P3D is not going to be the future, unless they dramatically increase their user base, and that is going to take a single-user retail release (in my opinion).Most simmers are not going to pay $500 for a commercial release, or pay a $10/month user fee.Licensing agreements can be renegotiated.

That's why the price will most likely never go down to an affordable level.I happen to cater my unique entertainment service to a niche market. My price is not going to go down, it's going to go up. Why? I have less clients and I don't want the customer who might be more focused on the "price" than the value or benefits they'll receive. P3D is the future for "SERIOUS" flight simmers. I can almost guarantee it.

That's why the price will most likely never go down to an affordable level.I happen to cater my unique entertainment service to a niche market. My price is not going to go down, it's going to go up. Why? I have less clients and I don't want the customer who might be more focused on the "price" than the value or benefits they'll receive. P3D is the future for "SERIOUS" flight simmers. I can almost guarantee it.

Exactly, especially when your customer already has $500 wrapped up in add-ons over the years... I am much more willing to buy something that is backwards compatible with the money I already spent, and know what I am going to get... Than to spend $ on a stock flight sim and then spend the same amount to get it to the quality of what I used to have...

+ products for FSX/P3D this year alone, including about 5-6 new regions including some in Europe. We're doubling our regions team and investing in FSX/P3D R&D as quickly as we can. We see no reason why anyone would walk away from 5 years of FSX addons investment to a new simulator. The future from our perspective is very bright.

Two questions:What is Prepar3D - it looks a bit like FSX?! And it's very expensive - why is it so expensive?Have you thought about making a sim using for example outerra-engine? It might save quite some millions.

Bingo! I agree 100%.

Nothing prevented MS from releasing addons, they just chose not to and lost out big time!

Two questions:What is Prepar3D - it looks a bit like FSX?! And it's very expensive - why is it so expensive?Have you thought about making a sim using for example outerra-engine? It might save quite some millions.

If you read this thread from start to finnish it's all been answered!

Sell 5000 units for $250.00 = $1,250,000 or sell 25,000 units for $99.50 = $2,487,500. The guys I fly with on line will not pay hundreds for FSX upgraded when they have something that already works. Myself, I am a follower thus uses what the majority uses so I can fly online. A $500.00 FSX fixed is no good to me if not usable on line. A lot use FS-9 due to equipment constraints. Hopefully Lockheed will do the good and proper thing and make it affordable for everyone. Thus we can fly online, Orbx up the product and have consistency flying on line. That being said if one can fly online with prepar3d with FSX then the $250.00 will be well worth it. Orbx is taking the lead in quality and future development thankfully. Orbx World will be the future of flight simming.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by drumsonly2002

Well, two hopes dashed within a few months. I really expected XP10 to be more of a major upgrade than what it turned out to be. I have it installed but it still pales in comparison with FSX. The AI is a joke, ATC isn't that good, and I hate the bare airports. It does appear to have promise but it's only a beta at this point. Everytime I fly it, I appreciate the effort, but miss other aspects that are part of FSX.I also had high initial hopes for Flight but now those are gone. I have to wonder about the decision of MS. I'm thinking that Flight will not be exciting enough for the traditional gamer and too much of a game for the hard-core flight sim fan. So, who is their target market?But, it's OK. FSX is running well and I like all the addons that I have for it. But, I'm going to seriously look at P3D even though they tell us that it's not for folks like us. I'm hoping that they realize that there is a good market for them among serious simmers. I've heard that a large number of their users are not the professionals that they target but home users. So, we'll have to see what the future brings.

Two questions:What is Prepar3D - it looks a bit like FSX?! And it's very expensive - why is it so expensive?Have you thought about making a sim using for example outerra-engine? It might save quite some millions.

#1 You must have missed the part where John V addressed outerra; he covered that.#2 Prepar3D looks like FSX because in a way it is FSX at least the source code which was sold to LM. LM is improving on it and and developing it for it's own commercial applications but consumers are invited to use it too. There is a separate forum here on Avsim for it where you can get more information.

To quote someone famous, it's "a big bag of hurt".We're not interested in X-P. It has too many warts for us to justify the time and effort, and far too small a user base. We can make FSX/P3D look and perform better than X-P even with current engine limitations, soon to be solved.As for MS 'tightening the screws' on an already-executed agreement with LM, there is nothing to prevent LM from marketing their version to the developer / academic / aerospace community. John Nichol (LM's P3D program manager) has already commented on this a number of times, even here at AVSIM.

X-Plane 9 is on the shelf at Fry's Electronics. They have 34 stores in the USA. Its just a matter of time before they start carrying X-Plane 10. I think it would be alot more lucrative for to develop for XPX then Prepar3d. Prepar3d cannot be advertised to the casual gamer. Nor will you see it on store shelves.Yes there some warts but it has a better lighting, clouds, buildings, ai cars, etc... And the flight dynamics feel better especially when flaring on landing. FSX is old and it feels old!

Look on the bright side, guys. If Prepar3d is the way forward for serious flight simulation, then surely there must be a chance of seeing a top quality Lockheed TriStar at some point in the future? :(

Jeesh...I've been using XPX everyday since release and love it. Whu do you say it has "warts"?..you're obviously a talented individual, so you saying that concerns me. XPX, to me anyway, is light years beyond the FSX engine.

+ 1

+ 1

Do we seriously have to go over the problems with XP10 for many FSX users again instead of pretending they don't exist? It's been done to death.Go play XP10.

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by bonchie

I think Microsoft finally figured out where the money in this hobby lies. It's not in the base simulator, so much. It's in the DLC. My guess is they want such a large cut of the pie for addons, that they developers said ,"No thanks". It's like computer printers, HP can sell printers relatively cheap because the money is in selling the ink.

Right, but I was hoping that John, who is the primary author of this thread, or any spokesperson of major editors admit it or give us their opinion why actual third parties get locked out. It's propably all about money but there may be other reasons...

Edited January 5, 201214 yr by SamSam

I think Microsoft finally figured out where the money in this hobby lies. It's not in the base simulator, so much. It's in the DLC. My guess is they want such a large cut of the pie for addons, that they developers said ,"No thanks". It's like computer printers, HP can sell printers relatively cheap because the money is in selling the ink.

The idea that addons make more than the base simulator is hilarious honestly - we WISH that were true.

Ryan, The point that most people are missing is that Flight is not for this market. Most people who buy FSX or FS9 or any of the previous versions use it occasionally and never buy an addon plane or scenery. BUT, those of us that do, spend quite a bit collectively through all of the developers that are available. Microsoft won't have to create PMDG quality aircraft or ORBX quality scenery. All they have to do is throw some mediocre stuff up on Microsoft Marketplace and those folks will ###### it up because it will self install without having to do a thing. For the casual simmer, that will be enough. Why share the wealth when you can keep it all in house?

Do we seriously have to go over the problems with XP10 for many FSX users again instead of pretending they don't exist? It's been done to death.Go play XP10.

Are you kidding? Before you say such predictable hype as MS vs. LR nonsense, read what we said again. We're not speaking merely preferences, such as silly Dodge vs. Ford people, we're talking about how Orbx thinks XP10 is full of warts. I'd like to know why a talented and knowledgeable person says that about XP10. Of course, there are talented and knowledgeable people who think Ford is full of warts too I guess....I hope you look forward to playing FLIGHT..