Jump to content

Open LC next


macca22au

Recommended Posts

First let me say that I eagerly await next year the full fat North Germany region.


 


Norway is great, and I have it.


 


I would love it, if something wider in geographic representation than airports,  could be released in Q3-4 of this year.


 


But without giving JV apoplexy, is there a rough guesstimation (sorry no release dates given, I know.....) as to when Open LC Asia Major might be RTM.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

In case the OP wasn't made in jest :), here's the most recent post from JV on openLC, and it's going to be North America coming up, not Asia:  


http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/98888-revised-open-lc-timings/#entry894823


 


As for regions, Southern Calforinia will be the next full-fat region currently estimated for late summer 2015: http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/97614-socal/?p=884324


 


To be followed by the North Germany region: http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/98958-future-regions-in-the-works-or-in-the-minds/?p=895435


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian


 


Knowing that Asia Major would come after Asia Minor, Africa & Middle East and South America but, more importantly, knowing that knowing nothing more is no reason not to make a prediction (politicians do that everyday), I predict that Asia Major will be releaed on April,18th 2020 at 13:15 PM UTC (+/- two years). That, of course, may change if OrbX is acquired by a Chinese consortium before.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian

 

Knowing that Asia Major would come after Asia Minor, Africa & Middle East and South America but, more importantly, knowing that knowing nothing more is no reason not to make a prediction (politicians do that everyday), I predict that Asia Major will be releaed on April,18th 2020 at 13:15 PM UTC (+/- two years). That, of course, may change if OrbX is acquired by a Chinese consortium before.

 

 

I'm going to have to disagree here Dominique. It will be out Sunday, April 19th 2020, at 13:15 UTC.

Noel

Gentlemen, you're both disregarding the the Coriolis effect which, by my estimates, moves it forward to April 1st 2020 (Central Lunar Time), assuming that more than 50% of the development work is carried out in the southern hemisphere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coriolis or not, I agreee to Ian that OpenLC Asia would be a great addition after the well-known next projects are finished. I say this in view of the fact there is a 0 % chance of a Japan Full Region ever being done.


 


Kind regards, Michael


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has been excluded numerous times. Not interesting, no simmers, no buyers (except me), no GA airports etc. I've given up the hope.


 


Kind regards, Michael


Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're way off base there Jabble. April 1st 2020 is a Wednesday. Everybody knows Orbx scenery is released during the latter part of a weekend. It's a quantum mechanics law or something like that.

Noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coriolis or not, I agreee to Ian that OpenLC Asia would be a great addition after the well-known next projects are finished. I say this in view of the fact there is a 0 % chance of a Japan Full Region ever being done.

 

Kind regards, Michael

 

Has been excluded numerous times. Not interesting, no simmers, no buyers (except me), no GA airports etc. I've given up the hope.

 

Kind regards, Michael

 

We are two, Michael , we are two ! Out of the 98 airports Japan has, there are quite a lot (size wise)  fit for an OrbX treatment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are two, Michael , we are two ! Out of the 98 airports Japan has, there are quite a lot (size wise)  fit for an OrbX treatment.

Three here. I know that a Sado Island  (RJSD) special or a Matsumoto (RJAF) would have the Japanese community suddenly taking a closer look at Orbx.

I will live in hope and expect years in between, while hoping. and hoping, and hoping...

 

Regards,

Neil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Apparently from other forums, Japanese pay ware airports recently released are ? doing really well. Due to the demographics and the current reported high success of the payware airports, Japan may just have a great potential for consideration and investigation by Orbx.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a member of Vatsim Japan (and the wider general FS community here in Japan), I can attest to this.


The Japanese flyers are more than happy to pay good money for quality software, and when they discover what they have been missing with Orbx....!


 


Just a wee airport to test the waters :)


 


Arigato!


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's be realistic. ORBX will finally release SCA "sometime" (my optimistic guess in fall or pre-Christmas) this year. Next, Germany North/South plus Italy have been confirmed (all of them having my strong support).


