This sentence from Leonardo da Vinci embodies the driving force behind the Microsoft Flight Simulator team. And while all of us have our own personal associations with flight, the entire team is committed to the singular goal of capturing the artistry, mastery, and essence of flying. We believe part of achieving that goal is taking a moment to recognize pivotal steps in our development process, and today is one of our biggest. The culmination of time, effort, technology, and collaboration was edited into a 1:30 second video shown at the Microsoft Keynote presentation this year to kick off E3 2019.
On behalf of the entire Microsoft Flight Simulator team, we humbly and deeply express our gratitude for such an overwhelmingly positive response to our announce trailer! We recognize that without people like you, we don’t get to make experiences like this that span more than 35 years and maintain such a passionate following. Thank you for being patient enough to weather the turbulence caused by some of our previous missteps. Thank you for being willing to look to the possibilities of the future while asking us to be accountable for the past. We hear you, we value you, we want to make the next generation of Microsoft Flight Simulator for you, with you.
While this is not the moment to answer every question being asked, we do want to take the opportunity to answer a few important ones:
- We are making Microsoft Flight Simulator. Emphasis on the word SIMULATOR.
- Designed for PC, optimized for multiplatform support (e.g. Xbox).
- Yes. We are supporting 3rd Party Content Development and Community Content creation. We are aware of the concerns in the current eco-system and are working to address them.
- Yes. We genuinely want to work closely with the community in the development of this title.
- Accessibility is important to us. Whatever your abilities are, if you want to fly, we are going to do whatever we can to make that happen. Yoke and pedals, mouse and keyboard, controller, etc. No pilot should be left behind.
Over the next few months, we will be communicating our plans for the rest of the year, including important updates to the Preview Build/Insider Programs, and important development beats. Maintaining a collaborative relationship with the community starts with transparency and clearly communicated expectations. Early August is our current timeline for kicking off the communication of the development roadmap. We will continue to add clarity to this timeline throughout the summer. If you’d like the latest updates, please make sure to sign up for the Insider Program.
This is just the first step in an adventure we are honored and excited to be taking with all of you. The reaction we received from our recent trailer was an incredible reminder that we are not alone in this passion we have for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, honestly expressing your feedback and concerns, and for taking this next step with us.
From all of us here working on Microsoft Flight Simulator:
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Microsoft Flight Simulator Team