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#4387861 - 11/02/17 02:15 PM FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85  
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I'll ship the codemeter stick to you.

If you've always wanted SB Pro but it was a bit pricey this is your one and only chance. This doesn't happen often, strike now while the iron is hot, the terrain patch is forthcoming, get in while the gettin's good!

The way it works, you don't need an account, you just need the Code Meter stick with the license on it. There's no account anyway. When its time to upgrade, just buy the upgrade at the eSim store and the Code Meter stick will be activated with the new SB version.

USA only sorry.



Oh and lame attempt to sell by showing a 1 yr old video - but hey, this terrain patch is coming..



"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
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#4387975 - 11/03/17 05:44 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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pm sent

#4388314 - 11/05/17 01:55 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Sold. Thanks Connor.


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4388338 - 11/05/17 07:22 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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I'd like to point out that buying at $125.- (pricey) and then selling at $85.- (still somehwhat pricey) puts the effective price at $40.- ... which is actually not expensive at all when compared to other games of a similar price range which usually cannot be sold on as a used copy.

Draw your own conclusions.

#4388345 - 11/05/17 08:35 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Yes, very nice for eSim to allow the license be sold. I lose $40, but well worth the time I invested in it. The only reason I sold is that the new version is too hard on my 6 yr old laptop and I don't see myself having the time to get into it anymore, let alone purchase a faster computer any time soon. The new owner could easily sell this for the same price he bought it or even slightly less if he wanted to sell it quick.


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4388360 - 11/06/17 12:07 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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I bought a 2nd-hand dongle as well from a fellow SimHQ member and sold it on for the same price I bought it, putting the effective price at $0. Even then, I greatly regret doing so because it's an awesome sim but I don't have the time or brain space left for it. frown

Might as well sell it on to someone who can properly enjoy the sim and contribute to the great SB community.


- Ice
#4394169 - 12/10/17 04:16 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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I'm intrigued by this, but would like some details if you please. I have the original SB, but have been watching SB Pro PE for years now...never pulled the trigger. At about $170 CDN, it's a rather large investment. Before it begins, I know why it's so much, I realize there are other license options for it wink

When buying used, how did your transaction work? E-transfer? Paypal? You paid first and then trusted he'd send you the USB? I assume the seller does not need to unlicense it first? Buyer just d/l the game and plugs in the stick?

On this, if I were to buy used and then get another $25 (?) license for my son's computer (LAN play), how exactly does that work? He just gets another license key emailed to him that's now exclusive to his PC, but is tied to my license?

Also, the X.0 upgrades cost $40 (i.e. 3.0 to 4.0 to 5.0?)?

If/when we upgrade PC's, are there any issues with losing licenses?

The one thing that's always bugged me visually about SB is the terrain. Sound in SB is fantastic...excellent job there. Or maybe it's modded sound I'm hearing in SB videos? Not sure why so many developers don't spend more time on sound (I'm looking at you ARMA!) as it completely kills the immersion when sound is crap.

These are my specs:

Win 7, 64
G3258 O/C to 4.2MHz
ASUS GTX 1060, 3GB
8 GB Ram

I'm very happy with the performance of my rig, but how will the new SB handle it? I know I could try a one-month license, but I'm curious if my CPU may be a bottleneck here.

Thanks!

Last edited by aleader; 12/10/17 04:24 PM.

I mean, I guess it would just be a guy who you know, grabs bananas and runs. Or, um, a banana that grabs things. I don't know. Why would a banana grab another banana? Those are the kind of questions I just don't want to answer. -Michael Bluth
#4394172 - 12/10/17 04:50 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: aleader]  
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Do note that the original codemeter stick has been sold. I can't answer everything but hopefully this will help...

Originally Posted by aleader
When buying used, how did your transaction work? E-transfer? Paypal? You paid first and then trusted he'd send you the USB? I assume the seller does not need to unlicense it first? Buyer just d/l the game and plugs in the stick?

