The rendering will be done on their computer, not yours, so all you'll need is a similar broadband capability that you use for Netflix. This is basically an improved technology version of that Flight sim built into Google Earth but with Bing maps used as the base.
I don't think it's been announced how this game will be sold yet, but I suspect it will used as a carrot to lure people into a subscription service.
OK, here is the thing; I am sure I already mentioned this.
For those of you that have XBOX Live Gold.... you can now get the Game Pass (like Netflix for gaming) where you can play 100 games as much as you want, as long as you have Game Pass. Ok, now MS just game out with ULTIMATE Game Pass, which will allow you to also play PC Games as much as you want.... and GUESS what is coming to Ultimate Game Pass first? The Flight Simulator.
Now, here is the good part... for now, instead of paying $15 a month for Ultimate, you can buy and convert your Live Gold months to Ultimate Game Pass. So I bought the 2 Year Gold from Costco for $94 and then chose to convert tthat and my remaing months o Ultimate.
Simple math: 30 Months of Ultimate (30 * 15) = 450 XBL converted to Ultimate (30 * 4) = 120
The rendering will be done on their computer, not yours, so all you'll need is a similar broadband capability that you use for Netflix. This is basically an improved technology version of that Flight sim built into Google Earth but with Bing maps used as the base.
I don't think it's been announced how this game will be sold yet, but I suspect it will used as a carrot to lure people into a subscription service.
The rendering will be done on their computer, not yours, so all you'll need is a similar broadband capability that you use for Netflix. This is basically an improved technology version of that Flight sim built into Google Earth but with Bing maps used as the base.
I don't think it's been announced how this game will be sold yet, but I suspect it will used as a carrot to lure people into a subscription service.
Are you sure this sim will be streaming only?
That's not what he said.
The high end rendering may be done on MS computers but there will be, per Microsoft, an offline mode. In offline mode you just won't have the jaw dropping near reality graphics.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
Rendering to me implies streaming the entire game from a server farm, which would be cost prohibitive. My original fear was it would be like Google Maps, so it remains to be seen for sure how they're doing this. Microsoft is very "as a service" oriented these days, so I doubt this will be a one time purchase and play forever kind of sim.
Rendering to me implies streaming the entire game from a server farm, which would be cost prohibitive. My original fear was it would be like Google Maps, so it remains to be seen for sure how they're doing this. Microsoft is very "as a service" oriented these days, so I doubt this will be a one time purchase and play forever kind of sim.
The Bing Maps infrastructure already exists, and they don't charge to stream that...
And it's only graphics being streamed - the core sim runs on your computer. And as already mentioned in this thread there is an offline mode which only sacrifices the highest quality graphics.
They said in the last video there will be 3 ways to fly:
1. Stream the entire planet with the detail level shown in lots of the preview videos. 2. Cache some regions or areas to fly in in high detail level shown in preview videos, without having to constantly stream. No internet connection required. 3. Fly over a procedurally generated planet based on land class, vector data, and texture sets similar to how FS/P3D work. There is an example of this in one of their videos and it still looks better than P3D and FSX have done to date. No internet connection required.
So, plenty of ways to fly off line. How you pay...? Dont think it's been touched on yet.
Hmmmm.... Haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere but will the sim be available on Steam? I’m utterly fed up with all those subscription services and whatnot exclusive packages. Simply can’t bother anymore.
I certainly hope it will hit Steam
Cheers, Slug
"Major Burns isn't saying much of anything, Sir. I think he's formulating the answer..." - Radar - M*A*S*H
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,383PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,383
Miami, FL USA
Originally Posted by Zamzow
I'll pay a subscription fee for this. Many of you won't.
The irony is that over the 18 years I've been on SimHQ I've seen many posts from members complaining about the "dying flight sim market" while at the same time complaining if they have to pay more than $50 for a first class hardcore flight sim.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,383PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,383
Miami, FL USA
Originally Posted by Bernardo
If I can't shoot anything with guns and missiles,,,then where is the joy in this.
+1
If I want to play something without any weaponry I'll just load up an auto racing sim.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
I'll pay a subscription fee for this. Many of you won't.
The irony is that over the 18 years I've been on SimHQ I've seen many posts from members complaining about the "dying flight sim market" while at the same time complaining if they have to pay more than $50 for a first class hardcore flight sim.
Soon will see complains that MS FS "2020" don't run in someone < 2015 hardware.
Soon will see complains that MS FS "2020" don't run in someone < 2015 hardware.
Actually I think if a computer can run FSX and Google Earth well it'll run this next iteration fine. They're talking 2 trillion TREES alone on the streaming end. Just outsourcing "autogen" alone frees up a very considerable amount of local horsepower...
Another significant detail is the fact that this iteration is a fresh start. With the shackles of backward compatibility removed they can (well hopefully!) optimize code in ways that could only be dreamed of with prior versions.
And with the exception of Flight they've got the track record - to say nothing of money...
Now name any flight simulator that includes actual scenery updates based on REALITY...
Flyinside Flight Sim. Streams Bing data worldwide in real time, plus VR. Out now. Not as detailed as the upcoming MS product by any means, but looks alright from 5000+ feet.