Flight Simulator
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The Firing Line: An early look at World of Planes
Today I'd like to expand on the World War II flight shooter theme introduced in last week's episode of The Firing Line. We've talked a bit about Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes, but there's another MMO in the works that features intense aerial battles, sexy 1940s-era aircraft, and a "World of" title.
Microsoft Flight accepting beta applications, fasten seatbelt sign on
Microsoft Flight, a revamped, streamlined flight simulator-slash-game, is accepting applications for its beta program right now. The Microsoft Flight beta is scheduled to begin in January, and the dev team is accepting applications via Microsoft Connect for some brave pilots to try it before everyone else rides it. Applications sent to the Microsoft Flight email will not be reviewed for the beta, so do it right, or don't do it at all. Remember, when you're handling a 100-foot steel tube 32,000 feet above the earth, you only get one chance to get it perfect.
Universal Motion Simulator: real enough to evoke panic (video)
A fighter sim just isn't realistic unless it makes you throw up and scream for your mother, which is why the sadistic folks at Australia's Deakin University created the Universal Motion Simulator. It's a barebones cockpit attached to the end of a seven-meter robotic arm that can pull up to six Gs -- indeed it's uncomfortable enough to mimic external disturbances, mechanical failures and crash scenarios as well as normal flying. The system also monitors a pilot's brainwaves, pulse and other bodily functions to discover if they have necessary nerve. Check out the video after the break and then imagine combining it with a 360-degree viewing dome for utter perfection.
Flight sim bubble offers 360-degree view, makes earth seem round
You've got the yoke, you've got the ridiculously over-priced gaming chair, so now all you need is Barco's 360-degree display dome. It uses 13 separate projectors to create a hi-def simulacrum of paradise inside a 3.4-meter acrylic sphere. The pilot sits in the middle, suddenly remembers why he took up aviation, and then connects with up to seven other bubbles to practice complicated squadron missions. More desperately inviting pics after the break.
Wargaming.net releases new World of Warplanes screens
The latest salvo in the battle between forthcoming free-to-play aviation MMOs has been fired by Wargaming.net. The company has released a fresh batch of screenshots detailing its new World of Warplanes title, which is the second in a trilogy of World War II-based action games that includes World of Tanks and World of Battleships. The screenshots show a small cross section of classic aircraft slipping the surly bonds of earth and engaging in various maneuvers designed to fill enemies full of hot lead. Wargaming.net's press release says that "every plane will feature multiple variations of ammo types, engines, and other crucial modules," and players will be able to guide their pilot avatars through a virtual career that begins in 1930s biplanes and culminates in the cockpit of Korean War-era jets. See the sights in the gallery below, and check out our exclusive interview with project manager Alexander Zezulin for more details on World of Warplanes' features and mechanics. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] %Gallery-130862%
World of Warplanes classes and website announced, first screenshots glimpsed
Wargaming.net has taken the wraps off its World of Warplanes web presence, and the accompanying press release reveals a bit more about the upcoming World War II-based MMORPG. The blurb refers to the game as a "flight combat action" MMO, conspicuously avoiding the flight sim phrase and indicating that the aviation title will follow in the footsteps of its ground-based World of Tanks counterpart. The press info also says that World of Warplanes will feature three warplane classes: single-engine light fighters, heavy fighters with "deadly straight attacks," and strafing aircraft for ground assaults. The new site also features the first in-game screenshots, and you can look forward to Massively's exclusive in-depth interview with Wargaming.net later this month as the title is revealed at Gamescom.
World of Warplanes debuting at Gamescom
If you're curious about Wargaming.net's upcoming World of Warplanes MMO, Gamescom 2011 is the place to be. The World War II-based flight simulator's gameplay will be shown for the first time at the convention in Cologne, Germany from August 17th to August 21st. World of Warplanes was initially announced during this year's E3, but no media, gameplay footage, or web presence has been forthcoming as of yet. Wargaming.net will also be holding an open World of Tanks tournament at Gamescom, and the company has plans to announce its newest development project, according to a press release issued this morning.
Saitek flight gear replicates Cessna 172 Skyhawk, lets you simulate lazy Sunday flyovers
Sure, some flight-sim junkies want to imagine themselves dogfighting with an F-16, afterburners screaming as they climb into the sky. But for virtual pilots less interested in white-knuckle air warfare, Mad Catz has unveiled a product line based on that ubiquitous trainer, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The company's Saitek brand now offers a Yoke ($200), Trim Wheel ($50), and Rudder Pedals ($210), all officially licensed from the airplane manufacturer. Buy them all together and you'll receive a free Flight Switch Panel, thereby completing your cockpit ensemble. Remember, though: you're in this for the pure, majestic joy of simulated flight. It's not a competition, so don't let this guy and his $300,000 flight simulator get under your skin. Cool?
