Flight Sim World Debuts On Steam Early Access

I imagine that, when most of you think of MMOs, you don't really consider flight simulators. I can understand that entirely; after all, few flight simulators provide a truly massive experience. But whether or not Flight Sim World will eventually be an MMO on its own—its multiplayer mode is currently in Alpha, so we won't likely know for some time, but I imagine that it won't be—third parties may very well make it into an MMO.

For those not in the know, several online flight simulation communities, such as VATSIM, have existed for years, offering a highly realistic MMO experience to both Microsoft Flight Simulator X users and users of various air traffic control simulators alike. It's a beautifully orchestrated online community of like-minded enthusiasts who have created what may be the most realistic, well-moderated online flight experiences that you can get. There's even a voice chat network for pilots and air traffic controllers to communicate.

Networks like these are why Flight Sim World could very well become one of the next big things in MMOs, albeit for a specific niche. The game was initially created by Dovetail Games out of a desire to create a new standard in consumer flight simulators. Microsoft Flight Simulator X is still largely the standard—with SteamCharts reporting a peak of 3135 concurrent users today—and it was released way back in 2006. That's right; the gold standard in consumer flight simulation hasn't changed in over a decade.

As such, Dovetail Games is boasting a flight simulator with a more detailed flight model, an in-game rendition of the Earth with over 24,000 airports, a set of flight lessons that will slowly train players to fly, a set of missions for those looking for more of a challenge, and more. Multiplayer is in, but it is in an Alpha state.

Over the course of Early Access, Dovetail Games intends to improve the weather system, improve the game's multiplayer mode, introduce "flight planner expansions," and take player feedback into account. It intends for Flight Sim World to be in Early Access for "three to four months," but it is also "not setting any hard limits" on the length of Early Access.

Dovetail Games Executive Producer Stephen Hood had the following to say about the announcement.

The flight sim community is a fountain of experience and expertise and Early Access is our way of drawing upon that knowledge to make Flight Sim World the best it can be. With this release, we are forging a brighter and more vibrant future for flight simulation.

Those who are interested can buy Flight Sim World via Steam Early Access for $24.99. The price is expected to go up as the game moves towards a release state.