Saying that Microsoft Flight Simulator is an incredible technical achievement is an understatement, since never before did we have a chance to literally explore a virtual version of our entire world in the comfort of our home, all while enjoying the pleasures of virtual aviation. Hardly anyone can disagree with that. While we all know about the hurdles that need to be overcome, it’s hard to imagine a future where this new platform won’t be an enormous success. It’s a long game that we at MSFS Addons are very sure will pay off.
Clearly, Microsoft and Asobo set out to create something that they intend to be as long-lasting as they can, and the technologies they used, together with the sheer scope of the game, leave no doubt about that. It is, really, an incredible new platform that is only made possible by the joined forces of many very distinct teams, with very different expertises, who came up with a package that is arguably much more than the sum of its parts.
What we want to share with you today is an excellent documentary by Noclip, which talks about how MSFS came to life from the hands of thousands of people all over the world. Even if you’re not particularly curious about the technical aspects of the sim’s development, you should watch it if not just for the overall production quality, the fascinating insights from Jorg Neumann (Microsoft) and Sebastian Wloch (Asobo), and simply to learn about the unexpected and groundbreaking technologies that made all of this possible.
It’s a riveting half an hour for every fan, where you will see how the whole team was put together, how they set out the create the entire world, and then went on to add the “human” presence and weather simulation, thus setting the stepping stones of a massive sandbox where the wonders of flight could be experienced.
Obviously, no flight sim is complete without planes, and the documentary also shows how the default planes came to life with 3D scanning that made the virtual iterations of each aircraft so realistic, but also how the sounds were recorded and, most importantly, how the world and the machine interact with each other to provide a compelling and realistic flying experience.
It’s an absolute must watch if you care about any of this and a stunning insight into a project of love from a team of incredibly dedicated people. A team that, as we know, continues to be incredibly open to any feedback from the community, completely committed to what is, in the end, the intrinsic desire in each and everyone of us, either flying in the real or in the virtual home: to bring Microsoft Flight Simulator home.
