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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

Don't worry about FSX dying

B

Bone

Charter Member
In the latest issue of PC Pilot, there is a good article about the future of the FSX(ESP) platform. Lockheed has bought the rights and source code of ESP, and have upgraded the capabilities of it, which they have renamed Prepar3d. It's now available for purchase. They are agrresively marketing it for military and civilian use. Also, the SDK and Simmconnect are still the same as it was before they bought it, and FSX addons will run on the newly revamped platform.

http://shop.keypublishing.com/acatalog/pc_pilot_issue_070.html

"Lockheed Martin's Prepar3d
PC Pilot was recently informed of the exciting news that Lockheed Martin had purchased the source code and intellectual property from Microsoft for the Microsoft® ESP™ platform. So, we invited Lockheed Martin to take part in a Q&A, which they very kindly agreed to do."
 
A per seat license of Prepare3D costs $499usd. Compared to what ESP was costing that might be considered aggressive pricing? Or one could subscribe to their developer network at $9.95 a month and get their own personal versions, two copies to be precise.

But Flight (by Microsoft) will be the "new and improved" version of the Flight Simulator genre.

Prepare 3D will be under continuing development by Lockheed and I guess if people really want to get down and dirty within the settings they will have some potential for Lockheed's improvement.

But for the every day Joe? Flight should fit the bill nicely, if people are patient enough to wait for it's release.
 
I'm happy with FSX........I'm done changing. I spent too much on FS9 and now spending in FSX and won't switch to the new "FLIGHT" sim.
 
Happiness is being content with what you have, not with what you don't have and absolutely not with what hasn't even been released! Although it is nice to dream a little too, just don't expect all your dreams to come true.

Regards, Mike Mann
 
I personally think with companies like PMDG, A2A, Orbx, Fly! Tampa, and others pushing the limits of FSX I am pretty content to stay where I am at. I love my Accu-sim birds, and all the sceneries I have bought.. I never really got to far in to 2004 so it was not much of a loss for me to switch to FSX which is why I jumped ship the day FSX came out. Granted I never bought add-ons for 2004 which is probably why I thought it really sucked. I will continue trying to support as many of these companies that are making good products as I can, and hopefully others are to so they continue making excellent products for FSX. I imagine just like with the 2004/FSX switch that at some point the scales with tip in Flights direction though... I know on our side (Milviz) we have a few exciting products in the pipeline, and I can't stop wondering what is coming from other developers either. So FSX should be around for awhile.
 
I'm sure people who had spent good money on FS9 said they would never switch to FSX too....

and then they saw the screenshots...hmmm

and then they saw the videos...hmm,hmmm

and then they saw the 3rd party developments..

and then they said, never say never

If Flight is the significant leap ahead of FSX that FSX was over FS9 then people who said they would never buy it will buy it...same with this potential project 'Prepare3d' from Lockheed
 
heywooood said:
If Flight is the significant leap ahead of FSX that FSX was over FS9 then people who said they would never buy it will buy it
Click to expand...

Just uneducated guesses, but I think Flight will be evolutionary, not revolutionary. I don't expect backwards compatibility beyond FSX, so no more .R8 texture files. Sorry! FSX is still the "foundation" that has yet to be fully exploited. Fix a "few" bugs here and there, improve performance (see backwards compatibility!) and add a few new tricks and treats and BINGO, welcome to MS Flight!

But I've been wrong before. Once... :bump:
 
Good news for developers... in fact I see quite a few of the ground pound crew there.

Will be interesting to note the DRM package for release of items to be sold on the Prepar3D website. I think it is a sign of things to come.
 
A2A commented in a recent video that their Accum-sim products will work in "Any capable graphics engine", or something to that effect. I wonder if that means they will find their way into MS Flight? I can only assume Orbx products will find their way in. Or is that assumption of base? Seems logical to me. If that's the case FSX will likely die real quick. I have no issue with tossing out 90% of my addons if I can have the top 10% in a vaslty improved engine.
 
Just remember guys.... this is not a consumer product. I see some of the crying crowd already over there complaining about cost. This is a professional simulation product and will never ever see the light of day on your store shelf.

If I was LM... I would seriously consider screening who they allow to post in forums. Their resources should not be spent answering general public.... but more customers and developers.

Excited to see how they can push the engine.
 
As crashaz says, the Microsoft License agreement between them and L-M specifically EXCLUDES selling to the entertainment market.

That's not to say that some developments for Prepar3d might not find their way to FSX, but average joes using Prepar3d on their home computers? NEVER going to happen. Not with the lawyers watching.
 
I think LM has not yet grasped the 'user communities' that exist around the old Flight Simulator. I agree they should allow only 'serious' people in the forums, because that is what their product is about. Not consumers.

Anything I can build using Prepar3d I can only sell to someone who runs the $ 499 base software, so that really limits the 'user market' to a few rich geeks and cockpit builders ;-)
 
In the U.S., a copy of Windows 7 will cost about $230. The Aerosoft SwissPro photoreal package will cost $160. The new A-10C Warthog HOTUS will cost about $450.

Personally, I don't think it's unrealistic that an FSX user might want to buy the Prepar3d software at $499. Maybe you won't see it it on the retail shelf or at the Flightsim Pilot Shop, but surely LM would sell you a copy if you wanted it. I'd like to hear more specifics on what they have upgraded and what the capabilities are, but as of yet I have no plans to call myself a flight school and buy it.

I just find it very encouraging that the commercial half of FSX has a future.


http://www.prepar3d.com/

Francois said:
Anything I can build using Ptrepa3D I can only sell to someone who runs the $ 499 base software, so that really limits the 'user market' to a few rich geeks and cockpit builders ;-)
Click to expand...

According to the article, any of the current addons for FSX will run on Prepar3d, but you need to run them through the Prepar3d specific compiler.
 
Bone said:
According to the article, any of the current addons for FSX will run on Prepar3d, but you need to run them through the Prepar3d specific compiler.
Click to expand...

Yes, but that's NOT what I was writing ;-) That's the other way 'round.
 
Prepar3D's thinking is that you develop on Prepar3D (ESP+) and sell it to commercial projects/customers only.

FSX will NOT have all the functionality that the 'new' software has, so designing on FSX is of no use, unless you want to sell 'regular' FSX add-ons to your customers. That's not the general idea behind all this ;-)
 
Francois said:
Prepar3D's thinking is that you develop on Prepar3D (ESP+) and sell it to commercial projects/customers only.

FSX will NOT have all the functionality that the 'new' software has, so designing on FSX is of no use, unless you want to sell 'regular' FSX add-ons to your customers. That's not the general idea behind all this ;-)
Click to expand...

Presumably, the majority of developers who have built for FSX will be building for Prepar3d also. They have the knowledg and expertise. I would think the devs would still want to have the opportunity to do both, going on the assumption that the more income streams you have, the better.

So, you build for the "limited" FSX first, then compile for Prepar3d, then take that result and build it up to the potential of Prepar3d. LM knows that there's a huge intellectual base working in FSX, and from what I've read, they're banking on these same people working in the upgraded platform. The T-33 announcement they've already made makes it pretty clear that doing both FSX and Prepar3d is OK.
 
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