Addon Aircraft cost more then sim....

[Guest]

>Wow Lou, why the serious tone? >We can all use some humour around here these days:-) I didn't find his post too serious or anything... I mean, if we have to be funny ALL the time...He is just saying what he wants to say and did so very nicely and clearly imho, which I find a lot more interesting than a funny one liner... Pity you can't see face expressions in posts. ;) That's always the biggest problems with forums...

[Palebushman 0]

IMHO, the developers who produce any addons that enhance the performance of any MSFS in particular FSX, deserve full kudos for their products, and every penny they ask for them. How about trying ones navigational skills with this little gem:-http://www.lufthansa-usa.com/useugame2007/html/play.htmlIts FREE but not as easy as it may first appear.:-cool

[Guest crimplene]

I would simply compare the prize for this addon with the prize for other addons, not golf clubs. :-)Examples: Aerosofts Twin Otter is 39 Euros, Flight1's Messerschmitt Bf109 is 40 Euros, Just Flight's Flight - P-38 Lightning is 40 and so on.

[McCrash 3]

Exchange rate for US isn't to good right now.

[Guest]

hardly ever been better for us Europeans who for decades have spent top money on US products and finally can get some of them a bit cheaper :)

[Murmur 3,941]

>It's pretty much always the same, a bunch of kids who don't>know how the real world works can't afford an addon they want>and start complaining that it's too expensive because it costs>more than the sim itself (or more than half the sim, or>whatever).I think most people have been misleaded by the title of the post, not one responded on what I think is the main point of the post, i.e. other aircrafts with the same or higher quality at nearly half the cost.Marco

[Guest]

that's called a free market economy Marco.Get used to it, it's not going to go away for a while longer.

[Geofa 108]

Lou-I think you took my analogy wrong...Printers are given away practically for free-as is the base fs product (fs9-fsx). The ink for the printer ends up costing more-as do the add ins for fs. Sure you can take it to the next level but it was just a lighthearted compare!The reasons why add ins cost more, you explain, and I have always agreed with this position 100%. I did spend 2 years of my life designing an aircraft with 2 other persons and know the incredible amount of hours it takes. Even with prices above what the base sim sells I am sure it is rare that a developer gets anything approaching a fair compensation for the time devoted.However, perhaps your sales for fsx are low because we are still waiting for your products for fsx-e.g. Baron, Bonanza, Piper etc?!http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[FTD1949 0]

>I was just looking at the highly touted C-130 from CaptSim>and saw it was $56.58(39 euros) WOW..... if that was 39 bucks>(USD) I would buy but MAN thats high for an aircraft addon....>Or is it just Me? amd I cheap? the F1 Super 80 is a Superb>aircraft for half that cost.... oh well just venting...>>>It's all relative considering that at this point in time the US Dollaris only worth 67% of the Euro. In the past it would have cost closerto $ 39.00. It used to be that those of us in the US were getting a deal. Those times are gone I'm afraid.Craig

[N400QW 205]

>>Wow Lou, why the serious tone? >>We can all use some humour around here these days:-) >>I didn't find his post too serious or anything... I mean, if>we have to be funny ALL the time...>He is just saying what he wants to say and did so very nicely>and clearly imho, which I find a lot more interesting than a>funny one liner... >>Pity you can't see face expressions in posts. ;) That's always>the biggest problems with forums...If we had a nickel for every post arguing the reasons and relative costs of base vs improvements we could have a fairly nice ski weekend out in Vail.:-)As Geofa explained, the printer guys almost give printers away in order to sell cartridges over long periods of time and so the irony struck us as humorous at a time when we could all use a little levity:-lol :-lol

[Guest]

>I would simply compare the prize for this addon with the>prize for other addons, not golf clubs. :-)>>Examples: Aerosofts Twin Otter is 39 Euros, Flight1's>Messerschmitt Bf109 is 40 Euros, Just Flight's Flight - P-38>Lightning is 40 and so on. >you'd have to compare them with comparable addons...Comparing a $5 Abacus plane or a $15 "Perfect"Flight one to a $40 Flight1 product is worse than comparing apples and oranges, it's like comparing rotten linguini with freshly made fettucini.

