Microsoft Train Simulator is a train simulator for Microsoft Windows, released in May 2001 and developed by UK-based Kuju Entertainment.[1] It sold one million units worldwide by 2005.
Features[edit]
The simulation allows players to operate a train on various routes in Europe, Asia, and North America. Players need to stop and start the train, couple wagons, using the computer mouse, keyboard or a hardware addition such as Raildriver to operate the controls. Sound effects are enabled.[2]
Reception[edit]
Includes 7 items: Train Simulator 2020, Train Simulator: European. Train Simulator: Livonia Division: Monroe - Subdivision Route Add-On. This page provides dozens of free route downloads for Microsoft Train Simulator, plus links to third parties offering routes for download. More than 100 routes are.
Sales[edit]
Train Simulator achieved sold 191,952 units in the United States by the end of 2001, which drew revenues of $8.7 million.[3] These numbers rose to 330,000 copies ($11.6 million) in the United States alone by August 2006. At the time, this led Edge to rank it as the country's 54th-best-selling computer game released since January 2000.[4]
Internationally, Train Simulator received a 'Silver' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[5] indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[6] In the German market, the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) presented it with a 'Gold' certification in early 2003,[7] for sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[8]
Train Simulator ultimately sold one million units by 2005,[9] and is, despite its age, still very popular and has a large, active community.[10]
Reviews and awards[edit]
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Microsoft Train Simulator for its 2001 'Computer Simulation Game of the Year' award,[11] which ultimately went to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002.[12]
Mods[edit]
The game features mod support as routes, trains, cargoes, scenery, etc. are abundant in the game. The installment of the mods is somewhat tricky since they have to be loaded into set files like Routes for Routes and Trainset for Trains, rollingstock, consists, etc. Over 1,000 mods were created for the game and are mostly hosted on community sites such as trainsim.com, uktrainsim.com and elvastower.com, to name a few.[13] Additionally, MSTS BIN, a community mod that aimed to add features and fix old MSTS bugs has since been released.[14]
Cancelled sequel[edit]
On May 7, 2003, Microsoft announced that it would be developing a sequel called Microsoft Train Simulator 2[15] and it was first demoed to the public at E3 on May 15.[16] Seemingly its main improvements were the addition of people to the game (e.g. passengers waiting at the stations, people operating the new locomotive roster, etc.), more realistic crashes and other accidents, and turntables. It was being developed by Kuju Entertainment, the original MSTS creators. Despite restructuring efforts at Kuju, the project was however handed over to Microsoft Game Studios on August 18, 2003.[17]
This project was ultimately halted, as the following statement on April 24, 2004 from Microsoft confirmed:
Microsoft Game Studios has halted the Windows-based game 'Train Simulator 2.0.' The decision to halt 'Train Simulator 2.0' was made some time ago and was based on a long, hard and difficult look at our business objectives and product offerings. We remain focused on the simulations category with successful, platform-driving franchises such as 'Microsoft Flight Simulator.'[18]
On January 19, 2007, Microsoft announced the relaunch of the Microsoft Train Simulator project. This time the game was being made in-house by Aces Game Studio (Microsoft Game Studios) known for its long line of Microsoft Flight Simulators, as a part of the 'Games for Windows' initiative. The game would have used the Microsoft Flight Simulator X graphics engine and it was planned to be compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows XP. A post on 'The Little Wheel Goes in Back' blog, written by one of the developers, on August 23, 2007 suggested the working title was 'Train Simulator 2'.[19]
On January 23, 2009, Microsoft announced that it was permanently closing Aces Game Studios, the internal development studio responsible for the Microsoft Flight Simulator series and the development of Microsoft Train Simulator 2. As a result, all future development on Train Simulator 2 (which was entering the final stages of development at the time of the closure) was immediately halted, marking the second time that the project was terminated. While Microsoft stated that 'they are committed to both the Flight Simulator and Train Simulator brands', it is unknown if the Train Simulator 2 project will ever be resurrected and completed sometime in the future. However, considering the fact that they discontinued support for Windows XP in 2014 and Windows Vista in 2017 (the two operating systems the second attempt was to be compatible with), as well as the Games for Windows initiative discontinued in 2013, it seems unlikely.
Many former employees of Aces Game Studios went on to join Cascade Game Foundry, a new company that was itself founded by two Aces alumni. Cascade Game Foundry focuses on developing entertainment simulations.[20]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Microsoft_Train_Simulator&oldid=933902412'
A train simulator (also railroad simulator or railway simulator) is a computer based simulation of rail transport operations. They are generally large complicated software packages modeling a 3Dvirtual reality world implemented both as commercial trainers, and consumer computer game software with 'play modes' which lets the user interact by stepping inside the virtual world. Because of the near view modeling, often at speed, train simulator software is generally far more complicated and difficult software to write and implement than flight simulator programs.
