Flight Simulator
Latest
'Flight Simulator' developers explain its 'shared world' multiplayer
Last year we got some hands-on time with a pre-alpha build of the next Flight Simulator game in Microsoft's long-running series. While that gave a peek at the game's photorealistic environment and inclusion of information like piped-in live flight traffic and weather data, Windows Central points out a seven-minute video the developers just posted that goes into the game's multiplayer features. The main mode is a shared world where everyone playing Flight Simulator can potentially see everyone else, relying on Azure servers to provide enough capacity. That includes people flying in the real world, with "most" air traffic accounted for, along with AI that will take over if information from the real plane is lost for a moment.
All I want to do is chill and play 'Flight Simulator'
It's been a long day. You get home as the sun is setting and close the door behind you, throwing down your keys and sliding off your shoes. You grab a drink and sink into the chair in front of your PC. The screen boots up and -- click, click -- it's filled by a long stretch of asphalt backed up by the mechanical hum of a single-engine Cessna. You throttle the small plane forward, straighten out, and take off. As soon as you're in the air, you flip the perspective from inside the cockpit, surrounded by dials and gauges and window frames, to a third-person view just behind the plane. Suddenly, the land below stretches 600km in every direction, alive and dense with realistic detail. Above, an infinite sky is peppered with layers of mist and clouds. You pick a direction and fly.
‘Kerbal Space Program’ gets an interstellar flight sequel
It's been four years since Kerbal Space Program (KSP) -- the spacecraft building and flight simulation game -- officially launched. While Elon Musk once called the title "awesome" and joked that SpaceX used KSP for testing software, it was due for a refresh. Today, Private Division announced that Kerbal Space Program 2 (KSP2) will arrive in 2020. As part of the reveal, it released cinematic trailer and a (dramatic) developer story.
Microsoft’s new ‘Flight Simulator’ looks like a wild 4K ride
Microsoft showed off the next version of its Flight Simulator game at E3 2019, and it looks incredible. The company began the video teaser showing off a scene from the skies that it says was captured in real-time 4K. As you might expect, the new Flight Simulator's city views are powered by satellite data, as well as artificial intelligence from Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing service. It's not just the views of the mountains, skyscrapers or oceans that look amazing, though -- the planes and helicopters do, too.
Logitech's Saitek purchase is all about flight sticks
Logitech has been expanding its product line in several directions, moving up to pro-gamer gear and down to basic, yet robust, mice and keyboards. But it's also been moving beyond the desktop computer market, like buying wearables and sport headphone maker Jaybird back in April. Today the company acquired Saitek, maker of high-end simulation hardware, presumably to supply peripherals for the driving and flight genres. You know, the kinds of games you'll really want a specialty controller to play in VR. Whether this means the end for the custom controller Saitek was building for the upcoming Star Citizen is uncertain, as its new parent company wouldn't comment when asked by Polygon.
Star Citizen releases Arena Commander 1.0
Pilots, start your engines, for Star Citizen's Arena Commander 1.0 is here! Arena Commander is the next significant milestone for the modularly developed space sim. With AC 1.0, pilots can take their ships out for dogfighting or just to experience flight among the stars. Arena Commander 1.0 also has the effect of growing Star Citizen's feature list. The team's tripled the number of flyable ships with 14 new vessels. Missiles were improved, while the game added a lobby system, a friends list, a ship signature system, a thruster power system, and a lateral g-force system. The team also improved many of the visuals, animations, and audio effects. [Thanks to Chrysillis for the tip!]
Flight Simulator X cleared for landing on Steam next week
Train Simulator 2014 publisher Dovetail Games has announced plans to bring Microsoft's seminal flight sim Flight Simulator X to Steam on December 18. Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition features the same meticulously designed aircraft physics as its original, 2006 incarnation, but also boasts more than 20 planes ranging from giant commercial airliners to cramped private planes, over 80 missions to test the skills of virtual pilots and geographically (if not technically) accurate recreations of 24,000 real-world airports. The Steam Edition also includes enhanced multiplayer functionality (it no longer relies on GameSpy) and support for the Windows 8.1 operating system. While the agreement between Dovetail Games and Microsoft won't allow the former to upgrade the graphics of Flight Simulator X, Dovetail is planning a line of add-ons to be released for Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition throughout 2015. [Image: Microsoft/Dovetail Games]
Infinite Flight offers a bumpy, but excellent, ride
Flight simulators often straddle a strange line between being games and instructional tools. There's rarely an objective beyond ones that you yourself set -- getting off the ground is a fine starting point -- and if you're like me, the "game" ends when you make a poor navigational choice and end up smacking into the terrain below. Still, I find myself drawn to them, and Infinite Flight is one of the best flight simulators I've found on the App Store. When you open the app, you're greeted with four changeable flight options: Your type of plane, location, weather, and time of day. There's a number of variations of each, with a total of 31 aircraft (14 of which are obtained via in-app purchases), a dozen or so regions, a huge range of weather conditions, and four times of day. Once you have all your options set, the app throws you straight into the cockpit of your virtual plane. There's really no tutorial to speak of, aside from a "Help" option that explains what each of the many on-screen control buttons does, but through a process of trial and error (mostly error), you'll should find yourself taking to the skies before long. As soon as you're airborne -- and once you've learned the demeanor of your aircraft -- you can explore each massive real-world location for as long as you want. I live roughly fifty miles from one of the starting airports offered on the starting menu, and was able to fly by my relatively small hometown while piloting a massive jet. There are a couple of things that keep Infinite Flight from being jaw-droppingly amazing: First, while many of the planes are extremely detailed and well modeled, the actual scenery and airports are extremely basic. There's nothing in the way of 3D buildings or varied terrain, which is find when you're high in the sky, but can be cringe-worthy when landing. The second issue is that half of the planes on offer require in-app purchases, which can amount to a pretty hefty iTunes bill if you want them all. The app itself is US$4.99, which is a bargain for an extremely deep game like this, but it feels strange that many of the best aircraft require you to use your credit card again. Despite these shortcomings, Infinite Flight is still one of -- if not the -- premiere flight experiences on the App Store. It's (mostly) eye-catching, and crams a huge amount of content into a small package, even if some of it costs a few bucks extra.
