PMDG-747-400X

[mlegein]

"

... a small but extremely vocal portion of their customers are idiots who rant like children and are very quick to make outrageous assumptions about the product ...

Mommmmmyyyyyy!!! He's saying bad thiings about me! "

[yoni63]

""customer service is a naturally time-consuming activity" Oh, yes.. I hate that they have to deal with that... I bet it really gets into their time spending all that money they are making off of those whiners... Not disputing your view Andrew, not at all, just making a point. When you bite off such a big chunk of a business such as they have done, you better be able to chew AND digest it. This is where hiring some young "brains in training" comes in. They work for beans and are just happy that other brains are giving them the time of day. Thats why I am glad I aint a brain! Yes I said aint! "

[Avwriter]

"True enough, however, one does have to consider that this is a niche market that could not survive in a traditional corporate/retail environment. The demand just is not there. We flightsimmers are rare birds and those who provide to us do so by keeping the overhead very low (i.e. selling online to a world wide customer base and keeping the staff very small). As expensive as these add ons seem to us, when you consider the total number of people purchasing them, it still does not likely add up to very much money in the end. Think about it. They put out a new product every couple of years on average. How much money can they really make? Everyone in this industry is in the same boat, including us. I understand the furstration. I really do. I am just saying let's be carefull about who we throw overboard. We need these guys. Wilco and Captain Sim just don't cut it "

[eek]

"I'd call it a patch, since they did fix the NAI / thrust reverser issue, as well as performance enhancements. I'd like to have it just for the improved trim display. It's not really an upgrade, which in my book, makes it a patch. Whatever you call it, it's not worth $85, or even half that, after a discount. I have to disagree with the perception that these guys only got $12 and a bag of Cheetos for their efforts. How many customers would you say they have? Multiply that by the original price for the 744 pax and see what you get. Divide it up by 4 or 5 guys. I wouldn't call that poorly paid, for a few hours of work after dinner, as they claim. The Queen is a great plane, without a doubt. I don't have a problem with them making money. I'm a capitalist. I'd just like to get as much value for my money as I can. They could make it freely available to the people who will use it. Happy customers will usually come back for more. Even though I'm skipping X, I'll most likely upgrade to FS11. I'll be needing something to fly besides default aircraft. They should consider their future. There I go, beating up on them again..... I'm a baaaaaaaad boy. "

[yoni63]

Ewing! You capitolist sadist!!! LOL

[Mike Schmitt]

"Look I paid for the new 400x and love but I still use the FS9 more than FSX. Probably because I have quite a few add-on sceneries and ai airlines along with the ability to fly on VATSIM (with SB3 not very impressed yet with FSINN) that just quite frankly are not being cranked out like they used too. This in my own opinion but is probably why they offered the upgrade to FS9 the way they did. All the upgrade did was provide some FSX additions, which work I guess in FS9, to the FS9 version which I honestly have not even seen. Many simmers are just not switching over completely to FSX as in previous releases. Is it right or wrong.... not my call. I know I sure could not quit my job and live on there profits alone, nor could many of you. Really, do the math and you will see its not a lot of money once you pay your contributors and other expenses to design and market a product. Believe me I could if live on selling MSFS add-ons I would leave the airport I work at in New York minute. I love PMDG's products and will continue to buy them as long as my boss (my wife) allows me too. they release what I like. I am looking forward to the 737X next. Not too keen to the MD-11 but thats me. I am also looking into buying the Wilco series of Buses vol I and II. Hopefully things will perk up with FSX. I told friends and family maybe after the 747-400x release, now it's maybe when SB4 releases, who knows but this has been really slow process this time around in converting to the new sim."

[esurfman]

Give the guys a a break.....I'm sorry but these guys got into a job that is selling a product to the public and like the store manager used to say to me at the place I was working during my school years (and I hated it by the way): It's the customer that paying your salary. Yes they are people who complain for nothing but that comes with the territory. I also think that they make more than $12 per cd. And if they are tired because they are working part-time then they should take a brake or decide on going one way with one job or the other. We have a saying in French that say Never bite the hand that feeds you. Yes they are making the best product there is; yes they don't have to give or sell for a little price the upgrade but it's with small stuff like that that will keep your customers loyals. Otherwise some might be tempted to use pirated copies because they are not to happy with the way they are treated. I will continue to buy PMDG stuff because that is the best but if another company came along with an equally good product but that treated me a little bit better I might probably switch over. That is how companies that did really good and rest on their success and fame sometimes lose it all. Just hope PMDG can get out of this turbulence zone.