I am in!

Very good idea. I will take a look at a few products,I would even go further and suggest making the purchase through the AVSIM store if at all possibleBill

This is a great idea and I support this grass roots movement. HOWEVER, is it the 3PD's inability to recognize a grass roots movement to help them, or is it lack of interest - because I don't see any interaction by any of the 3PDs in this thread or talk of expanding this movement on their own websites. If I were a 3PD I'd realize the following: WHEN Flight is released on Feb 29th it will enter the market as a competitor to FSX and to the 3PD market. Let's surmise that 500,000 people download the free demo on day one (which probably isn't that bad for a niche product when you consider that a highly anticipated mainstream release like SWTOR has 1.2 million subscribers and WOW has 1.6 million subscribers). Let's also surmise that of those who download the program on day one only 5% (25,000) believe that Flight is fantastic enough to purchase the available DLC and spend $40 to purchase Hawaii, the Maule and the Mustang (which is actually a better bargain than is typically available for FSX products BTW) that would amount to a very conservative total of ONE MILLION DOLLARS in potential revenue diverted from the FSX market to the Microsoft Flight store. Remember that $1 million in profits is nothing to Microsoft, it doesn't even amount to the budget for toilet paper in the Redmond Campus. However that revenue is a sizable hit to the fragile FSX 3PD market!This should be especially troubling to 3PDs because the target market for Flight is the XBOX crowd which is squarely in the demographic that are far younger and have far less financial resources. The vast majority of the Flight target market cannot afford to spend $40 on Flight and then another $40 on ORBX PNW. Its going to be one or the other. I predict that even if FLIGHT is only marginally successful it will divert a sizable sum of money to the new 800 lb competitor in the marketplace, Microsoft. I further predict that if FLIGHT is very successful that MGS will build FSXI but with no 3PD support and keep all that money for in-house. FSX will be left to the current 3PD community and eventually die.I mention this because I see pages full of loyal FSX users who are pledging to support the FSX 3PD market on Feb 29th. What I DONT see are pages full of loyal Third Party Developers who are pledging to support the FSX market on Feb 29th! How many times over the years have 3PDs complained about how small the FS market is and how little margin they make on their products. If FLIGHT is a success then the market is going to get a hell of a lot smaller especially if Microsoft realizes that they have the capability to easily build FLIGHT into a future FSXI and corner the market simply by doing all the add-on work themselves and keep the profits to themselves (and if you don't think that Microsoft has the capability to do this then you are kidding yourself - if I were the PM at MGS in charge of Flight that's exactly what I would do).It should not be forgotten that the FSX - FS9 split almost collapsed the 3PD market and did put more than a few developers out of business. Time will tell what the further fragmentation of the market with the addition of Flight will do to the market. Microsoft is waking up to the potential of 3PD addon revenue and they can hire the talent to do anything that the current developers do now, if not more. I also realized that the timelines to populate FLIGHT could be no worse than the current timelines by 3PD in FSX. 10 years for a LDS 757, more than 5 years for the PMDG 737NG, more than 7 years for Radar Contact 5.0.So yes, blah, blah, blah, dire predictions, but I simply don't see the 3PD moving to proactively protect their market. Maybe its ego, lack of business savvy, or maybe its just nativity. But if I were a 3PD making FSX products I'd be doing everything I can to make sure that on Feb 29th my customers are spending their money in my online store and not in Microsoft's. The fact that this thread was started and populated by end users and not developers says a lot. Are 3PDs depending on the good graces of the FSX community to keep the FSX market afloat? I'd certainly like to hear from the developers and their take on this movement.(Disclaimer: Please DO NOT read into this post anything that was not explicitly stated. This post is not meant as a "bash", "whine" or "troll" for, or against, Microsoft Flight)

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by Mike T

I will download and try. I doubt i would sink any money into it unless it is that great

This is a great idea and I support this grass roots movement. HOWEVER, is it the 3PD's inability to recognize a grass roots movement to help them, or is it lack of interest - because I don't see any interaction by any of the 3PDs in this thread or talk of expanding this movement on their own websites

++

Any 3PD's jumping on the bandwagon and offering discounts in the effort to support FSX/FS2004?

Yep, where are the 3PDs. The idea is great, but I sure wouldn't mind some interest from the 3PDs. Do you want our business or not?

I'll buy something - but because I definitely liked MikeT's post, which btw. I find a horrible reality - I'll wait until 29th to see if 3PDs are going to move. I have couple of products, but I expect to see something new - some developer that is going to give me the reason to buy HIS product.

I'll buy something - but because I definitely liked MikeT's post, which btw. I find a horrible reality - I'll wait until 29th to see if 3PDs are going to move. I have couple of products, but I expect to see something new - some developer that is going to give me the reason to buy HIS product.

Although FSX is not my only passion, I do spend a few hours a week and do enjoy it. There is one thing that the 3PD'S can count on if you love FSX. You will buy more product. It has been said that many are addicted to this sim and are always looking for new stuff (me included). I buy a plane, fly it for awhile and then another news flash. "Soon to be released". Email threads are started. Speculation is high. Comments like "Please release it sooner" or "I can't wait for this bird" and so on and so on. Trust me, they are not worried because they know you will buy and continue to buy as long as the need is met.Be honest here and post whats in your plane, scenery and utility hanger. I think once you check the purchase emails you might suprise yourself as to how much you have purchased.Bob

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by N1G

Bob, I don't know what are you gaining at, but I spent a lot. A lot. Been buying addons since FS9, and now FSX. I bought definitely more than I'm using.

Bob, I don't know what are you gaining at, but I spent a lot. A lot. Been buying addons since FS9, and now FSX. I bought definitely more than I'm using.

Maybe I misunderstood, but it seems like the 3PD'S are being threatened somewhat in this thread. Like "they need to step up to the plate" sort of argument. Maybe I misinterpreted.Bob

I think you did. I only ment that they should show interest in us spending money on them - the same as MikeT basically ment. Not that I'm not going to do anyway, maybe not even on 29th, but even before... but in the end, that really doesn't matter, as I'm not bound by 29th. Don't read between the lines :)

Mike, We've listened, and are going to take action! Cheers, and be on the lookout ;)

I think you did. I only ment that they should show interest in us spending money on them - the same as MikeT basically ment. Not that I'm not going to do anyway, maybe not even on 29th, but even before... but in the end, that really doesn't matter, as I'm not bound by 29th. Don't read between the lines :)

Yep, I read between the lines LOL. Sorry about that folks! So why then are they not paying attention? There is a reason Word Not Allowed. If I were a 3PD and was reading this thread I would read between the lines and probably determine that what the audience is looking for is possibly a discount. I need to make some calculations and assume there will be some risk involved and that risk is what I might not be wanting to take. What exactly is the risk? Well I guess we would have to ask the business minds behind the business. We could ask John at ORBX as to what he might be thinking. John has a very popular product. Does he need to discount? Probably not, because folks are going to buy anyway I would think.Bob

Mike,We've listened, and are going to take action!Cheers, and be on the lookout ;)

You guys are class acts Tim!!

Mike,We've listened, and are going to take action!Cheers, and be on the lookout ;)

Very cool from a very classy product!