Editing Microsoft Flight Simulator (section)

===Third-party developer agreements===
====Lockheed Martin ''Prepar3D''====
{{anchor|Lockheed Martin Prepar3D}}
In late 2007, Aces Game Studio announced Microsoft ESP (Enterprise Simulation Platform), a development platform for companies that want to create products that use the technology in ''Flight Simulator''. Following the closure of the Aces Game Studio in January 2009, [[Lockheed Martin]] announced in late 2009 that they had negotiated with Microsoft a licensing agreement to purchase the intellectual property (including source code) for the Microsoft ESP product. It is the commercial-use version of ''Flight Simulator X'' SP2. On May 17, 2010,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/05172010Prepar3d.html |title=Lockheed Martin Announces Prepar3D |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713125615/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/05172010Prepar3d.html |archive-date=July 13, 2010 }}</ref> Lockheed announced that the new product based upon the ESP source code would be called '''''Prepar3D''''' (P3D). Lockheed hired members of the original Aces Game Studio team to continue development of the product.

In November 2010, Lockheed Martin debuted ''Prepar3D'' version 1.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.prepar3d.com/product-overview/ |title=Prepar3D Product Overview |website=Prepar3d.com|access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> Version 1.1 was released in April 2011, with a retail license cost of US$499.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prepar3d.com/ |title=Prepar3D website |website=Prepar3d.com |access-date=June 10, 2019}}</ref> A developer license is also available for a monthly fee of US$9.95. In March 2012, along with the release of version 1.3, the pricing strategy was revised. The Professional edition is now available for US$199, with an Academic License available for US$59.95.

Often touted as 'FSX on steroids', P3D has so far had 5 versions, with the latest launched on April 14, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Build a Home Flight Simulator Cockpit in 2022 |url=https://www.simulatorhardware.com/flight/how-to-build-a-home-flight-simulator-cockpit/ |access-date=August 22, 2022 |website=Simulator Hardware |language=en}}</ref> Version 5 features 41 aircraft and over 23000 airports. Before that, version 2, 3 and 4 saw releases in 2013, 2015, and 2017 respectively.

Due to the changes in elevation between version 4 and version 5, many developers charged for upgrades to make their airport sceneries compatible with the new elevation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prepar3D v5 Scenery Compatibility Files |url=https://www.inibuilds.com/p3d-v5-scenery-compatibility-files |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512032529/https://www.inibuilds.com/p3d-v5-scenery-compatibility-files |archive-date=May 12, 2020 |access-date=July 1, 2022 |website=Inibuilds}}</ref> This elevation issue, in turn, created new developers to pop up to create "compatibility files" for older version 4 airports to work on version 5. Companies such as iniBuilds and Scandinavian Mountains lead the development of compatibility files.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inibuilds.com/|title=iniBuilds|website=Inibuilds.com|access-date=July 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scandinavianmountains.com.se/|title=Scandi Mountains - Flight Sim|website=Scandinavianmountains.com.se|access-date=July 1, 2022}}</ref>

====Dovetail Games and ''Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition''====
On July 9, 2014, [[Dovetail Games]] announced that Microsoft had granted them rights to develop the next ''Flight Simulator'' in the series. Dovetail Games also announced the release of ''Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition'' on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] for late 2014, titled ''Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition''. It was released on December 18, 2014. It is a re-release and includes content that was provided with the original ''FSX: Gold Edition'' which includes ''FSX: Deluxe Edition'', the ''Acceleration'' expansion pack, and both official Service Packs and repackages them in one bundle and a single installation. The ''Steam Edition'' includes "all standard Steam functionality", including an overhaul of the multiplayer support to go through Steam rather than the now-defunct [[GameSpy]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsxinsider.com/faqs/ |title=FSX Insider FAQs |website=Fsxinsider.com |date=December 18, 2014 |access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> improved stability on [[Windows 7]] and [[Windows 8|8]], and features minor performance tweaks including a complete recompile using [[Microsoft Visual Studio#Visual Studio 2013|VS2013]].<ref name="steamcommunity.com">{{cite web|title=Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition Change Log |url=http://steamcommunity.com/app/314160/discussions/1/626329820729615790/|website=Steamcommunity.com|author=|date=December 18, 2014}}</ref>

Additionally, Dovetail Games has worked with existing developers and publishers to distribute their content on Steam as DLC. Currently, there are over 100 add-ons for FSX: Steam Edition<ref>{{cite web|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/389280|title=FSX: Steam Edition App page|website=Steamcommunity.com |date=April 23, 2018 |access-date=May 2, 2018}}</ref> from over 35 developers available on the Steam store including Aerosoft, Captain Sim, Orbx Simulation Systems, Real Environment Xtreme (REX), Carenado, Virtavia, and others.

=====''Flight Sim World''=====
In May 2017, Dovetail Games announced ''Flight Sim World'', based on the codebase of ''Flight Simulator X'', and released later that month.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flight Sim returns to the skies this month with new title|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/flight-sim-world/flight-sim-world-announced|website=Pcgamesn.com|date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> Only a year later, on April 23, 2018, Dovetail announced end of development of ''Flight Sim World'' and the end of sales effective May 15, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/389280/announcements/detail/3400657079148405506/ |title=Flight Sim World Closure Announcement |website=Steamcommunity.com |date=April 23, 2018 |access-date=May 2, 2018}}</ref>