Pair of ex-Aces developers creates simulation-minded shop with a desire to go beyond the world of planes and trains.
In January, Microsoft shut down its Aces Studio, the developer behind its well-regarded Flight Simulator series of games. Microsoft said gamers could expect it to continue investing in PC game development--specifically aviation games--but a few of its relieved Aces are now taking flight on their own.
Former Aces developers Rick Selby and Kathie Flood today announced the formation of Cascade Game Foundry, a Washington-based studio dedicated to making sim games that will please the hardcore while attracting new audiences. To help them achieve that goal, the Cascade founders have assembled a team of ex-Aces developers and other industry veterans with experience on simulations like the Janes F15 and F/A-18 games, as well as more mainstream fare like the Halo series and Fable 2.
"We want to combine the naturally inquisitive nature of the human spirit with the stunning resources of the planet," Flood said in a statement. "The simulation market is known to be a strong, consistent performer, but our vision extends beyond flying and railroading. Think of scuba diving off Hawaii, traversing the Andes, hiking the Great Wall of China..."
For more on the Aces pedigree, check out GameSpot's review of the last entry in the studio's signature franchise, 2006's Flight Simulator X.
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
This is good news to me i hope you reach for the skies. I hope they make the ground terrain lifelike and no block y pixels. If they give us a game with flying,driving and anything you can imagine in one game im all in. Here is the link to their official website http://www.cascadegamefoundry.com also they have a facebook one too.
@ etmaul no really but final nail was when ms laidoff the whole department. But dont let it make you think its the end of like you say "thse great franchises" the new team thats been formed appears to be the brains behind all franchises like it too, so we should start to see sims come out beyond anything done before! and all the different types of sim they are talking of sound exiting too!! im hopeing we see them all intergrated some how, for example if theres a online mode.....and you become stranded while atempting to climb everest, the hele that comes to save you acually flown by a person too! thats just my idea of what would be good, we have not had too much info yet, but already i think it looks very exiting, teams that come together like this always produce good titles, they come together becuase of their love of sims not any finacial gain.
I'm now attending a ground school to be a Commecial pilot soon, all thanks to Flight Simulator, we even use the game to practice some maneuvers on some classes
@blakeney, You're right, but this seems to be the final nail in the coffin for 2 fantastic franchises
Wow. Can you imagine you can fly from lets say boston to key west, drive to the ocean, get in your boat and then go scuba diving all in the same simulation. That would be awesome. It would give flight simming a whole new purpose. I think its time to see another flight simulator not by microsoft so we dont have to spend thousands upgrading because microsoft has their hands in hardware providers pockets.
Good to hear... now develop a Flight Simulator XI that will have reliable real-world weather... scenery in ALL cities in the world (not only some), aircraft that should have been included like the Boeing 777, and that will run on modest PCs, not high-end PCs only. Oh and include a feature that allows you to go back in time in the world. I'll give you 3 years to do it.
@ etmaul, i think when they officially annouced it almost a year ago(maby longer) was a clearer way of saying it? Looks intresting, i knew they wouldnt just drop the idea!
Sounds like a way of saying MSFS and MSTS will be no more, oh well, we'll see what they can churn out.
tony382: "I truly hope that one day these could be brought to the consoles." You'd need custom controllers because a flight simulator is way too complex for a simple gamepad. While FSX does support the 360 gamepad it also relies heavily on the keyboard and mouse for the majority of its features and functions. So basically, you'd be looking at a Rockband-style package with the software and custom controllers bundled together, and I can't imagine too many console gamers who'd be willing to drop $200 on civilian flight simulator.
Apparently this was a financial burden to Microsoft. and keep in mind these guys were dropped at the PEAK of the recession when MS was taking huge hits and it had to act fast to slim down. if you owned a big company that was suddenly in some trouble, would you just sit there and wait for your company to sink more? No.
Hell YEA! Time for some spanky spanky Microsoft. I still dont understand WHY they would shutdown them guys. They make the best flightsims(Without bombs and guns) Soooooo, CGF, Can I get bombs and guns finally. Half my fleet in FSX is military planes. I would Love to be able to set up military'isk missions for my combat aircraft. On a sidenote, I would Like to thank Ya'll for making Wonderful flightsims. Don't know if U will read this but For a guy that cant afford to buy an SR-71, Its the next best thing.(Alphasim SR-71 Is Unbelieveably good. I still can't land it:)P
"Microsoft said gamers could expect it to continue investing in PC game development" That'll be the day...
I wish my PC could run these sims. I'm still playing Flight sim '04. I truly hope that one day these could be brought to the consoles.
Great news! And I love the expanded vision, it will help push the simulation genre to new frontiers beyond the old casual planes and trains.. Can't wait for their first title..
Bringing in some of the Janes crew is gonna be a nice addition to the team. As for the second portion... haha. Because when I think Flight Sim the first thing that comes to mind is Halo and Fable 2. Please dont ruin this!
ColdfireTrilogy Posted Oct 14, 2009 3:19 am GMT "We want to combine the naturally inquisitive nature of the human spirit with the stunning resources of the planet" can someone tell me what this means .... lol sounds like captin planet.....:shock:
"while attracting new audiences" This sentence is been known to ruin many hardcore fans game experiences in games developers wanted the game to be more KID FRIENDLY... idiots.
For years people have been saying that Microsoft Flight Simulator needed a ground-up overhaul, but corporate inertia at Microsoft prevented that from ever happening to the detriment of the series (even though Flight Simulator X is arguably the best civilian flight sim ever produced). Looks like we're finally going to get that ground-up overhaul. It'll be fun to see what they guys can come up with.
"We want to combine the naturally inquisitive nature of the human spirit with the stunning resources of the planet" can someone tell me what this means .... lol
Don't get me wrong, Scuba diving off Hawaii and traversing the Andes sounds great, but I'm not so sure about hiking the Great Wall of China. But who am I to judge, I'm sure they'll do great with Cascade Games.
Microsoft announces expansion pack for aspiring PC aviatiors; add-on to feature multiplayer air races, more aircraft, new missions.
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