Buying from Developer More expensive?

[Bozdog 63]

Would much rather buy direct from developer as assumed they would benefit more?  Not purchased via marketplace before and I understand Marketplace can have a delay on updates.

However went to purchase  Milviz 310 for $39.99 (About £32)  direct from them ,  but then with taxes added on for UK it came to approx. £40.00.  Yet if   I buy from  the market place its £33.49.

Seems a shame but is there any other other disadvantage  of buying from Marketplace ? Any install issues? Spotted some posts about purchases not going through properly ( not using steam version)

Cheers

 

 

 

[eltair 23]

Sometimes I buy addons directly, from third-party stores, or from the in-game marketplace depending on the situation. I have a number of issues with the marketplace that usually make me prefer other options:

• Encrypted files prevent third party mods.
• Slower updates.
• Lack of receipts, purchase history, refunds, or really any management at all of purchases.

Particularly for aircraft, I avoid the marketplace unless the plane is exclusive because I anticipate situations where an MSFS update breaks an airplane and 1) the developer patches it but needs to wait for MS to validate it, 2) the community finds a workaround or hacks together a mod to fix it, or 3) the developer completely abandons the plane and the community keeps it going.

When I buy from the marketplace it's generally scenery and driven by the following combined advantages:

• Price/sale.
• Convenience (no third party installer, easy updates).
• Wanting to support continued development of MSFS itself.

 

[abrams_tank 7,426]

50 minutes ago, Bozdog said:

Would much rather buy direct from developer as assumed they would benefit more?  Not purchased via marketplace before and I understand Marketplace can have a delay on updates.

However went to purchase  Milviz 310 for $39.99 (About £32)  direct from them ,  but then with taxes added on for UK it came to approx. £40.00.  Yet if   I buy from  the market place its £33.49.

Seems a shame but is there any other other disadvantage  of buying from Marketplace ? Any install issues? Spotted some posts about purchases not going through properly ( not using steam version)

Cheers

 

There are pros and cons of buying in the marketplace.  The pros are that everything is organized in the marketplace. If you switch computers, you can download your purchases quite easily again. And if you have an XBox, your marketplace purchases are transferrable to your XBox (if the XBox supports the add-on you purchased).  The con is that you may not have full control over the files, and as you mentioned, some updates are a little slower. But updates in the marketplace are much faster now, from what I understand, than they were at the release of MSFS.  I wouldn't be too concerned about updates in the marketplace, as it's much faster now (but of course, still not as fast as the developer).

However, if you think MSFS is a 10 year project, it doesn't hurt to buy it in the marketplace and give Microsoft their cut of the purchase.  MSFS won't be a 10 year project if people don't spend in the marketplace.  For this reason, I don't mind purchasing in the marketplace, especially if there is a sale there. We all want MSFS to be a 10 year project, so let's all chip in and show Microsoft that we want them to keep improving MSFS (plus, developers do get a nice cut from the marketplace, I believe a 70% cut, which is still very very good).

[airlinejets 709]

25 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

MSFS won't be a 10 year project if people don't spend in the marketplace.

Agreed. People need to take this into account if they want MSFS to continue.

Developers aren't short-changed if you buy from the marketplace.

[FrankR409 514]

Amen.

[Gazzareth 808]

17 hours ago, airlinejets said:

Agreed. People need to take this into account if they want MSFS to continue.

Developers aren't short-changed if you buy from the marketplace.

 

Especially given the fact that they have the choice to sell via the Marketplace or not. If they choose to be there, then it's fair to assume they are happy for you to buy it there. 

Not kept an eye on price differences between the two, will now though.

G

[micstatic 4,323]

I wish I could purchase from the marketplace. As I understand it helps us for Microsoft to have a continued stream of income. However the lack of being able to edit these purchases is a deal killer. The example I’ve stated before is dd kdca. If you were to buy the marketplace version you cannot disable static ai. But with orbx version that’s a simple uncheck of a box 

[abrams_tank 7,426]

15 minutes ago, Gazzareth said:

 

Especially given the fact that they have the choice to sell via the Marketplace or not. If they choose to be there, then it's fair to assume they are happy for you to buy it there. 

Not kept an eye on price differences between the two, will now though.