The dongle is essentially your license. In other games, you get a game key which can be something like a string of 20 letters and numbers, you enter that, and it unlocks the game for you on Steam or GoG... for Steel Beasts, this is the dongle. So it's quite good compared to Steam where you can't sell your game onwards to another player if you no longer play the game.

As for payment, you can work out the payment method between yourself and the seller. Paypal and "paying for goods" is the safest way... if you have a dispute or if he doesn't send the dongle, then you can raise a comlaint with Paypal and hopefully get your money back. If you go through Paypal and pay via "friends and family," that is considered a gift and you might very well not get your money back.

Originally Posted by aleader
If/when we upgrade PC's, are there any issues with losing licenses?

Any issues and you can contact the SB team and they should get you sorted really quickly.

Originally Posted by aleader
I'm very happy with the performance of my rig, but how will the new SB handle it? I know I could try a one-month license, but I'm curious if my CPU may be a bottleneck here.

There was a time when they could offer you a "free" license with the full game but for a limited time only.... perfect if you want to test performance on your PC or if you want to know what SB really is all about. I'm not sure if they still do that; wouldn't hurt to ask!


- Ice
#4394186 - 12/10/17 06:44 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Yah, I get that it's sold already. I just didn't ever consider the fact that I could likely sell it pretty easily if I ever wanted to. I think if they offered a discount or 'credit' towards the full purchase if you bought say a minimum 4 month license and then decided to buy, it would entice a lot more people like me that are on the fence about it. I don't see an issue as either way they get the $. The way it is now, they get $0 from me. I don't like the idea that I spend $13 or $33 CDN, and then still have to pay another $170 if I decide to buy. That, or a free one month 'demo' license would work too. I'm sure this has all been discussed before...


I mean, I guess it would just be a guy who you know, grabs bananas and runs. Or, um, a banana that grabs things. I don't know. Why would a banana grab another banana? Those are the kind of questions I just don't want to answer. -Michael Bluth
#4394192 - 12/10/17 06:59 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Like I said, there used to be exactly that --- a demo period. Might be best to ask if it's still available.

As far as I understand it, the PC-bound license is a totally different setup compared to a USB-bound license. Either method has it's own advantages and disadvantages and this was done on purpose to cater to different user's needs.


- Ice
#4394226 - 12/10/17 11:28 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: aleader]  
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Originally Posted by aleader
Yah, I get that it's sold already. I just didn't ever consider the fact that I could likely sell it pretty easily if I ever wanted to. I think if they offered a discount or 'credit' towards the full purchase if you bought say a minimum 4 month license and then decided to buy, it would entice a lot more people like me that are on the fence about it. I don't see an issue as either way they get the $. The way it is now, they get $0 from me. I don't like the idea that I spend $13 or $33 CDN, and then still have to pay another $170 if I decide to buy. That, or a free one month 'demo' license would work too. I'm sure this has all been discussed before...




Probably better If Ssnake answers this one.
But they used to allow you to extend your licence duration if you opted for a longer time period at a later date i did this a few times.
Ended up costing me the same as buying a twelve month licence.
Also i think Esim give a free month's licence while you wait for your dongle to arrive.
I personally think the try it before you buy it is a excellent idea
Realistically 10 bucks is a coffee and a sandwich, you get a full month to decide if it's for you for that price.
But i would recommend the four month option.

Last edited by marko1231123; 12/10/17 11:31 PM.
#4394247 - 12/11/17 07:42 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: - Ice]  
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Originally Posted by - Ice
Like I said, there used to be exactly that --- a demo period. Might be best to ask if it's still available.


No I'm afraid not.

It was offered by one or two volunteers (I was one) and it was a heap of work for us to track and manage. Also people cheated the system and tried to get 2 or 3 loans. There are always a couple that ruin it for others.

With the advent of the time limited license I for one was glad to stop providing the demo.

Last edited by Gibsonm; 12/11/17 07:42 AM.

