It’s okay, I’ve got this. Err … err … … shit.
An interesting development for those who thought the Microsoft Flight Sim series would never recover from 2010’s free-to-play Microsoft Flight. Dovetail Games, creators of the Train Simulator series of games have agree a global license with Microsoft to “develop and publish all-new flight products based on Microsoft’s genre-defining flight technology.”
The plan is to develop a new flight sim for release in 2015. If it follows the Train Simulator model, you can expect a core game with a few different planes and a whole load of DLC.
In the mean time, Dovetail Games will be re-releasing 2006’s Microsoft Flight Simulator X as Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition. The clue is in the name that this version will be released on Steam, sometime in “late 2014.” This release will bundle up the Deluxe Edition and the Acceleration Expansion Pack into a single version.
“We are thrilled to be exploring new flight simulation opportunities using Microsoft’s technology, and look forward to using our extensive expertise of Steam publishing to successfully bring Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition to a broad new audience on the Steam platform,” says Dovetail Games’ Paul Jackson from the cockpit of his virtual jet.
Meanwhile, Dovetail’s Steve Bainbridge adds “We know that [Train Simulator players] are a very knowledgeable, passionate and committed group of individuals and we welcome their feedback and involvement as we start to create the next generation of games in this area.” This may just be the usual nod to the fans, but could indicate an Early Access type approach for whatever new flight sim the company cooks up.
