<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
MSTS	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
2001	O
train	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
developed	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
allows	O
players	O
to	O
operate	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
trains	O
on	O
various	O
routes	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Asia	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Raildriver	B-Device
)	O
as	O
controls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
sold	O
191,952	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2001	O
,	O
which	O
drew	O
revenues	O
of	O
$8.7	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internationally	O
,	O
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
received	O
a	O
"	O
Silver	O
"	O
sales	O
award	O
from	O
the	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
Leisure	O
Software	O
Publishers	O
Association	O
(	O
ELSPA	O
)	O
,	O
indicating	O
sales	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
100,000	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
ultimately	O
sold	O
one	O
million	O
units	O
by	O
2005	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
despite	O
its	O
age	O
,	O
is	O
still	O
very	O
popular	O
and	O
has	O
a	O
large	O
,	O
active	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
nominated	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
for	O
its	O
2001	O
"	O
Computer	O
Simulation	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Flight	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
2002	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
7	O
,	O
2003	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
developing	O
a	O
sequel	O
called	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
2	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
first	O
demoed	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
at	O
E3	O
on	O
May	O
15	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
19	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
the	O
relaunch	O
of	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
time	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
being	O
developed	O
in-house	O
by	O
Aces	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Studio	I-Application
(	O
Microsoft	O
Game	O
Studios	O
)	O
known	O
for	O
its	O
long	O
line	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Operating_System
Flight	I-Operating_System
Simulators	I-Operating_System
,	O
as	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
"	O
initiative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
would	O
have	O
used	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Flight	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
X	I-Application
graphics	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
post	O
on	O
“	O
The	O
Little	O
Wheel	O
Goes	O
in	O
Back	O
”	O
blog	O
,	O
written	O
by	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
on	O
August	O
23	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
suggested	O
the	O
working	O
title	O
was	O
“	O
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
2	O
”	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
23	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
permanently	O
closing	O
Aces	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
,	O
the	O
internal	O
development	O
studio	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Operating_System
Flight	I-Operating_System
Simulator	I-Operating_System
series	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Train	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
all	O
future	O
development	O
on	O
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
2	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
entering	O
the	O
final	O
stages	O
of	O
development	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
closure	O
)	O
was	O
immediately	O
halted	O
,	O
marking	O
the	O
second	O
time	O
that	O
the	O
project	O
was	O
terminated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Microsoft	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
they	O
are	O
committed	O
to	O
both	O
the	O
Flight	B-Operating_System
Simulator	I-Operating_System
and	O
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
brands	O
"	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
unknown	O
if	O
the	O
Train	B-General_Concept
Simulator	I-General_Concept
2	O
project	O
will	O
ever	O
be	O
resurrected	O
and	O
completed	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
because	O
they	O
discontinued	O
support	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
in	O
2014	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
in	O
2017	O
(	O
the	O
two	O
operating	O
systems	O
the	O
second	O
attempt	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
compatible	O
with	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
initiative	O
discontinued	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
it	O
seems	O
unlikely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
former	O
employees	O
of	O
Aces	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Studios	I-Application
went	O
on	O
to	O
join	O
Cascade	O
Game	O
Foundry	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
company	O
that	O
was	O
founded	O
by	O
two	O
Aces	O
alumni	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MSTS	O
content	O
is	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
open	O
source	O
train	B-General_Concept
simulator	I-General_Concept
project	O
Open	O
Rails	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
hope	O
for	O
developing	O
MSTS	O
further	O
ended	O
in	O
2009	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
support	O
for	O
third	O
party	O
DLC	B-Protocol
that	O
MSTS	O
provided	O
gave	O
Open	O
Rails	O
a	O
community	O
engaged	O
with	O
the	O
topic	O
.	O
</s>
