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The Staff of SOH
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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Alphasim....how the mighty have fallen, discuss!
- Thread starter calypsos
- Start date
O
oldhand
Guest
All the theories in this thread are a galaxy removed from the real reasons behind the apparent fall from grace of AS. As an ex-AS dev I am qualified to say that. Time to leave AS alone and let Phil regroup. AS will be back in strength having learnt from past mistakes.
krazycolin
Banned
as another ex dev from AS, I sure hope that's true.
N
NoShades
Guest
I thank Alphasim --Alphasim phil was the first guy to take me in a few years ago to do some stuff..if he needs something--I'll be there.. I think its the economy thing going on..New Zealand is taking a hit too
Hope and change = Desparatley hoping with only a bit a change in yer pockets
Hope and change = Desparatley hoping with only a bit a change in yer pockets
peter12213
FSX Acceleration!
Well heres my opinion, I'm gutted by them of late, I'm a buyer of the C-17 (Will I get a VC?) and I'm dying for there Jaguar too, but I have to say and I'm a beliver in good things come to those who wait (But I don't drink Gayness lol) I will have lost one of my fave dev's if Alpha goes down the pan thats for sure!
Yes to a certain extent but the ecomony hasn't been hit as bad as some other countries....I'm sure 90% of Alphasim sales wil be outside NZ anyway as we are just too small.
T
tigisfat
Guest
A couple points:
--People have been producing conjecture about the downfall of Alphasim forever. They once produced a jillion models a year, they once had a jillion employees. Production times are on a J-curve in flight simming. The great Mike Stone used to barrage us with models we loved constantly, that simply cannot be done anymore with the clarity and fidelity demanded from competitive products now. To sum it up, it's possible that Alphasim is on a very acceptable production schedule given the complexity of their projects in addition to the amount of employees they have.
--As bitter as people claim to be about Alphasim, they keep coming back. Why? Developers plan projects smartly for the most part. They don't like to do what others have done, and they produce to fill our needs. When we all are foaming at the mouth for a native FSX jaguar (and starting gripe at alphasim threads the whole time) and Phil releases one, who'd gonna buy it? You're darn right we are. Don't talk about poor customer treatment and services from Phil (yes, I've been burned too) because Alphasim's other employees have met us in every forum for solutions and handed out personal email addresses to assist us many times.
--Alphasim has possibly reached a point where they have a fairly decent lineup of products that are still selling. Most other devs are killing themselves getting their fourth aircraft out. Less visibility and releases do not bequeath the fall of Alphasim.
--The departure of some of our favorite artists and developers over the years from Alphasim employment do not neccesarily mean that Alphasim will fail. Probably half the big names I can think of 'round these parts used to work for Alphasim and Alphasim kept going.
--Internal conflicts and pay problems? We only think we know what's going on because maybe a few friends have told us bits and pieces. I've been privy to a chunk of Alphasim drama over the last few years, and I'm sure I don't know the half of it. The drama goes both ways from owners to employees and from employees to owners, and it's common in business.
--Piracy? I don't advocate it, participate in it or see any justification, but let's be real. Piracy's impact on the software industry CANNOT be quantified, and thus, the 'fall of Alphasim' can't be blamed on it. Blaming poor sales on piracy in a rough economy is BS. 99.99999999% of the time, a pirate was never going to buy it anyway, so no money was lost. There are also no lost manufacturing or production efforts on a single pirated piece of software if it's downloaded. The only thing that happened is some jerk has something illegally that he has no right to use. On the same token, price increases to account for piracy are BS, because there is no way to substantiatei your liquidated damages from piracy.
--People have been producing conjecture about the downfall of Alphasim forever. They once produced a jillion models a year, they once had a jillion employees. Production times are on a J-curve in flight simming. The great Mike Stone used to barrage us with models we loved constantly, that simply cannot be done anymore with the clarity and fidelity demanded from competitive products now. To sum it up, it's possible that Alphasim is on a very acceptable production schedule given the complexity of their projects in addition to the amount of employees they have.
