I’m currently doing some research into the history of Microsoft Flight Simulator and thinking about collecting the entire series. It’s one of the longest series running (40 years).
I’m not collecting them to actually use but to display as a backdrop to my simming rig. As I’ve been into MSFS for 25 years it would be a good display piece.
Looking at eBay there’s quite a lot going back to 95 but not many before this. Most the ones pre 95 seem to be based in the US. I was quite surprised that even the ones from 1989 are not that expensive. My guess is that as it’s a niche hobby there is not much demand hence the not so expensive prices.
Has anyone else thought about buying old versions to use or collect?
Ahh @EvidencePlz grumpy ! I would never have asked a refund for FS-II, or FS-98, I really loved both as I loved all my illegal copies of Need for Speed from version 3 on, for that matter…
I ran FS II on Hercules monochrome graphics in 1983-84. I don’t remember I had the box. I’ve kept the floppy disks for years, until they did not read anymore. There has been a FS II box, certainly… with a decent book in it ! that’s how software used to be distributed. Nostalgia… On this forum there are some members who posted images of all boxes since FS-I on Tandy. FS-98 came on CD-ROM. Can’t put the links, maybe they’ll arrive here soon. Love the subject !
I found this website about the whole history of Flight Simulator. This section has images of all the covers so at least you know what your looking for if collecting.
I’m still trying to decide on how to display them. I was thinking of on the wall on very shallow shelves so that the front covers are visible. You can get plastic protectors for big box pc games so won’t have to worry about dust ruining them.
I think I’m just going to go back to version 3.0 as the ones previous to this are hard to find a more expensive. I’m not going to bother with every disk version, just the standard version of each one. All versions from 2002 are very cheap.
I also collect the FS range. I’ve still got my original FS2 for C64 (which I got from my Dad for Christmas in 1984) and Amiga (along with other Sublogic products like Jet for the Amiga, Flight Assignment ATP, Flight Light, Sierra Pro Pilot etc).
As for MSFS - I’ve got all my original versions from MSFS V4.0 onwards except for '98 and 2000 which I never bought at the time for some reason. And I’ve lost my copy of Aircraft and Scenery Designer…argh.
Of course, I didn’t limit myself to MSFS - my nearly 40 years of collecting includes all the Microprose games, Janes, and Terminal Reality (Fly and Fly II) series plus many more. I’m glad I never threw any out, even after upgrading my computers and changing brands over the years - I kept all the games/boxes
Collecting games is a worthy hobby - if you’re not into the boxes, then collect them for the old manuals that came with these games - they were so detailed and informative!
That sounds like an impressive collection you have. Do you have them displayed? The Aircraft & Scenery Designer that you say you lost, which version of Flight Sim was this for?
@TearlessFiend27 I have them all on a bookcase, but they’re not really displayed as well as I’d like, and some are double stacked as I’ve run out of room. It still makes for a nice collection. I have another shelf I put up behind me that has other games from the 1990s - my Myst collection, Half Life boxes etc. One day I’ll put up another shelf specifically for all the flight sims.
The Aircraft and Scenery Designer was an add-on to MSFS 4.0 back in 1990. It came with a few extra aircraft from memory (747, Piper Archer) and a scenery creation program. I remember building my own little piece of the world in it, including my street back in the day. Back then, I thought the graphics were as good as we have now haha.
as I loved all my illegal copies of Need for Speed from version 3 on, for that matter…
