RIO/WISO/Crew Packages in Store

[linken711]

On 10/15/2021 at 10:34 AM, cfrag said:

While I'm not wild about the idea of RIO-only licenses for practical and financial viability reasons, what you say above is looking at a somewhat incomplete picture. While it's true that there aren't savings to be made to material nor labor for reducing cost, there's also no additional expense when selling additional units, so there's an argument to be made for additional sell-through offsetting lost revenue (assuming no cannibalization of sales). I need also point out that ED does regularly offer discounts (I bought almost a third of my modules with one discount or the other - most recently the Apache at 30%!), so it's definitely not out of the question for ED to sell products at discounted price (the calculation of course being that the lower income is offset by higher sales volume). Product pricing is elastic, and production cost alone does not work with immaterial products such as software, art or services (the classic example for the latter being a cup of coffee: the cost to produce a cup of coffee is some 24 cents. How then can it be explained that the exact same mixture of coffee and hot water can be profitably sold at prices ranging from less than 1 Dollar to more than 7 at some coffee shops? Because the product includes intangibles like experience and service)

That being said, any modification to an existing product, or creating a derivative product always introduces additional up-front cost, and I am entirely unconvinced that a niche product like RIO-only license could ever recapture the investment or additional support requirements.  I would prefer if ED went the other way: offer the ability to fly RIO in the Tomcat for free. It's not as if a Cat RIO can fly the plane, and I don't believe anyone would ever be persuaded to buy half the module just to assume the role of RIO. It would, however, be a terrific way to show people what immensely great a time can be had in DCS outside of the Su25 or dinky TF-51. But RIO-only licenses - half the cost for a tenth of the fun? That's a business case that's not going to end well.

 

Well, I for one would buy a RIO-license at an instant as CO-OP is awesome. I have no interest in flying the turkey so I will never buy the full module, but being a RIO during squad missions would be great.

[TheQuadfather]

This. Its like doing multicrew with the Appache, Hind, or Huey. Discounted seats would be amazing to get people in from ARMA, War Thunder and other games.

[Silver_Dragon]

That is only plausible if ED change the Multiplayer, Multicrew and the module building on core to get free slots. A 3rd party cant mod a module to get that funtionality. Other problem will be the license system.