Gaijin announces World of Planes MMO
Is the World War II aviation-based MMO market big enough to support multiple titles? We'll soon find out, as Gaijin Entertainment has just announced its upcoming World of Planes MMO (not to be confused with Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes title, which took a bow earlier this month). Gaijin's press release calls World of Planes a "flying simulation game," and the company will be drawing on its previous genre experience thanks to titles like Wings of Prey and Wings of Luftwaffe. According to the new World of Planes website, the game will feature "hundreds of historically accurate planes" and "flying skills that can be honed and improved with each mission." The site also hints at ground- and sea-based combat along with co-op missions, solo play, and a realistic damage model. The game will operate under a free-to-play business model, and you'll want to check out our screenshot gallery below before heading to the official World of Planes website to sign up for beta. %Gallery-126603%
Mad Catz creates new studio to make flight sim MMOs
In 2012, you will know that an angry feline can fly! Or so hopes Mad Catz Interactive, which has just announced the formation of an internal studio dedicated to making MMO flight simulators. Dubbed "ThunderHawk Studios," this new team is already hard at work on a title slated for next year. Mad Catz President Darren Richardson sees this as another step on the road to gaming greatness: "The addition of flight simulation games should leverage the market share leadership and global distribution enjoyed by our flight simulation hardware products. The formation of ThunderHawk Studios is an important milestone as we pursue our longer term goal of expanding our participation in developing, publishing and distributing games." Mad Catz is well-known for developing gaming peripherals and other interface hardware for titles like Modern Warfare 2 and Street Fighter IV.
Gaming gets immersive thanks to union of pico projector and eye tracking camera (video)
Although in the earliest stages of development, this virtual reality gaming rig already looks pretty intriguing. Engineered by clever kids at the University of Texas at Austin, it hot-wires an eye tracking camera to a motorised pico projector with the result that the player literally can't take their eyes off the screen. Wherever they look, that is where their view of the gaming world is projected. The rig makes most sense in a first-person shooter, although the students have also tried it in a flight simulator where the player uses their head to roll and pitch the aircraft. Yes, it looks rather similar to the Microvision PicoP laser projection gun we wielded at CES, but there's a key difference: the player does not need to hold anything or have anything attached to their body. This unencumbered Kinect-esque approach could potentially allow a greater sense of freedom -- except that, for it to work, the player is forced to sit directly in front of the eye tracker. Find a way to fix this, dear Longhorns, and you could be onto something. Video after the break.
Portal and Flight Simulator played on Microsoft Surface
Students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Robotics Lab have adapted an "on-screen joystick" for use on Microsoft's Surface table with Portal and Flight Simulator. The DREAM (Dynamically Resizing Ergonomic and Multi-touch) controller is activated by putting five fingers on the table. The joystick will then resize itself to the user. The controls don't look nearly as efficient as a keyboard and mouse, or as comfortable as a gamepad, but it gives a good idea of the interface we may eventually use on the "iPad XL." Check out the video after the break for the full effect (and be prepared to mute the audio).
'Microsoft Flight' announced ... minus the 'Simulator'
[Flight Simultator History] Tucked away within the press release for Age of Empires Online was the announcement of a new entry in a really long-lived Microsoft game series: Microsoft Flight Simulator. The latest Windows-exclusive title, now called simply Microsoft Flight, "will bring a new perspective to the long-standing genre," according to the press release, "welcoming everyone, including long-time fans, to experience the magic of flight." There are no details beyond that, and the listed website is not live at the moment. However, the "welcoming everyone" language combined with the symbolic omission of the word "simulator" gives us an idea of what to expect: a more game-like, streamlined experience. Update: The site is now live, featuring a teaser video -- which you can also see after the break.
