Among the casualties in Microsoft's recent round of layoffs and closures was one small group which didn't make headlines but which will have a massive impact to a small, but vocal, minority of computer users. That group? The team behind the Microsoft Flight Simulator series, which has been almost completely eliminated from the Microsoft payroll.

MS Flight Simulator is notable especially for its rabid fan base: The most die-hard players organize "virtual airlines" that fly regularly-scheduled flights, much like commercial airlines, and they've been known to build ridiculously detailed cockpit simulators, spending thousands of dollars on their designs. It is also arguably the longest continuously-developed video game series ever, having been developed for 27 consecutive years, making it nothing short of a legend in the gaming community.

After earlier reports of layoffs, it has been confirmed that ACES, the in-house development studio that built the Flight Simulator and Train Simulator series, has been cut to a skeleton crew responsible merely for wrapping up affairs and closing up shop.

But curiously, Microsoft says it is still "committed to the Flight Simulator franchise," and that it will continue to invest in flying games for Windows. My suspicion is that those investments however will ultimately come in the form of gentle encouragement to outside developers and probably a sale of the franchise to another party. Flight Sim may live again, but doubtfully as an official part of Microsoft.

Best of luck to the ACES crew.