Pre-order question regarding pricing & features.

[MadTommy]

Hi lads,

 

First let me say, i've done a search and can't find the answer, i don't frequent these forums much, so have 1000s of posts to troll through and i can't find this via the search.

 

I'm on the fence regarding if to 'pre-order' or not.  I have a general policy never to pre-order games, but would I do like to support all combat flight sims when i can.

 

I'm considering the 'standard pre-order' but am a little confused as to what it actually gives you.

 

As far as i can tell it gives you a 'tag' on the forums and beta access.  Neither of these have any appeal to me.  So I see no material reason to pre-order.  Unless this is a significantly lower price than the final version.  

 

Has a release price been set? If not i can only assume it will be $49.99 a fairly standard game price.  And has an approx. release date been set? i.e How early is early access?

 

Thanks for any info.

[LordNeuro*Srb*]

Well i asked the same qvestion regarding the preice , 50 $ is expencive to me , but taking the rof buying model the preorder is all weys lower price then finished product, and not only rof , u cann see it in arma 3 to. So if u have the money and u like the game u should buy it. U have it all here

Early Access: Buyers of the Standard Edition will get early access in winter 2013 prior to public release. Buyers of Premium Edition will get the early access in autumn 2013.

Aircraft at Launch: Aircraft at Launch: Buyers of the Standard and Premium Editions will get the same base set of 8 aircraft (LaGG-3 (series 29), Bf-109 F-4, IL-2 AM-38 (1942 year's model, single-seat), Ju-87 D-3, Pe-2 (series 87 and 110), He-111 H-6, Yak-1 and Bf-109 G-2).

Well i m guessing it is the aircfats for full relise. In the early access in winter there will be maybe less of them. But like in rof u only donwload the updates for the game, and it is all working well in rof, the frekvently update the game so i dont see way it wont work in bos.

And i think preorder is until the october 1st, so I m in the same stragale like u r, but not with the same risons, the sim should be gr8 , only the lack of fonds is holding me beck. I hope it helps in to deside.

And u cann download rof it is free to tray it out and see what a product from same tim is look like.

[MadTommy]

Thanks LordNeuro*Srb*

 

I've had RoF since day one back in 2009... 

 

My understanding is BoS won't have the exact same pricing model as RoF... when i 1st bought RoF it was not free to play and you got a set of planes.

 

Basically it seems to me there is no value in the pre-order.  I'm guessing it will cost the same and you will get the same features/aircraft after release.  Can anyone say this assumption is wrong?

 

Thanks

Edited September 21, 2013 by MadTommy

[Revvin]

I suppose the biggest draw for many is to get early access and try it out, I know that was a factor in me pre-ordering and then the additional planes made me decide to go with the premium. I also wanted to pre-order and register my interest as a flight sim fan and support a new product that was being developed by a team with a very good track record. Based on my experience of RoF I believe IL-2:BoS will give me the same years of enjoyment that the previous IL-2 games did (apart from CloD). I figured I'm going to buy it anyway so why wait?

[MadTommy]

Ok thanks.. yeah i can see the main draw is early access, makes sense.

 

I'm personally a little tired of beta products, especially hardcore sims, it can be frustrating.  Trying to get to grips with things and often not knowing if something is meant to work or not.  I think i'll wait for release, there is little doubt i'll be buying this.. i own every other combat flight sim available, but without an incentive to pre-purchase i'll save my money until i can actually use the sim.

 

Cheers, see you in the skies.

[Zmaj76]

Hi lads,

 

First let me say, i've done a search and can't find the answer, i don't frequent these forums much, so have 1000s of posts to troll through and i can't find this via the search.

 

I'm on the fence regarding if to 'pre-order' or not.  I have a general policy never to pre-order games, but would I do like to support all combat flight sims when i can.

 

I'm considering the 'standard pre-order' but am a little confused as to what it actually gives you.

 

As far as i can tell it gives you a 'tag' on the forums and beta access.  Neither of these have any appeal to me.  So I see no material reason to pre-order.  Unless this is a significantly lower price than the final version.  

 

Has a release price been set? If not i can only assume it will be $49.99 a fairly standard game price.  And has an approx. release date been set? i.e How early is early access?

 

Thanks for any info.

Well, if we, who live in economicaly devastated countries, preordered BOS....its chips for you mate...

[dburne]

 

 

Basically it seems to me there is no value in the pre-order.  I'm guessing it will cost the same and you will get the same features/aircraft after release.  Can anyone say this assumption is wrong?

 

Thanks

 

You are correct - however I would suggest that it holds no value for you. Nothing wrong with that.  For others, it does - the value it brings depends upon the individual. If the value you would see is in the form of a cheaper price and/or more content than the release, and nothing else, then no the pre-order would not be for you.