--As bitter as people claim to be about Alphasim, they keep coming back. Why? Developers plan projects smartly for the most part. They don't like to do what others have done, and they produce to fill our needs. When we all are foaming at the mouth for a native FSX jaguar (and starting gripe at alphasim threads the whole time) and Phil releases one, who'd gonna buy it? You're darn right we are. Don't talk about poor customer treatment and services from Phil (yes, I've been burned too) because Alphasim's other employees have met us in every forum for solutions and handed out personal email addresses to assist us many times.
--Alphasim has possibly reached a point where they have a fairly decent lineup of products that are still selling. Most other devs are killing themselves getting their fourth aircraft out. Less visibility and releases do not bequeath the fall of Alphasim.
--The departure of some of our favorite artists and developers over the years from Alphasim employment do not neccesarily mean that Alphasim will fail. Probably half the big names I can think of 'round these parts used to work for Alphasim and Alphasim kept going.
--Internal conflicts and pay problems? We only think we know what's going on because maybe a few friends have told us bits and pieces. I've been privy to a chunk of Alphasim drama over the last few years, and I'm sure I don't know the half of it. The drama goes both ways from owners to employees and from employees to owners, and it's common in business.
--Piracy? I don't advocate it, participate in it or see any justification, but let's be real. Piracy's impact on the software industry CANNOT be quantified, and thus, the 'fall of Alphasim' can't be blamed on it. Blaming poor sales on piracy in a rough economy is BS. 99.99999999% of the time, a pirate was never going to buy it anyway, so no money was lost. There are also no lost manufacturing or production efforts on a single pirated piece of software if it's downloaded. The only thing that happened is some jerk has something illegally that he has no right to use. On the same token, price increases to account for piracy are BS, because there is no way to substantiatei your liquidated damages from piracy.
jankees
SOH-CM-2025
I agree, I fly still their B-24, Harvard and Hudson occasionally, and I do like them. They are simple, hop in and fly models, that always look good from the outside and for a fair price too.
I am for one really glad with their free FSX upgrades and the amount of time they put into that. Can't go without my beautiful He-111 in FSX to name one plane. Let's also not forget their grand helicopters. I'm happy about what they gave us back then for fair prices. We'll see what a future brings.
:salute: for countless hours of fun in AS aircraft. Their planes still dominate my hangar.
:salute: for countless hours of fun in AS aircraft. Their planes still dominate my hangar.
Mickey D
SOH-CM-2024
Got to correct you there Tigisfat. Alphasim has never had more two employees. Initially just one ie. Phil and then more recently Phil and Danno. Now just one again. Everyone else is/was a freelance dev and Alphasim in the main is a publisher of their work. 90% of products sold by AS are the property of those freeance devs. Who can, and some recently did, move them elsewhere.
Just to put the record straight.
On the piracy thing I agree with you 100%. It exists and if MS and other big players can't beat them what hope have we bit players. Best to just forget it in the knowledge that most simmers are honest.
DennyA
SOH-CM-2023
I don't think you can blame piracy when they totally shifted their product focus.
When Alphasim sold cool military jets and props for $10 to $20 a pop, I bought tons of them. I probably have 15 Alphasim payware planes I've bought for FS9 and FSX, far more than any developer. I was happy with the medium-resolution models, because the price was in "buy on a whim" territory, and the flight models were convincing enough to immerse me.
Then Alphasim decided to shift to competing with the "high-detail" publishers, going from $15 planes to $60 planes. Now, the planes had more detail, more options, etc., but I just don't fly the vast majority of planes enough to invest the price of a full stand-alone game in one.
Perhaps this business decision made sense for them -- Phil and co. might be making more cash overall off the higher-priced planes than they were off the less expensive, more "niche" mid-range planes. But as a customer, I wanted their old products, stuff like the B-36, the Cutlass, and the T-34 package, not the high-end, costly stuff they're doing now.
