Why the expense?

[icarus]

I'm usuing phoenix for at least an hour a day and have absolutely no complaints but just wondered why its so expensive in relation to other computer programs.
I'm not into games at all but I see my kids playing on really high end games which are at the cutting edge of gaming/require high end graphics cards etc and they can buy them for £35.

So where does the money go on Phoenix which costs over double?

I'm assuming its because its not a program which will sell millions and is being developed by a small team not a million dollar company?

[Fixxxer]

Yep, ya pretty much answered your own question, Video games etc have a mass market but theres only a small handfull of rc enthusiasts in relation to this. Mind you, £80 for something you will likely use for hundreds of hours is a damn good investment.

[golddust]

£80 for something to save you possibly £1000's is even better I think.

[Disc]

Could be worse some Sims are 130 pounds

80 pounds sim wise = bargin

Remeber not as many copys of this type of software will sell compared to games. Games sell 100,000 to millons world wide.

[Gaza07]

And free updates
Worth every penny and maybe more but dont tell the phoenix team that

[warboysastro]

...not to mention the dongle production costs. How many mind-numbing games come with a dongle to prevent copying or attach your transmitter? Not many! Also packaging, marketing, distribution, advertising... it all mounts up.

I don't think we'll see Lambo's and Ferrari's at the next 3DM car park somehow, driven by the Phoenix development team lol

Cheers - Rob

[Made2Fade]

Just as well you didnt buy one of the other sims then as there like 120 quid plus.
Lee

[icarus]

I'm not complaining, £80 is cheap when you consider the amount of use it gets compared to my real heli set-up which cost probably 10 times as much.

I just wanted to confirm my theory, often in these sports/hobbies the punter seems to pay over the odds for stuff and the only thing I could think of was a small sales audience which means the price has to be whacked up to make it cost effective.

I know a couple of gaming nerds who would probably be interested in this type of thing, also as its a 'boys toys' sport there are probably lots of people who would have a punt...I got into heli's via a bloke at my shooting club, as he was telling me about his heli's there must have been half a dozen people who joined in the conversation and expressed an interest.

BUT...I only found out about Phoenix by asking in the model shop and coming on this site. I'm sure a better marketing/advertising strategy would raise sales hugely if pitched properly, then we'd all benefit (and we might see some of those Ferrari's mentioned earlier).

[warboysastro]

Maybe it could be pitched, with a cheap transmitter, in the likes of Nutz or Stuff magazine, as an on-screen (realistic) alternative to actual model flying? Especially the on-line aspect... It'd probably appeal, you're right. I should suggest it to them.

I can just see the virtual flying fields filling up with lager fuelled lads after a night out, causing havoc with varous models - not to mention the choice of on-line names

Cheers - Rob

[golddust]

If the sim is a tad too expensive/pricey. Then I would suggest that a heli is beyond reach!

[Randall]

I'm not complaining, £80 is cheap when you consider the amount of use it gets compared to my real heli set-up which cost probably 10 times as much.

I just wanted to confirm my theory, often in these sports/hobbies the punter seems to pay over the odds for stuff and the only thing I could think of was a small sales audience which means the price has to be whacked up to make it cost effective.

I know a couple of gaming nerds who would probably be interested in this type of thing, also as its a 'boys toys' sport there are probably lots of people who would have a punt...I got into heli's via a bloke at my shooting club, as he was telling me about his heli's there must have been half a dozen people who joined in the conversation and expressed an interest.

BUT...I only found out about Phoenix by asking in the model shop and coming on this site. I'm sure a better marketing/advertising strategy would raise sales hugely if pitched properly, then we'd all benefit (and we might see some of those Ferrari's mentioned earlier).

Thats interesting what do you shoot ? I have a few rifles myself i shoot mainly PCP with a logun axsor ect but now and again a bit of 12

[icarus]

If the sim is a tad too expensive/pricey. Then I would suggest that a heli is beyond reach!

Possibly but you are missing the point.

Everyone I've spoken to at work or socially have all expressed an interest in flying heli's - until I tell them how much it costs.
Further to that its not the actual cost in buying a set-up, the major hurdle is the cost in buying it when they consider they might not like it or keep it up.

If one of these 'proper' sims could be bought a little more cheaply I'm sure they'd sell a lot more, the overriding comments when I've mentioned Phoenix to mates is "£80 for a computer program/game, are you nuts?", explaining its not a game is pointless to someone who hasn't yet been bitten by the bug.

The end result would be more people using sims and more people flying heli's, which has to be a good thing (despite what the RC snobs think).

I'm not banging a drum here, its no big deal to me as I'll continue with my hobby regardless but just thought it was a point worth making.

[Randall]

look at the price of microsoft flight simulator when a new one comes out ! end of the day i would not be happy if suddenly i went to go flying and there is 3 times the amount of flyers at my patch! you would never get flights in its almost an exclusive sport and i think it has that special feel to it becuase of that. Just my thoughts

Jay

[icarus]

Thats interesting what do you shoot ? I have a few rifles myself i shoot mainly PCP with a logun axsor ect but now and again a bit of 12

I also have some PCP's, favorite is my trusty Daystate Harrier.
Also rimfire, clays and some military stuff.

TBH I haven't fired a rifle for fun in well over a year, spent too much time in dodgy areas of the Middle East, gonna take a break from shooting for the forseeable future.

[icarus]

end of the day i would not be happy if suddenly i went to go flying and there is 3 times the amount of flyers at my patch! you would never get flights in

You would think so, but look how popular football is and you can always get a game on a saturday if you want to. If it got bigger they'd build more 'patches'.

If you build it they will come...........