While commercial trainers on mini-computer systems had a longer history, the first two mass-market English 'computer game' railway simulators, Microsoft Train Simulator and Trainz, arrived within a few months of one another in 2001 and could run (poorly) on Intel 80386 microprocessor based systems. Some, like the first wide-market release, Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS), are written and modeled for the user mainly interested in driving. Others, like MSTS's principle rival, Trainz, were aimed initially primarily at the rail enthusiast-hobbyist markets, supporting features making it possible to build a virtual railroad of one's dreams. Accordingly, for four years Trainz releases bundled a free copy of gmax digital model building software on each CD-ROM, hosted an asset swap website (Trainz Exchange, later the Trainz Download Station), encouraged user participation and dialog with an active forum, and took pains to publish in-depth how-to model guidelines and specifications with its releases.
Several other later challengers as well as Trainz (with a series of upgrades) soon matched or eclipsed MSTS's driving experiences one way or another. Railsim, actually a successor using the MSTS game engine upped the challenge to the aging MSTS by adding much improved graphics, so Trainz did as well, but also added interactive industries and dynamic driving features such as product loading and unloading, load-sensitive physics modeling affecting driving and operating and user interface changes to improve user experience (UX), such as a free-camera mode allowing roaming away from the train cars, free and clear of the train being operated-while still controlling it. This latter makes particular sense given the dearth of an assistant on a walkie-talkie while operating a train during coupling operations or other position sensitive tasks such as loading and unloading. Railsim and a couple of others came and went out of business, and Railsim was reorganized as Rail Simulator with the software company that wrote MSTS as its core, while MSTS aged and never did get upgraded as Microsoft had once begun and announced. In the last few years, Rail Simulator has changed its name to Train Simulator.
As the world market has shaken out, Australian Trainz in 2014-2015 upgraded itself with Trainz: A New Era, still servicing the wider route builder and driving markets, but now matching the 64-bit computing and graphics of Train Simulator. In the same five-year period, train simulators have moved to pad computer and phone platforms.[1]
Industrial train simulations[edit]
A Ferrocarriles Argentinos Railway Simulator.
Like flight simulators, train simulators have been produced for railway training purposes. Driver simulators include those produced by:
Signaller training simulators have been developed by Funkwerk in Germany,[9][10] The Railway Engineering Company (TRE) in the UK,[11][12] OpenTrack Railway Technology in Switzerland,[13][14] and PS Technology in the US.[15]
Consumer train simulation[edit]
There are two broad categories of train simulation video games: driving simulation and strategy simulation.
Driving simulation[edit]
Train driving simulation games usually allow a user to have a 'driver's view' from the locomotive's cab and operate realistic cab controls such as throttle, brake valve, sand, horn and whistle, lights etc.
One of the first commercially available train simulators was Southern Belle, released in 1985. The game simulated a journey of the Southern Belle steam passenger train from London Victoria to Brighton, while at the same time the player must comply with speed limits, not to go too fast on curves and keep to the schedule. It was followed with Evening Star in 1987.
Other train driving simulation software includes:
The PC game 3D Ultra Lionel Traintown, amongst some others, give a different experience to driving, by being in a 3rd person omniscient perspective, controlling the trains from a bird's eye view.
Peripherals specifically designed for use with driving simulations include RailDriver by US manufacturer P.I. Engineering. RailDriver is a programmable desktop cab controller with throttle, brake lever and switches designed to work with Trainz, TrainMaster, Microsoft Train Simulator and Rail Simulator.[23]
Strategy simulation[edit]
Railroad-themed strategy simulation video games are focused mostly on the economic part of the railroad industry rather than on technical detail. The A-Train series (1985 to present) is an early example. Chris Sawyer's Transport Tycoon (1994) was an influential game in this genre,[24] spawning remakes such as Simutrans (1999 to present), OpenTTD (2004 to present) and Sawyer's own Locomotion (2004). Sid Meier designed two railroad simulations: Railroad Tycoon (1990) and Railroads! (2006). The Railroad Tycoon series itself inspired other rail games such as Rails Across America (2001).[25]
Other genres[edit]
Some rail simulation games focus on railway signalling rather than economics. Examples include The Train Game (1983), SimSig (donationware) and Train Dispatcher
JBSS BAHN (shareware) focuses on simulating a complex railroad lay out.
PC-Rail Software have nearly 90 different signalling simulations, mostly based on UK locations.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Train_simulator&oldid=935862762'
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