Mark (}-:
LTCOL RAAC
IAW the Defence Communication Manual 2016, Chapter 3, paragraphs 3.28 - 3.30 - The views expressed are mine alone and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defence.
#4394352 - 12/11/17 09:15 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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So, just to summarize a few points:
  • Classic License
    This is where most people get the idea that Steel Beasts costs 125.- USD (or whatever your equivalent is in other currency).
    While in itself being factually correct, I think it deserves being seen in context
    - The ability to sell it afterwards, typically for $70...$80, reduces the actual price to about $50 which is in line with "normal (PC) games".
    - The ability to get additional (secondary) licenses for $25.-, and to power other computers in a LAN with that reduces the price quickly, if several players are involved (like your two or three buddies that turn up every other Friday evening for some computer gaming in your man cave)
    - The absence of in-game purchases, DLCs, mods costing money, "premium items" and the myriad of other ways to swindle you out of money that you weren't really prepared to spend for a "free" game, including the absence of "grind" to "earn" you access to "top tier" tanks
    - Assuming two hours of play per week and playing it for a full year, that's about 100 game hours or $1.25 per hour. I don't know how much cheaper (commercial) quality entertainment can get.
    Oh, right:
  • Time-based License
    This is as low as $39.50 for a full year (=40 cents per hour, compared to the example above), $9.50 for one month, or $24.50 for four months.
    Anyone suggesting that this is too expensive when they can afford owning a PC suitable for gaming purposes - please don't waste any more of your time or mine debating the price structure.
    Also, to all those pundits who predicted that if we'd lower prices we'd make more money: No, we actually make less money since the introduction of these cheap licenses. Thank you for your valuable expertise.
  • Why is there no free trial license
    Because we think that we deserve being compensated, if you want to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Call us at eSim Games filthy capitalists for that.
    Above all, because we want you to be invested:
    Steel Beasts comes with a steep learning curve (for free, yay!). In times celebrating the vice of instantaneous gratification this initial frustration is likely to deter people from digging their heels in and to spend a bit more time learning (ironically however, mindless "grinding" in free-to-play games is not considered a waste of time when it actually is, by design, to motivate you to fork out money for "premium items"). It is however absolutely essential for a suitably complex topic like combined arms combat tactics - junior officers are taught about the subject for years, and need to practice it even longer to master it - to spend more than just a few minutes to start discovering the interesting bits and pieces of a rather cerebral subject matter. If you want non-stop action and to simply blow sh!t up, there's still Callof Duty for you.
    So, people who spend a few bucks are more likely to spend a bit more time looking at what they just purchased, which increases the chance that they learn to appreciate it and therefore become long-term customers. A free demo simply wouldn't achieve that effect.
    Oh, right: But there were free trial sessions a few years ago!
    They didn't cost money, but they weren't "free". Other people had to provide the licenses, and to render technical support for router configurations (often taking between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how daft the individual was) to let people try out Steel Beasts ... and to keep tabs on who "tried out" before, and for how many times, and of course those leeches went and asked other volunteers for their services. This was madness an exploitation of the spare time of our most dedicated fans, so we created this option for a one-month license which about covers our costs for issuing licenses and to keep the server running from which you can download the installation files. Best of all, our fans can spend more of their time actually playing rather than rendering tech support. The locally contained one-month license installs in a minimum amount of time, without the necessity to open ports on your router ("what's a router?" "... [siiigh]") and to configure firewall settings.
    Also, it's not like you can't find out anything about Steel Beasts without spending money. There are hours of recorded game sessions on YouTube, totally free to watch. There are user forums where you can ask for opinions, and ask very specific questions. There are even old game reviews that may still apply (read them, then check against the videos to see if, for example, 2011 criticism of super-dated graphics still applies).
  • But aren't the "cheap" licenses more expensive in the long run?
    Hard to say Mr. Wise Guy, because a lot depends on assumptions/use case.
    Looking at a five-year play period with two major upgrades, the classic license would cost $125.- + 2 x $40 = $205.-
    The time-based license in the same period would be 5 x $39.50 = $197.50

    A-ha! So on year six you're starting to make a bigger profit with the time-based licenses!
    Yeah... unless the user of time-based licenses takes a few months off between usage periods, like three months after a year. So he'd actually just spend 4 x 39.50 (=$158.-).
    Or maybe the user of the permanent license decides to skip an upgrade (we allow that, for some time). Depending on how you're massaging the base parameters you can get almost any result that supporty our agenda.

