Flight Simulator X Q&A - Missions, Multiplayer, and Vista
Lead program manager Mike Gilbert fills us in on the latest version of Microsoft's venerable flight simulation, which is due out next week.
Flight simulators allow real-life and would-be pilots everywhere to experience the challenges and thrills of flying a plane, whether it's a single-engine propeller aircraft, a short-range shuttle flyer, or a lumbering airliner. Microsoft and its internal ACES Studio are busy putting the final touches on Flight Simulator X, the latest version in the nearly 25-year-old series. This will represent the first update in over three years, and Flight Simulator X features gorgeous new graphics, new multiplayer functionality, and even a wide variety of missions. As always, you'll still be able to take off from thousands of airports and airfields around the world, and you can pretty much fly over every square inch of the planet. To learn more, we caught up with Mike Gilbert, the lead program manager at ACES Studio. Flight Simulator X will be released next week.
GameSpot: Flight Simulator will be 25 years old next year, which makes it pretty much one of the oldest gaming franchises around. In fact, it's Microsoft's oldest continuing product. What does that mean to you, as someone working on Flight Simulator X?
Mike Gilbert: It means that we've been able to continue to build upon the award-winning history of this franchise to release a game of this caliber. Flight Simulator X is the culmination of those 25 years of development, and it is going to provide people with an incredible simulation experience that fans of the franchise have come to appreciate.
We've also added new content that more mainstream gamers will be excited to see, including the addition of missions. Mainstream gamers will appreciate the more adrenaline-pumping ones like Red Bull Air Race, Jet Truck Drag Race, and Loopy Larry, an air show performance. But for longtime customers, we've also included many missions that stay true to Flight Simulator's roots, with activities like airline flying, search-and-rescue missions, and instrument procedures.
GS: How do you explain the longevity of the series? Realistic flight sims were popular in the early days of gaming, but they're all pretty much extinct today, yet Flight Simulator keeps on going.
MG: Yes, it does! We think that's a big testament to the work we've put into the game and the fantastic community behind it. We designed the Flight Simulator franchise to have something for everyone, for players of all ages, types, and skill levels, and that's part of why it's been such a success. We allow aspiring aviators to visit exciting locations around the globe, watch the realistic world around them, and fly planes they've never even seen before. With each new addition, we've immersed our fans further and further in a beautifully rich and dynamic world. As you might expect, Flight Simulator X is pushing that realism to a new edge, while also offering a completely new gaming experience with real missions to complete, awards to earn, and a completely redesigned online experience.
GS: Who are your typical Flight Simulator customers, according to your research? Are they real-life pilots, wannabe pilots, or casual gamers? How does Flight Simulator X appeal to each of those categories?
MG: It's hard to pin down a "typical" customer. Many are interested in the technology and precision aspects of flight. Others enjoy the immersiveness of a busy environment, both in the air and on the ground. Still others simply yearn to explore the world in a very visceral and visual way. One common thread, though, is a passion for flight, be it because of the highly detailed aircraft or the feeling they get soaring above richly modeled and accurate terrain. Flight Simulator X will provide the beautiful, dynamic world our aviation fans have come to love to explore, while introducing new mission-based content and online experiences more-mainstream gamers have come to appreciate.
GS: The visuals have received a huge upgrade in Flight Simulator X, but what about the flight modeling? How realistic does it get? On the flip side, how nonrealistic can you make it if you just want to fly around and enjoy the sights without having to worry about angles of attack or stalling out?
MG: Our goal is to make as realistic a simulation experience as is possible today but with a level of scalability so that novice and more-casual users can still experience the product the way they want to. That's why you can find people who love nothing better than to firewall the throttle on the aerobatic Extra 300 and turn cartwheels in the sky, as well as those who monitor turn rates and fuel burn using the myriad glass panel displays in the Airbus.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Downloads | Answers | Forum | Check Prices
- GameSpot Score8.4great
Check Prices: $18.45 – 49.99
| Dell Home & Home Office | $49.99 | SHOP › |
| Amazon.com | $18.82 | SHOP › |
| Best Buy | $19.99 | SHOP › |
Content you might like…
-
Flight Simulator X Hands-On Impressions - New Features, New Audio Experience, and a Hint at DirectX 10 Graphics
The next Flight Simulator game will build on the series' free-form flying experience with dynamic environments, single-player missions, and shared-cockpit multiplayer. Get the details here.
- Aug 11, 2006
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Images
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Jet Sim
- Release: Oct 17, 2006 »
- ESRB: Everyone
Games you may like…
-
Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition
(PC) -
Flight Simulator X Accel
(PC) -
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
(PC) -
USAF
(PC) -
Lock On
(PC)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
26 Comments