 


Thus, we're speculating probably on 2018+. Prepar3d still around? All the 100+ present projects transferred to 64 bits? Dovetail Flight Simulator a success, or already doomed? Who knows?


 


Even though, I would highly support Japan after the projects named above. I agree to Spacey, I see much buyer's potential for it, even though only 1 per mille of ORBX customers (?) may be based in Japan. The fact being it's just a fascinating country.


 


King regards, Michael


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a wee airport to test the waters :)

 

Great idea! Preferred a smaller field  with one of the available airports not too far away.

 

Kind regards, Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to start a war on which next, but it would be interesting for a pole on Japan as a possible Region. If the Other Forums are correct in the very high sales figures, and a strong pole shows Japan as a real potential, just maybe it could be scheduled in after all the current ones, (SoCal, Nth Germany, Italy) are completed, if the market is stil there in a couple of years for Japan (being realistic).

Sadly the world is a big place, and Orbx only has a limited number of people to do the work to its current high standard. Guess time will tell, and keep us guessing for at least two years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reality check: Japan is 15th in our list sales by country. The sales revenue from Japan is only 3.3% of what we earn just from North America alone. In other words, an FTX Japan would make less than one NA airport.


 


The top five regions in revenue for us are:


 


1. USA/Canada


2. UK


3. Australia


4. Germany


5. France


 


That should explain the focus of where we develop products for.


 


The reality? The top 4 regions account for 70% of our worldwide revenue. So you can understand why FTX Germany is next :)


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks John.  We need a reality check from time to time. 


 


But I have a question.  Norway isn't listed as one of the top regions for revenue.  What was the motive for an FTX Norway?  I have it and it is magnificent, but given listed top revenue regions what motivated Norway?


 


Noel


Link to comment
Share on other sites

John,


 


no doubt on the decision re Germany/Italy.


 


However, I am convinced a considerable number of customers from coutries in your list would buy Japan, even if they've never been there. Most of them have never been in Pago Pago land either, and it's a best-seller according to the FSS.


 


I think ezochi made a valid proposal: Just test the ground with a smaller airport.


 


Kind regards, Michael


 


 


 


Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a member of Vatsim Japan (and the wider general FS community here in Japan), I can attest to this.

The Japanese flyers are more than happy to pay good money for quality software, and when they discover what they have been missing with Orbx....!

 

Just a wee airport to test the waters :)

 

Arigato!

 

It would be interesting to know what the Japanese Vatsim flyers use. What I found so far  is a good freeware landclass overlay (but OrbX would do so much better...), a dozen of  quite good mid-size freeware airports made by Japanese simmers mostly and the usual payware big hubs (Narita, Chubu, Nagasaki etc.).

 

I would add that having Vector helps a lot to navigate and to the suspension of disbelief. Global is pretty good too but something has to be done to adapt the ride paddy field textures to lay them up in a more orderly fashion.

 

 

I don't want to start a war on which next, but it would be interesting for a pole on Japan as a possible Region. If the Other Forums are correct in the very high sales figures, and a strong pole shows Japan as a real potential, just maybe it could be scheduled in after all the current ones, (SoCal, Nth Germany, Italy) are completed, if the market is stil there in a couple of years for Japan (being realistic).

Sadly the world is a big place, and Orbx only has a limited number of people to do the work to its current high standard. Guess time will tell, and keep us guessing for at least two years.

 

Is the market here ? I dont know... I suggested another approach in a recent thread, an OpenLC (maybe less complicated to do than a fat region in a country like Japan), with almost no reaction among 150 viewers :) .

 

Great idea! Preferred a smaller field  with one of the available airports not too far away.

 

Kind regards, Michael

 

 Hokkaido and the South are well coevered. The Northern part of Honshu is almost empty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reality check: Japan is 15th in our list sales by country. The sales revenue from Japan is only 3.3% of what we earn just from North America alone. In other words, an FTX Japan would make less than one NA airport.

