1 hour ago, JonathanC said:

If someone releases a 7x7 that is say 80% of PMDG quality for say 60% of the price.. lots of people will jump over

 

52 minutes ago, Maxis said:

I would be moved if a new product segment was created objectively ABOVE PMDG quality and would be willing to pay a slight premium for it.

I’d agree with Maxis , if say Hardy at Aerowinx brought his 747-400 onto MSFS I’d happily pay a lot for that.

I think it’s important when thinking about the price of PMDG aircraft to note that they do bring an awful lot to the table that many developers don’t and probably the majority of people won’t use.

I’m talking here about the customisation options to fit the avionics and system options to match individual airline specifications, something first done on the aerowinx 747 I believe. And the comprehensive failures menu, something which is of great value to real world pilots running through check ride routines.

If like me you use those customisation and failure features their aircraft become good value, to others who don’t I can see their point about the price being high. Then again those same users may place value in the excellent external and cabin modelling PMDG do, something that I’m not bothered by as I fly in VR

Thirty quid for the PMDG 737-600 in MSFS 2020. Can someone please tell me where the chocolate factory is, because I definitely won the golden ticket with that one.

Edited May 6, 20251 yr by Christopher Low

Their 737 is the best (well performing aircraft) I have seen in the MSFS ecosystem.

However I am on 2024 now, only fly short haul, and where are PMDG?  I'm on the FBW 320 for now.  

Just vote with your wallet then.  I bought the 737-700 for 2020 and found it to be good value.  That's the only one I bought cause I didn't feel the need for others.  

Frankly though, I feel in this post-covid world, where everything is more expensive, people are feeling the strain on their finances.  I think a lot of people are annoyed at paying a lot for variants and upgrades.

Unfortunately it is what it is.  It takes time to create software, and nobody likes to work for free.

 

2 hours ago, SKEWR said:

As a long time PMDG consumer, I don’t hate them but I no longer think of them as the pinnacle of FS development. 
 

When P3D came along I was pleased that PMDG would be making planes for it. When different versions of P3D came along, and I had to repurchase planes, that was an instant turn off and made me more cautious of that company. I was already questioning the high add on price (due to “lawyer fees”), but rebuying a similar add on more than once, made me look at them like any other business. No more “must buy” or “good will” for them. Now they are charging full price per variant? I’m all for a company paying its employees, but I’m also all for me keeping my spending reasonable. Especially with the prices rising on everything these days. 
 

I do not hate PMDG at all, but I am no longer a loyal customer. Hate seems like such hyperbole. I think many on this forum think the same way. 

My feelings exactly, almost word for word. I purchased everything they made for FSX the second it was released, but their P3D pricing policies left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. My money now goes elsewhere.

Edited May 6, 20251 yr by Barnes
Missed a word

I also sometimes complain about things I don't like but in the end buy again and again because there simply is no alternative...

They do model their aircraft with a level of details and functonanility that I am yet to find on the Boeing line... For airbuses we do have alternatives...

They lost me with the disastrous support they have given to DC6, fortunately I am a multiplatform user and I have other options to choose from.

Apparently their forum is a cauldron of boomer nastiness and nerd rage (and I say this as an old nerd).  Plus you have to give your full name with your post. A throwback to the era of people sending letters and standing at the supermarket line writing a check out, or using a pager.  That hits  the wrong way when you see how people like BATC interacted with customers (although they seem to have gone off the boil recently.

Yours faithfully in aviation

Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III

The fact is that whatever people think about PMDG, they make quality product, that are fairly good from the start. That 777-200Er for msfs24 is the perfect example. doesn't need 8 updates to make it flyable. It's not cheap but you know you will get a good product overall.

Now it also depends of your utilization of the product. For someone flying once a week or less, yes it is expensive. But for someone flying everyday, I already had a lot of flights with my 737 so the costs per flight is not that pricy. You buy the 777-200Er now for msfs24, you will be able to fly it for a few years. Even if the 737 is a few years old now, it still work like day 1 and if you stay on msfs, you will probably be able to use it for many more years.

