Aces High $19.95 Special Offer

[sky_bax]

Being such a popular topic and all, and keeping up with AH and it`s patches and updates, and having a few squadies who fly AH, here is my .02  

I tell you if I had an AH account I would not be too happy about this. There is a lot of posts in this thread but it would come down to simply this if I was an account holder.

I understand the importance of marketing and trying to pull in new customers, but to charge your customers all different ranges at $10, $15, $20, $30 all for the exact same product and service and let it be publicly known is not good.

If I had been paying $30 per/mo for some time, and the new guy next to me is now paying $10 per/mo for the same service, yes I would be upset. And I would feel I have a right to be upset.

In the automotive wholesale business there is no set price and will I give different prices to different customers for the same exact car? Yes. But this is not the car business.

AH is not a one time sale or price, it is a monthly subscription for the same service to all it`s customers, and IMO all paying customers should get the same price for the same product.

For those of you who have been here for some time now and have contributed highly to AH I really feel for you.    



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Skybax
328th Fighter Squadron
 www.352ndFighterGroup.com
Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney

[Gunthr]

I want to see Hitech Creations, Inc. survive.

I'm thinking that it is important at this point for HTC to compete directly with WB for thier customers. Things can be really touch and go for a new company. Targeting individuals who have the ability to influence or "drag" others over along with them makes sense, and I think this is what they are doing.

I really don't care though, it's academic. I believe that HTC is doing what is best to make sure that the company stays belly down, and that is what I want. HTC has a proven track record for respecting their customers, and giving value and quality. Everything they have done has been toward this end, so why assume the worst on this special rate deal? Hold your courses!

[Westy]

 I have an ex squaddie in AW that had a free WB's "beta" account that he used all the time for free. He and a boat load of other folks finally had that pulled out from under thier feet a couple of months ago.
 He did some beta testing for a while when he first had the account but after that it was free load willy.

  Now if I'd been a WBer and found out about that...why, ...why...WHY, I'd have damned quit WB's over that for sure!!!!  <eye roll>

  -Westy

 
 

[Minotaur]

Surprised that this thread has gone this far?  Nope!

I have read all the posts in this thread and have come to a few conclusions.

• Players are pissed knowing others have the opportunity to pay less for the same thing that they pay more for
• Players love this game, hence the whine about pricing, or they would simply go over to the competition with little comment
• Players aren't willing to take the comments made by HTC in good faith, over any pre-conceived notions they might have had
• Players whine about what effects their pocket book only moderately, as if it was a mortal wound to their spirit inspired by jealousy

Go back and search a few threads.  Search under "Badger" as the poster and "financial" or "business" as key words.  IMO this post by Badger, while not mean hearted in any way, is kind of a "I told you so!".  It is nothing new from him.

Just remember this:

Business Consultants are like the guy who can tell you a thousand ways how to give intimate pleasure a women, but has

no lady friend himself.[/list]

Put your balls out for all to see?

I would like to see how fast your courage drains like shriveled prunes.  It is very easy to criticize and to judge when it is someone else taking the risks.  They have have their balls laid out and yours are safely protected.

Sorry, long post!  

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Hind tit suckin whiners. Begone with yah!"
Hangtime

[SOB]

Actually, I'm kind of disappointed to see this thread seemingly stall out just past 200...was looking for a 300 post super-monster.

Does it help that HTC gave all of the FDBs free-flagged accounts in exchange for a freebie with Fatty's mom during the Con?


SOB

[Gman]

What's all this Rah Rah Badger stuff?  Is he Bill Gates or something?

[Karnak]

I just heard about this....

And I have no problem with it whatsoever.

If HTC needs to do market research, more power to them.  I'll keep paying my $30.00 a month.

I DO have a friend who is much more likely to keep his account if it were $20.00 a month.

Sisu
-Karnak

[sling322]

Three words for ya:  WAH WAH WAH

I have never heard so much pathetic whining in my entire life.  I am still fairly new around here, but really guys, it all boils down to one thing....

You either pay to play or you leave.

Nobody is forcing you to play this sim.  Its a choice that you make.  I am sure that once HTC gets all the data they need that they will do the right thing.  I am not rich by any means, but I enjoy flying this sim immensely and am getting involved in the scenarios and stuff now too, so for me the $30 a month is worth it.  So it means that I dont go to McDonalds as much or that I only go out for lunch once a week at work...big deal.  

