But the game's realistic simulation of actual piloting has drawn attention.
There has been no suggestion the terrorists used Microsoft's computer game to prepare for Tuesday's hijacking attacks. Should an aircraft strike a building or other structure, the program shows the plane has crashed, but the buildings do not blow up. In existing versions of Flight Simulator, players can pilot aircraft ranging from gliders to jetliners over much of the world, with detailed scenery of airports and cities, including New York and the World Trade Center towers.
No new launch date has been set for Flight Simulator 2002, which was originally due out in October. 'It's just an inappropriate time to release the product,' Microsoft spokesman Matt Pilla said Monday from the company's Redmond headquarters. plans to delay the launch of a new version of Flight Simulator, its popular computer game that allows players to fly airplanes over New York City and other metropolitan areas, because of last week's terrorist attacks.