    At the end of the day the only relevant question is whether the price of SB Pro PE is equal or lower to the value that you get out of it in terms of entertainment (and, possibly, education about contemporary land warfare that isn't infantry-centric).
    This is a highly subjective question because value exists in the eye of the customer, not the vendor who offers a good or a service. It's a question that you have to answer yourself.




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#4394374 - 12/11/17 10:33 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Well, thanks for the sarcasm...didn't really need all that. Reality is that I have a wife (and 2 boys) and wives don't share your 'value' argument when I'm dropping 170 dollars on a video game...no matter how niche it may be. What is the reasoning behind not allowing credit towards full purchase? I don't see how it's a lose on your end to offer a discounted price towards the full (dongle) version? Say I got a 4 month license and then wanted to buy and you offered it for 100 USD instead? 4 months is plenty of time to learn the game. How do you lose?

Battlefront provides free demos and I think they deserve to be compensated as well...demos that convinced me to buy their games. There's also the issue of how it runs on my machine (if at all). I recall the original steel beasts had a stutter in it that I couldn't get rid of. I tried for weeks to figure it out (with your assistance many years ago) but couldn't. Never would run properly. I shouldn't have to pay anything for something that doesn't even work on my machine. Do you provide a refund if I try the one month license and it doesn't work or is unplayable?

And I did ask several other questions in my post as well (some of which were partially answered).

Last edited by aleader; 12/11/17 11:24 PM.

I mean, I guess it would just be a guy who you know, grabs bananas and runs. Or, um, a banana that grabs things. I don't know. Why would a banana grab another banana? Those are the kind of questions I just don't want to answer. -Michael Bluth
#4394402 - 12/12/17 02:10 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: aleader]  
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Originally Posted by aleader
Well, thanks for the sarcasm...didn't really need all that.

Wasn't intended as such, really.
I do use clear-spoken words on occasions like this, however.

At the end of the day we have two competing interests here - we as developers want to get compensated for our effort, you as the customer/consumer would like to spend as little as possible on a (relative) luxury item (few people need our software, so much is certain). That is perfectly natural, I'm just not sugar-coating that this conflict exists. Some companies are shy to admit that they are out to make a profit. I find that attitude deeply dishonest. The purpose of a business is to operate profitably; it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Quote
Reality is that I have a wife (and 2 boys) and wives don't share your 'value' argument when I'm dropping 170 dollars on a video game...

a) We have families too, and get no free demo versions of our groceries
b) Like I said, any video game is a (relative) luxury item inasmuch as it is no bare necessity. But so are many other luxury items that you purchase nevertheless, because they increase the quality of your life. So even if they are no bare necessities you still spend some of your disposable income on them, precisely because you see some value in them.

It is useless to argue which luxury item is more valuable than the other - be it coffee, going out, drinking wine (or beer), smoking, buying a car that is bigger and more shiny than you actually need. That's precisely the issue of subjective value that I mentioned. Some of these luxuries you indulge in because they have a higher value than others, that you consider a superfluous luxury. You might even debate that some of the examples that I listed actually are luxury items because the perceived value is so high that you consider them a necessity. That's perfectly fine! I don't judge. But the argument as such is valid.

Note that you chose to use 170 (Canadian) Dollars as your frame of reference. I'd like to point out once more that you could just as well justify to set the frame of reference to 50 USD (if you consider selling it later on), or 39.50 USD (if you considered playing it for more than six months, but not longer than for a year), or 24.50 USD if you like to burn through your games fast (like, in four months or less).

Quote
What is the reasoning behind not allowing credit towards full purchase?

Administrative overhead.
I could go into details at great length, but that will only invite further discussion of business decisions that we made, for good reasons, and which are not up for democratic vote (sorry). At the end of the day, I just don't share your belief that its introduction would generate so much more business to be worth the extra effort on our end.


Quote
And I did ask several other questions in my post as well (some of which were partially answered).