On a side note:  RAM - if you knew that people were cheating HTC with free two week trials, why didnt you turn them in?  Now you are squeaking about them getting a lower rate than you, but if you had said something sooner, my guess is that they would not have got the "special offer" in the first place.  But that is just my opinion.

Good day fellas  

[RAM]

 

Originally posted by sling322:

On a side note:  RAM - if you knew that people were cheating HTC with free two week trials, why didnt you turn them in?  Now you are squeaking about them getting a lower rate than you, but if you had said something sooner, my guess is that they would not have got the "special offer" in the first place.  But that is just my opinion.

Good day fellas    

I am well known for my deep distaste of this kind of abusing.

The reason that I never said a word was that I never knew it until they could not open more accounts.

I did report more than one abuser to HTC crew, if you have any doubts, ask them.




[This message has been edited by RAM (edited 10-26-2000).]

[Ping]

 Minotaur:  There are those of us that are pissed off that people cant see it for what it was...Marketing strategy.

 Badger wasnt listened to by HTC so he has taken his ball and went home.
 Read it for yourself in this thread. Put aside the well written language and its there.
 I for one will support AH, for I love the game. I want to pay less, and hopefully in time I will.
 There are those with free accounts, and I am happy for them. I'm not a jealous individual for the most part. Is this what's knotting most peoples knickers?? Jealousy?
 A big question in my mind now is, Which company is Badger now going to run to and try to IMPOSE his marketing skills on?

[mrfish]

Jeeez Oh Pease here..!

All of this whinage has brought Ah more free advertising than they expected - they are even starting a potential tizzy session at wwIIonline off topic boards....

[humble]

Wow, go to Brazil for a week and all hell breaks loose . Hell of a thread to sort thru, but my 2 cents is as follows.

A business has to survive as a business. Certain risks need to be taken at specific times, often business owners find numerous options which offer partial success with no "sure thing". AH has altered the price/performance ratio of the entire online FS industry, the radical change in WB's pricing is a clear indicator of this. I'm sure the initial business plan was well thought out and a reasonable price point was determined. To change pricing in response as a reflex action might create an unworkable pricing point, to remain fixed surrenders the initiative.

All in all, a great idea for a difficult scenario...who would of thought WB would throw the towel in this quickly guys. In the end it's pretty simple, you believe in the product and people or you don't...So guess that means I'm back....porky F4U 1c and all.

I'll pay 29.95 and trust that HT and Pyro will behave like good capitalists

 

[dbcooper]

 Don't really give a rats butt about any of this.... just posting this for a new thread record.  

[Lugnut]

Funny thing , all this wouldn't be necessary if one of you brilliant business types who know's so much about the online industry could answer for me (the one who know absolutely nothing about the online flight sim business) one simple question.
What percentage increase in customers can HTC expect at.

19.95
15.95
9.95

No guessing at the answer ,opinions are not worth anything in this,I need evidence and facts base on what AH is today and our way of doing continued advancement.

You also need to acquire this information in the least expensive means possible.

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I suspect that if any here reading this board were qualified enough to provide a correct, relevent answer, they would not be posting it here for free. It would most likely given be given in the Summary Section of a nicely bound 100 page Market Analysis proposal, for which you would have paid $2,000 per day over a protracted period to said brainiac.

And it would probably be worthless 6 months after he/she handed it to you.

Having said that, I can't fault you for your intent or your methods. You'll most likely get the information you need, at a fraction of the price of a hi-$ consultant (who knows less about the industry than you do). Don't worry about the resident grognards; customers whine, its what we do best.

Lugnut

[This message has been edited by Lugnut (edited 10-26-2000).]

[Pappy]

Why post, if you like paying the 30 bucks a month since the 8 plane set days last spring then keep flying and enjoy.
If you wana quit due to being screwed out of a newbie price break the quit, but it seems like a lotta people need this online support group to help talk them into feeling good about this one way or the other.
More pilots are more score amplifiers for the furballers and warp and lag amplifiers for the rest.
Have a nice day ya price break pukes or full price lovin dweebs.