Releasing a product prematurely is not a problem in itself, if accompanied by a full disclosure by the developer that it is a pre-release version with stated bugs. It is then up to the buyer to make an educated guess whether it's going to be a good or bad risk.

 

There are known developers and there are unknown developers. That in itself is a good basis for an 'educated guess' on a pre-release version of anything.

 

I think this trend started way before 2016/7. Captain Sim and Carenado have been trailblazers with this trend for years.....

Very interesting OP. 

Dave, arent you working with AS? If so, I find your post very "sarcastic" as AS are the ones that keep constatly releasing unfinished/ incompatible products. Maybe you can put in a word?  

 

Regards,

Those who watch the flight sim world carefully will have noticed a growing trend in our world where products are concerned, namely the dispensing with any level of testing of products before they are released.

I still think that it's a slippery slope. Even the most and best intentioned projects at times go bad( and developers, too). I think that all pre-release products should come with a "demo" option or a refund. I am thinking of one particular developers who pre released the product and now has users taking sides: some think it's great, while some think it's not so great.

Those users who are in the minority may find themselves out in the cold.

I like the way xp11 is being handled. I downloaded the demo and am following their progress. Those users who purchased the pre-release are happy to have done so because they had a choice.

I see no reason why we end users cannot ask for  both.

tony