Is it worth $90?

[steve inwood 67]

I'm not going to get into any debates, but I just want to address this particular idea here because I've seen it elsewhere too - the idea that a product shouldn't ever cost more than the platform it runs on.

 

FSX was made by one of the world's largest software companies and it did north of 100 million dollars in total sales and is still going. Even if FSX had made no money at all Microsoft would have easily been able to take the loss out of the huge revenue they make with Windows and Office and Xbox and so on.

 

We are not Microsoft, we are a small team of guys here that essentially make one type of product and only have new products brought to market once every few years. We also are not going to sell a gazillion copies of anything and make 100 million dollars. Plenty of other software out there follows this kind of model because it exists in a small niche market. I paid more than $600 for a music notation application that runs on my cheap-by-comparison copy of Windows 7 for instance. There is a very small market for that type of program compared to Windows, so the price has to be higher so that the developers can still make a living selling far less copies than Windows does. It's not about how much something cost to make or how difficult it was or whatever. High-end addons like the 777 are a tiny tiny slice of the overall market that bought FSX.

 

This concept is known as "economies of scale" by the way if you'd like to read more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale

Well said

[jason74 139]

every time PMDG release a new plane there is always someone that complains about the price!!!!!!!!!!!!   If you don't want to spend $89.99  then don't but you are missing out. You can always wait for a CS 777 sale it will be cheep but you get what you pay

[Alaaar 34]

I would pay 190$  but don't tell PMDG

[Don t moderate me this way 882]

Addon airplanes in the price range of 25 USD I usually hangar quickly.

 

Those 40 bucks airplanes last longer, but the immersion and flightdeck experience is less (most of the time anyway) than what I get from a high-quality/highly detailled addon.

 

The T7 price is the equivalent of 2-3 mid-range airplanes and I'm quite happy with that ratio:

 

- VNAV working in v1.00 ( ),

- little default/FSX SDK stuff,

- highly tuned performance and flight dynamics,

- nearly bug-free RTM (no show-stopping ones, for sure),

- no user fixes needed for TODs,

- separate ILS receiver,

- highly configurable,

- very good fps/visual details ratio,

- failures/misoperating consequences modelled

- reconfiguring/changing airline options possible on the fly,

- operations centre (update check, installing liveries!!!)

- "cheats" like automatic step climbs, time acceleration

- complete and automatic panel state/FMC data saving

- ...

 

The list is (nearly) endless.   B)

[HerzogKraut 3]

Hell yes!

[FLEX1978 373]

I thing people need to check out the price of an FMGS trainer, they would probably keep quiet after.

[vhqpa88 14]

Honestly it's the best AUD103.10 I've ever spent.

 

Considering the hours of entertainment I'll get out of it it's better value than a certain 777 simulation I bought for 10 Euro which never made it past 5,000' before I uninstalled it twice!

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Fabo 213]

 

 

Who said you have to fly 15 hour flights?

 

This. I made a 14 minute one yesterday and the plane was just fine with it

 

 

 

This concept is known as "economies of scale" by the way if you'd like to read more:
http://en.wikipedia....nomies_of_scale

 

It makes sense, too. Unlike many products that are more "tangible" and easy for an average person to imagine costwise, for example the cars mentioned here, software is largely FC oriented. 

 

An average Joe will imagine cost of a car being the materials to make it, the cost of workers who make it, taking it from the factory to where he buys it and so. These are most what Variable Costs are. Costs that are paid per unit produced, of course economies of scale translate into this as well, if you make more products, you can buy raw material in bulk, optimize workflow better etc. Still, you pay a sum for every unit made.

 

 

On the other hand, software is usually way more fixed cost driven. That is, costs that are fixed no matter how many units are sold. With a car - you would imagine a part of the price goes to design the car... a small part. The part is small, because common cars are made by tens, hundreds of thousands. 

 

In software, there are some things that are essentially VC. Bandwith costs with download products, for example. Credit card payment systems take a couple percent. In PMDG case, I guess Boeing licenses some stuff on a per-unit basis.

However the development itself is a fixed cost. Developing 777 would cost the same whether 10 people bought it or 10.000. You need to take that into account in comparison with FSX. FSX cost more to make, but it sold millions of copies. 777 will sell a couple thousand. You need to distribute the cost.

 

If you came to PMDG and told them you can get them half a million guaranteed customers if they lowered the price to 15 bucks... they probably would. But there are not half a million simmers out there who would want a PMDG plane.

[Dan F 6]

Bought it.

 

Won't get as much use as my MD-11F unless I really misjudged the cockpit layout and switchology (I can be wrong of course) but that's Boeings fault not PMDG's. But then again I might fall in love one late night hauling freight for "the man" over the Pacific or Canada. I laid out the cash and would happily have paid double to keep PMDG in business and innovating in this market (think about this sentence before you complain about the cost of near perfection). Nothing in aviation (simulation or otherwise) is cheap and this is the closest my hands and posterior will ever get to the big iron so $90 is a steal. Thanks PMDG for being PMDG and please continue to crank these aircraft out at this level of quality.

 

A loyal Patron,

 

Dan F

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[enid_b 7]

It is a bargain. I really echo what the above post says. The amount of work that has gone into this product is staggering. It's not an aircraft I will use everyday, but I will certainly look forward to the days when I have the time to use it.

 

I have a hangar full of addons, and it is always the PMDG ones that live nearest the door.

 

Good work PMDG, you have another satisfied return customer, who is over the moon with another of your products. Thank you very much.

[Fallap 4]

It's worth twice that amount.

[smokeyupahead 6]

Of course it is...that's if you'll fly it and your interested in the depth of the simulation...

 

 

David

[dcgator29 37]

777 will sell a couple thousand.

People severely underestimate how many units PMDG sells. 115k registered users on avsim. Sure some aren't active. But decide how many of those purchased the 737ngx or 777. Now probably triple that number. The NGX now is probably well over 10k. The 777 may top that.

[michelair 14]

Yes, supporting PMDG at $90 is a great investment, yes the T7 cost is higher than the NGX, However, one might want to look at the cost of this aircraft as to keep everyone at PMDG doing what they do best.... Creating top notch aircraft that set the standards for the rest of the aircraft developers... It's a win win for all of us, PMDG and a few other developers have been pushing the limits of FSX and that provides us all with hours of entertainment. not to mention we are learning alot about Boeing Aircraft and airline aviation.

 

For me there is nothing better than seeing my young nephew moviated to learn how to fly in real life based on his experiences flying PMDG aircraft in FSX. I agree with others, in the long run the T7 is worth more than $90 however, like I have said before PMDG has been spot on in pricing their products.. So thank you PMDG for keeping the T7 under the $100 mark.....

[thomazz123 11]

Well there are cheaper t777's out there if you think the price is too steep for you. I think wilcos t7 goes for 20 some odd dollars and by comparison... oh wait there is no comparison. This plane is completely under priced. Im sure this ranks up there with the professional simulators.