4 minutes ago, FlyBaby said:

 

I was not talking about every issue, just one where a Dev (and apparently you also) thought that it was acceptable to make MSFS Marketplace users wait almost 3 months for an update, all the while selling a broken version on the store to keep the revenue coming.

Just stating the facts as I know them.

Though to be honest I was about to release some freeware a few months back, but I have since scrapped the project and kept it for personal use,  as I realised the entitled demanding immature nature of a large proportion of the MSFS community meant I was only going to get abused and attacked for any perceived shortcomings rather  than getting any appreciation. 

Fair enough a lot of the posters on the MSFS forum probably actually ARE only fifteen but that does not change matters. It all looks like too much grief to bother, especially for freeware.

Edited June 24, 20214 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

I would gladly pay a bit more to purchase something from the marketplace instead of purchasing outside of the sim, and I'm guessing plenty of other people would do the same or don't even pay attention to addons outside of the marketplace. I've even repurchased a Roman Design airport after it became available in the marketplace. As the sim matures, the SDK matures, and addon developers hone their methods of developing for MSFS, I'm sure we will see less and less issues that require a patch just for an addon to work after an update. I'd rather wait a few weeks and have it update automatically than navigate dozens of websites and download dozens of update installers.

5 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Just stating the facts as I know them.

 

You were incorrect in stating them nonetheless....

6 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Though to be honest I was about to release some freeware a few months back, but I have since scrapped the project and kept it for personal use,  as I realised the entitled demanding immature nature of a large proportion of the MSFS community meant I was only going to get abused and attacked for any perceived shortcomings rather  than getting any appreciation. 

 

To be honest, there are many freeware offerings out there, we don't miss your contributions, but thanks for sharing your thoughts about what you were going to do.

 

9 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Fair enough a lot of the posters on the MSFS forum probably actually ARE only fifteen but that does not change matters. It all looks like too much grief to bother, especially for freeware.

So...15 year olds want timely updates like other stores...how dare they!!!!

 

32 minutes ago, FlyBaby said:

I was not talking about every issue, just one where a Dev (and apparently you also) thought that it was acceptable to make MSFS Marketplace users wait almost 3 months for an update, all the while selling a broken version on the store to keep the revenue coming.

And whether in the MS Store or elsewhere, a developer like that should be judged by the community with a resulting lack of ensuing purchases!  Fortunately over 38 years plus participating in this activity those situations have been a rare exception, not the rule!  Our billfolds are the tool to keep it that way!

Edited June 24, 20214 yr by fppilot

When the mods first started coming out they were a reasonable price I got FB KDEN for 9.99. but now we are seeing the prices creep up. They are still lower than they were.  Aerosoft used to charge 25-27 dollars for a large airport and now they charge 20-22 for the same airports. I still think the prices of the Addons will deter the the casual gamers who just check out MSFS.  50 dollars for a CRJ will be hard to swallow considering you can get 9 faithfully replicated cars for Asseto Corsa for 9.99.  Simulator games are generally not that exciting and the curiosity wears off fast, just look at MSFS review in Steam.  "Oh my god another update, uh cant download it, 50 dollars for a plane, 20 dollars for an airport, why even have photogrammetry if they aren't going to use it for airports too and it's hard and its not even fun!"  There are a lot of negative reviews on Steam. Although given it is a Microsoft product I have no Idea why you'd buy it on Steam in the first place.

I'm still going to buy where I can get it the cheapest.  Simmarket, Contrail, the developer directly, or the official Marketplace doesn't really matter as long as its the best price.  I took advantage of the Scandinavia sale and got FT EKCH and JS EFHK for a decent discount.   

I have a feeling that MSFS2020 will not be around in 10 years only because Microsoft or someone else will come out with something better.

1 hour ago, FlyBaby said:

 

To be honest, there are many freeware offerings out there, we don't miss your contributions, but thanks for sharing your thoughts about what you were going to do.

 

 

Well yes that is exactly the reasoning behind my thinking 😄 on this I agree with you.

Though, even back in the late '90s and early 2000's when I still messed about with development work, I mainly did templates and addon tools for other artists and developers to use, as even back then when people online still had social skills and the world was a lot more civil and polite, you were a lot more likely to be appreciated by other developers than your average gamer.

These days I have enough demanding and entitled children and grand children to deal with in real life, without taking on a batch more children on flight simulator forums in my spare time.

Going back 40 years or so I used to work  for a major electronics retailer and the boss had a habit of deliberately baiting and p*ssing off the demanding customers and when we ask him about it he said " I cannot legally refuse those guys service but I sure can make sure they take their business elsewhere of their own accord". The same guy would go out of his way to help polite customers even lending them a display item while theirs was repaired or replacing something the manufacturer would not accept back at his own expense and do everything he could to keep his other customers happy.

