I Hate Microsoft

[715]

Im not sure what they mean by 'Live' but I think the bureacrats at MS are looking at FS as just another game which would be a mistake owing to the large number of people loyal to the title. Maybe its time to tame XPlane?

"Live" is Microsoft's "trademark" for its online stuff (eg. maps.live.com) as opposed to boxed stuff (eg. MS Streets and Trips). 

I wonder how many people built AH compared to how many built FS. My guess is that they are getting rid of the bureaucratic bloat.

They didn't just "trim the bureaucratic bloat" they axed the entire Flight Sim (and Train Sim) development team.  Kinda hard to move forward with FS11 with no one to work on it. 

[Reschke]

Here's an interesting bit of info: http://www.appscout.com/2009/01/microsoft_confirms_flight_simu.php.  The MS spokesperson links future MS flight sim development to "Live" experiences implying a shift to online, perhaps pay as you go, flight simming.  (Which, if you recall, they tried once before with Fighter Ace.)

Well that would tie in with the recent patent filing that was posted on this BBS as well. Something about PAYG or along those lines.

update: I just found the post I am referring to. http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,256634.0.html

[Chalenge]

Hardware technology is not up to the task yet. Hardware is replaced in as little as three months in my systems and some of the replaced hardware goes for too much to consider paying on a subscription basis at that rate (the vendor would lose money) as well as removing the freedom of the owner to replace hardware as he sees fit while being tied to a contract. Most of the hardware available now has DRM code already imbedded so its inevitable that MS tries this but I wont be participating.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

PAYG might hook up some elderly people / uneducated povs who see this as an opportunity to get a cheap access to computer hardware. Any power users will stay far far away from pay per hour pricing. One month and your own box / net access becomes cheaper.

[Spikes]

They just cut some 5,000 jobs.  Maybe if they didn't unload crap like Vista on the world they'd be in a better position?

Seems whenever they do something GOOD they stop. Like the Sidewinder II? They stopped producing it. It seems like the CEO says, "Crap, it works, we can't continue it!"

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Seems whenever they do something GOOD they stop. Like the Sidewinder II? They stopped producing it. It seems like the CEO says, "Crap, it works, we can't continue it!"

It was too good - they wouldn't break down so people stoped buying new ones. Sad but true.

[Getback]

It was too good - they wouldn't break down so people stopped buying new ones. Sad but true.

That reminds me of the old refrigerators. They built them so good that they lasted 20 years. Today they build them to fail a little sooner. What you're saying is spot on.