MS FSX buy third party Add-ons

[madtun]

Microsoft should buy good thrid party add-ons included it in FSX and raise the price of the simulator. I would prefer to buy one box disc set than constantly adding on when it could have been included. Please tell me this is not possible because I have seen some of the new screen shots of mesh terrain and they look familiar to some of the add-on I have now. They won't have to buy everybody's add-ons but this would solve some of the less than 2% of us wanting more than the defaults. I am not trying to take money out of the third party developers but it should be easier to sell right's for millions to MS than trying to get me to buy $30 add-ons every month. For the 2% fanatics add-ons should be for very complex planes, panels and scenery. Right now I am waiting for the new 757 from one of the add-on developers to hit this summer. That is the one plane I want to fly for real and would pay for the experience. Thank you

[JSkorna]

1. Why would Microsoft want to do this?
2. Why would 3rd party developers want to do this?
3. Who would offer the support department?
4. Who would provide updates?
5. Who would decide what 3rd party add-ons to include?
6. What would the "average Joe" do with these add-ons, knowing he doesn't use them now?
7. How many copies of a $200 piece of software would the "average Joe" purchase?
8. The bosses around the world would kill if $200 had to be spent all at once for a piece of software.

Hope this helps,
Jim
http://www.hifisim.com

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[pixelpoke_MSFT]

>Microsoft should buy good thrid party add-ons included it in FSX ....it should be easier to sell right's for millions to MS ..."

Umm...

I think your understanding of the economics involved is a little off scale. Try removing at least two zeroes, more likely three.

Cheers,

Jason

[madtun]

At the time I really was just venting hoping someone from Microsoft that reads forums was listening. i'm just being lazy at shopping for all the add-ons and web sights. Looking for one web site shopping mall for all levels of flight sim flyers.

[tdragger]

It wouldn't make sense to put them in box but making it easier for more people to find and buy add-ons would benefit both us and the third parties.

[Aarinu]

>>8. The bosses around the world would kill if $200 had to be spent all at once for a piece of software.<<

Obviously you don't buy software in the corporate world... We spend 10 grand for a 10 seat license for CITRIX. That's 1,000 per connection. Now, go check out the cost of MSSQL, Exchange Server, or any other business based application :)

Don't forget that $279 "upgrade" version of MS Office for the "general public"

[JSkorna]

I didn't mean the bosses at work! I meant the bosses that cook, clean, run the house, give birth, and put up with most of us, as we fly our "dumb" little planes around. Go ask them: "Honey can I spend $200, all at once, for a little game?" I can picture you on the couch for many a night after that one!!

Hope this helps,
Jim
http://www.hifisim.com

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[sclincoln]

I think it would be a good idea for a few key addons to be bought out and included. Obviously, we would be talking about global improvement types of things like Active Sky, Flight Environment, or possibly Radar Contact types of addons rather than things like the PMDG Queen of the Skies or other types of specific addons.

As far as the economics, I would imagine that these addons now might be selling around 1000 copies to those hard core and free spending simmers among us. At $30 per copy, that doesn't add up to too much money for so much work by so many different people. However, if the software was licensed by MS and added directly to FS, they might raise the price by $.50. I remember hearing that FS typically sells around 500,000 copies for each new version. That would net the developers $250,000 for their efforts. I'm sure lots of developers would jump at the chance. Then the hard-working guys at ACES wouldn't need to waste a lot of time re-inventing the wheel. If 4 or 5 key addons were licensed this way, the overall price might go up $2.50, the developers would make out well (even if they had to reengineer some things to different specifications to make the integration seamless), ACES would save lots of precious man-hours and the end-users would get a better overall experience.

I would think that this sort of outsourcing arrangement would entice lots of developers to really pull out all the stops and show their A-game for the chance to be signed on as contractors (if the money was reasonably good). That would lead to an across-the-board increase in the quality and quantity of good payware becoming available (not that we're suffering for lack of choices now) and an overall energizing effect on the whole industry.

Just one MBAs humble opinion.

[JSkorna]

tdragger dropped a few clues a few posts up.

Hope this helps,
Jim
http://www.hifisim.com

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