Microsoft Flight Details

More details have been released on Microsoft Flight.  The summary is as follows:

- New gameplay elements
- Enhanced scenery and terrain
- New aircraft
- Integrated content marketplace through Windows Live
- retention of 'hard-core' simulation elements
- easier access for beginners.

The project is being developed internally at Microsoft and not through Aces Studios.  No release date has been set.

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.

Microsoft needs to kick-start Flight Simulator Franchise

It has been well over a year since Microsoft shuttered its 'ACES' game studio, the studio responsible for the creation of the Flight Simulator series. Times were tough at the time and the studio's closing was part of a larger restructuring at Microsoft. However, in that time, Flight Simulator X has languished and development has ceased on any sequels to the famed franchise. Meanwhile, simulation aviators have had to decide whether to stick with Microsoft's legacy products or move to the X-plane platform.  While X-plane is a worthy competitor to the Flight Simulator franchise it lacks the commercial success and marketing that only a Microsoft can deliver.  With the economy improving the time has come for Microsoft to re-open 'ACES' game studio, and kick-start the 'Flight Simulator' franchise back to life.

Google Friend Connect

Google Friend Connect seems to be appearing on more and more sites I visit these days. It is a much more comprehensive solution to what 'myBlogLog' attempted to solve. It has some competition though. Facebook Connect is being used on some top blogs like TechCrunch and Mashable. It remains to be seen who will be the winner. Facebook clearly has a larger user-base, but look for Google to close the gap in the coming year. All in all, both Google Friend Connect and Facebook Connect aim to form 'micro' communities around certain sites and blogs, promoting a greater interaction amongst those with similar interests. And that is a good thing.

Yahoo slowly turning around

I was looking at the redesigned Yahoo homepage today and came away quite impressed. It is a lot cleaner than the old version and less cluttered. I was surprised to find Gmail integration and excellent localization options like weather, movies, and sport teams. It really was quite a seamless experience. I really think that Yahoo has some great talent and I am slowly starting to see things turn around. It is my hope that Yahoo's former greatness can be realized once again.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Where has the innovation gone? Yahoo, I'm talking to you.

A few years back Yahoo did a number of seemingly good acquisitions. One was Flickr and the other was delicious. Both were great products, but were never really innovated by Yahoo to their full potential. It is by letting these popular applications vanquish that is Yahoo's real crime. It is not that Yahoo has a lack of talented developers. So what is the reason Yahoo? Your users demand an answer.

gdgt adds personalized feed to their service

Overnight, gdgt.com, co-founded by tech star Ryan Block made a number of changes to the site. Users will now find a personalized news feed under their accounts. This comes as a welcome addition to the already useful gadget site. Congrats to Ryan and his dev team for work well done!

Gmail down for a few hours today

The official Google blog states that Gmail was down for a period of time around 2pm PDT. Outages were reported around the world. It appears as tho the problem has been solved and things and back running again.