 

As for myself, I pre-ordered the Premium early on, and the reasons for myself:

1: Show and provide my support for the developers.

2: Being able to play around with it some long before the actual release date.

 

This was the value, it brings for me.

[MadTommy]

You are correct - however I would suggest that it holds no value for you. Nothing wrong with that.  For others, it does - the value it brings depends upon the individual. If the value you would see is in the form of a cheaper price and/or more content than the release, and nothing else, then no the pre-order would not be for you.

 

As for myself, I pre-ordered the Premium early on, and the reasons for myself:

1: Show and provide my support for the developers.

2: Being able to play around with it some long before the actual release date.

 

This was the value, it brings for me.

 

Yeah i understand that.  However, no one knowns if early access will be a week or 6 months.. so its impossible to but a value on that.

 

If the team had started a fundraiser and said they need initial funding or the project would not be viable I wouldn't of hesitated to give support, but that is not what happened.  I don't see me pre-ordering or not as making any difference.

 

I just wanted to make sure i understood the value of a ore-order.  I understand many would pay a premium to have beta access.. but it is not for me.  Cheers.

Edited September 21, 2013 by MadTommy

[FlatSpinMan]

Fair enough. There'll be plenty of time for to fly in Q2 next year anyway.

[BFsSmurfy]

Early access is Oct if you buy the premium and at a guess Dec if you buy std mate, if you`re not interested in getting an early look at the game you`d be better off waiting till the game is released, anyway hopefully we`ll see you in the future skies of BoS, cheers. If you don`t buy the premium though, you`ll have to pay for the 190 and La5 separately if I read the forum correctly.

[Matt]

Yeah i understand that.  However, no one knowns if early access will be a week or 6 months.. so its impossible to but a value on that.

Early access will start in autumn for premium and in winter for standard preorder.

 

The full game will probably be released in April (if not later).

 

So you can estimate how long early access will last and it will be close to 6 months for premium, 3 months for standard.

[MadTommy]

Is that date of April and or Q2 2014 official or rumour.   

 

Cheers..

[Sturm_]

It's official. Planned release date though, not sure if final. I guess it will all depend on the results of the beta testing.

[MadTommy]

Thanks all.

[Trident_109]

 

 

If the team had started a fundraiser and said they need initial funding or the project would not be viable I wouldn't of hesitated to give support, but that is not what happened.  I don't see me pre-ordering or not as making any difference.

 

I just wanted to make sure i understood the value of a ore-order.  I understand many would pay a premium to have beta access.. but it is not for me.  Cheers.

 

See the word under my avatar? It says founder. That word makes me (all of us advance purchasers) someone who invested in this adventure. Did 777 come out and ask Robert for money? No, but I think it's fairly easy to conclude that we are ground supporters of this sim.

 

I can't say how the breakdown of monies is spent, for example whether $20.00 out of the premium package goes to IL2 or not, but the monies are going to fund IL2:BoS.

 

QUOTED from the second paragraph in the first post of the topic IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad Pre-Order Program

.

 

"We invite you to become a participant in the development of BOS by placing a Pre-Order. By doing this, you will be the first to get access to the product and help us to make it even better.The combat flight-sim genre now needs your attention; modest budgets do not allow the realizationof everything virtual pilots dream about at once. But together we can truly revolutionize the genre and bring back a true legend to the sky!

 

If there are truly a lot of us, more than the skeptics think, and if the time of serious games for the PC has not passed, then we can make more with your support.

 

Let's strive for success together!"

Edited September 21, 2013 by Robert

[MadTommy]

Hi gents,  I have one more question; 

 

Is there a time limit to the pre-order? I've seen 1st October mentioned, but not by a team member. And the official post regarding pre-orders does not mention it. I can't think why there would be.... 

 

Thanks. 

 

P. S why is the faq section so bare!   

[FuriousMeow]

Currently there is no known end date for each pre-order. October 1st is just for some extras. However, it would naturally make sense that the premium pre-order will go away once the game access/play testing is opened up to Standard pre-orders as the autumn pre-release access would no longer apply.

 

But again, no known end dates for the two available pre-orders to access pre-release which will be for alpha/beta versions of the game and far from complete.

[CheeseGromit]

I'm guessing it will cost the same and you will get the same features/aircraft after release.  Can anyone say this assumption is wrong?

 

Definitely possible. Part of me is thinking there could be a release version that is cheaper but with fewer planes, additional planes could be purchased individually. There could also be different packages of planes. I saw a comment about the business model being a hybrid between RoF and IL2:1946 but I don't know enough about these games to fully understand what that might mean.

 

I'm in a similar position in that I don't like pre-ordering unless I'm very familiar with the company and product. In this case I'm not. Exceptions can occur if there's a stated discount for pre-ordering.

