The first multiplayer online role-playing game, Neverwinter Nights, ran on AOL from 1991 from 1997. Manufacturers also distinguished their products from console games by packaging them in larger boxes that often included extra game-related merchandise, such as badges, stickers or glasses.Ĭomputer games also popularized the idea of multiplayer gaming, especially once broadband internet became common. Real-time strategy games and first-person shooters especially benefited from these advantages. The mouse was especially influential in popularizing certain genres over others for the PC, as it allowed faster and more accurate movements than console controllers. Increasing graphical capability, larger amounts of memory and the growing popularity of the mouse contributed to the rise of the computer gaming industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ports and clones of the most recognized graphics-based games, such as Pac-Man, Frogger and Space Invaders, became top sellers on the personal computer. While many early computer games required text commands to be entered via the keyboard, making text adventures and interactive fiction games popular, publishers also took advantage of the arcade game craze sweeping the nation. Personal computers brought games into the home, with manufacturers such as Atari, Texas Instruments and Commodore leading the way in the 1980s. An adaption of tic-tac-toe created in 1952 represents one of the earliest computer games, along with the heavily influential Spacewar!, a space combat game developed by MIT students on a PDP-1 mainframe computer in 1961. Aerodynamic Modeling - a state-of-the-art physics engine with over 1000 control surfaces per plane allows for a truly realistic experience.With its roots in text-based adventures and simple shooters, computer gaming makes up an integral part of today's electronic games industry. New Day & Night Engine - experience flight at any time of day or year allowing for night VFR, visual flight rules, navigation. Live Weather – The new weather engine enables users to switch on the live weather mode to experience real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain and more.
New Checklist System - From pro to beginner, scale your level from full manual to full assist with interactive and highlighted instrument guidance and checklist.
Every aircraft includes highly detailed and accurate cockpits with realistic instrumentation.
Aircraft – Hone your pilot skills in a variety of aircraft from light planes to commercial jets with comprehensive flight models. Living World – Earth is vibrant and ever-changing and so is the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator which includes live traffic, real-time weather and animals.
Vivid and Detailed Landscapes – Immerse yourself in the vast and beautiful world that is our planet with over 37 thousand airports, 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees, mountains, roads, rivers and more. Microsoft Flight Simulator includes 20 highly detailed planes with unique flight models and 30 hand-crafted airports. Create your flight plan to anywhere on the planet. Test your piloting skills against the challenges of night flying, real-time atmospheric simulation and live weather in a dynamic and living world. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and accurate aircraft in the next generation of Microsoft Flight Simulator.