[Guest Lith1um]

The "cost of developement" is the one I can't get over.Obviously you need to purchase some 3dmax type of program, and perhaps some image editing and sound editing programs.After that however, what is next? You expend personal time copying the intellectualy property of other designers into a format that fits in FSX. Do you then send a check to Cessna, or Boeing, or the like? NO.So far you have purchased some software, and capitalized on the intellectual property of some real world aircraft designers.So what comes next? Find a publishing company who will distribute your product for a cut of the proceeds. To hear some people talking development consists of a nasa sized room full of programmers.I think many people in the MSFS world view it like a cash cow. It strikes me odd coming from the gaming and racing sim community where people still mod for the love of the game or sim.For instance, Captain Sim cranks out the c130 extra packs when most users with creative cards still have sound related blue screens on the 1.1 base pack. Like how they capitilize on the c130, yet havent finished up the other birds yet.And before I hear any B.S. pirate analogies, I own and have fully paid for GEX, UTX-USA, FSgenesis mesh and landclass, several xclass continents, x-graphics, FsDiscover, Instant Scenery, the SF260, the C130x, and much more.I believe developers should be fairly compensated for their efforts, but I believe the O.P. has some merit. MSFS is a commercialized cash cow for many dev's, and they get very irate/defensive when you start talking about the underbelly of the industry.

[N400QW 205]

Lithium, you won't find us being defensive or apologetic about our pricing because we know what our investment in tools, time, and human skill and effort are. :-lolFact of the matter is we can't do our jobs any cheaper and have no intention of doing so. As always, purchase decisions are the responsibility of the end user and it's only common sense that users must perceive proportional value vs costs before making a purchase decison.:-lolThe arguement of base sim cost vs improved addon costs is rather illogical in that it is NOT an apples/apples arguement. This has been cussed and discussed many times before and at the end of the day there seem to be more simmers who want to improve their experience in terms of weather, scenery, aircraft, etc. than not.If this weren't the case then folks like Eaglesoft, DF, F1, and others would cease doing business. Speaking for us, we are not about to spend 18 months on a single project and not be reimbursed accordingly. :-lol :-lol

[Geofa 108]

I put out a freeware Debonair based on my real plane about 6 years ago for fs20002/04 which was very popular.I only worked on the 2d cockpit and I estimated it took me 2000 hours over two years. Two others including Reality xp worked on the other aspects like custom avionics and the 3d model, and several from flight Ontario helped out in other ways.It was put out as freeware. I'd never do it again. I wouldn't even do it as payware.Either way-free or compensated- the amount of time devoted free or payware can't really be justified other than as a labor of love-period.The hourly rate either way is horrible! This does not include all the tech support questions after release-of which I still get some every year even though the Deb was put out 6 years ago!Knowing the amount of work involved, I believe the developers in most cases even selling at higher prices than fsx are most likely being compensated at a terrible hourly rate for their efforts, and I am sure most do it for the same labor of love as they did when most started off as freeware developers. Their prices reflect what is possible in the market, and a small return for their labor which while probably a fraction of their real time work hourly rate, still allows some justification-especially to spouses and family.Me-I started working on a 2d cockpit for my B55 Baron a few months ago and gave up. Just to do the 2d would cost me another 2000 hours. I can't justify doing this anymore.I'd be thrilled to pay an add on company who does have the time, knowledge and skills - $30-$60 for my plane. I'd even pay more! Thank god the add on developers are out there!Hint, hint-there has never been a B55 Baron done for fs......http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[N400QW 205]

Geof, we would love to do the "Baby Baron" if we can ever clear our plates long enough to consider it. Of course the major misundertanding from the user viewpoint is that these things can be done in a few months time.The investment in time is indeed the major cost factor in addon pricing and as you've said..the hourly rate is ridiculous :-lol :-lol