Dovetail Announce first official FSW DLC coming!

[tutmeister 695]

1 hour ago, deetee said:

So what is the official policy now?

Same as it's always been. You sell through steam and your own site.

Chris

[torium 207]

3 hours ago, deetee said:

I notice my UK2000 airports now have an option to install directly into FSW so I guess selling on Steam is not (or no longer) a requirement?

"Listen to me very carefully. I shall say this only once!" :

Steam has some advantages, but Dovetail has many times stated, quote:

"We do not force 3rd party developers to sell anywhere, we do encourage them to sell on numerous store channels. 

There are a number of benefits for doing so: 

- It gives more visiblity to the products on offer
- Allows for the vetting of quality content
- Opportunity for a refund if a customer is unhappy
- Existing fans can still purchase via their preferred 3rd party developer
- Easier add-on management systems

That said, there are pros and cons in any business transaction and we're more than open to tailoring our approach to meet the need of any 3rd party developers."

 

[ca_metal 2,015]

On 06/09/2017 at 7:08 AM, Martyn JF said:

And I'm happy to answer any other questions about our Arrow III for FSW...

As for the lack of non-GA aircraft, when developing a new simulator and constantly adding new functionality, and when working with a third-party developer like us to create a useful/comprehensive SDK, it makes perfect sense to focus on a relatively straightforward aircraft such as the Arrow III rather than jumping in the deep-end with something like a study-sim 747. That shouldn't lead people to believe that this will remain a GA only environment though.

Thanks
Martyn - Just Flight

Hi Martyn, I noticed the lack of virtual cockpit shadows, are they supposed to come in the future?

[A32xx 129]

3 hours ago, deetee said:

So what is the official policy now?

I notice my UK2000 airports now have an option to install directly into FSW so I guess selling on Steam is not (or no longer) a requirement?

Hi Dave. Other sales channels are, and always have been, available to 3rd party developers for FSW just like they are for FSX Steam Edition, as long as the product is also available as DLC from Steam Store. I used the Steam Store to buy DLC for the first time last night, and I'll be using it again!

[Milviz 919]

I strongly recommend that you buy direct from the developer... why?  because then they get more of the cut.  Which seems only fair no?  

[torium 207]

22 minutes ago, Milviz said:

I strongly recommend that you buy direct from the developer... why?  because then they get more of the cut.  Which seems only fair no?  

My impression is that there are a large number of potential customers who do not know that Milviz exists. A product (DLC) sold on the same platform as FSW will probably increase sales? Not? Are there any statistics?

[switch686 50]

41 minutes ago, Milviz said:

I strongly recommend that you buy direct from the developer... why?  because then they get more of the cut.  Which seems only fair no?  

I only know who you are recently from visiting different sites. Just got back into flight sims. I think the average Steam simmer will not know and/or care. Nothing against you, it's just the way things are now, but if I do get this DLC, I will buy it from the Dev as I have done before. I think most people on here would do the same because they are "In the know" as they say"...

 

Steam is a convenience thing and it works well for the purpose it serves. No more hunting for tickets for dowloading purchases. It's a double edged sword for Devs I suppose...

 

[A32xx 129]

I bought the Arrow on Steam, and it's the first DLC purchase I've ever made.

The download was instant, and it was the install process combined. No separate zip or exe file. No serial number to copy and paste. I clicked on the Play button when the Download caption changed to Installed, FSW launched and there was my new plane in the Aircraft menu ready to go!

It was so quick and so simple I got the impression I'd been doing it wrong all these years - I'll definitely be doing it again.

[switch686 50]

10 minutes ago, A32xx said:

I bought the Arrow on Steam, and it's the first DLC purchase I've ever made.

The download was instant, and it was the install process combined. No separate zip or exe file. No serial number to copy and paste. I clicked on the Play button when the Download caption changed to Installed, FSW launched and there was my new plane in the Aircraft menu ready to go!

It was so quick and so simple I got the impression I'd been doing it wrong all these years - I'll definitely be doing it again.

That is the thing about Steam. No need for a Zip extactor. No need for a readme.txt. No need for searching for folders to extract to. If you don't like the DLC, refunds with less than 2 hours flying. It's the ease and simplification of the install. Like I said, it's a double edged sword for the Devs. The amount of people on Steam is huge. The people that go to the JustFlight page is very small in comparison. If, and that's a big if, FSW takes off, it will be driven by Steam and not by the individual Flight Sim Stores as in the past. It just seems to be the new thing. I'm older but have gotten over the change. The days of boxed software and downloading patches are over. All my disks are in the trash. I have no problem with it.

[Chock 17,769]

Personally, I preferred to buy the Just Flight PA-28R Arrow III for FSW through the JF store rather than via Steam on this occasion, as it allowed me to apply some of my JF Reward points to lower the purchase price by a couple of quid, and of course in purchasing it there, I got yet more reward points on my account (in this case gaining 140 points, which is worth £1.40 off the price of anything else I buy from them). I'm not averse to buying stuff through Steam though and in some cases I think it makes more sense, particularly with things which might otherwise be a faff to install manually. I'll probably end up using both methods when more stuff shows up for FSW, based on which add-on it is and what advantages each purchasing method offers to me.

