Purchase through Orbx Direct or Standalone?

[lukehall 10]

With an increasing number of products being available through Orbx Central, I'm wondering if there's any advantage or disadvantage purchasing through Orbx Direct, or, is it preferable to purchase a standalone copy via the publisher direct - for example, I just purchased Aerosoft's EBBR for MSFS via Orbx Direct. However, I did pontificate for a while as to whether or not I should purchase from Aerosoft! 🙂

[The Moose 1,177]

Personal choice really.   The main advantage of buying direct is the developer gets all the money and there's no waiting for updates.  

[Malaromane 421]

Alternately, one great advantage with buying from Orbx is that you don't have to keep an eye on multiple websites to know when an update gets released. Just fire up the Orbx client and every update is there waiting for you.

But I agree that it basically comes down to personal choice.

[The Moose 1,177]

7 hours ago, Malaromane said:

you don't have to keep an eye on multiple websites to know when an update gets released

I've seen this argument a hundreds of times and it makes no sense.   I buy all my addons direct from devs when possible.    I don't have to keep my eye on any websites.

As soon as an update is released they send an email. I click the link and grab the update.  I dont see how that's any less convenient than having to fire up Orbx every day top see if anything's updated.  I know when there's something updated.. I've got mail telling me 🙂

 

[ShawnG 1,823]

It’s not necessarily knowing about the update, but if there is an update, with Orbx, it just updates it, rather than downloading zip files, running them, fumbling around for serials and shiz, and then cleaning all that up manually.  If an addon is available there, that’s my first choice.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

Most of my direct purchased "here is your update" emails, such as from Just Flight, get snagged by my spam filter so I am unaware of the update until I see it mentioned in one of the forums.

With Orbx, it is just a matter of firing up Orbx Central occasionally.  By the time you have browsed through the current specials and any new addons to see if anything catches your eye all your updates have downloaded in the background and installed.

I have actually re-purchased a couple of products on Orbx just to avoid update hassles.

Only downside of Orbx is some newer planes do not show up in their store for a bit. 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[Fielder 3,642]

It used to be that neither Orbx Central nor Orbx Direct sold through Paypal. But now Orbx Central does and Orbx Direct still does not. So I use Orbx Central. Only Paypal and my family know our credit card numbers, thus keeping our bank accounts are relatively safe from being drained one day.

 

[Bernard Ducret 783]

14 hours ago, lukehall said:

I just purchased Aerosoft's EBBR for MSFS via Orbx Direct. However, I did pontificate for a while as to whether or not I should purchase from Aerosoft!

It depends what is on your mind (as it is not obvious from your post). Aerosoft is a publisher and distributor (in the case of EBBR) not from the developer who is paid by Aerosoft, ORBX is another publisher and distributor. So in both cases the full amount will not go to the developer. EBBR has been developed by a designer who does not run an online shop, so your choice is limited.

If buying directly from the developer is always better so that they get the remuneration they deserve for their work, it is not always possible or practical, hence distributors such as Aerosoft, ORBX, Contrail or Simmarket are handy and all of them offer the same apps and services.

 

[lukehall 10]

10 hours ago, Bernard Ducret said:

It depends what is on your mind (as it is not obvious from your post). Aerosoft is a publisher and distributor (in the case of EBBR) not from the developer who is paid by Aerosoft, ORBX is another publisher and distributor. So in both cases the full amount will not go to the developer. EBBR has been developed by a designer who does not run an online shop, so your choice is limited.

If buying directly from the developer is always better so that they get the remuneration they deserve for their work, it is not always possible or practical, hence distributors such as Aerosoft, ORBX, Contrail or Simmarket are handy and all of them offer the same apps and services.

 

Good answer, thanks 🙂

My only real gripe with Orbx right now, is that they seem to be failing in the User Guide department! Their omission of a guide or any configuration options for their MSFS version of LOWI was irritating to say the least. I note now note that the Orbx Direct User Guide button for EBBR also just throws up an error. The guide IS present but I had to go delving through the installation files to find it! 🙄