How Does ED Turn a Profit...or Do They?

[suntrace1]

I don't believe into this non-sense ''it's Russian oriented game.'' Russia is not that economically strong to have a large market base, which can afford PC's fast enough to run this game, as it should be run. They are also pretty small ,market compared to EU, US and China. I understand why simulate Russian hardware, but I don't believe they think that only Russians are going to be interested in their game.

 

It just doesn't hold water.

[Bimbac]

Do you REALLY think so? :)

[vistrel]

12 people will buy it and 27 million will copy it. StarForce can't stop 'em all.

 

Starforce will stop casual noobs who got used to using cracks.

[Starlight]

Over 80000 LOMAN 2 copies were downloaded ... that is at an average $30 a copy ... 2,800,000 ...

 

don't make the same mistake that software companies do... downloads (unless specific code-bound like buying FC online) do not necessarily mean users or customers.

 

There are many people who download items twice or even more times... so you could just guess...

[GGTharos]

Most people will download once, some twice, some more.

You could just say that you have an average of everyone downloading twice. Still a big figure.

[Laud]

And keep all the other file hosting pages in mind where we also have lots of downloads. Numbers are still amazing!

[Pilotasso]

Theres still a market for military SIM's, paradoxaly its growing as competition is getting smaller. No one but a few want to make them anymore. So we got stuck forever with the likes of EarthQuake56, 2/3-of-a-Life5 or Doomsday7 :spam_laser: not to mention Hairry-Slogger games :holiday: based on those wich craft books and nerdSIMS4 :animals_bunny: my lil sister has. :puke:

[Mizzy]

Eagle Dyamics are a very inteligent software development company with very intelligent people that are cross culture based.

 

We have Nick Gray from the 'Fighter Collection' and Igor Tishin (or rather Dr Igor Tishin) that know what they are doing and the resourses thay have to produce it. That is why we have to wait for BS and any other hi fi flight sims from them as they work to a very (VERY) different business model to the games development studios.

 

I personally would like to see something like the developers of 'Steel Beasts' are doing and start offering a pro flight sim business model that costs pro money, not game money!!!!!!

 

For instance, I would much rather pay £200 for a properly developed military flight simulation than £49 for Microsoft generic crap ;)

 

Its all about what this community is all about.. if we continue to pay game class money for what we want as true combat flight simulations, we will get what ever anyone can afford to produce for game quality simulations.

 

Its time we moved our simulation requirments to another market level and that is up to US to do so.

 

My little 2 dollars worth.

 

Mizzy.

[GGTharos]

Mizzy Steel Beasts 2 is no game ... it is missing game features like a campaign of any sort ... it is strictly a military scenario trainer :)

[Mizzy]

Mizzy Steel Beasts 2 is no game ... it is missing game features like a campaign of any sort ... it is strictly a military scenario trainer :)

 

Do you want LOMAC to be a game or a high fidelity combat simulation? This is my point;) there are so many posts here about this is not simulated right and that is not right.... blar blar blar. We cannot have it all ways can we ;)

 

Mizzy

[GGTharos]

SB is a high fidelity simulation in terms of tactics for the most part (but this too can break down) and armor penetration values, terrain usage etc.

 

It is -not- a high fidelity simulation in terms of operating a tank. :)

 

We are, i nthis respect, looking for much more with respect to LOMAC:

Hi-Fi simulation of Aircraft

Hi-Fi simulation of Air Combat Tactics

A good mission editor (which SB has, but I'd be looking for even more features)

A good campaign system (which SB certainly has not)

[Mizzy]

SB is a high fidelity simulation in terms of tactics for the most part (but this too can break down) and armor penetration values, terrain usage etc.

 

It is -not- a high fidelity simulation in terms of operating a tank. :)

 

We are, i nthis respect, looking for much more with respect to LOMAC:

Hi-Fi simulation of Aircraft

Hi-Fi simulation of Air Combat Tactics

A good mission editor (which SB has, but I'd be looking for even more features)

A good campaign system (which SB certainly has not)

 

You have completely missed my point GG, does it matter if it is a tank, a submarine, an airframe!!!. If you want true high grade fidelity of you chosen war craft, you must pay fo it in a different way to GAMES ;) hint hint.

 

Mizzy

[GGTharos]

And I think you missed mine. What you might get out of a military product might not be entertainment ;)

[Mizzy]

And I think you missed mine. What you might get out of a military product might not be entertainment ;)

 

So you are personally looking for entertainment in your simulations, not necessarily hi fidelity;)

 

We must now beg to differ, you understand that!

 

Mizzy

[GGTharos]

Nope, I'm saying that a military simulation can be easily inadequate as an entertainment product, which -is- what LOMAC is. As such, it is more demanding, and more features are needed.

[Guest IguanaKing]

Cool! Its an entertainment product, so bring on the F/A-18. We don't need no stinking NATOPS, they should just make a reasonable approximation. :D

[Mizzy]

Nope, I'm saying that a military simulation can be easily inadequate as an entertainment product, which -is- what LOMAC is. As such, it is more demanding, and more features are needed.

