Microsoft Flight is a free-to-play title

The re-birth of the Flight Simulator series, Microsoft Flight, will be free to download and play, Microsoft has confirmed.

The game will feature a replica of Hawaii’s main island and offer a daily challenge and free updates. Furthermore, gamers who sign in with a Live account will receive additional free content, as well as access to Achievements.

The included vehicle will be the Icon A5, a consumer aircraft chosen for the ease with which it can be flown. A second plane, the Boeing Stearman N2s biplane, will be offered once users login with their Games for Windows Live account.

Additional content will be available for those wishing to pay out. The initial content includes Hawaii’s extra islands.

Furthermore, Microsoft’s desire to bring the series to a wider market has resulted in a number of control options. Accessories such as flight sticks, pedals and the Xbox 360 joypad will be compatible for hardcore gamers, but a simplified mouse-only option is also available for newcomers.

Indeed, this want to attract newcomers is also the reason for the decision to drop the word ‘simulator’ from the game’s title.

It’s for new audiences that include any people who look up in the sky and think airplanes are cool,” executive producer of the game at Microsoft’s new game studio for the Flight franchise Joshua Howard told VentureBeat.

This is a whole new product about the magic of freedom and fun of flying. It is wrapped in a more game-like experience. This is the right way to deliver an experience that reaches a broader number of people. It’s a new muscle we are exercising.”