During a new Laminar Research developer conference in Montreal, the team announced a new store designed to be built into X-Plane 12.
The new storefront will provide X-Plane customers with a new experience and ability to buy products directly from within the simulator in a modern-looking store. The store will open initially with a curated number of products, but Austin Meyer said he did not want to limit what developers will be able to bring to the platform when it launches later this year.
For developers, it will enable them to have their products visible and purchasable all in a single place, whilst taking advantage of seamless installation. DRM options will also be integrated for free for developers looking to protect their products. A backend will also allow developers to see their sales in a single page.
During the conference, Laminar also confirmed that the store will be integrated directly within the simulator and also available as a website. Once you buy something on the site, the next time you boot up X-Plane 12, it will then download the product into your sim. The new store will also handle updates
In a preview seen by FSElite during the event, it is intended for product pages to feature product descriptions, screenshots, and reviews from owners. Artists will have their own pages, enabling customers to see more from them.
Something else confirmed by Laminar Reseach is that it will be tied to a new ‘Laminar Identity’, which will act as your personal login moving forward. The team said that if you were to uninstall X-Plane and move to a new machine, you will have the ability to sign in and then download products already owned, thanks to the fact X-Plane 12 and your in-store purchases will be tied to your Laminar Identity.
The X-Plane Store from Laminar Research is due to release later in 2024.
