In a month's time, the Microsoft Flight Simulator series will mark its return following a six year gap since the last release. As the August 18 release date approaches, a lot new information is coming out about the premiere flight sim. While most fans are still in awe that Microsoft Flight Simulator will come on 10 discs, many players missed how the game will be handling mods.
Announced via the official Flight Simulator website, Microsoft Flight Simulator will feature a paid mod program. Called the "Marketplace Partner Program," the system will be built into the game creating a storefront for players to purchase developer approved third party mods.
Mods have a significant place in the Flight Simulator franchise and despite Microsoft Flight Simulator's giant amount of content, it is no different. This is a sentiment shared by Asobo Studio stating that the developers "recognize that creations by 3rd parties are a vital ingredient" to the franchise. The post explains that mods will be accessible through a "partnership program" in which mods will be approved and then placed in the marketplace. Sign up is free but mods will only be available for sale upon approval.
Further reading provides greater detail about the signup process as well as the benefits for modders as part of the program. The post specifically notes that the benefit for "simmers" is the ease of incorporating these mods into the game. As for modders, outside of simply being able to earn money, the developers tote the previous sales of the franchise as well as the over 10 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers that will have access to the game at launch.
Despite Asobo Studio's intention, a paid mod marketplace is a controversial addition to any game. Famously, Bethesda launched its own Mod Marketplace in conjunction with Steam in 2015. It was a notorious failure as paid mods were removed from Steam following criticism from both the modding community and players. Microsoft had previously stated that Microsoft Flight Simulator would be Content Creator-Friendly in a previous interview.
It will be interesting to witness how Microsoft Flight Simulator will adapt a modding model that has previously been considered anti-consumer. There are still many questions surrounding the implementation of the marketplace. Those curious will have to wait until next month's launch but some will be getting an early taste with Microsoft Flight Simulator's closed Beta at the end of July.
Microsoft Flight Simulator will be available for PC on August 18, with a Xbox One version in development.
Source: Microsoft Flight Simulator