Next Airport?

[BoazDK]

Yo Martin any news??
Are you going to head in the same direction as George? Aesthetic/personal/creative prioritized? Or are you looking also at traffic usage?

I wish you would look aesthetically at busy airports, because although they are not much more concrete and glass only, the vibe at those airports with high loads of traffic are amazing, at least to some simmers and aviation enthusiasts

[cmpbllsjc]

Sales are very very poor compared to 4 years ago. Seattle sold 4.5 times the amount of Boston or Buffalo. Why I don't know; FSXs failure, shrinking spilt market

Right now Quebec(CYQB) & a new one, Graz, Austria(LOWG) are favourites.

Hi George,

I just read your comment and felt compelled to say something.

I think its hard to compare the well know destinations that were released between 2004 and 2008, with what has been released in the last two years. I mean between 2004 and 2008 you released some really popular solid destinations that many people wanted. Then as of late, besides the products that were redone to work in FSX like Vienna, St. Maarten, and Boston. you only have Hong Kong, the Grenadines and Buffalo which just came out. Even though I dont know your sales numbers I would bet that Hong Kong was a really good seller when compared to the Grenadines scenery.

You also state that Seattle sold 4.5 times the amount of Boston or Buffalo has. Well of course it has sold more that Buffalo since its been out since 2005. I wouldn't imagine that an airport that came out a week or two ago would outsell something that has already been on the market for 5 years now. Plus since Boston was an update to FS9 and new for FSX it would be hard to give as much credance to the FSX sales this soon and its hard to know how many FS9'ers have wanted to spend the additional for the update.

I don't know if it fair to say that sales are slow because of FSX being a failure, while a lot of other plane and scenery developers have been stating that FSX products are out selling their FS9 counter parts.

I have to admit that as a consumer and a big time fan of FlyTampa products, some of the products that have come out in the last two years I haven't been rushing out to get, namely the Grenadines since you cant fly airliners into any of the airports or Buffalo. Although I probably will buy Buffalo at some point, it's just not an airport that frankly I have ever given much thought to.

I can't count the amount of times I have read on this forum and other FS forums for that matter people begging for you guys to do updates of some of the older US sceneries, although now its probably to late for some of them since Flightbeam is wrapping up KSFO another outfit is working on KSAN and there has been recent activity between Junior of the former Intersim, LatinVFR, and FSDT of which one of them is going to eventually do or release KMIA.

Basically what I am trying to get at is why not start working on products that your customers are asking for? I understand that you guys want to do stuff that personally interests you, but at what point if you are really in business to make money do you decide to make what customers want or make stuff that you want and then hope that it sells well?

I would wager that if you guys developed a KPHX, KDEN, KIAH, or any number of other airports you see people constantly belly aching for, you would probably sell a reasonable amount to make it worth your while to do? Why not do a poll and ask your customers what they are wanting to buy like FSDT recently did? Those two airports you mention above, Quebec(CYQB) Graz, Austria(LOWG), frankly I have never seen anyone on any flight sim forum ask for. Is that to say they wont sell well? Not necessarly, but when you have people in droves asking for other stuff, why not give them what they want?

Anyway, these are just my opinions and being in business for myself I understand that its nice to work on projects that interest yourself, but its another to deliever stuff that people are actually asking for, especially when your are wanting to make a living doing so.

Regards

[george[flytampa]]

I would wager that if you guys developed a KPHX, KDEN, KIAH, or any number of other airports you see people constantly belly aching for, you would probably sell a reasonable amount to make it worth your while to do? Why not do a poll and ask your customers what they are wanting to buy like FSDT recently did? Those two airports you mention above, Quebec(CYQB) Graz, Austria(LOWG), frankly I have never seen anyone on any flight sim forum ask for. Is that to say they wont sell well? Not necessarly, but when you have people in droves asking for other stuff, why not give them what they want?

Anyway, these are just my opinions and being in business for myself I understand that its nice to work on projects that interest yourself, but its another to deliever stuff that people are actually asking for, especially when your are wanting to make a living doing so.

Regards

I can't do KPHX, KDEN, KIAH for two reasons.
First is i'll be broke before I finish it. It's a one man team per airport here.
Second is they are kind of un-interesting, to me.

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Many complained when I announced Seattle. I still remember how distracting that was.
Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips? Why am I expected to make Megahubs?
I've just remembered why we prefer to keep projects under wraps

[MidgeyMidget2]

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips?

I don't know if this would be possible but would an activation system sort of like FSDT has cut down on piracy?

And very good point...everyone seems to love the Orbx sceneries of these small little towns in the middle of nowhere. Personally, I don't see the point to those random airports but that's just me.

[george[flytampa]]

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips?

I don't know if this would be possible but would an activation system sort of like FSDT has cut down on piracy?

That system probably does help. Too complex for us to implement tho. I'm just a 3d guy, not a programmer.

[Silverbird]

I would wager that if you guys developed a KPHX, KDEN, KIAH, or any number of other airports you see people constantly belly aching for, you would probably sell a reasonable amount to make it worth your while to do? Why not do a poll and ask your customers what they are wanting to buy like FSDT recently did? Those two airports you mention above, Quebec(CYQB) Graz, Austria(LOWG), frankly I have never seen anyone on any flight sim forum ask for. Is that to say they wont sell well? Not necessarly, but when you have people in droves asking for other stuff, why not give them what they want?

Anyway, these are just my opinions and being in business for myself I understand that its nice to work on projects that interest yourself, but its another to deliever stuff that people are actually asking for, especially when your are wanting to make a living doing so.

