Why would you charge customers for an FSX update?
I'm not sure I understand the question...
As we said, many times already, yet people still find it difficult to believe, we always were an entirely separate entity from Cloud9, regardless the fact Alessandro (our scenery designer) used to work for Cloud9, and the fact that Cloud9 still pays a license to use our sales system.
This means, we have several legal constraints with Cloud9, which are:
- We can't create a directly competing product on the same sim. So, no EHAM, KLAX or KDCA for FS9 coming from us.
- We could create an FSX version, but that one will have to be made from scratch, not reusing any of the old code, so it can't be considered an "update". This because we don't hold any copyrights on the source code used for these sceneries. Italian law (but I think it's the same in most countries) is very clear about this: the copyright of any work made when your are employed by someone, belongs to your employer, with no exceptions.
- The only way to make an FS9 version, would be in agreement with Cloud9. Which would probably result in having to offer a reduced price upgrade to Cloud9 customers, because one shouldn't expect a big improvement. Especially in the case of KDCA, I really doubt we'll ever be able to do it much better than already it is.
- Having to work in agreement with Cloud9, means we need to share proceedings with them, of a product that will be mostly offered at a reduce price. Sorry, but this is not very attractive to us. Also, we wouldn't be able to offer a free upgrade to FSX, unless we do the FSX version with Cloud9 as well, which is even less attractive.
I think it's quite obvious why it makes more business sense for us to simply do new stuff. The only way to do something like EHAM or KLAX on our own, is to be in a situation were an FSX only scenery will be able to economically substain itself, without an FS9 release.
