F-4E Preorders?

[Horns]

Just wondering if Heatblur expect to offer preorders when the time comes, or will you just list it once it enters Early Access? According to Wags here preorders are still a thing, even though they may not have been done lately.

Thanks

Edited January 12, 2023 by Horns
Added link to other thread

[McCloud]

I think it will just be released into early access. 

[Elf1606688794]

10 minutes ago, McCloud said:

I think it will just be released into early access. 

The Tomcat and Supercarrier are Heatblur products and both were offered on preorders. So maybe it will be a preorder, maybe not.

[trevoC]

Forgive me if I fail to see the logic behind a pre-order piece of software. What am I missing unless the pre-orders are used to fund the project.

Pre-orders are a thing to ensure you get a piece of the available stock on the immediate release of a physical product. If you can just purchase the item upon release whenever you like, what is the point in pre-ordering it?

[Horns]

1 minute ago, Elf1606688794 said:

The Tomcat and Supercarrier are Heatblur products and both were offered on preorders. So maybe it will be a preorder, maybe not.

Yeah, HB are ofc the only ones who can give a definitive answer, so I’m hoping @IronMike or someone will reply

1 minute ago, trevoC said:

Forgive me if I fail to see the logic behind a pre-order piece of software. What am I missing unless the pre-orders are used to fund the project.

Pre-orders are a thing to ensure you get a piece of the available stock on the immediate release of a physical product. If you can just purchase the item upon release whenever you like, what is the point in pre-ordering it?

There is generally a discount involved, and it’s a way to get some of the devs’ financial outlay back to them faster

[Elf1606688794]

4 minutes ago, trevoC said:

Forgive me if I fail to see the logic behind a pre-order piece of software. What am I missing unless the pre-orders are used to fund the project.

Pre-orders are a thing to ensure you get a piece of the available stock on the immediate release of a physical product. If you can just purchase the item upon release whenever you like, [b]what is the point in pre-ordering it?[/b]

Pre-orders let me throw my money at them sooner.

[trevoC]

more discount than early access?

[Elf1606688794]

5 minutes ago, Horns said:

Yeah, HB are ofc the only ones who can give a definitive answer, so I’m hoping @IronMike or someone will reply

That would be nice of @IronMike wouldn't it?

Now that we've both lit the bat signal for IronMike maybe he'll drop by and give us the lowdown on this.

[Ala13_ManOWar]

5 minutes ago, trevoC said:

more discount than early access?

Usually yes, but that's up to the publisher. Not all of them offer the same level of discount. Being ED it's usually 30% of in pre-order, 20% early access, but I don't recall what HB did when Tomcat happened, I don't think they offered massive discounts, they don't even now.

[Horns]

12 minutes ago, trevoC said:

more discount than early access?

I had thought so, but actually now I’m not sure…

My own interest is more about whether we can expect a preorder window between the 'first look' videos and the release into EA. If HB are doing preorders we'll know at any point before the pre-order gets listed we'll have between a couple of weeks and a few months before the module becomes available. Doesn't make a difference now, but once we start seeing hype videos it might. Preorders went for a few months for the F-14.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Horns
Rephrase

[Ala13_ManOWar]

8 minutes ago, Horns said:

I had thought so, but actually now I’m not sure…

My own interest is more about how we can expect the pre-launch schedule to go

By the looks of it (Heatblut announcement for further details) it will be a full module and mostly feature complete for the early model they announced. It was the same with Tomcat, and I don't think it'll have any huge discount if it's full module.

Schedule itself, just await patiently like everybody else . I don't think it'll take a lot now from the "unveil" said by HB to release.

[Stackup]

34 minutes ago, Elf1606688794 said:

The Tomcat and Supercarrier are Heatblur products and both were offered on preorders. So maybe it will be a preorder, maybe not.

Supercarrier is not a Heatblur product.  It's made by ED which is why the Forrestal has no deck crew.

[Horns]

9 minutes ago, Ala13_ManOWar said:

By the looks of it (Heatblut announcement for further details) it will be a full module and mostly feature complete for the early model they announced. It was the same with Tomcat, and I don't think it'll have any huge discount if it's full module.

Schedule itself, just await patiently like everybody else . I don't think it'll take a lot now from the "unveil" said by HB to release.