Microsoft's 'very strange view' of F2P keeping War Thunder off Xbox One
I always feel like I should speak -- or type, I suppose -- in one of those monster truck rally commercial voices when I bring up War Thunder. You know the ones I mean, where Testosterone Man takes a break from doing action movie trailers to come on your radio and shout "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Come on down to Gaijin airpark for the mother of all airshows! Bring the family, stay for the day, and enter for your chance to win two Steam copies of WAAAAAR THUNNNNNNNNNNDERRRR!" Or something like that. Anyhow, this is supposed to be a news post about War Thunder. The particulars include an interview with Gaijin PR man Alexander Trifonov, who says that a tablet version of the World War II flight sim is currently in process. He also mentions that cross-platform play between PC pilots and PlayStation 4 pilots is still on the table. Finally, he offers a clue as to why War Thunder won't be coming to Xbox One. "The absence of War Thunder on Xbox One has nothing to do with hardware itself. This is a very capable machine, and our team has a long history of developing games for Microsoft systems," Trifonov explains. "But the policy of the platform-holder (no cross-platform allowed and a very strange view on how free-to-play should work) makes it impossible to have War Thunder on Xbox One." [Thanks Heather!]
Free for All: MMORPGs for your new console
Consoles and MMOs do not have the stand-offish relationship that they used to have. In fact, there are so many different MMOs to choose from on consoles that it's seriously tempting to pick up one of the new ones -- the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 -- even though I wasn't planning on it for a long, long time. I enjoy using a controller with MMOs so much that I plan on covering the subject more in the future. So let's get to the list of MMOs that are currently on consoles or that will be coming out on consoles in the near(ish) future. Massively's own Mike Foster put together a fantastic list last summer, but I thought I would update and pass it on. After all, the new consoles are officially here... so be sure to reference the list when you need a new MMO to play on your shiny new console!
War Thunder opens US beta server, starts development on mobile version
War Thunder, formerly World of Planes, has been soaring through open beta for several months now. Gaijin Entertainment decided that it's time to make a few flight adjustments, however, and announced that it has opened up a separate US gaming cluster to improve latency times for North American players. The developer also let slip that it has begun development on a mobile version of the game for both iOS and Android platforms. Gaijin said that War Thunder has attracted 1.5 million active users who have flown a total of 224 million missions since the start of beta. The developer recently put out version 1.29 for the flight sim; the patch makes a number of significant improvements such as four new aircraft, improved damage models, and a new economy. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release]
War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released
Gaijin Entertainment has announced that its War Thunder World War II-based online flight sim has officially entered open beta. The title, formerly known as World of Planes, has been in development for over four years. The open beta comes almost a year to the day after Gaijin's announcement that the game had evolved "beyond pure aerial combat." Gaijin previously developed Birds of Prey, a console-based entry in the long-running Sturmovik series. The company has released an open beta teaser trailer that you can view after the cut. You can also join the beta test via the game's official website.
IL-2 Sturmovik follow-up Battle of Stalingrad is in development
1C Company, Moscow publisher of the flight simulation series IL-2 Sturmovik, recently announced a partnership with California-based 777 Studios to create 1C Game Studios. The first project planned by the studio is the next game in flight sim series, IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad.The game is expected to launch in early 2014 with add-on content planned. No platforms were mentioned in the announcement. While the series has traditionally launched on PC, it has seen iterations such as Birds of Prey on multiple home and handheld consoles.
The Firing Line Extra: Wargaming.net producer talks World of Warplanes expert mode, tech trees, and more
It's been an interesting few weeks for Wargaming.net. The firm has re-branded its World of Warships title, acquired BigWorld via a blockbuster $45 million purchase, and hinted at more simulation-style gameplay for its forthcoming World of Warplanes shooter. I forwarded a few questions to WoWP producer Alexander Zelulin about those very topics, so join us after the cut for a quick look at what the firm is thinking with regard to its next World War II-themed multiplayer title.