Saitek keeps flight simulation alive with new gear, no word on robot air hostesses
Microsoft may have axed its Flight Simulator franchise a little while back, but it appears that there are still enough virtual pilots out there to keep Mad Catz abuzz with making new apparatus. In fact, the notoriously expensive Saitek Pro Flight range will be seeing an addition of three new products in October. First we have the self-explanatory Backlit Information Panel, which could probably double as a pricey mood light if you have $149.00 / £129.99 / €149.99 to spare. Next up is the identically-priced Throttle, Pitch and Mixture System box that's supposed to replicate the controls found on the Cessna, Piper and Money Bravo light aircrafts. If these two modules fail to drain your piggy bank, you could always fork out another $199.99 / £179.99 / €199.99 for the F16 / F35-inspired, die-cast alloy Combat Rudder Pedals. Bundle these with the other Saitek hardware and you might get close to having the full cockpit.
iPads on the virtual flight deck
It's no secret that the iPad is popular with pilots. TUAW has provided coverage of pilot kneeboards for holding iPads in the cockpit, many iPhone apps for pilots that are now making their way to the big(ger) screen, and we've heard from commenters who fly for a living that they think the iPad may be the greatest thing to appear in the cockpit since Charlton Heston. One British firm is now starting to use iPads as electronic flight bags, although not on "real" aircraft. The company, Virtual Aviation, operates Airbus and Boeing full-motion flight simulators at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports. While these expensive and realistic simulators are most often used for pilot training, Virtual Aviation also provides public experience flights and corporate team-building events. With the iPad, Virtual Aviation instructors don't have to lug around their heavy flight cases loaded with maps, charts, manuals, weather reports, flight plans, and checklists. The lightweight iPad displays all of the information. There are a number of photos of Virtual Aviation staff using the iPad to display charts and checklists in a gallery that they've published. What about you? Do you think iPads can be an effective and useful tool for pilots, or are you concerned that they may be a distraction on the flight deck? Leave your comments below.
Mad Catz courts Xbox 360 dogfighters with pricy F.L.Y. 9 flightstick
Yo, Mad Catz. We both know there aren't a lot of good flight sims on the Xbox 360, but that's no excuse for releasing a bargain-budget stick like the Aviator as your first foray into the console space. It doesn't do Saitek's reputation justice, and fliers like us won't stand for it. We want something a little more substantial. Something like your fancy Cyborg X flight stick for PC... What's that, you say? You've done it? Fan-tastic. With nearly all the bells and whistles of the original stick but added buttons, a removable lap rest and completely wireless functionality, the Cyborg F.L.Y. 9 looks like just the stick to strafe our Xbox 360 budget this spring for $100. But hey, that's not cool -- what's with doubling the original Cyborg X's $50 price? Press release after the break.
Pilots too busy with laptops to remember flight path, go 150 miles off course
That Northwest Flight 188 San Diego to Minneapolis that went 150 miles off course? Well, it wasn't because of alcohol or sleeping. No, the cause here was the pilots using their personal laptops while talking about "airline crew flight scheduling procedure." As far as we can tell there was no in-flight WiFi, and it's a good thing, too -- no telling how far off they'd have been if the pilots had access to World of Warcraft. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Ubisoft picks up Heroes Over Europe for worldwide release
The fate of Heroes over Europe was in question when the agreement between publisher Red Mile and developer Transmission Games dissipated, due to an unfortunate lack of money on Red Mile's part.Ubisoft is now the hero of every prospective Heroes of Europe player, having just announced that it will publish the World War II flight simulator on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The Heroes Over the Pacific sequel, which features online play for up to 16 players, is currently scheduled for a worldwide release this September. You can check out new screens, only one of which includes a blimp, in our gallery.%Gallery-67282%
Logitech's high-end Flight System G940 hands-on
Lots of people have Chuck Yeager aspirations but Joe Schmoe opportunities for flight time. For them there's the flight sim. Titles like Microsoft Flight Sim and Falcon are some of the earliest to popularize PC gaming, and since the beginning they've been accompanied by high-price controllers that replicate the experience of flying. Logitech's Flight System G940 is the latest. We spent a little bit of time with it in the company's cramped meeting room on the show floor to see if it's worth adding to your virtual hangar.
Logitech's Flight System G940 joystick almost replaces flight school
Not so eager to burn thousands of dollars and years of your life at flight school, only to get stuck with pitiful route options and no three day layovers in Barbados? Have a look at your next best option, Logitech's Flight System G940. Hailed as the company's first force-feedback flight simulation controller, this thing goes far beyond the simple call of duty. Instead of just tossing a joystick in a box and calling it a day, Logitech has also included dual throttle and rudder pedals, giving you 250 programmable button options and bragging rights galore. Sadly, you'll have to coast through the summer 'til this hits Europe and America in September, but that should give you plenty of time to save up the three Benjamins it'll require to bring one home in legal fashion.
