Is it certain that it is 'free' rather than just 'free to play' like all games used to be - no monthly subscription.

From the info release today it looks to be free as long as you are happy with the initial aircraft and Hawaii scenery, additional stuff will be paid DLC:

No scenery development kit...makes sense I guess if you are depending on DLC.

Left a lot of developers hanging with that one.

In theory I think it's great that they are building more of a game into this. If they have a cargo pilot career in Africa lined up as dlc I'm willng to live with the colourful balloons..The way things are going these days with games and movies becoming more and more dumb, I'm not so sure it will turn out well however.

-C-

Besides the arcadish feel this might have, the whole "free to play" idea just sucks. What that means is no SDK for modders or 3rd party stuff as they are relying on DLC to bilk cash. Of course you have to be married to GFWL. Just think how FSX would have been without any 3rd party stuff. Have you ever seen a user created plane in ROF? Thats probably how this will be.

I don`t think Flight will replace my FSX soon.

Good one!

Oh, so it's FarmVille....but with wings. Nice.

I'm interested in this. I enjoy flight 'games' but really don't have the patience or time to learn start-up procedures and the rest of the work that comes with flight 'simulations.' The most in-depth I've ever gotten is with the Strike Fighters series, and I had a lot of fun with that. So, a Flight Simulator 'lite' is right up my alley. Will definitely check it out.

If it were a lesser company, I might be persuaded of your POV.

BUT...this is Microsoft we're talking about here. They LOVE to sell the same program to the same customers year after year after year after year...

They also seem to have mountains of cash with which to do R&D.

So let's review: this is the same company that has been making flight simulators since what, 1982? And releasing new versions ever since? This is the company that is making special OS's for certain systems onboard real Boeing aircraft. This is the company who's owner LOVES flight and was the big push behind FlightSim in the first place. Who's owner happens to also personally own a Boeing 757-200. This is also the company that has made FS2004 and FSX, which most people would consider high fidelity flight simulators for today. FS2004 was a very high ranking sales product in the world of PC games, sometimes in 1st place I believe.

About “Flight”: yea, frankly this video doesn't appeal to me. I want to actually pilot, not “fly”, a real plane. Yes, it seems to be encouraging silly and dangerous behavior, but let's face it, so does Grand Theft Auto...which doesn't pretend to be a racing simulator even though it's got fast cars and lots of driving in it.

Microsoft saw the writing on the wall, with FlightSim costing ever more to produce new versions (higher demands, higher costs, more detail to render and simulate). But they also had this beautiful game engine, with aircraft already available...that they could create a “game” out of...probably for dirt cheap, and quick. That is aimed at a TOTALLY NEW CUSTOMER, the console gamer.

The way I see it, if “Flight” makes lots of money, they'll have money to improve the visuals. Which will be dual-use and feature in whatever next version of Flightsim 11 will come about.

Entirely too many people are dependent on MS Flight Simulator for Microsoft to abandon: millions of real world pilots who keep their skills sharp. Millions of new pilot trainees. Look at how many add-on software products are built around MS FS...it's downright crazy, there's nothing else remotely resembling that industry in PC games. You have to look at Ebay's career resellers, and career Facebookers to approach this level of 3rd party providers.

No, I don't see “MS Flight” as being a threat to “Flight Sim”. I'm more concerned about how MS apparently doesn't have all the “Flightsim” employees it once had, a decision long before “Flight”. Maybe they retained all the “essential personnel” and laid off the “Expendables”. Also, I suspect it may be 3 or 5 years before we see another “Flight Sim” sequel again. But I do think we'll see one, and it'll be better, higher fidelity and realism. And it will have improved graphic eye candy, from yearly sequels to “Flight” to benefit from, along with high framerates. No, I'm not worried.