 

Ahhh a hybrid product in other words!!

 

Mizzy :)

[VMFA-Blaze]

Cool! Its an entertainment product, so bring on the F/A-18. We don't need no stinking NATOPS, they should just make a reasonable approximation. :D

 

You saw that post from GG concerning the F/A 18 ?

It was mentioned in the Russian forum that ED is considering modeling this air frame... I don't think that Ed would be interested in producing this without some realistic data.. So from what I've heard the earlier NAVAIR's aren't classified, but there's the entire map, ground vehicles, flight deck modeling and a number of other issues that will most likely take a lot time to simulate..

From my own view point I personally think that Ed's plate is full at the present time. But I'm guessing that because of high demand for the A/C, that when the time is right we'll all see this happen as well....

But this is purely just speculation on my part...

I mean there's that new F/A-18 add on for FSX, and those guys have been just working on just this one aircraft, and its taken them 3 years.. And its still not finished..

Also I agree with GG, about adding a little more game play, as a military flight simulator Lock On does a damn good job..

With the addition of a little more game play this would be a great commercial hit and would add a little more interest for all of us hard core Lomack fans..

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[Guest IguanaKing]

It was kind of a joke, Blaze, my brotha. :smilewink: ED can model whatever aircraft they think will be a good draw for more customers and more revenue. The only reason I give these guys such a carping about not needing NATOPS, NAVAIRs, etc. is because the LOMAC A-10, as good as it is, has quite a few glaring inaccuracies (of very simple things, BTW...nothing as complex or classified as radar or ECM) in its modelling that I'm pretty sure a closer examination of the Dash One would have corrected before it got to market and continued with the same problems for at least 3 more years...and still hasn't been fixed. ;) I'd be more than happy to accept only aircraft they can obtain full, official documentation on...and I'd be more than happy to pay well above "game rate" to get them. But, as long as things like the A-10 armament and Western NAV systems are as screwed up as they are, I'm happy to pay "game rate" and wouldn't mind if we got an approximation of an F/A-18, F-14, or F-22. I just ask that they get the basic, simple details right...nobody here can really comment on any of the other stuff...we'd never know if it was 100% accurate in the obscure areas. ;)

[MBot]

The high price tag for sims is a two sided sword. Personaly I would gladly pay 100-200$ for a fist class sim/game product and I am sure the core of the Lock On community would do aswell ( perhaps not exactly gladly tough ). After all I spent about 400$ on pedals alone...

 

It's just that the core of a community that is active on the forum and makes itselfe well heard to the developer is only a small part of the consumer base. I remember many discussion about the price tag of FC on SimHQ, and that was about something like 20$, a amount you can easely spend on drinks on a saturday evening. While a higher price tag would most likely be accepted by the Lock On community, I guess it would but off many of the "peripherical" sim community.

It's something that has happened to me too. The latest Steal Beasts sounds interesting to me, as a military simulation enthusiast I always appreciate good sims. But the high price tag prevents me from buying it, I'm just not interested enough to spend 200$ on a tanksim. For the normal price I would have given it a go. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying pricing SB PE so high is a bad move, it's just that I can life without it. If it has been a flighstim with similar qualitys I would buy it.

 

So the big question for ED is, what brings them more profit ? A normal price product for the niche simulation genre or a high price product for the hardcore combat flightsim fans, a niche of that niche genre.

[BiggestPig]

Steel Beast Pro PE

 

Little off-topic..

 

Speaking of SB.... I live in Finland, and can't get it here, at least I haven't found it. And haven't had time to search where to get it... So, does anyone know a good place where to buy it?

 

Thanks allready

[GGTharos]

steelbeasts.com

 

Order it there, they will ship it, AFAIK.

[DPS]

The obvious answer to the slow progress in development is investment (I mean money not time). I don’t know how you Russian chappies go about raising capital, but that would be one way to get the resources to move the project forwards – and you could give all the devs a motivational pay rise/bonus.

Or, and I’m playing devil’s advocate here, why not approach MS Games Studio with regards to a sale? Exchange the ED assets for Loads of Money. All the devs can then exchange snow for rain and a big salary in Seattle. The Lock On community will then get a new version every two years with the benefit of healthy add-on businesses delivering (mostly) high quality MiG-21s, Harriers, Jaguars, etc.

But there again, it’s your business so perhaps I’ll just go and mind mine.

Keep up the good work.

[leafer]

OT:

 

Is steel beast pro worth 120 U.S. dollars? I mean, while ED is draggin' their butts trying to get BS out the door, :D I'd like to get a game or gamulation or porn, well, man, something that'll hold me over till BS is released.

[BiggestPig]

Still OT

 

SB, is it worth it? Really hard to tell, but it's the only one "real" tank simulation around, so do I have a choice? And when you really want something, you maybe buy it even if the pricetag is higher than the budget (...set by your wife)

 

And ED, don't read this! :D

 

 

 

ps. 125$ is "only" 96.47€, and shipping is free :)