Regards

I can't do KPHX, KDEN, KIAH for two reasons.
First is i'll be broke before I finish it. It's a one man team per airport here.
Second is they are kind of un-interesting, to me.

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Many complained when I announced Seattle. I still remember how distracting that was.
Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips? Why am I expected to make Megahubs?
I've just remembered why we prefer to keep projects under wraps

God no lol I personally don't see the beauty in farm strips lol small medium airports are cool. maybe. I dont know if City scenery would sell well?

[CSTT-KLAS]

Hello

you're good to airports canadians

thanks

[SpencerTAGFilms]

I have a couple of suggestions:

KOAK - Hasn't been done before (I think), would be a very cool airport to do
KSAT - Small airport, very nice city and a cool airport design
ZSPD - tell me this doesn't look awesome http://www.airliners.net/photo//0872258 ... 4bdb3a5840

[MidgeyMidget2]

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips?

I don't know if this would be possible but would an activation system sort of like FSDT has cut down on piracy?

That system probably does help. Too complex for us to implement tho. I'm just a 3d guy, not a programmer.

Oh I know...I was just bringing it up for the fun of it.

[Silverbird]

Piracy is an issue I forgot to list earlier too which probably accounts for a large amount of lost sales. Its too easy today compared to 4 years ago.

Why is no one complaining about those guys making farm strips?

I don't know if this would be possible but would an activation system sort of like FSDT has cut down on piracy?

That system probably does help. Too complex for us to implement tho. I'm just a 3d guy, not a programmer.

You could get a license from Umberto, from fsdreamteam, qualitywings uses the add-on manger also. but I don't have any idea on what the fees would be. and I don't know if Martin would like to go that route.

You can also only allow only registered users for too the support forum but then you would, I imagine have to pay for that kind of option for the fourm software to support it. and leave the gernral fourms for people asking about the products.

[MidgeyMidget2]

You could get a license from Umberto, from fsdreamteam, qualitywings uses the add-on manger also. but I don't have any idea on what the fees would be. and I don't know if Martin would like to go that route.

You can also only allow only registered users for too the support forum but then you would, I imagine have to pay for that kind of option for the fourm software to support it. and leave the gernral fourms for people asking about the products.

I'm sure that would cost quite a bit and based on what George has said, it wouldn't be economical.

[bewilder2]

I'd put up a vote for RSW, a very nice new terminal, I'm not aware of a good payware for it. (though I have been inactive in FS for a while.)

A couple of cents on the drop in sales:

1. Megahubs obviously appeal to a much wider customer base than smaller airports.

2. I know for me the lack of a new FS has been a bummer, there are a lot of issues to be fixed in FSX. A reinvigorated FS = more interest in you guys. And M$ hasn't been helpin...

3. Have you considered "code-sharing" with bigger companies? Obviously you would need to write the contract so as to not give your product away, but it is another point of sale.

4. There are a TON more payware developers now than before. I can't remember the name of the old group that used to be the big kid in town (they had MCO, LAX and more), then you came along and really blew up their market b/c your product was so much better. Now there is so many developers that produce to a much higher level that a.) you're competing for a limited amount of money to be spent on the market, and b.) it is being spread across multiple airports that covers almost everyone's home airport. Take me for example: before I was happy to buy a great MIA product, but once MSP came out, that was what I would buy, even though it was only decent, and FlyTampa's quality is great. I'm sad to say that it isn't unlikely that the other developers have picked a much more (financially) successful quality-to-price ratio. Thus, they tend to churn out products compared to you two.

But you probably already have figured this out...

[jonmkj]

I'm more of a reader than a poster on here (obviously), but I'll just throw this one out there... how about Piedmont Triad International (KGSO).

Not too big, not too small... three runways, two parallel one crosswind; perfect for what you're looking for, methinks. A severely underrepresented airport in not just FSX, but the entire line of MS flight sims over the years.

Just a few features of KGSO are:
-Serves most of the domestic airlines, both mainline and express
-Brand new parallel runway to facilitate the new Mid-Atlantic FedEx hub.
-More cargo ops with UPS, and a small Tradewinds Airlines hub
-Three FBOs for all of the General Aviation fanatics.
-Major maintenance facilities at TIMCO, and also Comair has a maintenance base there
-The corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility for Honda Aircraft (makers of the new HondaJet) are on the airfield.
-Cessna Citation center
-Guilford Technical Community College has a sizable flight school and aircraft mechanic school on the field.
-Brand new ARFF station
-And last but not least: I can get you tons and tons and tons photos of any portion of this airport that you could ever possibly ever need, any time. Ever.

So you've gotten some awesome requests for airports that I'd like to see, and you yourself has even suggested KJAX (heck yes!!!), but do consider KGSO.

[bkircher]

George, not to be rude, but you are kind of digging your own grave here or shooting yourself in the foot. You say that sales are not as good as compared to sales in the past, and I agree piracy is a bigggggg issue here. But when you ask for requests about the next airport, I totally understand where you are coming from with wanting to make an intersting airport, but do you really think there is a big market for the last few places that you have released?? Buf and the greidiens(or how ever you spell it). THose are regional airports, granted yes they are interesting thats for sure, but not a major demand in the market. If you look throughout this topic and over at fsdts two topics that are polls, look at the scenerys that are listed in them. BIG airports, that will draw alot of customers. LAX, SAN, PHX, IAH, DEN, EWR, YYZ, etc... Sure they may or may not be interesting, but they will draw sales. I personally think complaining about sales being weak is a two sided considering the past few airports that have been released by you guys.

I think you all should also look into getting FSDTS type of installer, I hear they are VERY hard to crack.

Just my thoughts.