New business model for ED proposed.

I see the problem with the ED business model, they need to adjust it!

Maybe as a pre-release version it should be very cheap, and if you want bug fixes you pay a bit more. In that way there is incentive to continue development by the developer, the user gets a cheap but albeit frustrating version (which the dev lets users know the limitations prior to purchase) allow user to pay for more functionality, BUT that functionality should be well tested not a buggy pre-release. Prices of additional functionality should be a fraction of original purchase.

This could be win-win if they got the pricing right.

Give ED problem with releasing buggy software frustrates and angers many users.....be up front about it, let users pay for the bug fixes........I wouldnt mind, IF the price was appropriate, and saved me wasting untold hours.
This way users could upgrade when they had reached a point beyond which they could stand, put the burden of play-ability on the user providing he was willing to spend a little more.

So far 108 views and no hostile attacks, well done!

People may not agree with me, thats fine, but no attacks....very different response than the ed foruum.

I can see the merits, but disagree that it would be a good model.
I feel there is too much risk with people getting annoyed at the early model and not paying for the upgrade.
When the module is updated, can people still play the old one? That would be a nightmare from a dev and support PoV, and multiplayer would be chaos.
It would also, quite probably, result in fewer people buying the pre-release version because they know they have to pay more later to get it working.

I think their present model works fine. Anyone who has been around the flight sim scene for long should know that early release's are prone to be buggy, if you can't handle prospect that don't buy early release modules until the bugs are smashed. With public forums such as this it's not really difficult to learn what others think of these things before buying them yourself.

The difference being that every single one of ED's releases are buggy, they never leave 'beta' regardless of what milestones they like to claim.

I would not call lack of absolute perfection "buggy".

I've not ran into any of this so called "buggy" behavior that prevents me from enjoying the F-18 immensely. Same for A-10C, or anything else.

ED has a serious regression problem in their codebase. Whenever they release a beta update the number of features that are broke far outnumber the fixed issues. I'm not going to rehash it again here as there are plenty of other threads on the subject. I understand is functionally incomplete and that's fine, but when the core sim is broken it magnifies issues in the ea modules.I hope the A-10C II will be a different story since they did it as part of a military contract, but the Yak-52 was done for a contract and it's still buggy as heck.

To me the issue isnt only bugs, lack of transparency is a significant issue when considering the purchase an “Early Access” release, below is a copy of the press release features regarding the F-16 Viper.
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Key Features of DCS: F-16C Viper

Professional Flight Model (PFM) and authentic fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS).
The most realistic model of the F-16C imaginable, down to each bolt and flake of paint, animated controls surfaces, lights, damage model, and landing gear.
Detailed simulation of the Viper’s many sub-systems like engines, fuel, electrical, hydraulic, radios, lighting, emergency, and many, many more. Although features like "auto start" are available, the sense of accomplishment cannot be overstated after learning to operate this state-of-the-art machine.
Dozens of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons and sensors. From simple rockets to high-tech GPS and laser-guided bombs, experience what only F-16C pilots have experienced ‘til now.
A highly realistic and exhaustively researched cockpit that is mouse interactive with 6-degrees of freedom. Interact with the cockpit by pressing buttons and moving switches. You will feel like part of the aircraft with our Advanced Systems Modeling (ASM).
Authentic F-16C sounds.
Virtual Reality support. Take advantage of the latest VR technologies to immerse yourself in the simulation. Other than the G's, you will feel like you are there!
Multiple liveries for the United States Air Force and Air National Guard, Air Force, Turkey, Greece, Israel, and others.

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Suppose you heard that DCS has these great military aircraft simulations with many systems modeled and great flight models, so what is your expectation

Lets go thru the features

Good flight model........ Great
Eye candy appearance .... nice
Basic aircraft subsystems...... yawn it is a sim isnt it!
Dozens of sensors...... Great are they functional? How many are complete out if a total of how many......Ive never flown one so how would I know what I’m buying? or the state of completeness.
3d cockpit... wow again this isnt MS FS 1998
Great realistic sounds! ....some sound is expected, tweaking the quality while nice can be easily achieved later.
Virtual Reality great, does that mean its functional?
Many liveries! Yeah! When flying I cant see the exterior, and like the sound can easily be tweaked later.

So in terms of a combat flight sim , the prospective EA Purchaser has no real idea of what military capability this plane has. OK its a flight sim that has the appearance, sounds and flight model of the real plane.....with a 3d cockpit that has buttons but they might not do anything.

Yes Im aware this is EA, but the description is not clear if it can do anything, other than fly and maybe carry many types of non-functional weaponry.

This is not criticism of the product but rather how it is promoted and marketed.

DCS F-16 likely will never be able to touch what we have in Falcon BMS, especially when you factor in the dynamic campaign.

That is fully expected to be the case since Falcon 4/BMS is a study sim of the F-16 while DCS has multiple modules covering modern jets and helos, WWII aircraft and also vehicles.