FSX. In a statement from BlackBox Simulations today, the developer has brought to attention that they have recently lost almost 5000 Euro in Pirated Downloads. Many of you might remember the demise of PSS which was closed several years ago due to piracy. BlackBox, is basically the restart of PSS and has noted that this activity is not going to be beneficial for BBS or for their Future. I would hate to see another developer exit this market. See the link to the full statement here.
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23 comments:
Wondering where they get the number of 5000 euro from.... John Venema stated at one time "one pirated copy isn't the same as one copy not sold". Basically he said that you can not state that pirates always would have bought the addon if they wouldn't have been able to download it illegaly.
Personally I believe John's right... I think most pirates are just kids who are unable to afford the addon's published especially since the pricetags of those addon's seems to be increasing steadily lately.... T2G MMMX 30 euro, PMDG 777 75 euro, FTXG 85 euro.... It's a lot of money for youngsters....
Not approving the piracy practise, but I do understand where it's coming from....
I'm really sorry but what exactly did they expect?!? To see that our World is immune from pirates? Unfortunately, it's not true! And will never be. Period.
I'd put it better - what's BB's real concern? That they lost 5K in downloads. I say compare that with what other professional developers lose every single day - Orbx and PMDG to name a few.
Stop whining, BB, please! That's enough, really... Hiding your head in sand doesn't mean you can disappear suddenly for an infinite period and re-appear in a new mantle offering the same quality again... and for years. You must be really concerned about the quality of your products and NOT your lost profit collected for undeveloped product.
Sorry if it hurts but that's what one of your ex-buyers think!
Well I would have to assume they're alluding to their A320 and A330 prologue products. Of which neither is in finished state yet but they are selling regardless.
I for one will never buy an unfinished product. Been burnt once by Airsimmer and I've learned my lesson. Also developed quite a jaded view of developers in light of this. To think everyone downloading free copies of their prologue products equates to lost revenue is a bit over the top.
I think most people can appreciate quality work and are willing to pay for it. I can also appreciate that people would like to try things out before they put down their money to ensure their is value in the product.
Perhaps Blackbox should not be so upset about seeing their products on file sharing sites but instead focus on making the best product they possibly ca and then those that have tried the prologue product (for free) will buy the finished state once its released.
I think FlyTampa, FlightBeam, PMDG do ok for revenue, in spite of piracy because people are willing to pay for high quality products. Not everyone, but I think most.
I think it's pretty simple. Don't cut corners, don't make things that are just good enough. But put the effort into everything you do to exceed expectations. If only the world would work like this once again. But perhaps Blackbox is more obsessed with revenue rather than quality.
Also with BB, when you pay a product, the customer hope have a minimum service ...
If you pay BB product and you have a problem with their prologues, not hope receive help from BB ... they are never answer !
As kids we copied and swapped computer games in the 80's on cassette tapes. The computer game industry boomed nevertheless! Sounds to me like BB are getting their excuses in early...
It is totally irrelevant what BB motivation is. All the excuses in the world still does NOT warrant STEALING !! Plain and simple.
My thoughts exactly. I actually had to moderate a couple posts of pepole promoting such actions.
I will always pay for a quality add on by a developer I want to see grow and stay around, orbx, pmdg, fly tampa to name a few.
One other thing: Karl said it best about making the best product possible. Think of the effort PMDG put forth into the 777...THAT should be the design/business model that others should aspire to be.
Jim, please don't post the same comment so many times!
A few points:
A pirated copy does not equate to a lost sale. Such thinking is very simplistic and utterly flawed.
Software piracy is not theft. Theft, by definition, involves depriving the rightful owner of a physical object. Unless I'm mistaken no software pirate has ever been convicted of "theft". Please ditch the hyperbole as it does not help the debate.
PSS did not go under because of piracy. They went under because their last two products to be released were shoddy in the extreme, bugged and unfinished. Certain aspects of their development lagged far behind contemporary *freeware* and their customer support was very poor. They sunk themselves.
Now they're back re-branded as BBS and selling unfinished products - at least they're being honest about it this time!
Whilst I wholeheartedly condemn the pirates who are damaging our hobby, I also condemn BBS for following an equally damaging and disingenuous business model. How often are the development updates for the "Prologue" A320 and A330 coming now? Anyone think they have any real incentive left to continue the development when they've already got peoples' money?
Gee, I did not know BB was in the shipping business. I thought they made add-ons for Flight Simulator!
But I guess they were operating a ship, -- off of the coast of Somalia where piracy is rampant. I am also assuming some guys wearing eye partches, with a parrot on their shoulders and who say "Aaaaargh" climbed upon their ship, cutlesses between their teeth, and said "Ahoy! Maytees! Give me you software."
And that these pirates made off with some $5,000 in disks which were being transported on BB's ship.
Seriously, there is something very rich about a software developer who was selling unfinished beta software, promising to finish it over a year ago, who is now complaining about being robbed.
It seems that the solution to the whole thing would be for BB to release Version 1.0 of the software, thereby making the beta versions obsolete. That this seems to be an issue indicates that version 1.0 will not be released anytime in the foreseeable future.
Here at McPhat we stopped caring about our work being pirated a long, long time ago. It's part of the game, the sooner you accept it, the more time you can spend on developing instead of getting all worked up about lost sales.
Personally? When I see our work all over the place, I think to myself:
"Wauw, people must really like our shit!"
Terrence
Here at McPhat we stopped caring about our work being pirated a long, long time ago. It's part of the game, the sooner you accept it, the more time you can spend on developing instead of getting all worked up about lost sales.
Personally? When I see our work all over the place, I think to myself:
"Wauw, people must really like our shit!"
I'd like to know how they came up with that figure? Unless they are monitoring all the pirated websites, ftp sites, torrents, vpn's, etc. its impossible to know.
It's guesstimating - you base it on actual product sold and create a risk factor. I.e. For every 100 legitimate copies we sell we believe (through some research) that 1 copy will be pirated. So 1/100. If the product costs $10 and they have sold 1000 then they have lost $100 to piracy
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\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 It's guesstimating - you base it on actual product sold and create a risk factor. I.e. For every 100 legitimate copies we sell we believe (through some research) that 1 copy will be pirated. So 1/100. If the product costs $10 and they have sold 1000 then they have lost $100 to piracy}
It is a shame, and I don't want developers to go away because of pirating, but you should assume most people pirating your software wouldn't have been a customer anyway. Therefore you can't consider every pirated download as a lost sale. Regardless, it needs to stop.
It is a shame, and I don't want developers to go away because of pirating, but you should assume most people pirating your software wouldn't have been a customer anyway. Therefore you can't consider every pirated download as a lost sale. Regardless, it needs to stop.
Dear BlackBox,
Make a product worth paying for and maybe it won't be pirated so much. Also, learn to give your customers support, and get your heads out of the clouds, your Airbuses are not the most realistic thing to happen to FS. In fact, they aren't even close. Fix your business, fix your product, and stop your complaining.
Yours truly
Ryan
Lets not get too harsh please....
+1,000,000
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