Microsoft Flight Simulator Taking Off August 18th; Content Tiered Across Game Editions

[Raevenlord]

Microsoft's upcoming Flight Simulator has already shown users its promise with breathtaking visuals and a revamped simulation experience that will have our inner flight captains stand at attention. The game has now been listed on the Microsoft Store, with a release date set on August 18th - right around the time where some of us will be hiding out from uncomfortably high temperatures. However, Microsoft's content tiering across game editions may not be your cup of tea.

The game's Standard Edition will retail for $59.99, and includes 20 planes and 30 airports. Pay $89.99 though, and you get an upgrade to the Deluxe Edition which features five additional aircraft (of which there are two Cessna aircraft included) and five more international airports (including Cairo and O'Hare). At $119.99, the Premium Deluxe Edition will net you a grand total of 30 planes and 40 total airports. This last upgrade will land you, among others, the Heathrow, San Francisco and Frankfurt airports, as well as Boeing's 787-10 Dreamliner. This is a strange way to tier Deluxe Editions - it's almost as if they were being separated via DLC packs. Time will tell if this tiering system works. If you haven't yet, check out a 4K trailer after the break. If you want to see the system requirements, we've got you covered.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[P4-630]

as well as Boeing's 787 Dreamliner

Software bugs included?...

 

[Raevenlord]

Software bugs included?

Heard there's a feature where you're mid-flight and you get recalled for a software fix, passengers on the back and all.

 

[RedelZaVedno]

Are you hyped? I need a new rig, VR headset & motion sim chair ASAP.
Good bye summer holidays. My wife's gonna divorce me over this, but who cares. I'm happy to exchange her for virtual Boeing 747

 

[yotano211]

Why so few airports

 

[windwhirl]

Why so few airports

Not that I care a lot, but when you compare this future release' 30 airports to Flight Simulator X' +24000 airports, the new sim feels underwhelming

 

[SamuelL]

Why so few airports

Yeah, they screwed up with the marketing somewhere. I read an article last week that mentioned 37000 airports represented in the game?!

Maybe that means 37000 available but only 40 detailed ones? If it means you can only access or land at 40 of them... someone has some explaining to do.

 

[RedelZaVedno]

Why so few airports

You get literally all registered commercial airports existing in the world (by Bing maps + procedural 3d model generation) PLUS 40 "copycat" handcrafted detailed airports around the world.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

No 737-800/900? Wtf

 

[zlobby]

No 737-800/900? Wtf

No Dash 8 either! What were these guys thinking?

 

[EarthDog]

Don't care. Take mi munE.

 

[bug]

Looks like a dumb idea to keep such major airports and aircraft only for the highest tier. Then again, it still beats the crap out of a subscription model.

 

[moproblems99]

Erm....wtf? $60 for 10 planes and airports? What happened to the good ole days?

 

[dinmaster]

everyone seems to forget that modding was big in previous games, and i'm sure it will be back in this game. many airplanes will be added later by modders, even some listed in the higher tiers.

 

[windwhirl]

everyone seems to forget that modding was big in previous games, and i'm sure it will be back in this game. many airplanes will be added later by modders, even some listed in the higher tiers.

You know, now I'm sort of expecting this to happen:

Microsoft: "Due to *insert security bullshit babble here* no modding will be allowed"

 

[Gmr_Chick]

I'm so sick of this tier shit - Standard edition, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Premium-Super-Ultra-Mega Deluxe. Just release the damn game AS A COMPLETE PACKAGE

 

[Ashtr1x]

Pure GaaS cancer game this is, using that MS Azure cloud AI technology to stream and making you dependent on that UWP garbo. And $60 USD for more content, totalling at $120. I'd avoid it like plague.

 

[yotano211]

Software bugs included?...

Does the battery fires are included or did those bugs get fixed.

So double the price vs the normal game but not double the airports or double the planes for the Premium Deluxe Edition.
I would get the highest tier game since I was a licensed pilot but I'll wait for bug fixes and price dropped.

 

[Frick]

Pure GaaS cancer game this is, using that MS Azure cloud AI technology to stream and making you dependent on that UWP garbo. And $60 USD for more content, totalling at $120. I'd avoid it like plague.

Isn't this a good example of using the cloud in games? How much power would it take to do what this game does locally?

 

[Easo]

Pure GaaS cancer game this is, using that MS Azure cloud AI technology to stream and making you dependent on that UWP garbo. And $60 USD for more content, totalling at $120. I'd avoid it like plague.

You sure that most people have enough space on their PC's for full resolution worldmap?

 

[kayjay010101]

Pure GaaS cancer game this is, using that MS Azure cloud AI technology to stream and making you dependent on that UWP garbo. And $60 USD for more content, totalling at $120. I'd avoid it like plague.

Sure, they should release this to the public in an offline format that has the entire world mapped out locally without needing cloud streaming. Oh, the game is now multiple terabytes? Damn you Microsoft!
But go on; cloud bad, innovation bad, me only play offline like its 1995
How about you just do what normal people do and just ignore it if you're not interested? It's not like it's offensive in any way... Why are you so riled up?

 

[bug]

Sure, they should release this to the public in an offline format that has the entire world mapped out locally without needing cloud streaming. Oh, the game is now multiple terabytes? Damn you Microsoft!
But go on; cloud bad, innovation bad, me only play offline like its 1995
How about you just do what normal people do and just ignore it if you're not interested? It's not like it's offensive in any way... Why are you so riled up?

I'm pretty sure you could do an offline version using low-res assets. And optionally stream the high-res content.
But that's not the point. After all these years, people who play these kind of games will be all over this.

Like I said above, MS could have made this require a monthly subscription, just be thankful they didn't go down that route.

 

[kayjay010101]

I'm pretty sure you could do an offline version using low-res assets. And optionally stream the high-res content.

True, but then "Microsoft is forcing players to opt into GaaS to play the full content, Microsoft bad!" is what people like the person I replied to would say

But that's not the point. After all these years, people who play these kind of games will be all over this.

And people who aren't interested in Flight sims too. I'm excited as hell for this, and I have no real interest in the genre.

Like I said above, MS could have made this require a monthly subscription, just be thankful they didn't go down that route.

Very true, I agree.

 

[Chomiq]

Why so few airports

Manually recreated, rest are built by AI based on sat photos, i.e. lower detail.
Watch some gameplay videos and you'll notice the difference between auto generated areas and those edited manually.

As for price tags, this will surely make it to game pass in some form so entry price will be much lower than $60.
I don't like the tiered approach but considering it's a flight sim you're already looking at fairly smaller market where high prices are standard (just look at DCS and its $50-60 plane prices).

 

[bug]

True, but then "Microsoft is forcing players to opt into GaaS to play the full content, Microsoft bad!" is what people like the person I replied to would say

Haters gonna hate, right?