Microsoft Flight Goes Freemium, This Spring

“A free flight over Hawaii’s Big Island… Sign me up!!”

That’s the reaction Microsoft is hoping for as they launch their latest flight simulation game, Microsoft Flight, sometime this spring.

There are gamers.   Then there are extreme gamers.  Then, there are those gamers who just love to fly!  The flight sim players are a small but dedicated group with almost unmatched commitment to their passion of simulated flight.
However, even their unparalleled passion still seems to lack enough luster to keep the bills paid… thus the lay off of Microsoft’s entire Flight Simulator team in 2009.

Looking for a fresh start, and for a whole new legion of flying virgins (with big wallets), Microsoft is trying something different  to lure in new players.  Their latest game, Flight, is being billed as a “freemium” game – but many are questioning whether it shouldn’t really be labeled as a “demo.”

Freemium…Premium…or Demo?

Microsoft Flight will be free to play – however, it’s only free if you want to fly over the Big Island of Hawaii!   Sure the flight over the Volcano Island is sure to be intoxicating… but, soon you are sure to want to expand your horizons and soar to other destinations… and that’s where Microsoft is banking you’ll fork over some dough… turning Freemium into Premium!

The concept itself is really quite smart.   Just check your shopping cart when you are at the grocery store on a Saturday.   How many extra items did you come home with because you tried the FREE sample, and liked it so much you bought a whole box?  It seems the problem has never been getting people hooked, it’s getting people to play to begin.    And what better way to get people to try and with a free sample!

Time will tell just how the game will be embraced by Flight Simulator’s current fans.  It seems there are already rumblings among the dedicated that this latest version is little more a minor upgrade – and numerous complaints about Microsoft slapping a freemium label on such a limited version of the game.     However, this concept should help build the user base.  After all, people love free stuff – even if it’s just a teaspoon of ice-cream in a tiny paper cup at the grocery store, or a short flight over Hawaii.