MS Shuts Down Aces Studios

Hey Everyone,

I made a visit to both FS and TSinsider.com the official Microsoft websites for the development of Flight and Train Sim. The rumor is true. Aces Studios, the internal developer of both Train and Flight Sim has been shut down by Microsoft. This means that both Train Sim 2 and FS XI (11) are being cancelled/postponed. Although I've had my struggles attempting to join this team, I still feel strongly about both these teams and franchises. I sincerely wish the best for the members of The Aces team and hope that these successful fancies aren't forever lost to a corporate restructure.

These are indeed tough times for all of us around the world. For those of us in the US, we must strive to be better than Rome. For the rest of the world; stand up and don't let the US take you down. Below is the copy from both websites. Rest assured this topic will come up in next weeks Let's Talk Train Show, my podcast and any future SkyBlueRadio work.

The Best to All,

Nicolas Andrew Marsh Jackson

FSInsider Version

By now, many of you have heard that Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, the publisher of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This was not a reflection of the quality of the products Aces has developed, the sales performance of the games, or the quality of the team at Aces. This difficult decision was made to align Microsoft"s resources with our strategic priorities. Microsoft Flight Simulator X will remain available at retail stores and web retailers, the Flight Sim community will continue to learn from and encourage one another, and we remain committed to the Flight Simulator franchise for the long term.

Microsoft Game Studios is investing significant resources in many exciting and new areas of gaming and entertainment, including Windows games. We believe these future investments will push innovation, community, and collaboration to unprecedented levels and will provide more synergy with our ongoing investments in Games for Windows - LIVE as well as other Windows entertainment technologies. We have nothing specific to announce at this time, but stay tuned for more information.

We are humbled and proud of the passion and support that the Flight Simulator franchise has developed over its more than twenty-five year history. This includes you, the large community of flight simmers, as well as the vibrant third-party ecosystem that has developed around the game. We will continue to produce, sell, and support the latest version of Flight Simulator as we plan for future versions of the franchise. Thank you for your understanding of our decision and for your continued support!

TS Insider Version

 

By now, many of you have heard that Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, the publisher of Microsoft Flight Simulator and Microsoft Train Simulator. This was not a reflection of the quality of the products Aces has developed, the sales performance of the games, or the quality of the team at Aces. This difficult decision was made to align Microsoft’s resources with our strategic priorities. As a result of this difficult decision, development of the next version of Train Simulator is being postponed for an indefinite period.

 

Microsoft Game Studios is investing significant resources in many exciting and new areas of gaming and entertainment, including Windows games. We believe these future investments will push innovation, community, and collaboration to unprecedented levels and will provide more synergy with our ongoing investments in Games for Windows - LIVE as well as other Windows entertainment technologies.

 

We are humbled and proud of the passion and support that the Train Simulator franchise has developed. This includes you, the large community of railroading simmers, as well as the vibrant third-party ecosystem that has developed around the game. Thank you for your understanding of our decision and for your continued support.