Exclusive Microsoft Flight Update

Sounds a lot like i-Tunes to me. What a joke.

Guys and gals, hang on to your copies of MSCFSII, FS2004 and FSX and all of your add-ons, both freeware and payware, make multiple copies of everything and keep them in a safe place.

The alternative would be X-Plane or a possible publication by Aerosoft. MS has shot itself in the foot and has lost the plot completely.

Yeah, I feel a little odd about this release. I totally understand what they are trying to do with this, but easing us in and not having a whole world at our disposal isn't very fun. Hawaii will get boring very fast. What appeals to many is being able to fly in the region of their chosing, and get in the airplane of their class. Not all sim pilots fly small GA aircraft.

Microsoft thinks it will make more money on this, but it will loose a lot customers that only play on payware aircraft and VA's. I certainly don't expect MS to release detailed aircraft like PMDG - and seeing the structure, PMDG won't be able to release aircraft for MSF!.

Don't take this personal tasev it is not meant as a criticism but this tiny little sentence of yours really sums it all up:

tasev1 wrote:

Not all sim pilots fly small GA aircraft.

Whether we like it or not, we are mentally more akin to sheep than we dare to admit... we are easily duped. How many of us have actually noticed that the word Simulator is missing in Microsoft's latest foray into 'flying games'?
There you have it. It's not meant to be a simulator game - it's meant to be an arcade game.

Microsoft screwed up badly and consequently lost interest when they released two unfinished, buggy products almost at the same time i.e. Windows Vista and MS FSX. Newbies and old hands alike had to spend many hours to try and sort out the mess before we could actually plan and finish a flight the way we were used to from previous FS versions.
Instead of ironing out the many bugs in FSX, Microsoft added the gimmick of 'missions' ... not to mention elephants and other wildlife. Now that should have set the alarm bells ringing. Obviously they were now targeting a younger demography. Adults don't need 'missions' designed by pimple-faced Microsoft nerds who couldn't find Africa on a map.
But... the younguns spend the big money on games, so it makes good business sense.
Turns out FSX is so kaput that fixing it isn't worth the money and money is what it's all about in the end. Quick fix? An Arcade Game!!!
Arcade games are addictive, inexpensive to develop and sell like hot-cakes.

You are right, Microsoft will lose customers namely the likes of us who enjoy simulation; but we are a mere drop in the ocean when looking at the big picture. They will acquire countless new customers worldwide who are as happy paying extra for each inch of an add-on as they are paying for their iTunes.