Article 4:
In response to partner requests, the Microsoft ESP group has enhanced marketing efforts on a number of fronts, including the January 2009 availability of a single-client license at $899 (U.S.) and a single software development kit (SDK) at $99 (U.S.); the announcement of a worldwide Microsoft ESP Partner Program to provide increased technical and marketing opportunities;
Question: Could this be the reason ($) why I have that feeling that most freely available Microsoft "SDK"'s are far from being accurate and 100% complete ?
And that - if you are willing to pay Microsoft enough money - you can buy the 100% complete documented SDK in the same way as they did with their MSDN and TECHNET programs?
Article 5:
The Microsoft ESP IP licensing agreement builds on the existing Microsoft/Lockheed Martin Strategic Alliance to bring meaningful information technology services and products to market and continue to fuel innovation. It is also an example of Microsoft’s broader efforts to collaborate with industry through IP licensing.
And 2 years later, Microsoft
does start to license their ESP-products to 3rd parties. Now ask yourself why?
Article 6:
Microsoft Corp. and Flight1 Aviation Technologies (Flight1 Tech) have entered into an intellectual property (IP) license agreement that gives Flight1 Tech access to Microsoft ESP’s powerful visual simulation technology. Flight1 Tech took a license for the Microsoft® ESP™ v1.0 object code, which enables the company to create detailed, customized flight safety, flight training and strategic solutions for its customers.
And another licensing partner follows in Lockheed Martin's footsteps.
Microsoft ESP technology allows users to operate vehicle models that incorporate real-world physics to enhance realism, such as in the interior and instrumentation of a Boeing FA-18 shown here.
Now this is a very interesting one (also in relation to other threads on this forum):
The ability to model real-world physical inside ESP, was already present back in 2009.
Now when? where? and why? did this ability got lost inside the current MSFS2020 "SDK"?
To me personally the current MSFS2020 "SDK" still looks and feels like it has been based upon either:
- That good old ESP SDK from Microsoft herself, from back in 2007.
- A debugged and evolved copy of the old ESP SDK, licensed from/bought back from Lockheed Martin by the Microsoft / Asobo Studios team.
SUMMARY SO FAR:
Microsoft has been actively developing - ever since ESP came out - the creation of a virtual simulation platform and not a 100% pure flight-simulation application anymore.
This is also the how and why the "game-ification" of 100% pure flight-simulation started, by embedding game / missions elements into the "100% pure flight-simulator" (Read: FSX)
To be able to assimilate their entire "FSX investments and brand" into their XBOX game-development ecosystem later on in time.
Lockheed Martin at the other hand, took ESP a step (or 2) further with development of "Prepar3D", using ESP simulation for real life, governmental and military-based simulation purposes.
Now that is a whole different application of the Microsoft ESP platform technology then "100% pure flight-simulation" alone.
They have been developing their (ESP based) "Prepar3D" product-line into a industrial strength simulation platform with many serious business customers.
From what I've seen and read over the last decade, LM is being totally honest about their long term business intentions and goals.
LM is also one of the biggest military defense contractors on the planet, and serves a lot of serious military-grade clients.
So I think that it will be highly unlikely that their "Prepar3D" product will vanish over time.
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