PMDG on the marketplace update by Robert Randazzo

[ca_metal 2,015]

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Folks,

Please allow me to add a bit of clarity here to this discussion, as it does seem that there is quite a bit of conjecture and opinion. We haven't talked too much about our plans for MSFS Marketplace simply because we have been focused on other tasks.

Will PMDG Products Appear in the Marketplace?:
PMDG fully intends to have our products available in the MSFS Marketplace. A small developer like PMDG can gain a much wider market exposure through placement in the MSFS Marketplace, and thus we anticipate fully participating.

How long until this happens?:
We have not yet decided. There are a few factors playing into this decision right now, and the decision is entirely analytical with the goal of ensuring a smooth customer experience above all other factors. We really only have a single concerning factor here, and that relates to our flexibility in updating the products that customers purchase. The normal update lifecycle for a PMDG product is that we release the product and then update it rapidly in response to service reports during the period following release. The rate of updates tends to start out high and the reduce over time because we are simulating a highly, highly complex piece of machinery, often times with very advanced systems and computational processes that sometimes do an effective job of masking problems until the software is employed on a wide array of customer installations. Thus, we tend to work in overdrive to tamp down any issues that appear initially, but the update rate slows dramatically the further you move out along the release timeline, as you would expect.

To facilitate this, we have long used our PMDG Operations Center application to distribute updates to customers. This tool allows us to employ a rapid update cycle to PMDG products that allows us to quickly identify, resolve, test and push fixes for problems in our aircraft in order to ensure a uniform, stable customer experience. This is the primary method for updating PMDG products and has proven to be reliable, quick and simple for the vast majority of PMDG customers.

Unfortunately, there are some technical reasons that prevent us from updating Marketplace originating installations. If we wish to push an update to customers, we can easily hand it to PMDG.com originating customers within minutes, but the update for Marketplace originating customers will take days-to-weeks depending upon the flow of bits through Microsoft's pipeline. This isn't some evil plot on the part of MSFS, it is simply an offshoot to how the Marketplace distribution mechanism works.

For this reason, we feel it is highly important to ensure that a product is stable and down to a low-rate of updates before we hand it to the marketplace, and this will be a driver in the decision to begin pushing any PMDG product to the Marketplace. The moment we feel stability is sufficient to allow us to absorb the longer lead-time required for Marketplace update cycles, we will put the product in Marketplace.


What is the Truth About Costs?:
Placing a product in Marketplace is expensive. When an MSFS user purchases a product from Marketplace, Microsoft and sometimes Valve gets paid. For MSFS users who purchased MSFS via MS-Store, Microsoft will take a 30% share. For MSFS users who purchased MSFS via Steam, Valve will take 35% and then MS will take 30% of what remains (effective rate of 54% give-or-take.)

Before anyone howls too loudly: MSFS wasn't developed on a shoe-string budget, and it exists because Jorg Neuman was able to convince the corporate hive that it would make money. It is in all of our best interest if it makes money- and Jorg's team, in combination with Asobo have created an environment in which the potential market for products is so significantly larger than the old market that developers like PMDG can be quite healthy if we deliver quality products.

I am less enthusiastic about the value equation of Valve's contribution, but there is an old saying about "you cannot fight City Hall."

What About Pricing?:
Pricing will be the same across PMDG.com and Marketplace. Product functionality will be the same across PMDG.com and Marketplace. In a perfect world, you should only notice a difference in the update process and the update cycle time- and if we have done our work properly- you may not even notice that lag.

Okay- so I didn't read Any of That: When Will DC-6 Be in Marketplace?:
We cannot say at this time, as we haven't decided yet. It will depend upon our opinion product update stability.


There are many folks with many opinions about whether you should purchase from a developer directly or if it is better to purchase from the Marketplace store. To those of you waging argumentative battle with one another, I offer this:

Do what is best for you, as that is the correct solution for you. 

Source: https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/130066-msfs-in-game-store?p=133325#post133325

Edited June 23, 2021 by ca_metal

[Bobsk8 12,677]

I try and stay away from buying from Marketplace, as much as possible. 

[PilotPete99 915]

27 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I try and stay away from buying from Marketplace, as much as possible. 

I am doing the same. I actually just bought my first item from the Marketplace last night (FT EKCH) but only because it was on sale, and FT rarely has sales. That said, I don't like that you don't actually get a receipt that specifies exactly what you purchased, just points. I likely will not buy again from the Marketplace unless it is a deal I can't refuse, and since buying direct from the seller ends up with more cash going to the developers, that is fine by me.

Cheers, Pete

[fakeflyer737 991]

Id rather give RSR my money than MS. Ill stick to PMDG.com 

[remilton 66]

I try to purchase directly from the developers if they sell directly, unless the marketplace price is lower,  You can only spend your money once I was told.

[abrams_tank 7,397]

26 minutes ago, fakeflyer737 said:

Id rather give RSR my money than MS. Ill stick to PMDG.com 

I'd rather MSFS get their 30% cut. MSFS won't be a 10 year project if they don't get their cut.  Randazzo says right there what the long term plan of MSFS is and how Jorg convinced the higher level execs at Microsoft on the business reason for MSFS.

