flightsim.to premium

[bobcat999 8,483]

I have a few subscriptions going that are between £1 and £2 per month (like Wikipedia etc.).  I wouldn't mind that, and I think they would get a lot more takers.  
In the main, I am worried about the response of the content creators, so this could back-fire on them, with little new free content being produced, and $5 per month being too much for a lot of people.

As people have mentioned, the 'free' version will still be available, so not a complete disaster.
I wonder what the new MS / Asobo free library store thing will look like inside the sim?  I am expecting something like the Xplane one.

Edited February 18, 2023 by bobcat999

[gunther 167]

1 hour ago, darshonaut said:

While I wont unlist my addons, I will no longer upload anything to the site.

Same. I've invested probably 800+ hours into creating sceneries last year. I was happy to do this as my contribution to the community. But with the changed T&C I have no desire/incentive to upload anything else on flightsim.to, which face it, is a business.

Edited February 18, 2023 by gunther

[tubbsds1 41]

3 hours ago, PWJT8D said:

I think this is what's going to be the demise of fs.to. Creators will no longer upload any future projects or updates to current projects. Let's fast forward 3 or 4 Service Updates later to MSFS and a majority of the files on fs.to will no longer be compatible with MSFS. Essentially fs.to will become a host of airports and liveries of the past. 

Exactly this.  Beginning of the end to this site unless they change that clause.  Not well thought out what-so-ever.  In an obvious way as well.

[vbazillio 2,234]

4 hours ago, RaptyrOne said:

He (and other freeware content creators) can however render these packages obsolete by refusing to update fs.to and keeping their content updated on other hosting platforms.

It's the nuclear weapon that all uploaders have. It's just a matter of minute to update all my sceneries with anything new, not to mention compatibility.

Edited February 18, 2023 by vbazillio

[captain420 3,099]

"You will own nothing and be happy" -WEF. Seems like this is becoming the norm with everything being rent/subscription based. You don't own your products anymore, but rent them. Tired of this model. What happen to the good old days of actually paying for something and being able to actually own it and call it yours.

[jarmstro 2,402]

6 minutes ago, captain420 said:

"You will own nothing and be happy" -WEF. Seems like this is becoming the norm with everything being rent/subscription based. You don't own your products anymore, but rent them. Tired of this model. What happen to the good old days of actually paying for something and being able to actually own it and call it yours.

As far as I can remember the last piece of software I actually owned was  C64 game on a tape. 

[St Mawgan 1,372]

Maybe Avsim will become the place to go for downloading addons again, as it was 20 years ago.

[DigitalJonx 63]

 

To add to this conversation, as the founder of Got Friends, I can mention that we are also deep in discussion about this issue. We are deeply integrated into their ecosystem. Our freeware, like the Savage Grravel, Discus-2c, Vertigo, 40th Anniversary Expansion Pack, MXA, and DR.1 are some of the hottest items available on the website. When we started Freeware Development, we didn't have these policies to worry about. Today, however, we have an obligation to our community and no other website makes this easier. Only problem is, as mentioned by SuperSpud, we are just tossing years of work into a black hole because of their new "I own everything" clause. As some of you may know, we've already stopped selling future products with them. This is for many reasons too long to list, but there's a reason why we aren't selling our latest Wilga 35/80 Series and Mini-500 Helicopter with them.

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by DigitalJonx

[KL Oo 700]

25 minutes ago, St Mawgan said:

Maybe Avsim will become the place to go for downloading addons again, as it was 20 years ago.

As I said a bit further up thread - It would need a serious face lift. But I'd rather donate to AVSIM than FLIGHTSIM.TO

[petz_e 76]

Well, if you can say one thing about their communication, it‘s that they a very transparent  it says right there in the title „Be quick before prices increase after this weekend.“

so the 5$ per month price might no stick. 

[AnkH 2,267]

So, the dying of this site has basically started. What a bummer, and again all just because someone has some dollars in mind. I guess we are back to the need of downloading every single addon from a different source...

[RaptyrOne 1,412]

4 minutes ago, AnkH said:

. I guess we are back to the need of downloading every single addon from a different source...

Let’s hope sanity prevails and it does not come to that. It is a real possibility though.

[RALF9636 1,961]

I am sure this is not going to end well for flightsim.to. And rightly so. Someone got greedy, as it always goes.

 

Why on earth should any of the great freeware contributors (a big Thank you to you!) still be willing to load up anything to flightsim.to when that means he loses his copyright and gives away his work for nothing not to the community but to a business that wants to make easy money with his work?

 

But in the end the community will benefit from this. I am sure some of the great larger freeware developer groups like Gotfriends or FBW will eventually come up with their own sharing platform. FBW already hosts some other downloads.

I am sure simmers will be happy to donate to such a freeware platform.

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by RALF9636

[Dave CBFS 55]

This is a crying shame. I've only one upload on FS.to so far, (Hawker Hunter, currently 22000 downloads), I've no issues with a premium subscription to cover costs, as long as there is also free access. The new terms are out of order though. I'm about to release the trainer version of the Hunters, and it won't be on fs.to. 

[andy1252 3,864]

8 hours ago, superspud said:

Perhaps Pornhub is looking to diversify.

Ha! I can see some scope there for creativity with animated passengers in the terminals <grin>. And how about the Stones' tour plane? Endless possibilities (even if screenshots might be problematical).

But on a more serious note, it does all sound a bit dodgy. Speaking as a (major) downloader and user of addons, paid and free, I have no problem with a subscription model. But this sounds pretty terminal from a developer's pov.

I hope it's a mistake/misunderstanding on their part, and not the end of the site coming in to being.

Edited February 18, 2023 by andy1252
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