Also compare the price of an aircraft with the price of a scenery. I recently bough MK-Studios KSEA. With the added taxes in Europe, it costed me around 21€. The scenery is really nice and I enjoy it. But for the price of 3 scenes which I will only use when I take off or land from/to those airports, I could have bought the 777-200ER which I can use it for every flights.

Of course, most of us probably have more than one aircraft add-ons, so you don't always use the same aircraft but overall I think I get more value when I buy an aircraft compared to the value I get when I buy an airport scenery.

Flight sim is also our hobby if we are here. Some people put money into cigarettes, some other into booze, restaurants, etc. I don't live like an hermit but I prefer to spend my money on some add-ons that give me fun for years instead of buying some beers for a night of fun and having to deal with an headache the next morning. Each to his own like we say.

1 minute ago, sdirand said:

The fact is that whatever people think about PMDG, they make quality product, that are fairly good from the start. That 777-200Er for msfs24 is the perfect example. doesn't need 8 updates to make it flyable. It's not cheap but you know you will get a good product overall.

Now it also depends of your utilization of the product. For someone flying once a week or less, yes it is expensive. But for someone flying everyday, I already had a lot of flights with my 737 so the costs per flight is not that pricy. You buy the 777-200Er now for msfs24, you will be able to fly it for a few years. Even if the 737 is a few years old now, it still work like day 1 and if you stay on msfs, you will probably be able to use it for many more years.

Also compare the price of an aircraft with the price of a scenery. I recently bough MK-Studios KSEA. With the added taxes in Europe, it costed me around 21€. The scenery is really nice and I enjoy it. But for the price of 3 scenes which I will only use when I take off or land from/to those airports, I could have bought the 777-200ER which I can use it for every flights.

Of course, most of us probably have more than one aircraft add-ons, so you don't always use the same aircraft but overall I think I get more value when I buy an aircraft compared to the value I get when I buy an airport scenery.

Flight sim is also our hobby if we are here. Some people put money into cigarettes, some other into booze, restaurants, etc. I don't live like an hermit but I prefer to spend my money on some add-ons that give me fun for years instead of buying some beers for a night of fun and having to deal with an headache the next morning. Each to his own like we say.

Yes I agree.

I flew almost exclusively the 737-700 for about two years, for 4,000 hours.  And it cost me about the same as a sore head in my incredibly rubbish, grimy provincial town.  They make a quality aircraft and are not chancers or charlatans.  Maybe a bit frustrating.  

In case you get mad, the Flightfactor B777-200ER  for X-Plane is even more expensive, and yes, I bought that when it was released too. 

https://store.x-plane.org/FlightFactor-777-200ER-v2-Ultimate_p_1883.html

To me, PMDG went from the best of the best to still really dang good, but maybe not so innovative anymore.  737 and 777 in MSFS are still some of the best planes out there, only Fenix can confidently beat them head to head.   PMDG hate still seems drastically overdone.  Are there faults, sure, its still better than 90% of the competition.  I think there could be some discount pricing for multiple purchases of the same models and would likely increase their overall sales but that's a small issue in the grand scheme of things.

The only thing PMDG has ever done that I would say made me angry was back when they released the 777-200ER for P3D. On the day of release, pretty much all major 777 operators had their entire fleet available for download in the operation centre. Basically, any reg or special liverie were all available to download. Then, a few days later they were all removed without reason. After much pressing from the community, PMDG came out and said they were released accidentally and will be available exclusively for GFO users. As we know, GFO never saw the light of day.  

1 hour ago, Jude Bradley said:

In case you get mad, the Flightfactor B777-200ER  for X-Plane is even more expensive, and yes, I bought that when it was released too. 

https://store.x-plane.org/FlightFactor-777-200ER-v2-Ultimate_p_1883.html

And its not even finished

1 hour ago, Jude Bradley said:

Flightfactor B777-200ER  for X-Plane is even more expensive

But which is better ?