It's sad news for gamers and flight simulator fans that Microsoft's effort to fix the problem of profitability and poor performance has hit its game division hard. Software giant Microsoft's Thursday decision to cut 5,000 jobs has badly affected the company's nearly 30-year-old Flight Simulator series.

According to Gamasutra and VentureBeat, Microsoft has slashed hundreds of jobs from its game division. The complete development team for the company's long running Flight Simulator franchise has become the victim of the Microsoft's job cuts.

ACES, the developer of the Flight Simulator series of games, has become the main victim of the job cuts. On Friday, Microsoft's representative confirmed that ACES will be shut down.

Microsoft spokeswoman Kelda Rericha said, "We can confirm the closing of ACES Studios, which was responsible for the Flight Simulator franchise. Following our annual strategy review process, IEB [Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business unit] is making adjustments within our business to align our people against our highest priorities. The closure of ACES Studios was one of those specific changes."

Flight Simulation was Microsoft's oldest product, whose original version first came in 1982. However, VentureBeat reported that Microsoft's Lionhead and Rare studios were unaffected by layoffs.