Unfortunately I don't know which of your questions you consider partially or fully answered. Soooo....:

Originally Posted by aleader
if I were to buy used and then get another $25 (?) license for my son's computer (LAN play), how exactly does that work?

Assuming that your used stick contains at least one primary license of SB Pro PE 4.0
  • You buy a secondary license in our web shop
  • You activate that license with the CM stick that you have (won't work if you have an older license (like, 3.0))
  • You then configure one PC in your LAN (yours?) as a license server with the CodeMeter "WebAdmin" interface (something that you can try out before you buy the secondary license).
    Whenever your machine is up and running and has the CM stick plugged in, two people in your household could play Steel Beasts (assuming that you have two licenses). You could install the software on more computers, but only as many people may play simultaneously as you have licenses.


Quote
Also, the X.0 upgrades cost $40 (i.e. 3.0 to 4.0 to 5.0?)?

There is no 5.0, not even on the development horizon. But we try to always find a price that offers an attractive balance between cost and value; the last two upgrades were massive, so we set the price to be 40.- USD; prior upgrades were sold for as little as 15.- USD (including preorder discount). With 4.0 we have established that we allow to skip up to two upgrades (you can migrate from 2.5 to 4.0, skipping the 2.6 and 3.0 upgrades in the process). Even for older versions there's still a migration path (80.- USD).

Quote
If/when we upgrade PC's, are there any issues with losing licenses?

Licenses stored in a CodeMeter USB stick are completely independent from the operating system, at least in principle. The CodeMeter runtime software is available for Linux, MacOS, and various flavors of MS Windows. This would allow you to set up a license server on any of these operating systems, including virtual machines.
(Steel Beasts itself would of course still be a Windows application, the text above (and below) strictly refers to license management, not the licensed application.)
Time based licenses are more sensitive to operating system upgrades; the Windows 7/8/8.1-to-10 upgrade invalidated licenses (and we tried to find a solution for those customers who suffered from a license loss). I cannot rule out that one day another Windows 10 upgrade that changes the OS massively will invalidate licenses again (I hope not, but it's out of our control as we depend both on Redmond's product policy and Wibu Systems' ability to anticipate Windows changes before they are pushed on our machines). Also, time-based lisenses will not work in virtual machines.

Quote
The one thing that's always bugged me visually about SB is the terrain.

Not sure if there's a question hidden in this. But we're working on a new terrain engine, if that's a consolation (see the video at the top of this thread).
Our terrain engine must handle map sizes in excess of 100x100km², look reasonably good close-up, and offer at least 4km visibility. Most of the time you will spend looking through some form of magnifying sight - be it a tank's periscope, the commander's binoculars, or a gunner's sight (where most of the time you probably have thermals switched on). Arguably you will be more concerned about where the hell that T-90 in your flank is than to admire the beauty of the landscape (or curse the lack of it). That at least is my prediction.
A lot of the time SB Pro is about sneaking and playing cat and mouse (where most of the time you don't know if you're the hunter, or the hunted (but you will always find out, one way or another)). That element of suspense will shift the focus of your attention.

Quote
These are my specs:

Win 7, 64
G3258 O/C to 4.2MHz
ASUS GTX 1060, 3GB
8 GB Ram

I'm very happy with the performance of my rig, but how will the new SB handle it? I know I could try a one-month license, but I'm curious if my CPU may be a bottleneck here.

Again, I may appear to sound sarcastic or snarky, but this is not my intent:
While I believe that your machine will perform just fine, at the end of the day only you can decide. Some people demand constantly 60 (50, 40, 30) frames per second, some claim to be still happy at 20 (I'm definitely not; I want at least 40, and 50 if I can get them). Some people will sacrific graphical detail for a higher frame rate, others prefer cranking up all the graphics options. I really don't know what your preferences are. it's something that you need to try out. CPU bottlenecks will occur only if you have rather massive battles going on (that is, more than a hundred combat vehicles plus several hundred infantry plus, possibly, several thousand civilian cars and pedestrians). I've seen smaller scenarios running decent on machines with a 2.6 GHz notebook CPU, so it really depends on the type of scenarios that you play and your personal preferences. If there was an objective formula to calculate your future level of satisfaction, I would present it.


