The Next Generation of Sims-Which will take off?

[tce]

There's a bit of an inherent contradiction with flight simmers. Let's think about. In real life, a pilot buys his aircraft and that's what he flies---like or not. He or she gets to love his airplane and enjoys his life with it.

Flight sim can work the same way. A simmer may have a favorite plane or two and, assuming that these planes are "perfect", there's no reason why he or she may want to change.

This should address the question of why not keep the same sim.

Rather than creating a discussion on which to keep or which not to keep, I'd rather think in terms of how today a piece of hardware can accomodate as many OS and as many programs as we wish.

We can, therefore, have it all.

I currently have 3 sims on my pc, and plan to add more. I never worry about which sim to drop, so when I am in the mood to fly an airplane that exists for one sim and not another, or when I want one feature over another, I pick my sim and fly.

 

I will not, for months or years to come, worry about "which sim" to drop.

 

The best example is Flight Sim World. I own it. I like it---not for its completeness, but for the fact that it's trying to introduce new concepts and approaches to what a sim should be. I don't compare it with my other sims, nor am I frustrated by the pace of progress.

If I had looked at this sim as a potential replacement, I would not have purchased it.

As an old time simmer, I appreciate the advances of simming and want it all!

Yet, when MS simulator came out for the IBM PC, I loved it just as much--- the black and white pixels.

 

 

tony

[ricardo_NY1]

FSW will be dead in a few months ala MS Flight........P3D even in 64bit will not be what XP11 is. XP just needs a hard hitting 737/767 type add on and it will be lights out.

[kingnorris]

Next thing? Probably mobile platform based flightsims. Who wouldn't like the idea of flying while at work, on lunch break? No longer would we need to stay at home at a computer desk, "handcuffed" as it were.

 

Cons? Obviously it would be extremely limited on its offerings. Maybe two planes, and a handful of airports to fly in and out of.

 

But to kill time? Without having to fire up a desktop pc? I think that's the future.

[tiger1962]

Agreed KN, and that's exactly where the market is right now.

Ricardo, the consensus on X-Plane is that it just needs ATC and seasonal scenery. It's just not a serious contender without them.

One feature I dislike about all modern sims is the current fad for VC-only aircraft. I like 2D panels, and won't buy a payware plane without one - I'm not paying for half a plane. Sorry but silly little pop-ups all over the screen is just a half-assed mess.

Even those who prefer the VC would benefit from being able to switch to the 2D panel when in low fps areas such as major cities and big international airports, it's the cure for VAS CTD's.

[zswobbie1]

There are plenty of mobile based sims for Android, including X-Plane 10!

 

Next thing? Probably mobile platform based flightsims. Who wouldn't like the idea of flying while at work, on lunch break? No longer would we need to stay at home at a computer desk, "handcuffed" as it were.

 

Cons? Obviously it would be extremely limited on its offerings. Maybe two planes, and a handful of airports to fly in and out of.

 

But to kill time? Without having to fire up a desktop pc? I think that's the future.

[RatRace]

Does anyone seriously believe that rotating and swiveling your smartphone is a serious contender to hardcore flight simming? :confused:

[mrzippy]

Does anyone seriously believe that rotating and swiveling your smartphone is a serious contender to hardcore flight simming? :confused:

 

You'd be surprised what people will do walking down the street, smartphone in-hand, head down and oblivious to their surroundings!:rolleyes:

[zswobbie1]

Just think, no fancy graphics card, no PC upgrading, no tweaking, no OOM's, etc, etc...

AND most of them are free, & nobody said that they are a serious contender to hardcore flight simming.

It's a 'for entertainment' app/program, just like FSX, FSX:SE or any other game derived from Aces Gaming Studio!

[tiger1962]

Does anyone seriously believe that rotating and swiveling your smartphone is a serious contender to hardcore flight simming? :confused:

 

Sitting in front of a PC monitor rotating and swiveling a joystick isn't either. Hardcore flight simming is building a home cockpit!

[RatRace]

Sitting in front of a PC monitor rotating and swiveling a joystick isn't either. Hardcore flight simming is building a home cockpit!

 

Nope, hardcore simming is sitting in a real cockpit looking for the mouse :D

[tiger1962]

Haha! Hey, I rebooted my PC last night thinking my soundcard had packed up when all I'd done was dialled down the volume wheel on my headphones lead by accident! :mad:

Seriously though, Android devices do come in all sizes, not just smartphones. I have an Android smart TV with all the digital channels, one of which is a games channel featuring all the android games for phones, tablets, etc. I really must have a look for X-Plane on there!

[kingnorris]

Does anyone seriously believe that rotating and swiveling your smartphone is a serious contender to hardcore flight simming? :confused:

 

No, but for first timers, or those who don't have the means to buy a strong PC, or simply don't wish to, it's a great way to get introduced into the hobby.

 

As little as 10 years ago, I would've never thought internet, email, etc would be portable. Yet here we are, and my Iphone 7 does all that. My desktop is simply a gaming rig now.

[Nels_Anderson]

Does anyone seriously believe that rotating and swiveling your smartphone is a serious contender to hardcore flight simming? :confused:

 

Yes, me.

 

Maybe it won't attract people who are used to more traditional PC sims, but ignore this aspect of the hobby at your own peril.

 

How big is it? At the recent FlightSimCon I was talking to the developer of Infinite Flight. Infinite Flight has FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND users. Serious enough for you? In comparison, I wonder how many people are still flying FSX?

