When Microsoft’s recent blog post said that “the information you seek is much closer than you think”, I bet many of you didn’t think it would be just a few days after – and certainly not from a source other than Microsoft. This is why I am delighted to share the news that FSElite, along with other excellent people, had the exciting and exclusive opportunity to be the first-ever people to fly the new simulator from Microsoft.
Earlier this month, bags were packed, camera batteries were charged and flights were booked. FSElite were off to Seattle’s Renton Rainier Flight Service to speak to the developers behind the scenes, ask questions on the community’s behalf and get an extensive hands-on with the all-new simulator.
The day was packed and there was a huge amount of brand new information regarding the new sim. The Global Preview Event was broken down into a few activities.
- 1.5 hours presentation from core developers of the Microsoft and Asobo teams
- Group Interview with 6 developers (content creators)
- One-on-one interviews (press and publications)
- 60 minute flight around the Seattle area in a Cessna 172
- 4-5 hours of hands-on time with the simulator itself – free to do and explore as we pleased
FSElite Content
As you can see we were kept incredibly busy throughout the whole day. Because of the huge wealth of information and content, we decided to split things up into various articles and videos which will be shared throughout the week. Here they are with when we will release them.
- An introduction to the Microsoft Flight Simulator Global Preview Event (this article)
- Breakdown of everything we learned from a technical standpoint (Live now)
- Hands-On with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator (Live Now)
- Video interviews with core Asobo and Microsoft developers
- Episode 1: World and Weather (Live Now)
- Episode 2: Aerodynamics and Cockpits (Oct 1st @ 16:00z)
- Episode 3: Community Engagement (Oct 2nd @ 16:00z)
- Re-Cap and travel blog summary video (Oct 3rd @ 16:00z)
- Analysis of all-new footage (Oct 4th @ 16:00z)
- Summary of other content creator’s posts/videos (Oct 7th)
- Live AMA (TBD date – after Cosford)
It’s not just FSElite who went and we’re keen to work with others who also got to experience the simulator. We feel it’s important that you have as many people’s opinions, thoughts, etc as possible so you get a well-rounded perspective of the event.
One of many new shots from the all-new Microsoft Flight Simulator (also known as FS2020 to the community). More in the numerous articles we have produced.
We are super excited to share with you all that we experienced at the event. All of the written content will give you a nice overview of all of the technical details such as how Bing Maps works, how the data-streaming will work and more. The hands-on is much more about my time actually using the simulator from aircraft handling, graphics, performance and the UI.
There is a lot of information to digest over the next week, so please take your time absorbing it all.
One of the smaller tidbits, but equally important, is the fact this title isn’t called Flight Simulator 2020. No year has been attached and should simply be referred to as Microsoft Flight Simulator. Don’t be confused as this is still the same title you’ve been referring to as FS2020, nor does it mean it won’t release in 2020, as it will.
For now, please do enjoy all of the content which has been put together for you all. It’s an exciting time for the whole community.
Important Links
Hands-On with Microsoft Flight Simulator
Technical Overview for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator Developer Interview – Episode 1: World and Weather
[Premier – live on October 1st @ 16:00z] Microsoft Flight Simulator Developer Interview – Episode 2: Aerodynamics and Cockpit
[Premier – live on October 2nd @ 16:00z] Microsoft Flight Simulator Developer Interview – Episode 3: Community Engagement
