14 DAY TRIAL // We live in some very tough financial times, and companies are starting to feel the negative aspects of the worldwide recession. Such a corporation is software and gaming giant Microsoft, which has announced a few weeks ago that it will implement a grave cost-cutting plan, which includes the reduction of 5,000 jobs in the next few months.
The decision seems to have affected the ACES studio, responsible for one of the company’s most successful and long-running franchises, Flight Simulator. The studio has now been closed down, with the Redmond-based company moving some of its employees to other studios. As this piece of news appeared on the Internet, a lot of people became worried about the fate of the game, and how this would mean the end of a franchise that started in 1977.
But although Microsoft stated that it would remain committed to the series, a lot of industry critics seemed to think differently. Now, a new studio, called Mamba, has just announced that it has secured the rights to six add-ons to Microsoft Flight Simulator X, and will be releasing them starting with March this year.
“Mamba has identified quality products and is excited to announce that they have acquired the global rights to six Microsoft Simulator X add-ons which will be released over a 24 month period,” reads the official press release made by the studio. It also adds that in the following time frame three new interesting games, The Lost Crown: Ghost Hunting Adventure, Matchman and Pyroblazer will also be released soon.
The first add-on for the Flight Simulator series will be entitled Grumman F6F Hellcat and will be landing on a Windows-based PC near you on March 27 via CD format for just 20 Euros. So until then, all of the wannabe pilots need to settle with the already impressive lineup of aircrafts found in Microsoft Flight Simulator X.