 

 

Compares pretty well with FSX don't you think? It may not have the selection of planes, but it does have some pretty sophisticated features like multiplayer with live ATC (like VATSIM or IVAO).

[jgf]

... Android devices do come in all sizes...

 

But not in 23", much less 32". We spent decades wanting larger and larger televisions, large and larger computer monitors; now everyone wants to play games and watch movies on little 5"-10" screens.

 

You can attend a symphony concert or you can listen to it on a transistor radio. The music is the same but the experience is vastly different.

[RatRace]

Maybe it won't attract people who are used to more traditional PC sims, but ignore this aspect of the hobby at your own peril.

 

How big is it? At the recent FlightSimCon I was talking to the developer of Infinite Flight. Infinite Flight has FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND users. Serious enough for you? In comparison, I wonder how many people are still flying FSX?

Compares pretty well with FSX don't you think? It may not have the selection of planes, but it does have some pretty sophisticated features like multiplayer with live ATC (like VATSIM or IVAO).

 

Oh well, I guess I'm getting too old for this :(

[jgf]

"Infinite Flight has FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND users."

 

Is that a half million people actively playing the game? Or the app has been downloaded 500k times?

 

Most online games boast of millions of registered players, but I guarantee 90% of those registered, played a few minutes or a few hours, and left, never to return. Of the remaining 10% most do not play more than a year or two. I wonder, on average, how long most of us have had FS9 or FSX installed.

[mabe5454]

We had it good once and we still have it. Now FSX is old and I am too. I am glad that I still have it. Better than without it. Just keep the Flightsim.com and the rest open. That's my wish.

 

Cheers,

[zswobbie1]

But not in 23", much less 32". We spent decades wanting larger and larger televisions, large and larger computer monitors; now everyone wants to play games and watch movies on little 5"-10" screens.

 

You can attend a symphony concert or you can listen to it on a transistor radio. The music is the same but the experience is vastly different.

 

Actually, any size you like.

We have 42' screen, with an Android box (similar to an Apple TV box) plugged into it.

So, we do simming, in surround sound, & watch movies on a large Android screen, as well as going mobile!

 

Same difference, having 500,000 users/downloads as compared to FSX. Not every single FSX owner uses it!

[Nels_Anderson]

We had it good once and we still have it. Now FSX is old and I am too. I am glad that I still have it. Better than without it. Just keep the Flightsim.com and the rest open. That's my wish.

 

Cheers,

 

Well, if you want that to happen we seriously need your direct support. Please see our current Summer Membership Drive:

 

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/content.php?17513-FlightSim-Com-Summer-Membership-Drive

[Nels_Anderson]

Same difference, having 500,000 users/downloads as compared to FSX. Not every single FSX owner uses it!

 

Exactly. We've heard that FSX sold in the millions, but you know that given the difficulty of getting started in this hobby many of those people never went far with it.

 

I just checked, and in the Android store Infinite Flight has over 43,000 ratings so at least that many people actually used it long enough and cared enough to go back to the store and post a rating.

 

Here's a question for those of you who claim you'll stick with FSX forever. If all the publishers stopped and there was never going to be any new add-on products for FSX, would you still feel satisfied to keep using it forever?

[JSkorna]

Yep, because the latest and greatest isn't always better than what we already have. The same with all of those who have worked to achieve FS 9.1. They are happy with what they have much in the same way I am happy with my FSX. It gets tiring and expensive to have to keep starting over and over again just to gain cockpit shadows and a few other enhancements that aren't much better than what I have now. Also, there is so much FSX stuff out there that I haven't even explored yet that if there was nothing new being released I wouldn't care.

[RatRace]

Well, if you want that to happen we seriously need your direct support. Please see our current Summer Membership Drive:

 

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/content.php?17513-FlightSim-Com-Summer-Membership-Drive

 

I completely missed that announcement. As soon as I have paid my taxes (deadline today) I'll renew my subscription.

 

But honestly, shouldn't such an announcement by a huge, fixed banner, preferably in the forum section (or in all sections for that matter)?

I'm pretty certain that I'm not the only one (who was) oblivious to this Drive.

[mrzippy]

But honestly, shouldn't such an announcement by a huge, fixed banner, preferably in the forum section (or in all sections for that matter)?

I'm pretty certain that I'm not the only one (who was) oblivious to this Drive.

 

There are a bunch of folks who hang out in the Microsoft Screenshot forum and nowhere else. Most have a tendency to spend money on payware aircraft without blinking, so I know money isn't a problem for them!

[tiger1962]

"Here's a question for those of you who claim you'll stick with FSX forever. If all the publishers stopped and there was never going to be any new add-on products for FSX, would you still feel satisfied to keep using it forever? "

 

Us FS2004 diehards are in just that situation, and the answer is YES. Thanks to FlightSim .com we are still spoilt for choice of freeware add-ons of every type for FS9 - sincerely, Nels and all the FlightSim.com team, THANK YOU ALL.

But being an FS2004 simmer and add-on collector doesn't exclude anyone from using any other Sim which they have disk space for - I got FSX:SE in one of the sales and I'm still loving/hating it! I also got FSW one week after launch and I'm really enjoying seeing it develop, it's a rare privilege!

[RatRace]

There are a bunch of folks who hang out in the Microsoft Screenshot forum and nowhere else. Most have a tendency to spend money on payware aircraft without blinking, so I know money isn't a problem for them!

 

I know. At least you do your best to promote this site. :)