Would you pay $500 for a flight sim?

[Bedouin]

To pay 500$ for a flight sim, would be acceptable if the quality matches.. I paided 750$ for VBS-2 so a payout in this size won't be a discussion for me...

 

Just a few months ago i bought a new gaming rig for almost 4000$ so its a passionate there can be exspensive..

[Succellus]

I would and gladly if the sim is good and that would last long.

I ve probably shelled more than 15000,00 USD since i ve started flight simming, in hardware and software upgrades, shoddy and good sims, diverses hardware and software peripherals, cockpit building etc.

And i will probably shell near 1000,00 this year only improving my pit.

 

Ask your friend if he would buy shiny new equipments just to play a single game. and one year later have to buy all again for another single game ?

 

Secondly Tell him that if is the problem is cost, so he should skydive, now he will see what cost are.

 

(comment to be taken on a joking tone)

BTW, is he courageous enought to jump from a plane at 12000 feet high at 130 mph hoping a sheet of tissue will stop his ground crashing ? Or does he prefer to keep being banged in his holliday-on-ice arena ?

[Succellus]

No, full stop, end of story. As you may have noticed, flight sims are priced more or less like other games. There's a reason for this, but I'll leave this as an exercise for the reader.

 

Your friend is comparing apples and oranges.

 

Just because it doesn t exist in the market, it doesn t mean it wouldn t work.

[GGTharos]

It won't work, and that's why it isn't being done.

 

Just because it doesn t exist in the market, it doesn t mean it wouldn t work.

[Agg]

I cannot image myself buying a sim for $500, but on the other hand I can image myself spending $500 for an airshow trip.

I spend much more than $500 on airshows trips every year, so Im with you on that. I would probably be willing to pay more than $500 for "the perfect sim". And by the way, the retail license for Prepar3d is $499, not that I would pay that much for a pimped up version of FSX, but I know people who will.

[Speed]

Yes, I would most definitely pay $500 for a flight sim- if I got to try that flight sim out first. A 30 day eval period, after which, I would either have to uninstall or buy it. Would I pay that much for DCS? Probably- but I wouldn't want to have to spend $200 on compatability patches :)

 

If DCS was more stable in multiplayer (it seems to go through cycles of stable and unstable), if DCS had multicore support, if it had a dynamic campaign, if you could walk around your jet and get into and out of it WITHOUT having to eject (and this feature worked in multiplayer) then I'd probably be willing to pay $1000 for it.

 

The simple fact of the matter is, which the amount of time I spend messing with DCS, the amount of money I've sunk into peripherals such as Track IRs and HOTAS sticks, I would certainly be willing to spend more money on the game itself that makes this all possible. Then it's also not just the money expenditure I already make, but the fact that I spend far, far more money on other hobbies that I spend far, far less time doing. I have a $12k+ large dobsonian telescope I only get to use one night a month (for an avg of about 8-9 hours a month), and that's if I'm lucky. I have been known to spend 8-9 hours a DAY doing various things with DCS. It makes absolutely no logical sense to be willing to pay $12k on a telescope I get to use like 100 hours a year, yet not be willing to spend more than $500 on a piece of software I use far, far more.

 

Anyone who is truly a fan of flight sims and yet wouldn't pay significantly more than $60 on one just isn't a logical thinker, or is incredibly broke. In almost all cases, it's the former, because if it was the latter, then they wouldn't have the computer to run the sim in the first place.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Speed

[Speed]

$500 for a sim? Hell, I'd pay $500 for a decent mission planner and weapon delivery planner I could use to set up my DTC and calculate my attack profiles etc.

 

Umm....

 

Really?

 

Hmmm

[Eddie]

Umm....

 

Really?

 

Hmmm

 

Yep (and yes I am a bit mental). But in all seriousness, what I'm thinking of when I say Mission/Weapons delivery planner would have to be sold for that sort of price. I ain't talking the little apps you get for BMS, I'm talking real world functionality. ;)

 

I actually enjoy the planning part just as much as the flying part, sometimes more so.

[Kalahari]

I've already paid close to a thousand bucks for A-10,HOTAS and the rudder pedals. Its my hobby,same as I couldn't pay 50 dollars to watch an ice hockey game.

[Speed]

I've already paid close to a thousand bucks for A-10,HOTAS and the rudder pedals. Its my hobby,same as I couldn't pay 50 dollars to watch an ice hockey game.

 

With $50, you couldn't pay me to watch a hockey game either. Or with $500 for that matter :D

Edited January 20, 2012 by Speed

[dooom]

i think the argument shoudl be framed as an experiential one.

 

What i can't understand is that there is a massive market for one-time experiential purchses many of us make such as a telescope, Snowmobile, Concert, Final game , or even ask yourselves...

 

"Would you pay $500 to ride along in a F18 on a Milk run patrol once?"

 

Yet I get the sense that many would not pay this amount for a repeatable experience such as a super high-fidelity simulation. Is the market honest with itself and are developers truely assessing potential? yes, you may loose 90% of your market but if the remaining 10% paid 100X more would you not have a viable product? I am not convinced he argument is apples to oranges if you admit that we as consumers spend our money on "experiences" as opposed to "things"

[Succellus]

I spend much more than $500 on airshows trips every year, so Im with you on that. I would probably be willing to pay more than $500 for "the perfect sim". And by the way, the retail license for Prepar3d is $499, not that I would pay that much for a pimped up version of FSX, but I know people who will.

