IF M$ will really let die this series there will come others to fill this gap.
For the time people will stick with FS9 or even FSX. Payware and freeware developers will continue to release products as long they can make money or - talking about freeware - people will have fun to create things for FS. FS9 is five years old and people still use it. In fact there are people (like me ) still not having the proper hardware to run it with multiple additions all sliders to the right. As long as there is no better flightsim available I'll stick with FS9. It is not the perfect simulation but the best suiting my needs. With a copy of both XP and FS9 I can once buy me a PC/laptop with a higher perfomance and install my favourite game onto the harddrive
Now, developers of the great military freeware, get back to work! I need something to look forward to!
Jan
Former technician in MFG2 at ETME (home base of PANAVIA The flying computer TORNADO. sadly closed now)
Well said Jan, I hope M$ will pass on the FS franchise to some other entity to continue developing. I don't think I can start over again with another product! My virtual FS world is too big and complicated to contemplate re-building with a similar but different FS. As it is I spend more time keeping updated than I do flying!
Someone at MS has hinted that some type of flight simulator will be coming in the future. Most likely it's to be the type where you have to pay a subscription and fly on their servers.
They can then make this available for not only PC and laptop users but some new phones will also be able to access this version of FS.
That being said, the Nascar sim-racing developers tried this a few years ago. It did not go over well. And seeing that, other developers stepped in and filled the gap.
Lets just hope that someone with the knowledge and dedication that was present in the ACES team steps up to fill this gap.
I have become curious to know how many sold copies of FSX are not even installed due to extreme systems requirements. My copy sat on the self for nearly 2 years. As far as payware is concerned, I don't know when to say enough is enough. I guess all we can do for now is build up what we have with FS9 and FSX until something new satisfies us as a community. I think one forum post I read recently even suggested that FS9 or FSX could eventually evolve in that fashion that Falcon 4.0 did with incremental releases by freeware developers. Maybe this is way off?
I would expect that so long as there are users of FS9/10 in numbers large enough to create a demand, payware for these programs will live on, but the problem looms over the horizon -- no additional copies of the base software will be legally produced (FSX for a while I suspect, but not for long) and eventually resold (ie eBay) copies will wear out and the original franchise will fade. However, I believe that a sufficient market will continue that will justify another developer to fill the need. Perhaps Austin Myers will develop a version of X-Plane that supports AI etc, for that base of users... He would sell many more copies than he does now, but I think he would likely turn that project over to another team of developers, as his interest seem to go a little towards commercial, professional software.
In any case, I entend to continue on with my FS9 'til it wears out, the move on to my copy of FSX and do the same.. I don't expect to live long enough to reach the bitter end anyway.
This pisses my off, and I really believe that MS has screwed the pooch this time!
I have most of my addons that are compatible with FSX moved over from FS9. I'm hoping that the Addon ConverterX program will do its job as well. I thought it would be easy to turn off FS9 once I got my system up to a level of performance that I can enjoy a decent enough AI and decent FPS. But there are a couple of payware planes that lose their gauge functionality in FSX. Mainly planes with RealityXp ie. Piper Archer III, Beech A36 Bonanza, Beech Baron (without naming the Third Party Developer) these guys could probably make a lot more $$$ if they can get updates to their base customers who desire to move to FSX. Until then I will keep Dreaming of the Greatest Airplanes fully running in FSX.
) still not having the proper hardware to run it with multiple additions all sliders to the right. As long as there is no better flightsim available I'll stick with FS9. It is not the perfect simulation but the best suiting my needs. With a copy of both XP and FS9 I can once buy me a PC/laptop with a higher perfomance and install my favourite game onto the harddrive 
