[–] SkepticalMartian 1 point 0 points 1 point (+1|-1) ago (edited ago)
Not to mention you have to license the planes. You can't just stick a Boeing 747 simulation in a game and then expect that Boeing won't want their cut. Most airplane designs are not in the public domain.
I don't think how the pro sim market operates is weird - I think it's a niche market that has to monetize that way in order to survive. When most gamers see a real flight sim they say "well what do you do it in?" and when you say "well, you spend 4 hours flying from city X to city Y and then you land" it just doesn't appeal to them because there are no real "game" elements in it. Then add the learning curve necessary to fly properly and most of these people lose their desire entirely.