[Rigsby]

Definitely possible. Part of me is thinking there could be a release version that is cheaper but with fewer planes, additional planes could be purchased individually. There could also be different packages of planes. I saw a comment about the business model being a hybrid between RoF and IL2:1946 but I don't know enough about these games to fully understand what that might mean.

 

I'm in a similar position in that I don't like pre-ordering unless I'm very familiar with the company and product. In this case I'm not. Exceptions can occur if there's a stated discount for pre-ordering.

I am not sure why people are asking for a discount for pre-ordering. They perk get is playing the game early and getting some more planes. I think if you are questioning yourself about buying the pre-order then it's not for you. I went straight ahead and bought it without even reading about it lol. I also read somewhere just how far these guys have come in 7 months and that the game looks awesome even now. When you consider people buy FSX just to fly around, it's a no brainer to buy this.

[MadTommy]

I am not sure why people are asking for a discount for pre-ordering. They perk get is playing the game early and getting some more planes. I think if you are questioning yourself about buying the pre-order then it's not for you. I went straight ahead and bought it without even reading about it lol. I also read somewhere just how far these guys have come in 7 months and that the game looks awesome even now. When you consider people buy FSX just to fly around, it's a no brainer to buy this.

 

I'm not sure about asking for a discount.  But in my experience it is normal/common for pre-orders to get a discount.  I mean, under normal circumstances why would you pay for something now that is not available when you can simply pay the same price when it is available?  (as i said earlier, if they had done a crowd funding and said it wont be developed with community support i wouldn't hesitate to donate, but that is not the case.)

 

I understand there is a 'fan' element supporting flight sims, which i think is great, but I'll support the sim when it is available.

 

If the feedback from the early access users is positive I'll likely pre-order then, if it is available, hence why i asked.

Edited September 25, 2013 by MadTommy

[I/JG27_Rollo]

Well, if one would measure the value of a game by the hours played, then having early access can actually be a discount.

 

Assuming that someone who pre-ordered will put the same amount of hours into the game after the full release as someone who bought it afterwards, the pre-ordering player can also put a lot of hours into the game prior to the full release.

Therefore the price/hours played ratio might be better for the pre-ordering player.

[CheeseGromit]

I am not sure why people are asking for a discount for pre-ordering.

 

I'm not asking for a discount. Just pointing out that it's just one of those sweeteners that has tempted me in the past to take a "risk" (IMO) on a pre-order.

[FlatSpinMan]

Again,fair enough. From all the gold and silver bars flying around here you can see we're pretty keen on this, but really, waiting 'til the official release makes complete sense.

 

BTW, what odds do you have for the Pumas beating us this weekend? I'm thinking not, but the scrums will be interesting.

[DD_Arthur]

I'm not asking for a discount. Just pointing out that it's just one of those sweeteners that has tempted me in the past to take a "risk" (IMO) on a pre-order.

 

It's a reasonable question and the answer is; we don't know yet.  However, by pre-ordering BoS you do receive two aircraft in that price that will be available to purchase as extras when the sim is officially released and pre-orders in RoF are made available at a discounted price. 

[MadTommy]

Thank you Devs for answering these questions via the latest update.

 

 

 

As it was announced before, the initial pre-order program is coming to its end. It will be shut down on November 11th, which means that everyone wishing to become the IL2:BOS Founder has about 4 more weeks to obtain the pre-order and all the bonuses it guarantees. Within a few days after November 11th the early access will be open; all necessary details about it and how it’s going to happen will surely be announced beforehand.

When the pre-order program closes our store will be updated and it will offer only the Premium Edition for the price of $94.99. Purchasing it will instantly grant the owner an invitation to the early access program, but unfortunately it will not provide them with bonuses and special community status of the Founders. We've also set the price for the game at launch in spring 2014: $59,99 for Standard edition and $99,99 for Premium edition.

 

Very helpful for those like me whom felt unable to comfortably pre-order without this info.

 

Thanks.

 

EDIT: just one further question, i assume the Premium edition when ever purchased will induced the 2 extra planes, i.e these are not categorised as bonuses. 

Edited October 21, 2013 by MadTommy

[=BKHZ=Furbs]

Yes Tommy, the premium edition includes all planes at release when ever you buy it.

[MadTommy]

Cheers Furbs.

 

I'm surprised at the price of the game, setting new levels.  Not that i think its poor value by any stretch of imagination.  But $100 is certainly quite a bit more than i expected.  hence why i was unsure about the pre-order, as i wrongly guessed the release price would be lower.

 

For the time most of us get out of flight sims this is still very good value as entertainment goes.

[Krig]

100$ is about 10-20$ more then what I payed for Nintendo 8-bit games(mega man, metroid)back in the days. So meh. stop the moaning about it.

Do you have time to play any other game ? Hardly so it's good money spent.

