Well, I think I’m about ready to grab the Aerosoft Twin Otter but I’m wondering if it’s better to buy it direct from Aerosoft or from the Marketplace. I’ve heard that developer updates are slow to come to the Marketplace. If I was to buy direct from Aerosoft, would any future updates be available from their website before the Marketplace?
If you buy directly from Aerosoft you get the Aerosoft One app and get the updates immediately. On the Marketplace you will usually wait some days when an update comes out. So it’s really a matter of convenience vs immediacy.
Always directly from the dev for me:
- faster updates
- better service
- often cheaper than marketplace
- No silly political correctness related restrictions
- normally no DRM and easier to mod
Apart from the convenience I see no upside the the marketplace.
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The only upside to the marketplace would be if you had Xbox and PC, and that way the purchase would work on both, but like the guys have said, I’m a direct from the devs guy. Faster updates, easier to tweak if necessary etc and generally a better experience.
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I recommend straight from Aerosoft as well.
Quicker access to updates, (they can take some time to arrive in the MS Store) and direct contact with the developers if you need support.
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Orbx is completely fine as well.
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Straight from developer. Always. No question.
I always use “online” sources for all reasons mentioned above. The only things I have from marketplace are Carenado planes due to their exclusive partnership.
I’ve never used it, but I’ve heard complaints about Aerosoft’s installer. Any time a plane I want is available from Orbx, that’s my route - even if it costs a few more dollars. I know that updates will be timely and there is no issue with any sort of DRM or encryption after it’s installed, which allows me to customized the install if I need to.
I used to buy direct from developers still do if its a utility that I know is never coming over to the xbox platform. Because I have both platforms I tend to buy from ingame marketplace now. I know its slower. for instance If I want a particular scenery like the Airbus Facility in Toulouse I wait until it appears in the marketplace (still hasnt appeared) but when it does It is a case of buy once get twice. (PC and Xbox) thats assuming they have the xbox version too. some developers are good in this like LVFR others like Orbix are a bit hit and miss about this. another advantage is that a particular addon is tied to my installation and I dont have to go to various developers or external markets websites to keep an eye out for updates. I bought the Crj from marketplace. I know if there are problems with ctds etc it will get fixed
Never from the in-game store. This forum is littered with complaints like broken purchases, double deductions or disappearing purchases. These days I tend to buy everything via OrbX, it’s a steam-like store with many 3rd-party developers, frequent sales and good support. I only miss JustFlight there. I used to buy a few things from Aerosoft but their installers where annoying. Aerosoft One is okay but OrbX came first.
I have made the decision NOT to buy from the marketplace, as I wish to be free to MOD any planes I purchase.
So that rules out Carenado, because their planes are only available through the Marketplace,
Understandably why, to cut down on Piracy, although encrypting the .cfg and .xml files does not make any difference to piracy protection, as long as the model is encoded.
Given that planes on the marketplace, by default, and with little choice, have to have some of their .cfg file and xml files encoded, (because that is the standard way MS is currently processing marketplace content) I would reconsider buying the Carenado product , only available from the MS-Store, if Carenado was to additionally make those .cfg & .xml files available from their website, (as Support files ? ) so those that want/need to make Mods, were able to.
That would seem to be a win-win situation for everyone ?
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Additionally buying from the developers directly better supports the devs! I am pretty sure that the Marketplace takes some amount of a cut from all sales. Everything else mentioned above is true, faster updates, better support, etc.
I will never buy any aircraft from the marketplace until such time as the configuration files are provided without DRM so that I can implement any mods that I need/want.
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Another thing to think about is price. Generally, you get the best price (especially upon initial release) direct from the developer. Since some stores charge more to host a product and/or charge VAT, prices are usually higher.
For example, the SimWorks Studios Kodiak was 30 Euros on their own site, but as much as 45 Euros on other stores. At the time I bought it, it was not yet on the Marketplace so I don’t what the price was there. Anyways, that’s 15 Euros in my pocket to purchase other products. A no-brainer.