Microsoft Game Studios’ Vancouver studio was hit by layoffs this week, and as a part of that move development on Microsoft Flight has been ended. This move comes just months after the game’s launch and is one sure to displease those who have invested money in the game, not just because the supply of downloadable content will now be drying up, but also because this devalues the purchases they have made. If this becomes a trend, it could be problematic for free-to-play game developers as gamers become unwilling to invest much money into a game until it is firmly established.
Microsoft Flight itself hasn’t been shut down; players will still be able to download and play it just as they have since it was launched at the end of February. Unlike the Microsoft Flight Simulator series this game was meant to be a continuation of, Flight does not support user-generated content. That in and of itself was a controversial decision, and it’s now a more problematic one than ever before because, without Microsoft actively developing new content for Flight, aircraft enthusiasts will be stuck flying the same set of aircraft around the same locations doing the same missions. That’s not an environment conducive to player retention.
