>ASV has been mentioned on the HiFisim website for quite some>time. It is up to the customer to do their own research - just>as it is with any other product. In reality Flightsim>developers do a lot more for their customers than most>developers.Yes, perhaps I should have done more research. And find some statements like this. Because in that case, I would have never bekome a ASV client. YES that's the point I'm missing here. Were are clients, paying for software.And if you think I'm stupid ... once again ... have a look at simmarket.com. Not a single hint for a new version of ActiveSky.If I would treat my client's like that, I would not earn a penny.Thomas

I think it's important to always check out the developers website when shopping at Simmarket - though I will agree that Simmarket doesn't always have the most up to date information - and often not the most up to date version of a product for download either (though I think that is the developer who does that some time - had that with several Lago products which were missing patches at Simmarket). Overall I don't mind Simmarket at all - but I always do visit the developers website too now before buying there, just to make sure I have the latest information.

>ASV has been mentioned on the HiFisim website for quite some>time. It is up to the customer to do their own research - just>as it is with any other product. In reality Flightsim>developers do Perhaps.....What you say does not take into accout someone who is ignorant of AS, is a first time purchaser and has not been checking the site for months.Why should a customer have to do research to determine if he will be taken advatage of? Great developers with great great support? Ok I wiil give them that.However, they have much to lean about fair marketing ptactices and such as others have pointd out.

I too am disappointed in the ASV marketing dept.My suggestion to the ASV team is that in the future, if a new version is released, than the price of the current version should be lowered in increments according to the release date of the new release.Charging the same amount for AS2004.5 on the last day before a new version is out as it was when released is very poor marketing. Someone in a post above mentioned how he (sarcastically) thinks he should get a discounted upgrade price for each version of FS when it comes out. Well... even Microsoft lowers the MSR price of the sim substantially the older it gets, and the closer they get to releasing the newest version.:speculation: On another note, 3 weeks ago, If I were totally green (newbie) to the flightsim community and heard all the hype about how AS was the best weather generator for the buck, I would have went and bought it. I probably wouldn

Actually Jim did mention that a couple of posts back. They did try the incremental ugprade pricing with an older version, but it turned out to be a nightmare logistically.Jim and Damian (I believe) are researching new ways to do this.For the record, I don't work for Hifisim and I will be buying AS V (for the upgrade price) and I fully support the price (because I love the product).However, for both sides, let's take a look at the following (rather long, but...):Anti-upgrade pricing: I'm not saying this is true for all of you that are complaining about the upgrade price, but I think that some people that are complaining about the new price are doing so because they are on a limited budget as far as FS Add-ons are concerned. As someone else has mentioned, they spent the money on AS2004.5 a few months ago because they can't wait to use it because of the rave reviews.Pro-upgrade pricing: This is a brand new product. It's not just enhancements. I'm willing to bet they re-wrote almost everything. Look at other non-FS developers. Roxio released Easy Media Creator version 7.0 for $80.00. A few months later, they released version 7.5. They're not going to let the people that bought it a couple of months ago have it for free. They charged $29.99 for the download version and (I believe) $39.99 for the box version.On top of this, The HiFiSim team will probably give you new enhancements (like they did with 2004.5) for free.It's definitely worth $28.00 for me.---I believe Damian (or Jim) mentioned ithe FS Forum (please correct me on this, Jim or Damian) that if you have a problem with this and you bought 2004.5 within the last month, to e-mail them and they'll see what they can do.

you read his post wrong then. read it again.... The disaster he was talking about was not trying the pricing method I suggested. What they tried was to lower the price of the NEW product depending on how long the costomer had ownened the previos version.

The sensible thing to do would be to offer Active Sky without FE to those who have Flight Environment. As it stands now, I have to buy a product I don't need (because I already have a comparable one) in order to get the enhanced features of the original weather program. I don't think that's fair.Ricardo

Ricardo,You have that option right now. It's called AS2004.5. You suggestion is ridiculous and without merit. If you don't want to pay for ASV or think you are paying for something you already have (which you are not), then don't buy it.

Hi All,Pretty soon I am going to re-push for my suggestion: One fair price for everyone. That would mean one price no matter how long you owned previous versions and also would mean one downloaded version and not two!Some of you have valid ideas and we thanks you for those!Can I lock this thread anytime soon?Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

I appreciate your offer of discount pricing for previous customers of your previous products Jim. I think the problem is people are thinking of it as an upgrade. Instead it should be viewed as a discount on a new product for previous customers. Seeing the headaches you got with this I couldn't blame you for just selling the next one at one price.

Thanks David,You are correct and everytime we release a new product Damian reminds me of the same thing! This time I didn't push for it because I knew he would "over-ride" my vote!!Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

>The sensible thing to do would be to offer Active Sky without>FE to those who have Flight Environment. As it stands now, I>have to buy a product I don't need (because I already have a>comparable one) in order to get the enhanced features of the>original weather program. I don't think that's fair.>>RicardoActually, ASV with "active enviroment" does much more the duplicate FE. AE is a whole cloud/weather management sys that does what FE simply can't. In addition, AE is a much advanced and easy to use weather theme creator and manager. You can run AE and utilize FE for sky textures if you whish. The arealso diferent areas of "cooperation" between the programs.Also there are still the FE water textures that are needed.There is also talk about being able to import FE textures to ASV via a future upgrade.You have to experience AE to fully aprieciate it.I now have ASV and FE and they realy can complement each other.

Yes Jim - please lock it.Everytime a developer of any flightsim product that I have EVER seen releases a new version OR an upgrade - there will ALWAYS be someone who ####. There will always be someone who "just" bought it.Do the best you can - you will NOT please everyone. I hjave a motto that you might want to consider:" Never explain - your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it anyway"Nice job - stay cool.VicI'll have to update my sig now Visit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

>>Yes Jim - please lock it.>>Everytime a developer of any flightsim product that I have>EVER seen releases a new version OR an upgrade - there will>ALWAYS be someone who ####. There will always be someone who>"just" bought it.>>Do the best you can - you will NOT please everyone. I hjave a>motto that you might want to consider:>>" Never explain - your friends don't need it and your enemies>won't believe it anyway">>Nice job - stay cool.>>Vic>>>I'll have to update my sig now >>Visit the Virtual Pilot's Center>www.flightadventures.com>>http://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpgAs someone already pointed out:"....... Btw, even today simmarket.com offers Active Sky 4.5. There is not a single info that there exists a better, newer or whatever version!!! And simmarket.com is linked by your website........"Keep in mimd that you can get to simmarket. by various routes!Yes by all means lock this thread as it seems to have hit a nerve of sorts.If a little more effort was spent on making shure others don't get taken advatage of instead of just trying to silence those who already have, perhaps that would be a step in the right direction!

Strange thing about your post actually... M$ has offered upgrade pricing in the past. Not to mention the mail in rebates.