[FlatSpinMan]

In NZ you routinely pay $100 for any PC title. 

[MadTommy]

Not moaning about it, just stating my wrong assumption over price.  Also luckily there is a good variety of flight sims now & near future. Which are keeping me more than busy without BoS. But very much looking forward to the feedback from the founders.

 

In NZ you routinely pay $100 for any PC title. 

 

Yeah I've heard games are expensive in NZ.  I've never played more than $60 for a game here in the UK. But i suppose if you count all the modules i have for DCS.. its a hell of a lot more than $100!  

 

Flight sims have been under valued for years.. especially compared to what people play for console games.

Edited October 23, 2013 by MadTommy

[Trident_109]

The only real negative I can see from the IL2:BoS's pricing point of view would be the cost of adding new recruits into the fold. Because flight simming is a hobby for me, and I understand the nature of this genre, I easily think the asking price is worth it. But what of new recruits who really don't see the same value in the title as I (or we) do?  Will that be prohibitive and keep newbies from joining the ranks - thus adding more nails into this genre's coffin?

 

I myself think the cost of a new PS3-4 title is ridiculous and rarely buy new PC games because I don't find value in them. I'd rather put down the extra forty or fifty bucks on this genre where I'll get not only bang for my buck, but a fuller and richer gaming experience.

[FuriousMeow]

$50/$60 is the average cost of most titles. What's prohibiitive about that?

 

There's two tiers, one that is "average" cost minus two planes and the other that costs more with the two planes, and the two planes can be purchased later should there be a desire.

 

I suppose they could add on more tier - $35, where you only get four planes.

[Trident_109]

$50/$60 is the average cost of most titles. What's prohibiitive about that?

 

There's two tiers, one that is "average" cost minus two planes and the other that costs more with the two planes, and the two planes can be purchased later should there be a desire.

 

I suppose they could add on more tier - $35, where you only get four planes.

I agree it's not cost prohibitive, but it is value prohibitive.  With a small selection of planes and only one map, that may not be of interest to many people, the value may not be there.... or at least the PERCEPTION of value.  Just like I don't think most modern games are a value because of their short shelf life, I think many newer flight sim players want a more rounded game with several maps and a plethora of planes.

 

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with 777's marketing strategy. For me it's a bargain to pay for something I know I'll be playing five years down the line. To me, value is not measured by cost but by quality. Will this rather small package attract newer players who are used to more feature laden games? Heck, I've seen comments from people here and on other forums say they'll buy it when it comes down in price.... and these are flight sim enthusiasts.

 

So while the cost may not be prohibitive, the perceived value for the asking price may be.

Edited October 23, 2013 by Robert

[FuriousMeow]

Those are the same individuals that expect to pay the same cost as games of yesteryear that had tons of planes but in comparison are very low quality visually and FM wise comparatively.

 

The value is there, but if it's the mentality of value being tons of airplanes of subpar quality modelling visually, DM and FM wise - then I guess value takes on a different meaning.

 

There's other titles that are $50 for a study sim of one aircraft, or a $20 to $30 single add-on plane for a flight sim. If number of aircraft for a set price is value, then they should stick with what they've got. Those days are long past, and should have expired long ago.

 

There's two options, tons of planes that look terrible and have arcadey FMs/DMs - or fewer planes that are much higher fidelity. They can both cost the same, but value for me, and true air combat sim enthusiasts is the latter.

[AcesHigh]

Early access is a nice gift and like others I hope to contribute to the game in some way during alpha to make it better, but like you mentioned in your first post too you like to support flight sims.   I do as well and I was on the fence with this one, especially after the sour taste left in my mouth after buying ..... (CANT SAY IT HERE).   After watching a couple of the live  streams and reading up on who's involved and mopre importantly Who's Not  I decided to support the project.   I like the fact Jason and team are saying no to features and maybe to others, they have a clear plan in place and I'd like to see it succeed so .............. take my money and in return give us your best effort and continue support.

[Dakpilot]

The total $ cost of all flight sims and all  those near to release does not even come close to cost of the average teenagers PS3/Xbox game collection sitting in their bedroom, I think a lot of people need to crawl out from under their stones and check what 2013/14 is really like 

A one night experience of a piss up and a good meal, or countless hours/years of use from a flight sim, come on enough about how expensive it is! 

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[Revvin]

We want bigger better sims, more detail on the aircraft, more systems to control but expect to pay 1990's prices still. Even FPS gamers are experiencing this to some extent with publishers not just happy doing a refresh every year of their franchise but releasing a number of add-on packs or offering 'premium' access like Battlefield 4 where the premium access does get you 5 add-on packs but costs as much as the game again.

[Matt]

Well, if you keep inflation in mind, the premium pre-order of BoS costs about as much as a 1990's flightsim. So if people want to pay 1990's prices, they already do that, more or less.