Microsoft kicked off its virtual Ignite conference today with a look back at how Microsoft Flight Simulator has changed since its introduction in 1982. The nearly 40-year history shows just how much PC gaming has changed, to the point where Microsoft Flight Simulator can now accurately (most of the time!) map out the real world into a virtual one.
Microsoft’s video begins with Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0, which was originally released in 1982 for IBM-compatible PCs. It allowed players to fly a Cessna 182 across New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The beginning of the video also demonstrates just how much PC sound cards have changed over the years.
Microsoft went on to release Flight Simulator 2.0 two years later in 1984,…