The initial version of the game was called Air Attack, and is still played today.
Microsoft bought the rights to Air Attack in the United States and Canada and renamed it Fighter Ace for release on the Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone. The game was also licensed in other countries throughout the world including GCPro in Germany, Unitel in Korea and Wireplay in the UK.
The first version of Fighter Ace clearly borrowed heavily from Air Warrior and Warbirds but with less emphasis on being approachable to novice players. Different arenas with different levels of realism were available for more experienced players.
The first two versions of Fighter Ace were primarily developed at VR-1's St. Petersburg office (formerly BST soft). Game design was done in Toronto VR-'s Toronto office, but Microsoft's usability testing group also contributed.
In July 2008 Ketsujin Studios celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Fighter Ace by hosting many long-time players and several Make-A-Wish Foundation families at the Dayton Air Show.
One of the primary reasons that this 10-year-old game is still played across the world is the community that exists around it. The players have organised themselves into Squadrons of typically 10-12 active pilots, and a myriad inter-squadron leagues and competitions exist, in addition to 1-off events such as historical reenactments.
Ketsujin studios have recently re-opened an AirAttack server. As of August 1, 2010, Fighter Ace closed its online servers, leaving this message:
"Dear Friends, After over 13 years of operation Fighter Ace is officially off the air. We thank you for your support and patronage over the years, and we wish you all the very best. Check here for periodic news and updates regarding our future plans as we announce them. Warm Regards, Mark Vange and the Fighter Ace team."
Due to ongoing monetary loses, Ketsujin president Mark Vange announced that Fighter Ace will close its operations permanently on August 1, 2010. Existing Fighter Ace customers were encouraged to subscribe to WarBirds, a competing MMOG combat flight simulator. In 2011 the Ketsujin server reoppened and the game is available for free, for local playing and on line gaming. The address is http://www.airattack-central.com/index.php?sid=
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