The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be

By SimHQ on December 1, 2007 in _commentary

2008? We’re Ready!

Introduction

Aviation and Air Combat

Land and Armor Combat

2007 was a transitional year. Those who thought the overall simulation market couldn’t sink any lower, found out this year they were wrong. Everyone is waiting, waiting.

It’s been the “year of the mods” for years, and this year even that part of simming was not as strong as previous years. Certainly there were standouts.

2007 vs. 2008 looks to be from famine to feast. The biggest excitement of 2007 may be the anticipation of new releases for 2008. We have not had as many sims planned for launch in nearly a decade. Considering the rather dismal showing of new sims amidst all that new hardware, you’d think we would have reason to be disheartened.

Never fear simmers! In 2008 it looks like we will see a bumper crop of sims. Is it a flash or the beginning of the new cycle? We shall see!

And yet the biggest problem most sim players had was finding the time to play what they already have. Increasingly it became a Solomon’s decision where to invest that precious simming time, and what to leave in shrink wrap on the shelf. Does anyone not have at least one title still packaged, waiting for some time to play it? Maybe the new variation on the old “two weeks” joke should be when we will get time to actually sim?

Bring on 2008!

If we are fortunate enough to see the release of even half of these titles, it’ll be one of the biggest years in a decade for simulations. Let’s hope when they do arrive they’re ripe on the vine, and not another Whirlwind of Viet Nam fiasco.

Laminar Research X-Plane 9
Thunder-Works Jet Thunder
Gennadich Knights of the Sky
Maddox Games Storm of War: Battle of Britain
Shockwave Flying Tigers
DCS Black Shark
XSI Fighter Ops
TK sim based on Strike Fighters engine
Hopefully news (or a release!) from Lead Pursuit on the F4:AF’s successor
PT Boats: Knights of the Sea
Silent Hunter 4 add-on
Armed Assault 2
Blackfoot
ARCA Sim Racing
iRacing

E for All 2007

October 17 – 20
Los Angeles, California

I have to admit, I was apprehensive about this. In fact, and “guod” will verify this, I had nearly made up my mind not to go. It just seemed at the time the karma was bad. The site was down with Houston prickly heat, “guod” couldn’t break away, and I thought, “What the hell? I’m going out there by myself? And do what exactly?”.

I was serious about it, and I called “guod” and told him my thoughts. His was completely the opposite and rather surprised me. “No, I think you should go”, he said, and further, “We’ve made commitments here and we need to honor those”.Well, that hit home with me. I’m a big commitment kinda guy, and if I say I am going to do something then I need to do everything I can to make it happen.

Was I glad I did! Yes, it was a bit lonely out there by myself, as I no doubt made clear in my E For All coverage, especially contrasted with last year when it was “guod”, “Chunx”, “Hornit”, “BeerCamel”, and myself. I struggled a little bit with that “it’s just me” thing, at the hotel, eating dinner alone, in the car on the LA freeway, at the event, but it was fine.

What made it fine was the people I met and talked with. “Ghost”, of course, and Debby and Michael from CH Products. Matt and Eugene, the Black Shark guys, Jason from GoGamer, SimHQ member “Sim”, meeting Rick and Paul from Fighter Ops on the set of the TV show “ER”, and the capper, having dinner Friday night with “Chunx” and his lovely wife. Time it was, and oh, what a time it was!

And, I didn’t stay up writing much past 12:30 AM or so any night.

My reports from the week: October 17th, October 18th, October 19th and October 20th.