With this DLC showing up for sale now, it is worth noting the idea of developers being forced to sell through Steam, - as some people kept insisting would be the case, and thus a barrier to TPDs wanting to get involved - is clearly nonsense. Personally, if I was a TP developer, I'd be all over contacting DTG like a cheap suit trying to get involved as soon as I could, as I suspect FSW going to be a massive seller when DTG start promoting it fully on Steam, which I reckon if DTG are as smart as I think they are, will be just in time for Christmas, and the first few DLCs for it are likely to hit massive sales levels too for that same reason.

We're not out of the woods yet though, Flight Sim World still has a way to go and personally, I think it does need some work doing on it to offer more performance tweaks, preferably with a few more options GUI sliders to tweak the graphics up or down in order to improve performance and change the looks to people's personal preferences. It could do with a bit of optimising generally performance-wise too, as it is undeniably a bit of a frame rate hog even on a pretty decent computer, although with it being Early Access, I'm expecting that tweaking will occur when the final content of the thing with regard to trueSKY is finalised.

[deetee 164]

10 hours ago, A32xx said:

...as long as the product is also available as DLC from Steam Store.

Hi Tim. Now that is the phrase that sits wrong in all this. Selling on the Steam store should be a choice, not an obligation. Same goes for pricing, it should be set by the developer. They should have the freedom to undercut their Steam price if they so wish. If you're company is selling a studysim jet on your web site at $150, why not set the Steam price at $180? There is surely nothing wrong with encouraging people to buy directly from the developer, given the cut Steam and DTG will be getting. 

[G-RFRY 1,705]

I have seen sales on just flight web site and aerosoft for FSX:SE products I often get emails from just flight about offers.

The fact that Steam has Given FSX a new lease of life in just over 2 1\2 years 900,000 copies have been sold since FSX:SE was launched by DTG. This does not include the box version.  

Ray Fry.

[in2tech 588]

58 minutes ago, deetee said:

Hi Tim. Now that is the phrase that sits wrong in all this. Selling on the Steam store should be a choice, not an obligation. Same goes for pricing, it should be set by the developer. They should have the freedom to undercut their Steam price if they so wish. If you're company is selling a studysim jet on your web site at $150, why not set the Steam price at $180? There is surely nothing wrong with encouraging people to buy directly from the developer, given the cut Steam and DTG will be getting. 

I am just wondering why people are concerned about this? No body is forcing a customer to buy, no one is forcing the developer to work with Flight Sim World and Dovetail, if the developer does not like the terms they won't sell their items for FSW. If they figure they can make a profit, DTG can make a profit, Steam can make a profit, and they choose to work with them, who cares? Things change in the world all the time. Steam didn't exist at one point. Someone or something could come in and replace Steam, and create a new model. If you don't want it or like it, don't buy it. You do know us discussing it is not going to change anything. It will change if DTG. the 3PD, and others decide they need to change it. It's the developers CHOICE to sell for FSW or not! They are told the terms!

Fly all your sim's and enjoy them :)

Like somebody said when Microsoft pulled the boxed retail versions, the sim was essentially dead. Steam brought it back to life kind of, and that interest showed a newer one could be developed. Does not mean you have to like it. But a lot of people do, and even members here that swore they would never ever buy FSW are because they want too.

One day you will just say the words Mickey D's and a hamburger will just show up in your hand, and people will complain because they want to drive to the freakin place :) Geez!

[ca_metal 2,015]

1 hour ago, deetee said:

Hi Tim. Now that is the phrase that sits wrong in all this. Selling on the Steam store should be a choice, not an obligation. Same goes for pricing, it should be set by the developer. They should have the freedom to undercut their Steam price if they so wish. If you're company is selling a studysim jet on your web site at $150, why not set the Steam price at $180? There is surely nothing wrong with encouraging people to buy directly from the developer, given the cut Steam and DTG will be getting. 

I´m pretty sure selling on Steam will be a choice as soon as they release a full functional SDK. For now they are probably sharing their SDK with their closer partners and those will probably embrace Steam. Other thing is we don´t know what developers can or cannot do on Steam, so what you are saying could be possible (setting higher prices on steam than on their own store).

I´m one embracing Steam as my main source for FSW add-ons. You say developers deserve the profits, DTG is the main developer on this project (FSW), so they deserve their cut. I really hope FSW will be successful and 3rd parties involved will make more money because of the larger (my hope) simmer base.

[switch686 50]

1 hour ago, rjfry said:

I have seen sales on just flight web site and aerosoft for FSX:SE products I often get emails from just flight about offers.

The consumer is generally a smart shopper. Consider my receipt from a recent non-Steam purchase. That is five quality planes for $20 for FSX:SE. Almost feel bad but it was there for the taking.

A smart shopper will shop around.

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