Wednesday, July 27, 2011

PMDG Announces 737 NGX Pricing

Hot on the heels of the announcement that the 737 NGX will drop on August 4, PMDG has finalized their pricing and release structure for the NGX.  It's actually pretty good news, overall.  To recap:

  • The base models of the NGX will be the -800/-900 series, both with or without winglets.  Price will be US $69.99 if you buy right away; otherwise, it increases to US $74.99 when the first expansion pack is released within 1-2 months.
  • The initial expansion pack will be the -600/-700 series models, both with or without winglets on the -700 series.  Price will be US $24.99, and it is expected to be available 4-8 weeks after release.
  • The "ER" variants (-700ER, -900ER) will also be available as an expansion pack, 4-8 weeks after the -600/-700 expansion.  Price and availability TBA.
  • The "BBJ" variants (BBJ, BBJ2) will also be available as another expansion pack, "subject to interest."  (If the PMDG forums are any indication, there is plenty of interest.)  Expected another 4-8 weeks after the ER expansion.  Price and availability TBA.
  • The "military" variants (P-8, Wedgetail) will also be available as another expansion pack, "subject to interest."  Expected another 4-8 weeks after the BBJ expansion.  Price and availability TBA.
Are you ready for the release?  I know I am!

Monday, July 25, 2011

I'm Still Here!

This summer, our family is in the process of relocating back to the Pacific Northwest of the USA.  We have been living out of suitcases for almost a month, and all my computers (save for my laptop) are in storage.  Thus, I'm a little behind the curve on the Flight Simulator scene right now.  Fortunately, we plan to move into our new house next week, and hopefully things will quickly return to normal again after that.

So what's new in the world of Flight Sim since I last posted?

  • The iFly team has released SP1 of the iFly 737 NG for FSX.  (Link available to registered owners only, sorry for everyone else!)  This update fixes a lot of the minor, irritating bugs, and makes for an even more satisfying flying experience.  I have to admit, the iFly 737 NG has been getting a lot of flying time on my laptop during the move.
  • PMDG has been toiling away on the 737 NGX, and the reports from the field of wide beta testers are streaming in.  They also upgraded their servers this past weekend to handle the expected influx of 737 NGX orders.  Captain Randazzo just announced that, failing any significant problems that warrant a delay, they expect to unleash the 737 NGX to the wild on August 4.  Get your credit cards ready!
  • Not much news on the Digital Aviation/Aerosoft CRJ.  Mathijs Kok reports that things are looking great, but not as quickly as we would all like.  Hopefully we'll get another update soon!
  • The QualityWings BAe146 is still apparently on track for a Q3 2011 release as well, but QW seems to have gone quiescent since the July 8 livery preview post.  Hopefully this means that they are buckling down and getting everything ready to roll out.
  • With all the great 737 NGs coming down the pipe, what about Airbus?  Well, this bunch gave us a really nice preview of their A320 external model last week.  And rumor has it, this other bunch is not quite dead yet...
Enjoy, and happy flying!