It has been 38 years since the first version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the game continues to evolve and attract new pilots with each iteration. It seems that the sim is now more popular than ever, as latest entry in the series, 2020’s Microsoft Flight Simulator, has become the fastest version of the game to grow to more than 2 million users.
The first version of Microsoft Flight Simulator debuted in 1982 and allowed players to explore the skies over two-dimensional versions of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Seattle in a Cessna 182. The series has grown and evolved over the years, becoming one of the most played simulators of the modern gaming era. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 received rave reviews upon its release in August, and let players chose from 30 planes to fly over a recreation of the entire globe. Critics and fans praised the game for its graphics, flight mechanics and implementation of live weather reports updated that created a dynamic, true-to-life recreation of the world.
Perhaps it is no wonder then that the game is the fastest growing entry in the series. Jorg Neumann, head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, made the announcement in a post on Xbox Wire and thanked the massive community of fans that sprang up around the game. “We are proud to announce that the latest entry is the fastest to grow to over 2 million pilots,” Neumann said, “This was possible thanks to the incredible community of fans, real-world pilots, flight enthusiasts, and virtual travelers who have embraced the new simulation since its arrival on August 18.”
Neumann also thanked the community’s creators, referring to the modders who have developed more than 500 aircraft, airports, and other add-ons for the game. That includes one mod that added Godzilla to the San Francisco Bay and another that added the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles as massive buildings.
The Microsoft Flight Simulator community has collectively piloted more than 50 million flights and logged more than 3.5 million miles flown since the game released. That is the equivalent to flying round trip to the sun from the earth 19 times, and enough to fly around the world more the 400 thousand times.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020’s initial release version is more of a platform than a standalone game, as developer Asobo Studios plans to add more content into next year. The studio announced on the same day that Microsoft Flight Simulator won Best Sim/Strategy 2020 at the Game Awards that the game will release on the Xbox Series X/S in summer 2021. The developer plans to release three large simulation updates in the meantime, as well as additional World Updates. It was also recently confirmed that Microsoft Flight Simulator will arrive on all VR platforms simultaneously.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC, with support for Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X planned for 2021.
Source: Xbox Wire