Microsoft announces new project 'Flight'

Since the layoff of the people at Aces Game Studios at the height of the recession in January, 2009 Microsoft has largely left its long running Flight Simulator series dormant.  Its last release in the series, Flight Simulator X, was back in the fall of 2006.  However, yesterday Microsoft announced that it is working on a new title in the series called Flight.  Few details are available about the game but company insiders say that an Alpha version is almost ready for internal testing.  Also, speculation is that there will be a social aspect of the game, perhaps mimicking its latest project Age of Empires Online that is currently in beta testing.  The last edition of Flight Simulator, Flight Simulator X incorporated a number of missions to be completed, in addition to the traditional simulator.  This was an effort to appeal to a broader audience, with game-like features.  It would not be surprising if Microsoft decides to broaden its audience further with the incorporation of social features.  It remains to be seen whether the addition of these new features will add to or erode the base of hardcore flight simulator fans.  Whatever the verdict, it is clear that with Flight, Microsoft will be taking this series in a bold new direction.