Microsoft Flight Press Release and New Images

[Al_Fallujah]

http://www.prepar3d.com/products/prepar3d-client/

But isn't it already being sold for entertainment?
http://www.flyaces.com/location.html

That said, I understand your point that anyone can buy it.
If we got a spare $500 around....
From the site:
"As provided in our End User License Agreement, the Prepar3D application is not to be used, offered, sold or distributed through markets or channels for use as a personal/consumer entertainment product."

"Just to be clear (and trying not to sound defensive!). Anyone can purchase Prepar3D. We do not sell it as an entertainment product and the EULA talks about that, which means that it will not be appearing on the shelves of Best Buy next to Call of Duty any time soon..... I am not sure where the rumour started that we sell only to certain people, but anyone can buy it. It isn't about consumers, but end-use. If you are a pilot, simulation user, student, whatever and want to use it for familiarization, training, taxiing over bugs then go for it. If you are 10 or 110 it doesn't matter. If you want to use it at an arcade game, then buy something else. You can go to our website and purchase it with a credit card and download it. The commercial license version is $499 and we have added a considerable amount of features and made a lot of bug fixes to the code that we were fortunate enough to procure from Microsoft. A list of features can be found on our website at www.prepar3D.com. We certainly have added in bathymetry data to allow the use of submersibles and we have added in a few features for hard-core users that they should find interesting including true multi-channel (spreads the load of the image generator across multiple PCs), update to DirectInput 8 to allow up to 32 axes and 128 buttons per joystick, sensor views (night vision and infra-red), updated landclasses, GPS upgrades and so on. We have also updated and improved the SDK documentation and added more samples for developers. We are also going to be releasing an update version 1.2 of Prepar3D and the SDK in the next few weeks.

Those that are looking to test, integrate, develop, investigate etc and therefore do not require a full commercial license can subscribe for $9.95 per month and receive 2 copies of the software. That is an option that many people are taking and I would be glad to see more people come on board and see what they can do with the app! There are no restrictions to joining the developer network.

If people are using Prepar3D for commercial activities, then switching to the commercial license is appropriate and required.

For Victor, sorry that the website isn't clear enough. I will work with Lockheed communications to try to get some clarity on that. We are just a bunch of engineers and not necessarily the best at marketing!!

Regards,
John Nicol
Prepar3D."

So anyone can get P3D. But since you cannot buy it a walmart or whatever and it's not aimed at consumers, I doubt it will get as much traction behind it as FSX / FS9. I hope they aim at the hard core flight simmer market as well in the future although given it's LM I don't see it happening.

[coalpedlar]

It appears to me they're copying the business model of X Flight.  Give you a base- then charge you piece by piece to be a collector.

This program could be a real 'BUST' for those of us that like to make our own designs and add-ons.

We'll just have to see- I'm sure everyone will try it but remains to be seen how well they attract us away from what we all enthusiastically enjoy, and that's playing with the files as well as the sim itself.