20th Anniversary of YSFLIGHT

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20th Anniversary of YSFLIGHT

Post by u2fly »

On May 15, 1999 1st version of «YSFLIGHT» released!
Soji Yamakawa (aka 'CaptainYS') wrote: http://ysflight.in.coocan.jp/ysflight/ysflight/e.html
...
On May 14, 1999, I finally overcame my biggest challenge and passed the Ph.D Qualifying Exam. And, I released the first version of YSFLIGHT. I don't remember exact date when I released the first version, but the time stamps of the files included in the first-version archive implies that it was May 15, 1999.
When I released it, I never expected so many people from so many countries was going to download and use my program. So far, I have received E-Mails regarding YSFLIGHT from at least 31 different countries.
...
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GET IT!Image ysfs-1stversion.zip (for Win95/98/NT)
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S.C wrote: Congratulations on the 20th Anniversary of YS FLIGHT ! pic.twitter.com/OlkljEQVu1
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8:05 AM - 14 May 2019
REFERENCE:

U.S. Senator John McCain wrote:“Spending #NewYearsEve w/ brave #Ukrainian Marines at a forward combat outpost
- we stand w/ them in their fight against #Putin's aggression”

pic.twitter.com/vkz0gdozVV [archived]
(31 DEC 2016)
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Re: 20th Anniversary of YSFLIGHT

Post by u2fly »

Soji Yamakawa wrote: http://ysflight.in.coocan.jp/main/e2019.html
2019/06/25
YS FLIGHT SIMULATOR 20th Anniversary

Another decade has passed since the 10th anniversary. I started YSFLIGHT as my escape-from-reality project while I was studying for my Ph.D qualifying exam. Although it may not be as popular as it once was because 3D games are not special now, slowly I am still working on it.

While I was using Fujitsu FM TOWNS, I wrote several 3D games and had download count of 1,000 or so. That was when I was an undergrad. Back in 1990s, a free game scoring 1,000 downloads was a big deal. Now if I look at just download count YSFLIGHT has scored 1 million+ downloads overall. It doesn't mean more than 1 million players flew YSFLIGHT because same person may download multiple times especially when a new version comes out. Nonetheless, more than 1 million downloads was a beyond my imagination.

Also I have always been impressed by the quality and details of the maps and the aircrafts created by the users in the past two decades. I thank all the users who contributed to the user community. I feel bad to those who asked questions about how to create models for YSFLIGHT, but I cannot spare my time to answer those questions.

I want to do something special to cerebrate 20 years. I may finish some features that I started and haven't completed. But, there are reasons why those feature additions are stalling. Usually those features typically turn out to be difficult to implement, break backward compatibility, or not difficult but require many lines of code. Or, maybe I would add a 20-year paint scheme airplane at least.

I am very concerned about the current trend of software development that computer programs are treated just like consumables. Computer programs are not consumables. Software is NOT a service. I will never forgive whoever started saying Software As Service. Software is a product, at the same time is a piece of art. A masterpiece must be kept for the future, it must not disappear when the service terminates. It must not be thrown away like a tissue paper. To write a stable program, code must be re-used, and must be exposed to various different input so the program is trained. Once the program is mature, it will require less updates. Less update should not be taken as the program is abandoned. It should mean the program is reaching its goal. So many fantastic things have been introduced to the computing world. So many bad ideas have also been introduced.

YSFLIGHT may not be a masterpiece. But, I want to make it like a program that anyone can come back anytime. Someone may leave YSFLIGHT today. But after several years one day the person may find it still available and maybe fly one round of traffic pattern. I am determined to keep YSFLIGHT alive.
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P.S.: Does it mean that Soji finally will open sources of YSFlight or what he talk about?

U.S. Senator John McCain wrote:“Spending #NewYearsEve w/ brave #Ukrainian Marines at a forward combat outpost
- we stand w/ them in their fight against #Putin's aggression”

pic.twitter.com/vkz0gdozVV [archived]
(31 DEC 2016)
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Re: 20th Anniversary of YSFLIGHT

Post by Neocon »

u2fly wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:27 pmP.S.: Does it mean that Soji finally will open sources of YSFlight or what he talk about?
No, that's not what this means at all. :cry:
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