Sorry Jim, I am sorry if I came across that way. Getting discount is getting something for free, maybe not 100%.

 

Oh for crying out loud. Getting a discount is paying a lower cost. Free means no cost. At all. Something is either free or it isn't.

 

Paul Synnott

I'm not normally one to contribute to such posts as frankly I don't really see company pricing as any of my business.  I thought I would add an opinion that might change some minds or prompt thoughts.  I don't really have an issue with the fact that PMDG charge for their P3D and FSX products separately, speculation suggests that they are very similar and this may well be the case, but pricing of products isn't just about the development and manufacture, they are also as much about risk and exposure too.

 

I recall a company that made cabling (not going to mention names or specifics but this probably has some relevance) for various applications.  As a consumer you could buy a cable product (a simple highly re-enforced cable of about 2m with mil-spec connectors) for a very small cost if you wanted, say £30, but that exact same cable (absolutely no changes) was used on a system where it became a safety critical component.  The price of that item in that circumstance didn't double, triple, even quadruple, that price was literally 100's of times more expensive.  The reason was simple, risk and liability and the steps that needed to be taken to ensure it was 'fit for purpose', a statement that could be proven in the event of failure.  If we were to adopt some of the the logic expressed in this forum on this topic here, the manufacturers of systems that utilised that cable component would complain visciously and feel they were being taken advantage of, but they didn't.  They didn't because they knew the manufacturer had essentially accepted a specification laid down onto them and the risk, liability and exposure that went with it, this in itself had tangible monetary value.

 

I'm not suggesting that PMDG software is in some way 'safety critical' or making a direct comparison.  I am merely demonstrating that just a change of use without any product modification at all can legitimately have dramatic affects on the price.  If the purpose of P3D is different to that of an entertainment platform (FSX) then there are different exposures, liabilities and risks that also need to be considered in the pricing.  P3D is intended for training use, and consequently (although not necessarily massively different in it's 'mechanics) is a different 'environment' altogether for developers.

 

I hope this view doesn't make me unpopular amongst some posters here, it is simply my opinion, nothing more.

 

Regards

 

Craig Read

 

The pricing policy convinced me to mothball my PMDG fleet when I switched to P3D. I am quite happy with that decision.

 

Peter

 

 

As I have never been able to find a P3D license that "suits my situation", I am happy to note that the reasonably priced FSX versions of the PMDG planes work just fine in FSX. :wink:

 

I'm a very satisfied customer consumer indeed.

Aggh. I wish they would stop deleting my posts. Yes I know it's my fault for forgetting to put my name on, but it's on the first post of this thread and my username....

 

Anyway.

 

Thanks for all of your comments, those that disagree and not. Especially thanks to the PMDG crew that posted.

 

I shall now consider my options (buy both, buy one or buy none) and likely get bored over Christina and dive in.

 

I do appreciate the time for those who have commented, and appreciate the thread not having been locked (although as a repeat customer who's remained polite I'm. It sure why it would have been).

 

Regards

 

 

David Powell

 

Edit to add that I've no idea how I've logged in on a different account. Confused, not much!

Gents,

 

I am going to close this topic, as we do not entertain discussion of our pricing policy in the PMDG forum, in accordance with the guidelines we have established here since 1999.

 

I appreciate that most of you tried to keep the conversation reasonable.

 

David Powell:  We require that all posts be signed- so even if you quote yourself and fail to sign the quote, we will remove it.  It is easiest to just add a signature to your various (?!) accounts and be done with it!