Feb
27
Flight Simulator Glides into the Sunset
Amid Microsoft’s recent round of layoffs, one smaller group of programmers responsible for the Microsoft Flight Simulator series was let go. ACES Studio, which consisted of around 100 people, has been completely eliminated from Microsoft. This ends one of the longest-running (if not the longest) video game franchises in history. Microsoft Flight Simulator was first launched in 1982, and over 25 years later it still has a die-hard following. Fans of Flight Simulator are notoriously dedicated to the game due to its extreme realism and open-world gameplay.
The most recent release of the game is Microsoft Flight Simulator X, the twelfth main version since 1982. Microsoft is reportedly not giving up on the franchise, but many suspect any possible future versions will be created by an outside company. A more detailed account of the end of the ACES Studio can be found on former developer Phil Taylor’s blog.
Many industry insiders blame sluggish sales of Windows Vista for the recent round of 5,000 planned layoffs at Microsoft. Will we see Flight Simulator again? Only time will tell.
