I'd really like to know how it is selling. Any clues?

I cared about MSFS so much that I am also concerned with its future. Is the revenue big enough to maintain the cloud server?

I did not have so much concern back in the FSX days. I know even if it is discontinued, we can still play it and even improves on it, as it turns out to be the case.

But not for MSFS. I know there is an offline version, but it makes much less sense. 

Current sales will have no effect on whether the servers are still supported in the future.

That decision will be based entirely on the ongoing sales/subs at that future time and whether it still fits the corporate image and branding MS are wanting to present.

I'd rather see a close match with a live metar.

I thought I saw somewhere they said a million copies had been sold.  $60-$120m in gross revenue depending on the mix of versions sold.

However what really matters is the continuing sales on the Marketplace to provide a constant revenue stream.  Recently Asobo broke the C182T and the Mooney with one of their "updates", and the Mooney still isn't fixed.  I also noticed there have been no new Marketplace items the last couple of weeks. 

They need to get this stuff figured out, or the future won't be assured.  

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by marsman2020

8 minutes ago, marsman2020 said:

I also noticed there have been no new Marketplace items the last couple of weeks. 

Pretty sure I have seen new scenery, cannot say for sure though.

6 hours ago, yanfeng12342000 said:

I'd really like to know how it is selling. Any clues?

I cared about MSFS so much that I am also concerned with its future. Is the revenue big enough to maintain the cloud server?

I did not have so much concern back in the FSX days. I know even if it is discontinued, we can still play it and even improves on it, as it turns out to be the case.

But not for MSFS. I know there is an offline version, but it makes much less sense. 

Really, I dont think us gamers/simmers need to be concerned about MSFS sales numbers. Actually, nothing to do with us at all. 

Maybe if you are a majority shareholder in Microsoft, but even then, it's only one of their many games in their XBox store.

Dont worry about it, It will not make any difference to ... erm... anything. So, keep on playing!

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by Wobbie

7 hours ago, marsman2020 said:

 I also noticed there have been no new Marketplace items the last couple of weeks.

Ten items have been added to the Marketplace in the last couple of weeks, or at least should have been added.

Has it been three months already?! Crikey that's flown by... literally!

8 hours ago, marsman2020 said:

However what really matters is the continuing sales on the Marketplace to provide a constant revenue stream.

I doubt this, i never spend 1cent in the marketplace and dont plan in the near future, for me the Sim is allready out of this world, so beautiful, so many places to visit, i maybe install some freeware stuff if needed, but not right now.

And i hope the Sim will live on for at least the next 10 years 😁

Anyway, I'm sure that Microsoft does not need users to advise them how to run their marketplace. 

There are many that actually, after buying the game, do not buy anything else & only use freeware..

The only MS items on the marketplace are the premium and delux packs. Everything else is made by independent developers.

MS will of course get a 30% cut of everything sold. 

 

5 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

MS will of course get a 30% cut of everything sold. 

 

Do you have a source for this?  Because my intuition is that they probably get around 15% of their sales from the marketplace.

10 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

Do you have a source for this?  Because my intuition is that they probably get around 15% of their sales from the marketplace.

 

For other apps but not games related stuff.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/03/06/microsoft-store-revenue-share/

Quote

 

If the user downloads the app via something like a Microsoft Store search or a Microsoft Store Collection, the developer gets 85 percent and Microsoft gets 15 percent.

Furthermore, Microsoft says the new fee structure is applicable only to app purchases on Windows 10 PCs, Windows Mixed Reality, Windows 10 Mobile and Surface Hub devices.

It excludes all games and Xbox purchases of any sort. Games stay at the same 70/30 split as before.

 

 

No idea if that is still the case but I suspect it is.

 

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

22 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

 

For other apps but not games related stuff.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/03/06/microsoft-store-revenue-share/

 

No idea if that is still the case but I suspect it is.

 

Your article also says developers get 95% of the cut, while 5% goes towards Microsoft, in a specific scenario.

I am going to go with my intuition that they take around a 15% cut on the MSFS marketplace sales.  The reason is, if they take too large of a cut, 3rd parties won't release their products in the MSFS marketplace, which means lost revenue for Microsoft.  The higher the cut that Microsoft demands, the more likely that 3rd parties will just sell their add ons on their own website, or other websites that take a lower cut.  And if 3rd parties sell the add ons on their own website, Microsoft gets nothing.

I don't think Microsoft wants to miss out on sales of 3rd party add ons outside the MSFS marketplace - that's just a horrible business practice.  15% makes the most sense because it gives something to Microsoft, while allowing 3rd party developers to retain most of the money from purchases in the MSFS marketplace so that it gives 3rd parties an incentive to list their products in the MSFS marketplace.

The 70/30 for XBox games is because the XBox store, like the Apple Store, is the de facto store to get the games.  It's really cumbersome and difficult to get an Apple App outside the Apple Store without jail breaking your IPhone or IPad.  For MSFS, it's quite easy to get the add on at the 3rd party developer website.  Because of this, Microsoft can't charge 70/30 because of how easy it is to get add ons at 3rd party websites, whereas for something like the Apple Store, the XBox store, it has more clout because it's hard to get sales by listing your app outside the Apple Store or XBox store.

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by abrams_tank

Just now, abrams_tank said:

So we know that Microsoft takes a 15% cut on apps in the Microsoft App store.

I am going to go with my intuition that they take around a 15% cut on the MSFS marketplace sales.  The reason is, if they take too large of a cut, 3rd parties won't release their products in the MSFS marketplace, which means lost revenue for Microsoft.  The higher the cut that Microsoft demands, the more likely that 3rd parties will just sell their add ons on their own website, or other websites that take a lower cut.  And if 3rd parties sell the add ons on their own website, Microsoft gets nothing.

I don't think Microsoft wants to miss out on sales of 3rd party add ons outside the MSFS marketplace - that's just a horrible business practice.  15% makes the most sense because it gives something to Microsoft, while allowing 3rd party developers to retain most of the money from purchases in the MSFS marketplace so that it gives 3rd parties an incentive to list their products in the MSFS marketplace.

It might make sense to  you and me and probably to the developers but ALL game stores including Apple, Google and Steam take a 30% cut. Epic is the only exception.  It is basically an industry wide standard cut that has triggered a lot of  antitrust legal action lately.

I have just looked and can see nothing anywhere about MS reducing their standard Xbox 30% cut on game sales just for MSFS products. Everything says Xbox games stores are 30% .