How much do videos influence your buying habits?

[CodyValkyrie]

When watching a simulator product video, how much does it effect your buying decision? I'm very curious to hear the various responses.

If "other" is chosen, please explain.

[falcon409]

I think they're a growing asset to the purchase decision, but crisp, clear, well done screenshots are what I look for, because I want to study the VC/exterior up close in detail and unless a specific video concentrates solely in those areas, I'm going to be looking for the screenshots and if those are bad/poorly done, then I'll wait for feedback from someone who has purchased and had time to evaluate before I'll even consider it.

Videos are great to watch and to get a feel for the aircraft, but screens will still be the deciding factor for me. . .you can miss a lot in a video.

[Bjoern]

No influence at all.

[jankees]

No influence here either, but that does not mean I don't enjoy your video's!

[Aviator32]

None whatsoever. In fact I loathe them, especially the ones with a musical soundtrack :banghead:

I just want to see and hear the aircraft as it would be in my sim if I bought it. I don't want to see it sexed up by special effects and a god awful power-ballad soundtrack. Unfortunately I don't think 'vanilla' FSX videos like that exist anymore so I tend to avoid them altogether which means my answer to your poll is No Effect. Good clean un-photoshopped screenshots of the VC are all I look for these days when a new add-on is announced. And written opinion of course.

[BOOM]

What a timely subject,I just purchased The RAZBAM A-7 Corsair because of Mirage's exellent video showcasing this bird.Before the vid I was remotely interested,after the vid I was SOLD!!!!
I don't think that's ever happened before.

[WarHorse47]

I selected 'Other' because not all payware products have videos. When they do they may affect my decision to purchase, but they are not the sole determining factor.

When I'm interested in a product that was released a few months ago, I will research reviews. SOH comments, how many repaints, etc. with a focus on specific model details such as the VC.

When a new product is released I may wait awhile to see what others say. If I've been pleased with prior products of the same developer/designer, I will make an immediate purchase.

--WH

[txnetcop]

It really depends on the quality of the video, but yes it is one of the influences in my buying decision!

[CodyValkyrie]

Interesting responses already, and insightful thus far indeed. I would like this to play out a bit more. Ideally, I want to get a rythm as to how I can best assist my clients market their products. If I get anything from this, it is how best I can show customers my client's wares.

Thank you all thus far for voting and responding. Please, let's keep the ball rolling :D

[stiz]

they dont really affect my desicsion but i do look on the fact that if they have a decent video (showing the key points of the aircraft, maybe a bit about what systems are in etc) then the product must be resonably good to begin with, however if its a cheap looking one or a boring one (that isnt showing any info whatsoever and is just the plane flying along doing nothing for 5 mins) then i'll most likely take my money elseware :engel016:

[thefrog]

None whatsoever. In fact I loathe them, especially the ones with a musical soundtrack :banghead:

I just want to see and hear the aircraft as it would be in my sim if I bought it. I don't want to see it sexed up by special effects and a god awful power-ballad soundtrack. Unfortunately I don't think 'vanilla' FSX videos like that exist anymore so I tend to avoid them altogether which means my answer to your poll is No Effect. Good clean un-photoshopped screenshots of the VC are all I look for these days when a new add-on is announced. And written opinion of course.

I couldn't agree more! More vc and engine sounds - no music
Frog

[X_eidos2]

Knowing how hard they are to make, I always enjoy a well made video.

As for having an influence on whether or not I purchase an add-on, I'd have to say that I've never gone from "not interested" to "interested" because of a video. If anything, a good video will re-enforce an "interested" attitude and might push me from thinking about it to doing something about it.

Of course I think I'm in the tiniest of minorities when it comes to what type of add-on buyer I am. The thing that motivates me to buy an add-on is whether or not the model can help me make a movie.

[flyer01]

Video of a product is what I look for first. I fly VC as much as possible so the VC is high on my list to see in a video. But then is that not what flight sim's are about flying the plane.

The best thing is Demo's of the product. I would not have bought FSX If I had not tried the Demo. Same with PNW.

But video, yes video sells things like back in the day, with the previews at the movies.
You can not kick the tires of the product you want on line but you can look a video of the product.

flyer01

[Railrunner130]

I purchase based upon the following-

1. A perceived usefullness and interest in the aircraft. For example, I'd never buy an A380 for several reasons. It won't fit into many airports and I'm really not interested in it. A Catalina you can put just about anywhere (water or airport) and I really enjoy them.

2. Reviews in forums. If you guys say it's crap, why waste my money on it?

3. Support. Not only from the company that put out the product, but also repaints, add-ons etc. available for it. If nobody thinks enough of an airplane to repaint it, it can't be that good to begin with.