At the time I thought he was mad as they would bad mouth us and ruin our reputation and his behaviour would be bad for business, but now I am older in retrospect I can see exactly where he was coming from. if a customer is rude, offensive, demanding, thinks they are special and is entitled, they are simply bad for business, driving other customers away, bad for your staff moral and even if they do occasionally buy something they are just going to return it anyway - so getting rid of them was the best thing he could possibly do. 

That said, I am glad I do not work in retail anymore.

Edited June 24, 20214 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

I don't  think that PC's will be around in 10 years.

My phone and DEX is my primary computer these days.

Regards

bs

Edited June 24, 20214 yr by bean_sprout

51 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Well yes that is exactly the reasoning behind my thinking 😄 on this I agree with you.

Though, even back in the late '90s and early 2000's when I still messed about with development work, I mainly did templates and addon tools for other artists and developers to use, as even back then when people online still had social skills and the world was a lot more civil and polite, you were a lot more likely to be appreciated by other developers than your average gamer.

These days I have enough demanding and entitled children and grand children to deal with in real life, without taking on a batch more children on flight simulator forums in my spare time.

 

I agree, dealing with the public (in general) is no easy task....and you can't please everyone. But a 3 month delay is a sure way to please no one.

To each his own, the flight sim crowd is a tough bunch.

55 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Going back 40 years or so I used to work....

Sounds like you have grown to a point where your tolerance level is no more. I get it.

54 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

That said, I am glad I do not work in retail anymore.

Yeah, I did one job in retail....never again.

Fully agree.

Strange, this thread missed the point from the start so far: Randazzo is not explaining "why we should buy from marketplace". He explained, why MSFS should be bought in MS store and not in steam. Because when MSFS is bought via steam and the user buys an addon in marketplace, the dev gets less than half of the price.

1 hour ago, bean_sprout said:

I don't  think that PC's will be around in 10 years.

My phone and DEX is my primary computer these days.

Regards

bs

Disagree. VR and other emerging technologies will continue to drive the adoption of gaming and other powerful PCs or equivalent tech products. 

Update from Randazzo from PMDG:

 

Quote

Folks-

I received some updated information this afternoon on the various cost structures and I think it is important to update the information to give you guys an idea what is taking place on the back-end of things.

My original numbers were based upon information/conversations that have changed since our last review of this data. Microsoft made changes to the fees they charge developers in order to put less strain on the sale of third party products through the steam channel. That is not an insignificant move, I should point out. When you hear me talking about how Jorg's team has been trying to build a simulation environment that embraces small developers, it is things like this that I am pointing to...

I have also been reminded that Valve has a "reducing scale" that gets triggered after certain revenue tiers are exceeded in sales within the MSFS channel. The initial tiers have been exceeded, so costs are reducing all across the steam channel, which is beneficial for everyone involved.

Net costs to developers like PMDG will have dropped from ~54% to ~36% a bit later in the summer. That is a big deal on our end and it puts costs for distribution within the margin of error for what we product and how we distribute.

Overall, PMDG very much wants to see Marketplace be profitable as this promotes continued growth and investment in the platform. To the extent that Microsoft is working to keep costs in line, I think the future looks quite promising.

So that's good new for 3rd party developers!  Based on what Randazzo has said, it might not be so bad for the 3rd party developers if you purchase in the MSFS marketplace, if you purchased MSFS through Steam.

Horses for courses... I will always buy from the Developer if at all possible.
 

In fact, I plan on no more MSFS MP purchases. Having everything locked down doesn’t make me warm and fuzzy. Add timely updates and the Developer getting all my dosh... and I’m all set.

One opinion only, and you know what they say about opinions...

I'm coming from a completely different pov. I moved away from civ flight sims into mil flight sims after FSX seemed to die down. I am only getting back into civ flight sims because of MSFS and an integrated marketplace is critical to me. 

It's pretty much the same for me with DCS. I buy stuff when it's easy to add to the product. I rarely if ever deal with unofficial mods unless needed for MP missions. 

Although I like the integrated marketplace, there are a few problems I have with it:

• What happens if your Microsoft account is disabled/blocked? Regardless on whether Microsoft is in the right to do so, it should not cause you to lose access to your purchases.
  Sometimes, accounts can be closed just because a computer said no somewhere. Uploading a snapshot of your baby child getting a bath to your Onedrive might get you banned.
• All airports are encrypted, meaning you can't enhance them yourself, and third party software like LittleNavmap can't update its data.