovetail CEO Paul Jackson.
Flight Simulator got a more casual, free-to-play reboot in 2012 as Microsoft Flight, but the entire endeavour was ill-fated; it’s servers are set to shut down in October.
Last Updated: July 10, 2014
VampyreSquirrel
July 10, 2014 at 17:03
I had a friend that would “play” Flight Simulator. The one day we pitched at his place to pick him up to go to the movies, and he had to check how long his flight would still be to make sure he got home on time for when the auto-pilot automatically turned off…
We made him late on purpose and his 747 crashed into the Atlantic.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
July 10, 2014 at 17:03
You JERKS. 😛
Brady miaau
July 11, 2014 at 09:14
Yeees. But
Aries
July 10, 2014 at 17:06
lol, atleast he could fly, i tried and failed
VampyreSquirrel
July 10, 2014 at 17:07
He spent WAY too many hours on that game… couldn’t have been healthy.
I tried to take off from New York and crashed into the World Trade Centre… if only I knew…
Ryanza
July 10, 2014 at 17:20
too soon.
don’t mention that. we actually want this game to be made.
VampyreSquirrel
July 10, 2014 at 17:38
They removed the WTC out of the last one made with a patch 2 days after 9/11
HvR - Still dislikes Random.or
July 10, 2014 at 18:39
Lot of that going on just after 9/11.
Remember there was going to be a scene in the Spiderman movie with him catching a plane with web spun between the towers.
Ryanza
July 10, 2014 at 17:14
Is that what happened to the Malaysian flight.
VampyreSquirrel
July 10, 2014 at 17:18
Lol! Might be, but it wasn’t me… I haven’t met anyone that still plays Flight Simulator for many years.
Ryanza
July 10, 2014 at 17:16
I wonder if all males can fly planes with Kinect.
Ryanza
July 10, 2014 at 17:19
With today’s graphics a new flight sim would be great. Back in the day everybody loved flight sim.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 10, 2014 at 17:22
I certainly hope so, but I also hope that reviewers understand what a simulator is. The biggest problem was that rags like IGN were reviewing flight simulators as if they were arcade games. Of course, if you’re reviewing a flight sim as if it’s an arcade game, you might miss the point of what a flight sim is actually about…. Sigh!
Ryanza
July 10, 2014 at 17:30
take off, auto pilot, 15 hours later, don’t crash while landing, damn. restart. 10/10
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 10, 2014 at 17:51
I miss the days that the game came with this hefty manual that explains how to fly a plane. 😀
Sir Rants A Lot Llew
July 10, 2014 at 18:39
Agreed.
I loved my flight sims
Matewis Jubilai
July 10, 2014 at 17:50
I once “played” a flight sim when I was a kid. It was incredibly satisfying to get the plane moving, and on some rare occasions, to actually get it in the air!
HvR - Still dislikes Random.or
July 10, 2014 at 17:59
Usually accompanied by a “Yes yes yes yes” as you gain some air after your 100th try. Quickly followed by “NO NO NO NO NO” as you forgot to set a flap or something.
HvR - Still dislikes Random.or
July 10, 2014 at 18:08
New MS Flight Simulator.
You sit in a small chair in front of your Xbone Kinect while your wife brings you a drink and choice of horrible beef or chicken TV meal.
Extra $10 gets you an in-flight movie feature.
Brian Murphy
July 10, 2014 at 18:21
I can’t imagine a more boring and banal experience than having played MSFS X (I think that was the last one I played). My ex-roommate actually bought the deluxe edition…so that he could play as the tower (for the love of…snore.)
Seriously, he actually sat there and told planes they could taxi and land at/on whatever runways, he found that entertaining….
CodeName Tailgunner
July 11, 2014 at 08:38
Great idea for an MMO with tower operators and everything
Skoobaz
July 11, 2014 at 08:45
There’s a massive online community already. Based on real world airlines and flights, everything. One has to qualify to take up the role of tower controller. One can’t just pilot a 747 straight away, training and check rides are involved, like real world.
http://www.vatsaf.com/Introduction.aspx
Brady miaau
July 11, 2014 at 09:13
Ah yes, but do you fly? Is there a flightsim for the Tailgunner?
And yeah, great idea. Is t feasible though? I have seen the internet and its people and I was not impressed.
Skoobaz
July 11, 2014 at 08:42
A mixed bag reaction from the community on FS. I guess each to his own. I “played FS as a kid on the earlier iterations for many years. Then I got FSX. At the time my PC couldn’t run the simulator at my desired graphics resolutions, quality etc. So I upgraded, a lot. Then one day I said to myself. Stuff It. I’m going to try this for real. My GF bought me an intro flight at CT International flying club for my 30th Birthday. Actually went up on my birthday proper. Beautiful CT summer day. No wind, clear skies.
The pilot in command asked if I had any experience. Apart from commercial flights as a passenger, just FS. I landed that Piper Tommahawk by myself. Said he had never seen that before. A 1st time flier landing the plane. I kid you not.
In conclusion I am doing my PPL part time and the rest of the time I study my routines on the simulator in preparation for my next real world session.
Absolutely
Love
It
Brady miaau
July 11, 2014 at 09:11
Good for you, follow the dream.
I understand the first time you do something like that it tends to work out very well, cause you are not fully aware of everything that can go wrong. Some of my family fly / flew. Is great,
Not a cheap thing. My dad had his own Aircraft before he died, the upkeep is not insignificant.
Consumer of Little Rabbits
July 11, 2014 at 10:39
Header win!
Johan du Preez
July 11, 2014 at 12:11
Il just leave this here Star Citizen …. proof that the world wants flight sims. Over $45mil donated so far.