Yeah, agreed about waiting patiently - personally, I think the more complete it is when we get our hands on it the better. I made some comments in another thread that assumed a preorder window (I didn't realize that's not a given anymore), so if I gave the wrong information I'd like to go back and put my hand up is all  If Mike is a little too busy right now that's perfectly understandable!

[silverdevil]

1 hour ago, trevoC said:

more discount than early access?

this is the way most if not all pre-orders DCS has had. i am pretty sure F-14 had one. 

[trevoC]

just struck me strange to pre-order an item that can't be out of stock.

I own almost all the modules and I don't ever remember a pre-order situation but I do come and go from DCS so many may have happened during my absence.

[RaceFuel85]

6 minutes ago, trevoC said:

just struck me strange to pre-order an item that can't be out of stock.

I own almost all the modules and I don't ever remember a pre-order situation but I do come and go from DCS so many may have happened during my absence.

The F-14, F-16, F/A-18, A-10C Update, etc all had pre-purchases. 

 

[RevampedGrunt]

AH-64 also had a pre-order in August or October of 2021 and then came out after a delay or two. 

[Stackup]

To add to the list, the Mosquito also had a preorder and Razbam has stated the Strike Eagle will have a preorder as well.

[Elf1606688794]

8 hours ago, Stackup said:

Supercarrier is not a Heatblur product.  It's made by ED which is why the Forrestal has no deck crew.

That's right, my bad.

[Czechnology]

Best just to wait lads. Mike was kind enough to give us a pretty decently sized update message in the other thread "No official news?", then the big update on their facebook, best not to get spoiled and expect him to respond to every question.

[cfrag]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:56 PM, trevoC said:

Forgive me if I fail to see the logic behind a pre-order piece of software.

From a customer's perspective they can commit a sale sight-unseen and satisfy a craving, maybe even get some bragging rights (the more extreme version of this is crowd-funding a project. My opinion an that model is ambiguous at best). All benefits are intangible, and the risk is entirely the customer's.

From the vendor's perspective the logic is compelling:

• They can generate income early to pay off funding debt, and reduce the outstanding interest fees
• They have a first indication of customer demand, and can adjust the planned marketing phase accordingly
• They can point to a loyal customer base who are willing to purchase high-risk, sight unseen as a proof of high quality and good reputation. This they can use to convince potential investors to come aboard, or get better terms on financing/refinancing a project. 
• The pre-sales phase cannot be slowed or sabotaged by bad reviews (a risk even perfect products run - because: Internet)
• Done correctly, a pre-sales phase can generate buzz and therefore free marketing

So am I crazy enough to fork over my hard-earned cash for a product sight-unseen, high-risk to be exploited by HB's management?

You bet I am.

[JOYFUL_CLOVR]

Most likely it will be a pre-order following suit to the previous modules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[freehand]

7 hours ago, cfrag said:

From a customer's perspective they can commit a sale sight-unseen and satisfy a craving, maybe even get some bragging rights (the more extreme version of this is crowd-funding a project. My opinion an that model is ambiguous at best). All benefits are intangible, and the risk is entirely the customer's.

From the vendor's perspective the logic is compelling:

• They can generate income early to pay off funding debt, and reduce the outstanding interest fees
• They have a first indication of customer demand, and can adjust the planned marketing phase accordingly
• They can point to a loyal customer base who are willing to purchase high-risk, sight unseen as a proof of high quality and good reputation. This they can use to convince potential investors to come aboard, or get better terms on financing/refinancing a project. 
• The pre-sales phase cannot be slowed or sabotaged by bad reviews (a risk even perfect products run - because: Internet)
• Done correctly, a pre-sales phase can generate buzz and therefore free marketing

So am I crazy enough to fork over my hard-earned cash for a product sight-unseen, high-risk to be exploited by HB's management?

You bet I am.

What ever are you talking about. 

[cfrag]

25 minutes ago, freehand said:

What ever are you talking about. 

The logic behind pre-orders. I was responding to the text that I quoted.

Edited January 17, 2023 by cfrag

[trevoC]

I didn't say I didn't see the logic for the developer. That part is apparent. You can't really compare crowd funding a product to pre-ordering a finished product.