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#4394516 - 12/12/17 09:05 PM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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I realize that you've been defending your pricing model for some time now and are likely frustrated by that, however we're not a bunch of sniveling kids playing COD here, we're adult consumers that may have good ideas that you haven't considered. I know Sim developers can be a hard-headed lot, but I do appreciate the communication with them...civilizations progress through debate and collaboration.

And I get that you're not a charity and as I was taught in first year finance, the only purpose of a business is to make money...nothing else, no matter what the BS mission statement implies. If your goal is anything but, you're a not-for-profit, or the govt. However your grocery argument is ridiculous. Groceries (food) is a necessity. Your demo of a free license I would argue would be easier than say a Combat Mission demo that is a separate endeavour from the full game, complete with missions. I would equate it more to Steam's free weekends of a particular game (I get that Steam is evil etc wink

I will be getting SB in some form. For me, an ideal option would be my 4 month with option to buy at a discounted rate. Eliminate the 1 month option if it's not worth the effort and you think it isn't enough time to learn it.

I know that there's no 5.0, but I figured it was probably in the cards at some point. Didn't want to buy 4.0 only to have 5 come out a few months later. The terrain upgrade is another reason I'm thinking of buying...didn't know it was in the works until I saw this thread, and I wasn't sure if it was included with 4.0.

I'm happy with 30fps in a game like this. I've gotten used to that in CM and around 35 in Arma. The only time I expect 60 is in older games and racing games.

Thanks for the answers.

Last edited by aleader; 12/12/17 09:10 PM.

I mean, I guess it would just be a guy who you know, grabs bananas and runs. Or, um, a banana that grabs things. I don't know. Why would a banana grab another banana? Those are the kind of questions I just don't want to answer. -Michael Bluth
#4394552 - 12/13/17 12:46 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: aleader]  
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Originally Posted by aleader
I realize that you've been defending your pricing model for some time now and are likely frustrated by that

I realize that I may sound defensive and frustrated, but that's not reflecting my true mood.
I just cannot assume prior knowledge in an internet discussion. So the context in which a discussion is being conducted is always unknown (and then I'm not just replying to you but to other readers who may not post here). So, that's the rationale why I tend to go into detail.

Quote
we're adult consumers that may have good ideas that you haven't considered.

May well be, but to be honest, 90% of the "helpful suggestions" "to improve business" are anything but.
Again, I don't blame anyone. It's just that people typically lack the background knowhow that is the basis of our decision (and then you meet people who think that gross turnover is the same as profit), so, it's dangerous for me to assume a certain level of know-how or understanding. Rather, I try to give simple examples to illustrate my point; if some of those examples appear so simplistic to you as to offend your intelligence, I'm sorry about that. I do this out of experience from past discussions, and I can't know anything about you and your background.

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Your demo of a free license I would ... equate it more to Steam's free weekends of a particular game (I get that Steam is evil etc wink

As far as special sales opportunities are concerned, we discount Steel Beasts regularly in the months leading up to a new major release, by the amount of the upgrade fee (e.g. if the upgrade is planned to go for $40.- and the regular price is $125.-, the discounted price is $85.-). So, we really try to offer a fair balance and not to punish anyone for buying at a point where he pays more than if he had just waited one more month or so. Anyway, our business model is one of brutal honesty. There's a price of admission, ranging from anywhere between $9.50 to $125.- depending on the "quality of seats" etc.
We want the money all in one go, which is a psychological barrier (just as demonstrated by this very thread), but personally I think this is way more honest than most other forms of monetization that can be observed with today's games.