G

The summer sale ends pretty soon. Get the discounts while you can. I got the Twin Otter on discount from the marketplace.  It was more expensive at the OrbX website, and at Aerosoft website, but it was on discount at the marketplace.

[abrams_tank 7,426]

2 minutes ago, micstatic said:

I wish I could purchase from the marketplace. As I understand it helps us for Microsoft to have a continued stream of income. However the lack of being able to edit these purchases is a deal killer. The example I’ve stated before is dd kdca. If you were to buy the marketplace version you cannot disable static ai. But with orbx version that’s a simple uncheck of a box 

Best is to research what are the limitations of the marketplace version, versus the non-marketplace version.  I was looking up the limitations of the marketplace version of the Twin Otter. For my use at least, the marketplace version of the Twin Otter was able to do everything I wanted, when I researched the limitations of the marketplace version.

[Fiorentoni 4,257]

The marketplace is inferior in all regards, above all update speed and access to the files (some addons need to read the scenery files, which can't be done with encrypted marketplace scenery). There's scenery (DD's KORD I think) and aircraft that isn't working for months due to the atrocious update speed in the marketplace. I really don't want to keep waiting 2 months after a sim or world update for my favorite plane and/or scenery to work again. Now if they'd make the marketplace just like any other distribution platform (updates can be pushed by the devs themselves; access to all files), I'd reconsider. but that's not gonna happen because XBOX.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,992]

20 hours ago, airlinejets said:

Developers aren't short-changed if you buy from the marketplace.

I’m pretty sure they are. Gary Summons (former UK2000 developer for P3D and FSX) posted around a year ago asking customers to buy direct for MSFS as he benefited more than via the marketplace. Microsoft take 20% or more for MSFS just like SimMarket took around 30% for P3D products.

But depending on the number of sales the cut that Microsoft take could be negated by the increased number of sales his scenery has on that platform. It all depends on how popular the item is.

[Mace 1,930]

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I’m pretty sure they are. Gary Summons (former UK2000 developer for P3D and FSX) posted around a year ago asking customers to buy direct for MSFS as he benefited more than via the marketplace. Microsoft take 20% or more for MSFS just like SimMarket took around 30% for P3D products.

But depending on the number of sales the cut that Microsoft take could be negated by the increased number of sales his scenery has on that platform. It all depends on how popular the item is.

It may depend on one's definition of "short changed".  If for example the marketplace is pulling 20% of a 10 pound-sterling item, you're talking 2 pd for Microsoft and 8 for the developer.  But perhaps the dev priced his item at 10 pounds for a reason, knowing that if he could make 8 pounds per sale he'd be doing all right.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,992]

15 minutes ago, Mace said:

It may depend on one's definition of "short changed".  If for example the marketplace is pulling 20% of a 10 pound-sterling item, you're talking 2 pd for Microsoft and 8 for the developer.  But perhaps the dev priced his item at 10 pounds for a reason, knowing that if he could make 8 pounds per sale he'd be doing all right.

Yes, of course. Volume of sales is the key. You have to be careful of course not to overprice your product. It’s finding that magic point where you get maximum sales at the maximum price. Not easy to determine.

[Fielder 3,683]

If there is no good reason no to do it, I always buy from the marketplace. More money for MS and less for the developer. Which is in my best interest.

As long as MS is happy and raking in piles of loot, then their online servers will continue bringing an evening's entertainment my way.

I can afford to see a developer give up the ghost. But please, never Microsoft!

[airlinejets 709]

7 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I’m pretty sure they are. Gary Summons (former UK2000 developer for P3D and FSX) posted around a year ago asking customers to buy direct for MSFS as he benefited more than via the marketplace. Microsoft take 20% or more for MSFS just like SimMarket took around 30% for P3D products.

But depending on the number of sales the cut that Microsoft take could be negated by the increased number of sales his scenery has on that platform. It all depends on how popular the item is.

I should have added that it's not my personal opinion but that of Mathijs Kok of Aerosoft. I can't find this article but the gist of it was, the marketplace was added exposure that translated into more sales.

I think it comes down to discounts. If a sale happens to come along offering a product you want, get it, wherever the marketplace is.