Microsoft Flight
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Flight is the title of a new flight simulator
from Microsoft Studios announced in August 2010, intended to replace the long-running discontinued Microsoft Flight Simulator
franchise that has existed for nearly 30 years. In January 2011, Microsoft announced it would be compatible with Windows Vista, Windows Server and Windows 7.
s. The introduction of Live also means that the GameSpy
client will no longer be in use. Additionally, Microsoft plans to include an add-on
marketplace to make it easier for users to find the add-on they are looking for.
An official website by Microsoft has been published featuring video trailers and Webisodes, a frequently asked questions page, and a sign-up link for the Microsoft Flight newsletter, although no beta info or release date was given. It also includes a page featuring screenshots taken in Flight. (52 screenshots to date) As of October 2011, four teaser videos have been published to the website, each one exhibiting varying levels of developmental progress as they were published over time. Videos before Webisode 2 do not feature in-game footage.
A beta application has been set up on the website as of the 1st of December 2011.
) at this point are newer shader models and the use of new DirectX
versions. Sources close to the Microsoft Flight development team have rumored that it will be DirectX 11, although there may be a backward compatibility mode so the simulator will run in DirectX 9. If there is this compatibility mode, the graphics will be slightly inferior to the offered by DirectX 11. Microsoft Flight will also feature upgraded geometry shadowing system, which sports more realistic light bloom effects, higher-quality aircraft shadowing, as well as the ability of land features to cast shadows upon themselves in addition to static and dynamic player and scenery objects. Final hardware requirements have not been published, however general specifications were released. Microsoft Flight also has a new weather engine, which creates more realistic clouds and weather effect. The new weather engine also removes the 'jagged' lines where the weather and terrain meet.
Minimum:
Recommended (high settings):
will be available.
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
from Microsoft Studios announced in August 2010, intended to replace the long-running discontinued Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
franchise that has existed for nearly 30 years. In January 2011, Microsoft announced it would be compatible with Windows Vista, Windows Server and Windows 7.
Development
The simulator is in later development stages, with a beta version nearly ready for colsed testing. Limited details have been released on Flight, but it has been said that it is looking to appeal to flying enthusiasts with the realism and accuracy shown in the previous titles of Microsoft Flight Simulator, but also will include other types of gameplay that appeal more to novices. The new simulator will be Games for Windows – Live-enabled, which will allow users with Live accounts to join multiplayer sessions with GamertagXbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
s. The introduction of Live also means that the GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
client will no longer be in use. Additionally, Microsoft plans to include an add-on
Add-on
Add-on might mean:* Plug-in , a piece of software which enhances another software application and usually cannot be run independently** Browser extension, which modifies the interface and/or behavior of web browsers...
marketplace to make it easier for users to find the add-on they are looking for.
An official website by Microsoft has been published featuring video trailers and Webisodes, a frequently asked questions page, and a sign-up link for the Microsoft Flight newsletter, although no beta info or release date was given. It also includes a page featuring screenshots taken in Flight. (52 screenshots to date) As of October 2011, four teaser videos have been published to the website, each one exhibiting varying levels of developmental progress as they were published over time. Videos before Webisode 2 do not feature in-game footage.
A beta application has been set up on the website as of the 1st of December 2011.
Upgrades
As seen in screenshots and videos from Flight, the most noticeable graphical improvements over Microsoft's previous flight simulator release (Microsoft Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X, also known as FSX, is the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004...
) at this point are newer shader models and the use of new DirectX
DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
versions. Sources close to the Microsoft Flight development team have rumored that it will be DirectX 11, although there may be a backward compatibility mode so the simulator will run in DirectX 9. If there is this compatibility mode, the graphics will be slightly inferior to the offered by DirectX 11. Microsoft Flight will also feature upgraded geometry shadowing system, which sports more realistic light bloom effects, higher-quality aircraft shadowing, as well as the ability of land features to cast shadows upon themselves in addition to static and dynamic player and scenery objects. Final hardware requirements have not been published, however general specifications were released. Microsoft Flight also has a new weather engine, which creates more realistic clouds and weather effect. The new weather engine also removes the 'jagged' lines where the weather and terrain meet.
System requirements
Tentative system requirements as posted in November update from the development team:Minimum:
- CPU: Dual Core 2.0 GHz
- GPU: 256 MB card capable of shader 3.0 (DX 9.0c compliant)
- HD: 10 GB Hard Drive space
- OS: WinXP SP3
- RAM: 2.0GB
Recommended (high settings):
- CPU: Intel® Core™ i7 960 @ 3.20GHz, AMD® Phenom™ II X6 1100T 3.3 GHz or better
- GPU: ATI Radeon™ HD 5870, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 or better
- HD: 10 GB Hard Drive space
- OS: Windows 7 64-bit
- RAM: 6GB
Aircraft
Not all aircraft to be included are known, but based on the videos and screenshots, the Boeing PT-17, Maule M-7, and Van's RV-6Van's Aircraft RV-6
-See also:-References:*Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0-7106-1066-1.***-External links:*...
will be available.