 

It won't work, and that's why it isn't being done.

 

Well GG its seem you re maybe wrong.

[element1108]

With $50, you couldn't pay me to watch a hockey game either. Or with $500 for that matter :D

 

You're a Texan, what do you guys care about hockey ;). Fooooootballllllll/baseball = the world

[GGTharos]

It would seem I'm not. The market itself is the evidence. A few people on a forum don't make up a market.

 

If you charge $500 for a sim, you better be selling it to professional organizations 'cause other than a few die-hards, you won't be getting customers from the 'entertainment sector'.

 

Well GG its seem you re maybe wrong.

[Speed]

You're a Texan, what do you guys care about hockey ;). Fooooootballllllll/baseball = the world

 

Wrong. I'm not from Texas. And not a Texan. Alabama is where I'm from, though you probably don't understand the significance of that since you failed to recognize the Auburn University logo. Football is more important in Alabama than in Texas, after all, what else does Alabama have? :D Don't get be wrong, there's alot of great things about Alabama, but Alabamians are nationally recognized for their obsession with football, more so than any other state. But this only displays the natural wisdom of the people of Alabama at recognizing the greatest sport ever invented by mankind, the sport that all other sports are compared to and aspire to become.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Speed

[Irregular programming]

I have paid 1000$ for a sim (only software), periferals excluded, and it wasn't even perfect, but no I do not think there is a market for it more than a selected few.

 

If we are to talk periferals, I spent 3000$ buying hardware just for this sim. Heck my joystick costs 1000$ alone and that is not even included in the previous sum. Add to that TrackIR 4, My pedals etc etc.

 

Anyway your friend is pretty dumb if he thinks that someone else has less of a hobby because his is more expensive. Is riding for example more of a hobby than ice hockey? I got a relative with a 30000$ worth of stamps in a bank vault, your friend must kick himself daily for choosing ice hockey which clearly isn't the "best" hobby to have. ;)

Edited January 20, 2012 by Irregular programming

[hassata]

When it comes time to put up or shut up, I suspect many of us would shy away. And as GGTharos stated above, a few crazy die-hards like me and Succellus would hardly justify a business model. Might be different if a specialty or niche company put together a tuned PC, peripherals, optimized software etc. in one package. I could see myself paying for that.

[cichlidfan]

Football is more important in Alabama than in Texas, after all, what else does Alabama have? :D

 

Been there. They have cotton, too!:D

[Bushmanni]

Like GG said, it's not if people will buy it or not but how many people will buy it. With 500$ only the die-hard simmers would be interested. That might be only 1-5% of the customer base of 50$ product. Do the math and you will understand. You just won't generate the same total sales income with higher priced product as you would with cheaper one.

[hassata]

Like GG said, it's not if people will buy it or not but how many people will buy it. With 500$ only the die-hard simmers would be interested. That might be only 1-5% of the customer base of 50$ product. Do the math and you will understand. You just won't generate the same total sales income with higher priced product as you would with cheaper one.

 

Bingo

[Tehrawk]

No.

[Cali]

Hell, if EDs sales person reads here, we're screwed :p

 

:megalol: thats it!

[PeterP]

This is just hypothetical :

 

I would spend 500 (even with the 1.1.1.1 DCS version) if this would include some "expand costumer service" -- I hope you get my point.

 

For example:

You are a "power user" that plan to build a own cockpit... ,ect. and you want to make sure that you get "special" service to solve the problems you encounter.

 

( just a example where I would like to see a support)

and here is a actual problem I'm facing:

I want to add FFB to my rudder in BS2 - but DCS only 'talks' to two axis at the same time....

 

And here is the crucial point:

I wouldn't only expect a answer if this is possible or not...

I would expect that it will be solved if there is no appropriate answer for my problem.. and that it will be also done in a short time-span. ( as long I ask for nothing impossible - but who knows when this line is crossed ?!)

Edited January 20, 2012 by PeterP

[Headspace]

The VBS2 thing sort of validates this; a relative handful of users bought it privately, even after the "personal edition" came out. The market is used to a ~$50-60 USD price point on games.

[element1108]

Wrong. I'm not from Texas. And not a Texan. Alabama is where I'm from, though you probably don't understand the significance of that since you failed to recognize the Auburn University logo. Football is more important in Alabama than in Texas, after all, what else does Alabama have? :D Don't get be wrong, there's alot of great things about Alabama, but Alabamians are nationally recognized for their obsession with football, more so than any other state. But this only displays the natural wisdom of the people of Alabama at recognizing the greatest sport ever invented by mankind, the sport that all other sports are compared to and aspire to become.

 

Yeah i thought it could have been U Austin. Either way the south and hockey don't seem to get along well. But that's fine as everybody is into football :D I can respect that. I learned something new about Alamians :book:

 

On topic: I would pay $500 for a "perfect combat flight sim", it would be put through my personal ringer of consideration, I would basically study it online (forums, YouTube vids) for a full year before I made a commitment.