More importantly, we don't really advertise Steel Beasts Pro as a game because first and foremost it's designed as a training tool. Steel Beasts will never find a mass audience, and we wouldn't be able to support millions of players anyway. Therefore we do not follow conventional wisdom of pricing strategies to make our offer more attractive than it currently is. To be honest, I think $39.50 for a one-year license is an absolute steal for what we're offering, provided that you are interested in
a) contemporary armored vehicles
b) contemporary combined arms combat tactics
c) tactical complexity and depth that is, I daresay, unsurpassed in the real-time strategy game field

Steel Beasts is filled with combat vehicles that were seen never before in a simulation for the general public. Granted, not every vehicle is for everyone, but seriously: What were the chances that an exotic reconnaissance vehicle like the Spanish VEC-M1 would ever see the light of day of a commercially available simulation? Before Steel Beasts, there wasn't even a simulation game featuring the Leopard 2, or IFVs in general, be it Bradley, ASLAV, Marder, Luchs, CV90 (four flavors), etc. Where is the other game that offers you a platoon leader's perspective of a mechanized platoon in dismounted combat, giving you the span of control to direct four vehicles and eight weapon teams simultaneously from a 3D perspective. If someone would have told me that one day this would be available on my PC when I still was a soldier, I would have told him that he's nuts. And then we went ahead and effin' made it!
Yes, I am talking of value here, even if household six may be difficult to convince; I say, assault the position with a pincer movement,
a) Shoes. What's her justification?
b) Bribes. Offer her a day out, doing something that she always wanted to do. You'll manage. wink

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I know that there's no 5.0, but I figured it was probably in the cards at some point. Didn't want to buy 4.0 only to have 5 come out a few months later.

It certainly will come out at some point, I just don't know when. But like I wrote above, if a major upgrade is around the corner, we'll discount the base price to make up for the upgrade fee afterwards.

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The terrain upgrade is another reason I'm thinking of buying...didn't know it was in the works until I saw this thread, and I wasn't sure if it was included with 4.0.

It will be. I promised high res terrain to be a part of the 4.0 release. OK, we couldn't finish the work for the initial release, and yes, it's now almost 18 months later and there's still no high res terrain for you, but it will be made available, for free, to owners of 4.0 licenses. I made that promise, I intend to keep my word.


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#4394576 - 12/13/17 06:01 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 746
Rambler Offline
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Rambler  Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 746
Houston, TX
Honestly, the $125 for an SB classic license isn't that far off from the amount of money you spend on CM titles. If you bought the complete Normandy suite ($105) and one other title, say Black Sea ($60) to scratch your modern warfare itch, that's already $165. Just two single titles together is already $120.

Personally, I think SB is a better buy than CM. Why? One, I can play it like a wargame if I want to, but also take direct control of vehicles (and certain infantry units) during the scenario and do some gunning if I wish. Can't do that in CM. Two, coop scenario play. It's a lot of fun to jump on with a buddy and play a scenario together. imo, the only thing CM has over SB is the infantry modelling, but this is an area that esim has stated they're working on.

Last edited by Rambler; 12/13/17 04:10 PM. Reason: bad maff
#4394735 - 12/14/17 05:14 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,555
VF9_Longbow Offline
Hotshot
VF9_Longbow  Offline
Hotshot

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,555
Tokyo, Japan
just buy it, it is a little steep but you'll get thousands of hours out of it, break that down per hour if you like.. it's a good deal for the best land vehicle sim there is. the AI is remarkably good which is a real nice thing when you're coming from something like ARMA and have to deal with your troops being run over and killed by your own vehicle AI all the time

#4394764 - 12/14/17 09:40 AM Re: FS: SB 4.0 Pro - $85 [Re: TerribleTwo]  
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
- Ice Offline
Veteran
- Ice  Offline
Veteran

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 16,082
Philippines / North East UK
I really don't see what the fuss is about regarding pricing. The CM dongle is US$125 and as we have seen, it can be sold 2nd-hand for US$85. That makes it a "loss" of US$40 for the original owner and if he played it for 4 months, that's $10 per month If he played it for 12 months, that's US$3.33 per month.

If you think you'll only play it for 4 months, then a time-based license is cheaper. If you think you'll play for a year or more, then a dongle makes more sense. Getting the company to change their pricing structure based on YOUR needs and wants is an exercise in futility. You're trying to have your cake and eat it too.


- Ice
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