The Rising Cost of Flight Simming

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I don't know, everything looks slightly cheaper to me, but I'm in the USA so what do I know lol. Feel bad for anyone in AU. Last I checked the nice Carenado Stationair was a full $15 more expensive for them to buy. Ouch!!

 

But you also have to factor in what people get paid.

 

Minimum wage in Australia is $16.87/hr

Minimum wage in Canada is around $10.50/hr (depends on Province)

Minimum wage in New Zealand is $14.25/hr

Minimum wage in USA ranges from $5:15 to 9.00/hr (depends on State)

 

Therefore a lower dollar equates to higher salaries.

 

Another way of looking at it someone working at McDonald's in New Zealand makes up to $29,640 per year. A regional airline pilot starting out in the USA makes anywhere from $18,000 to $24,000 per year, even after exchange rates you make more money at McDonald's in New Zealand then you do flying regional airplanes in the USA.

 

New Zealand pays their regional pilots a much higher salary so something in the USA needs to change

[gizmosellsbunnys 106]

Cost of living and taxes factor in price the USA does not have VAT tax yet, but cost of living and wages are lower in Mississippi than Minnesota. The price of items are actually cheaper it cost $50.00 back in 1987 for legend of Zelda and $30.00 for Mario brothers. FSX add-ons cost peanuts compared to collecting baseball cards or flying a real plan. The thing is really gone up is food and drugs in last 5 years.

[Imanual 0]

The problem is piracy and believe me the cost to protect these products, when implemented, is passed to the customer. Many developers choose not to care, set the price, and may include a corollary in the README about piracy. Others will actively defend their products. Then there is what I consider the hope for large revenues through Prepared which is really where these developers want to be and no longer catering to the customers that contributed to their success. Those developers that view Prepared as just FSX11 and nothing more than business as usual price their products reasonably or simply grant access to P3D via an installer with options for FSX or Prepared.

 

Thus it us up to us to speak what we want and what we believe caters to us as I view a developer as serving my needs and wants; I don't and won't serve theirs so choose to do what you will as a paying customer. I have purchased much payware and, quite frankly, far too much but I consider myself a junky. As a licensed pilot, I subsidize with Flight Simulation and that includes aircraft for which I don't have a type rating. This has caused me to own all FSX PMDG except the J41 and all commercial CaptainSim in addition to corporate and general aviation - A2A, EagleSoft, etc. I inasmuch vote with my wallet as with my passion for this hobby. As a paying customer, I can decide what a developer offers meets my expectation and price points and pay or not. We all have this power so make your voice known.

 

Imanual

[~Craig~ 10]

Personally, as hobbies go, I still think FS is a bargain.  For the amount of enjoyment we get from add-ons, and for the years that we tend to enjoy a good product, even paying $70 / £45 / 55 Euros is a bargain IMHO.

 

It's a small, niche market, and the skill base to make a complex airliner is hugely rare and...well... skilled!    People who make these products deserve to be rewarded at more than minimum wage levels.

 

The single only exception I'd make to this is Carenado / Alabeo.  I personally think, given the "factory line" approach they take in blasting new (untested and bug-ridden) products out of the door, I think they've crossed the line lately where "fair" pricing goes.

 

The Carenado Citation II, whilst being strikingly nicely textured, is still 85% a default aircraft in terms of functionality.  They've improved a little (for example in now offering a custom coded 'IAS' (FLCH) mode on their appropriate aircraft autopilots), but still, the Citation II is certainly not worth $55 (with Navigraph extension), and the Alabeo DA-42 likewise has 'crossed the line' at $33.

 

For almost every other addon available, I personally think the prices are fair and right, considering the small market, skillsets, and development lead times.

[HiFlyer 9,358]

And I still have strong doubts those types of prices will "fly" in steam-land.