It would be great if they had the resources to serve both markets. I'd certainly buy FSX SDK updates (but still with 'medium detail') versions of their classics like the F-8 Crusader, F-111, A-3 (got burned on the "FSX" port there), F-4, ec.
When Alphasim sold cool military jets and props for $10 to $20 a pop, I bought tons of them. I probably have 15 Alphasim payware planes I've bought for FS9 and FSX, far more than any developer. I was happy with the medium-resolution models, because the price was in "buy on a whim" territory, and the flight models were convincing enough to immerse me.
Then Alphasim decided to shift to competing with the "high-detail" publishers, going from $15 planes to $60 planes. Now, the planes had more detail, more options, etc., but I just don't fly the vast majority of planes enough to invest the price of a full stand-alone game in one.
Perhaps this business decision made sense for them -- Phil and co. might be making more cash overall off the higher-priced planes than they were off the less expensive, more "niche" mid-range planes. But as a customer, I wanted their old products, stuff like the B-36, the Cutlass, and the T-34 package, not the high-end, costly stuff they're doing now.
It would be great if they had the resources to serve both markets. I'd certainly buy FSX SDK updates (but still with 'medium detail') versions of their classics like the F-8 Crusader, F-111, A-3 (got burned on the "FSX" port there), F-4, ec.
G
GZR_Sactargets
Guest
I have found Alphasim to be one of the best. Always got good replies to my questions and for the most part the Aircraft are top-notch. I have a ton of them in my hangar.
centuryseries
SOH-CM-2023
As an existing (started in 2003) freelance aircraft modeller for Alphasim I can tell you that there are plenty of things to get excited about with forthcoming line up.
We are certainly not floundering - granted from the outside it all looks like nothing is happening, but behind the scenes we're all beavering away on some really good projects.
I'd like to show off the aircraft I'm working on, but it's not quite ready for that yet, but I think you will be happy when I do!
We're alive and well!!
David. (ex-AlphaSim-Quid21), AS SR-71, B-58 Hustler, B-52, Mirage IV)
We are certainly not floundering - granted from the outside it all looks like nothing is happening, but behind the scenes we're all beavering away on some really good projects.
I'd like to show off the aircraft I'm working on, but it's not quite ready for that yet, but I think you will be happy when I do!
We're alive and well!!
David. (ex-AlphaSim-Quid21), AS SR-71, B-58 Hustler, B-52, Mirage IV)
That sounds very promising David, I guess what is needed is a little bit of PR at the front end of the AS website, as I said even the 'we are still here' sign is looking a bit jaded, especially after the way it was in the past, always something new popping up every few weeks.
doublecool
Charter Member
I've been happy with evey purchase from ALPHA Sim and look forward to many more Change is good
Change is good
falcon409
SOH-CM-2025
I have to agree Denny, I open my account on the Alphasim site and I have three pages of aircraft and scenery I've purchased from them, but that all stopped abruptly when they went "high dollar". What I and others in a financial pinch have to accept is that "high dollar" to us is a drop in the bucket to those who want that super high detail and every rivet in it's proper place and don't even flinch at a $50 to $60 price tag. It is what it is unfortunately. Like the "buy the exterior now and we'll get you the interior later" concept that seems to be gaining in popularity. It's like the car salesman selling me half a car with the promise that the rest will be in around the middle of next month, lol and as I walk out the door, I can hear him saying. . . ."trust me", lol. . .ummmmmm. . .NO!!:salute:
High priced addons are a thing of the past for me. . .as much as I may want them. . .it takes very little to realize I don't need them.
centuryseries
SOH-CM-2023
David,
Hoping the new planes have something to do with your forum handle.
I believe this jet came out before the century series - or perhaps the same decade? Hmmm will have to find out. I can say that it's not a Centuryseries jet
Shhhh I've said too much lol - all will be revealed in due course.