''Microsoft Flight Simulator'', commonly known as ''Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0'', is a

flight simulator A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

, released in November 1982 for the

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a tea ...

. It is the first release in the ''

Microsoft Flight Simulator ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' is a series of amateur flight simulator programs for Microsoft Windows operating systems, and earlier for MS-DOS and Classic Mac OS. It was an early product in the Microsoft application portfolio and differed s ...

'' series.

History

Around the years of 1981–82,

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...

contacted Bruce Artwick of

Sublogic Sublogic Corporation (stylized as subLOGIC) is an American software development company. It was formed in 1977 by Bruce Artwick, and incorporated in 1978 by Artwick's partner Stu Moment as Sublogic Communications Corporation. Sublogic is best kn ...

, creator of ''

FS1 Flight Simulator ''FS1 Flight Simulator'' is a 1979 video game published by Sublogic for the Apple II. A TRS-80 version followed in 1980. ''FS1 Flight Simulator'' is a flight simulator in the cockpit of a slightly modernized Sopwith Camel. FS1 is the first in a l ...

'', to develop a new flight simulator for IBM compatible PCs. This version was released in November 1982 as ''Microsoft Flight Simulator''. It featured an improved graphics engine, variable weather and time of day, and a new coordinate system (used by all subsequent versions up to version 5). It was later updated and ported to other home computers as '' Flight Simulator II'', published by Sublogic. Advertisements claimed "If flying your IBM PC got any more realistic, you'd need a license", and promised "a full-color, out-the-window flight display". Early versions of ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' were used as a test for

PC compatibility IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

. If a computer could run ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' and

Lotus 1-2-3 Lotus 1-2-3 is a discontinued spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (later part of IBM). It was the first killer application of the IBM PC, was hugely popular in the 1980s, and significantly contributed to the success of IBM PC-compatible ...

, it was 100% IBM PC-compatible.

Gameplay

In ''Microsoft Flight Simulator (1.0)'', the player flies a

Cessna 182 The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area. Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in a ...

in one of four US regions:

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, or

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. The starting airport was

Meigs Field Merrill C. Meigs Field Airport (pronounced , formerly ) was a single-runway airport in Chicago that was in operation from December 1948 until March 2003 on Northerly Island, an artificial peninsula on Lake Michigan. The airport sat adjacent to ...

in Chicago, with a view of the city skyline to the left and

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that ...

to the right. It would remain the default airport in future versions of ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'', until the real airport was closed. There was also a "Europe 1917" mode which was similar to the "British Ace" mode of ''FS1 Flight Simulator''. This mode had the player flying a

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the be ...

in a grid-divided area with mountains on two sides. They could declare war and fire at enemy aircraft.

Reception

Will Fastie for ''

Creative Computing ''Creative Computing'' was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from October 1974 until December 1985, the magazine covered the spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format th ...

'' said "In their established tradition, Microsoft has again chosen to market a classic program, unique in the market." Jay Marrone for '' SoftSide'' said "the ''MS-Flight Simulator'' is an entertaining program for anyone who ever wanted to pilot an airplane." Hartley G. Lesser for ''

Electronic Fun with Computers & Games ''Electronic Fun with Computers & Games'' was a video game magazine published in the United States from November 1982 to May 1984. For the last two issues it was renamed ''ComputerFun''. Content The magazine was split up into the following sect ...

'' said "Microsoft's Flight Simulator actually turns your IBM PC into a Cessna. The thrill of flying becomes a reality." Stan Miastkowski for ''

Byte The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit ...

'' said "The Microsoft Flight Simulator is a tour de force of the programmer's art." The game sold about 800,000 copies in its first five years. In 2021, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' to its

World Video Game Hall of Fame The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame that opened on June 4, 2015. It is located in The National Museum of Play's ''eGameRevolution'' exhibit; the hall's administration is overseen by The Strong and the Internationa ...

Reviews

* PC Magazine - Jan, 1983

References

External links

''Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0''
at

MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small ...

Review
in

PC World ''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online only publication. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal tec ...

Review
in

Family Computing ''Family Computing'' was a U.S. computer magazine published during the 1980s by Scholastic It covered all the major home computer platforms of the day including the Apple II, VIC-20, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family, as well as the IBM PC and M ...

{{Microsoft Flight Simulator 1982 video games Microsoft Flight Simulator Video games developed in the United States Video games set in the United States World Video Game Hall of Fame