Mad Catz announces new Combat Pilot multiplayer flight sim
Flight sim enthusiasts who want to fly and train as military pilots while interacting with other enthusiasts from around the world will be able to do so in a new multiplayer flight simulator experience called Combat Pilot. Developed by Mad Catz Interactive's new internal studio ThunderHawk Studios, the game will launch summer 2012. "We believe that Combat Pilot will prove to be an important destination for the flight simulation community to gather, interact, and share experiences," states Mad Catz President and CEO Darren Richardson. "Combat Pilot will allow the flight simulation community to come together and interact as never before." However, just as real pilots can't just hop in the cockpit without a license, those entering the Combat Pilot world won't get to just hop into formation with others without earning their wings first. Interested folks should note that the game does not stand alone; it is built around Flight Simulator X from Microsoft, which must be purchased separately. For a look at the game, check out the gallery below and watch the video after the break. [Source: Mad Catz press release]%Gallery-161001%
Hands-on: Maingear Shift running Saitek flight-simulation hardware (video)
Custom PC builder Maingear had something pretty nifty up its sleeve at Pepcom tonight: versions of its desktops configured to run Saitek's flight-simulation hardware -- in this case, with a full cockpit setup. In partnership with Mad Catz, the company developed configurations of its Potenza, F131 and Shift desktops optimized to work with the Saitek line of flight-sim systems. Tonight we saw the Shift paired with some pretty heavy-duty hardware: we're talking 18 USB connections for the full Saitek cockpit. Maingear's pro-certified system packs a Core i7 CPU clocked at up to 3.9GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 graphics (with four GPUs), and with an experienced pilot behind the wheel, that translated into a smooth landing in Flight Simulator X. Maingear says the whole setup -- hardware controls plus the Shift desktop -- will go for $5,500 starting tomorrow. That's the top-of-the-line configuration, mind you; if your piloting aspirations are more modest, you could opt for the more affordable Potenza, which starts at $1,000. Check out a video demo below.%Gallery-158862%
Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video)
The Ariel Atom is arguably one of the greatest bangs for the buck in terms of sports car performance, so it's no surprise that the automaker has paired up with Motion Simulation to design a particularly special simulator for both hardcore fans as well pro racing drivers and pilots. The TL1 has the world's first 180-degree spherical projection unit (technically, three projector screens acting as one) to give you that advance view of the apex without display bezels getting in the way. Its seat not only adjusts to fit different breeds of cars and aircraft but, if you opt for it, tucks in a motion transducer that will properly jolt you when you hit a bump in the road. What may please extra-serious racing game fans the most is the off-the-shelf nature of the computer needed to drive the TL1 properly: as long as your graphics hardware can handle the extra-wide 5760 x 1200 resolution, any typical Windows XP or Windows 7 desktop will do. The real question is whether your wallet can handle it, as the £11,500 ($18,573) PC-less starting price will make it tempting to buy a real Atom instead.
Retired Boeing 737 repurposed as garage-kept flight simulator (video)
A fresh concept it's not, but a fresh look? Yeah, we'll take that. California resident, air traffic controller, pilot and all-around gentleman James Price has converted the actual nose of a 1969 Boeing 737 into his own personal flight simulator. According to the man himself, he "gutted" the bird, installed "all new" parts, slid it into his garage and... well, took a few minutes to show it to the world. While pretty much any flight sim owner would claim that his or hers was "just like the real thing," it's hard to deny that fact with this one. We're told that it took some three years to complete, and the end result leaves no doubt of James' toiling. Head on past the break for the vid.
PAX East 2012: World of Warplanes impressions
Much like its predecessor, World of Warplanes is not a game with an ambiguous title. This is a game about planes, and not the sort that flies cargo from one point on the globe to another. If flying around and getting into aerial dogfights sounds like an unappealing concept to you, well, you can pretty much just exit stage left when you hear the name. But the lack of subtlety in the name, however noteworthy, doesn't really say much about the game itself. Is it fun to play? Does it succeed in what it sets out to do? Really, is it just World of Tanks up in the air? I can't speak to the last one, but I can say that it definitely delivers on its stated design goals. This is a game all about maximizing the rush of an aerial fight and striking a balance between crafting an in-depth flight simulation and providing accessibility to those new to the genre.%Gallery-130862%
Microsoft's free-to-play Flight lands this spring
Flight simulator enthusiasts are a very specific, complex subsect of the gaming world. Their passion for checklists and indecipherable user interfaces places them at an almost MMO-level of dedication and persistence, and -- like the popular multiplayer RPGs -- flight sims are starting to make the leap to free-to-play. Microsoft Flight will bring affordable ailerons and aerofoils to PC pilots this spring, according to an update on Major Nelson's blog. Everyone will have access to free crashes aircraft, though those who sign in with a Games for Windows Live account will receive additional free planes, missions and access to those sweet 'chievos. The sim will also include the ICON A5, an amphibious, lightweight vehicle which doesn't enter real-world commercial production until the end of this year. Microsoft's PR describes the A5 as "the jet ski for the skies," which sounds like the most terrifying, fantastic way to die. Prospective pilots can still sign up for that closed beta we mentioned by clicking here, presumably after strapping on goggles and a dashing scarf.
