Microsoft has recently announced 5,000 layoffs, but some reports indicate that the giant software company might also close its nearly 30-year-old Flight Simulator series. Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has closed ACES Studios, the developer of the Flight Simulator series of games. The simulation is considered Microsoft’s oldest product, whose original version first shipped in 1982.

However, Microsoft representatives said that the company will remain committed to the Flight Simulator franchise, but without explaining how future products can be launched without a dedicated software development team backing them. The Flight Simulator franchise has proven to be a successful PC-based game for the last 27 years.

Why isn’t Flight Simulator’s fate entirely decided yet? Well, Microsoft has given Flight Simulator a lower priority than Windows or Office, for example. Numerous contractors also confirmed that they had been let go in the ACES layoffs, including independent coders who were also fans of the game series.
This is a curious move, as the video game industry has been far outperforming many other in the economic downturn, even appearing as recession-proof, as sales have soared. The ACES Studios have been largely closed, with six employees retained to fulfill contractual duties.

MS Flight Simulator is the longest continuously-developed video game series ever, having been developed for 27 consecutive years, making it nothing short of a legend in the gamming community. Microsoft only announced that its customers should expect them to continue to invest in enabling great LIVE experiences on Windows, including flying games. However, Microsoft did not announce anything specific at this time.