And I say this to all others who read this.  If you want MSFS to be a 10 year project, if you want Asobo to keep enhancing MSFS to make it better, consider purchasing some of your products in the MSFS marketplace.  As Randazzo from PMDG said:

Quote

Before anyone howls too loudly: MSFS wasn't developed on a shoe-string budget, and it exists because Jorg Neuman was able to convince the corporate hive that it would make money. It is in all of our best interest if it makes money- and Jorg's team, in combination with Asobo have created an environment in which the potential market for products is so significantly larger than the old market that developers like PMDG can be quite healthy if we deliver quality products.

In fact, if you only go direct to the end 3rd party developer and you never purchase from the MSFS marketplace, you are making it less likely that MSFS will be a 10 year project.

Edited June 23, 2021 by abrams_tank

[P_R_S 18]

till now I've bought everithing twice, from the marketplace to feed microsoft (without installing) and from the developer to have the unencrypted version with quicker updates...

But I must add that if microsoft will resolve the encryption problems (mostly for airports) I'll switch to a Marketplace-only mode

Edited June 23, 2021 by P_R_S

[737_800 434]

19 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

I'd rather MSFS get their 30% cut. MSFS won't be a 10 year project if they don't get their cut.  Randazzo says right there what the long term plan of MSFS is and how Jorg convinced the higher level execs at Microsoft on the business reason for MSFS.

And I say this to all others who read this.  If you want MSFS to be a 10 year project, if you want Asobo to keep enhancing MSFS to make it better, consider purchasing some of your products in the MSFS marketplace.  As Randazzo from PMDG said:

In fact, if you only go direct to the end 3rd party developer and you never purchase from the MSFS marketplace, you are making it less likely that MSFS will be a 10 year project.

Was going to write exactly this. When I see corretly Marketplace prices are about 2USD/Euros more expensive.

Let's assume they cease developing msfs, what would happen with it? Would be still be able to fly it or wouldn't we just have no access anymore, or maybe access without streaming?

[abrams_tank 7,397]

Just now, 737_800 said:

Was going to write exactly this. When I see corretly Marketplace prices are about 2USD/Euros more expensive.

Let's assume they cease developing msfs, what would happen with it? Would be still be able to fly it or wouldn't we just have no access anymore, or maybe access without streaming?

I don't know what will happen if they cease developing MSFS. For that reason, I continue to support the MSFS marketplace when I can.

[RobF2 150]

Stopping development of MSFS isn't the worst case - stopping the data servers would be far worse....

[David Roch 1,982]

3 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

I don't know what will happen if they cease developing MSFS. For that reason, I continue to support the MSFS marketplace when I can.

Sorry.... but that sounds absurd.
Do you sincerely believe that Microsoft is waiting for your few $ to continue developing its bestseller?
Give your money to the devs instead!
THEY are needing it much more and THEY are MSFS future.

[abrams_tank 7,397]

2 minutes ago, David Roch said:

Sorry.... but that sounds absurd.
Do you sincerely believe that Microsoft is waiting for your few $ to continue developing its bestseller?
Give your money to the devs instead!
THEY are needing it much more and THEY are MSFS future.

WRONG. I want MSFS to have a bright future.  This helps the devs as well.  Why do you think there are so many devs that jumped on MSFS?  Because the revenue is so good.  In fact, there are new devs that entered the flight simulator genre because MSFS has widened the home consumer flight simulator market so much.

And I take it you understand little about business. If the execs at Microsoft don't see the revenue for MSFS in the upcoming years, especially after the 5 year mark of MSFS, they will reduce the budget, or worse, cut the budget of development on MSFS. 

Microsoft needs to get their cut and they need to get decent revenue from MSFS, if we want MSFS to be a 10 year project.

Edited June 23, 2021 by abrams_tank

[arsenal82 120]

6 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

WRONG. I want MSFS to have a bright future.  This helps the devs as well.  Why do you think there are so many devs that jumped on MSFS?  Because the revenue is so good.  In fact, there are new devs that entered the flight simulator genre because MSFS has widened the home consumer flight simulator market so much.

And I take it you understand little about business. If the execs at Microsoft don't see the revenue for MSFS in the upcoming years, especially after the 5 year mark of MSFS, they will reduce the budget, or worse, cut the budget of development on MSFS. 

Microsoft needs to get their cut and they need to get decent revenue from MSFS, if we want MSFS to be a 10 year project.

microsoft marketplace losing quite bit of potential revenue

having dev parked on a perpetual ' under review position' the longer the longer they loose potential income

Edited June 23, 2021 by arsenal82

[GCBraun 2,392]

Besides contributing to the overall platform financial support, the marketplace offers local prices for users in disadvantaged countries when it comes to exchange rates. I think it is a great asset to MSFS and I tend to use it whenever possible.

[united001 126]

I just wish MS/Asobo/Valve/Devs would just tell us outright the best way for any one of us to help in our own small way how to support our shared obsession with our purchases. OR that it does not matter. That buying an add-on from the Marketplace or directly from a Dev is one in the same. Mainly just purchase from somebody who has skin in the game, doesn't matter who, and we'll have done our best. But they don't or I missed the memo more likely. 

United001