 

The top five regions in revenue for us are:

 

1. USA/Canada

2. UK

3. Australia

4. Germany

5. France

 

That should explain the focus of where we develop products for.

 

The reality? The top 4 regions account for 70% of our worldwide revenue. So you can understand why FTX Germany is next :)

Hi John

 

Do your stats correlate the country of origin of the buyer and what regions he actually buys ? Being French, I love to fly the West Coast, Australia or the PNG but I must admit that the "flying my home turf" seems to be the prevalent view among the simmer community....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it makes perfect sense that the countries who spend the most on FS would want products for their home country, even if they have a passion for flying in exotic foreign locations. I think that is an accepted fact in the FS community.


 


When I first purchased a copy of FS the thing I looked for immediately were addons close to where I lived. It's human nature.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being the Devil's advocate here I lived in Japan for 7 years. My first wife was Japanese. I used to be quite fluent in the language, both spoken and written (up to a point). And I would certainly purchase it if available.

Given the number of American servicemen like myself who served in Japan there MIGHT be a customer base for it here in the US.

Noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in Australia, South Australia to be precise but came from Hungary originally. I do a lot of flying in Hungary, particularly since Orbx/FTX. I don't think anyone in Orbx ever considered Hungary as a potential subject for scenery development.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it makes perfect sense that the countries who spend the most on FS would want products for their home country, even if they have a passion for flying in exotic foreign locations. I think that is an accepted fact in the FS community.

 

When I first purchased a copy of FS the thing I looked for immediately were addons close to where I lived. It's human nature.

Which would imply that the best way to increase sales in Japan is to start producing some Japanese scenery.

 

Maybe an initial Global airport could be a lowish-risk way of testing the market there?  You'd be guaranteed a number of sales anyway from the "exotic climes" demographic.  Or perhaps just some freeware - I suspect that's a great way to persuade people to fly an area they've never tried, opening the potential payware market a bit more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Japanese simming community is a total mystery for me. The first feeling is that it is rather small as we rarely see Japanese on our Western forums. Language is not the issue. There are Italian, French, German, Czech simmers etc..


 


Maybe our friend Ezochi could tell us whether there is any well populated, influential flightsimming forum in Japan ? I also wonder whether MS has ever released sale stats broken by countries. I suppose not...


 


But the main point is to know whether non Japanese would buy an OrbX scenery dedicated to Japan. I would. Who bought AU ? A majority of Australians or or non Australians ?


 


Testing the market with an addon is a good idea as Japan with Global, Vector and a mesh is quite palatable.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

For years the Trainsim.com catered primarily to North American customers. Then, a few years ago, some Indian train simmers uploaded some Indian rolling stock and locomotives and routes to the download library.

Today about 80% of the downloads in the Trainsim.com library are for Indian rail.

Just an observation.

Noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If ORBX did a Japan region like they did New Zealand then that would be an awesome region to have. Also like ezochi has said a great market to tap into as well. 

Japan has challenges for the developers as regards the housing/building architecture, city densities  & vegetation, among other things.

Yet those aspects make it a potentially interesting area to explore.

 

There are some similarities with New Zealand in respect of the volcanoes.

Mt Fuji in Japan & Mt Egmont, near New Plymouth, [North Island NZ], are a similar shape.

Both countries have island structures, there being far more in Japan.

 

I would certainly be a buyer for an Orbx  Japanese region.

 

TTM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Japan has challenges for the developers as regards the housing/building architecture, city densities  & vegetation, among other things.

Yet those aspects make it a potentially interesting area to explore.

 

 

That is what the switch in FTX Central is for. But I do understand why this is a low priority and consider this a would be nice item.

Hawaii is also a would be nice item, not sure if the North America LC will cover Hawaii as well but I hope so. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 Matthew. I think we've seen Hawaii come up in number of other topics. If this were a full-fat region or an experience pack, I'd think there's potential for it do incredibly well!


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...