And those are my thoughts. A video really isn't that useful in terms of answering the above questions.

[falcon409]

. . . . . .I just want to see and hear the aircraft as it would be in my sim if I bought it. I don't want to see it sexed up by special effects and a god awful power-ballad soundtrack.. . . . .
On that point, I would have to agree. Videographers would do well to heed that point. There have been many that I was interested in watching, but were so turned off by the background music that I never got past the first minute of the video.

If the video's end purpose is to get you to buy the aircraft, why smother the video in headbanging, earpounding music? An aircraft's engine sounds are important as well as the VC and external work, so save the music for another time.

[warchild]

Interesting answers so far.
I both watch and make videos ( at times ), but the videos i make are always based on alpha and beta versions of the model. They dont have engine sounds quite often because many times, i dont have any engine sounds when i start and simply drop something in that approximates what i want to hear.
As to the enfluence a video may or may not have?? That varies. Sometimes, as with PNW,videos are a major point i look for, other times, like with the A-7 they are informative more in what they dont show than in what they show. they allow me to pick out the six or seven prime focus area's for me to work on, or where the aircraft i'm viewing may need better craftsmanship. .

[vora]

Videos influence me on products which are not "must-have" for me, i.e. if they don't fall into my "topics". With "topic" I mean e.g. naval aviation and bushplanes for aircraft or certain scenery areas I prefer to fly in.

Out of my head following products were bought solely because of the video: FTX's Aeropelican and Concrete (video on product site), A2A's Cub (Jaggyroad site), Classics Hangar's FW 190 (Mirage's site).

[txnetcop]

On that point, I would have to agree. Videographers would do well to heed that point. There have been many that I was interested in watching, but were so turned off by the background music that I never got past the first minute of the video.

If the video's end purpose is to get you to buy the aircraft, why smother the video in headbanging, earpounding music? An aircraft's engine sounds are important as well as the VC and external work, so save the music for another time.

I admit to liking some the headbanging ear-pounding music but it usually obnoxiously loud. I like hearing the sounds of aircraft and maybe a little tower talk...just tone the music back enough to allow potential buyers to get the feel of the cockpit and external sound quality. So Falcon has a very good point here
Ted

[MudMarine]

Very little effect on me. What effects me the most is who is doing it, what plane it is. If I like the plane the chances are I'm going to buy it. Videos are nice but not really influence my choice in anyway.

[fox18delta]

I watch videos very closely...looking for issues dealing with flight model such as pitch sensitivity and efects of weight/mass during taxi, take off and/or landing.

I have chosen both to buy and not to buy based on these issues in a video. Have been disappointed several times after disregarding "clues" provided by these videos.

... a music background that drowns out product sound is a non-starter.

p:-)

[FAC257]

For a possible aircraft purchase I'll use a video for cursory modeling and texturing check. By that point the aircraft in question is already on the short list of aircraft I'm thinking of getting.

The first place I head when thinking about an aircraft purchase is the text description on the product page. The second place I head is the still screenshot section. A sale can be broken at either of these two points no matter how amazing the product video looks, even if it's one of my all-time favorite aircraft.

I don't think I've ever purchased an aircraft because a video knocked my socks off. On the other hand I just made a recent aircraft purchase partially influenced because it had a tutorial video available for the FMS.

I've seen videos made of aircraft that I thought both the video and the product looked outstanding. Even then, because the aircraft themselves didn't already fit my narrow hanger definition criteria, the videos didn't make me change my mind.

For a possible scenery purchase I think a product video carries quite a bit more weight. I've found that a good video will show off things in a scenery creation better than an aircraft creation. Great screenshots on the other hand do more to influence me when looking at an aircraft than when looking at a scenery.

How many folks have watched great aircraft promotional videos to find themselves at the end more interested in the background scenery that was used in the filming?

FAC

[txnetcop]

Interesting answers so far.
I both watch and make videos ( at times ), but the videos i make are always based on alpha and beta versions of the model. They dont have engine sounds quite often because many times, i dont have any engine sounds when i start and simply drop something in that approximates what i want to hear.
As to the enfluence a video may or may not have?? That varies. Sometimes, as with PNW,videos are a major point i look for, other times, like with the A-7 they are informative more in what they dont show than in what they show. they allow me to pick out the six or seven prime focus area's for me to work on, or where the aircraft i'm viewing may need better craftsmanship. .

Pam in your case sound or music is not necessary. You are usually pointing out Alpha or Beta test features as aircraft are a WIP...like the P-61. Once you get deeper into a candidate for release then a video would be a great idea

[blazefox2]

2d pictures, and reviews can be helpful but i rely more often than not on videos as the final "nudge" to purchase a product

videos can show how the aircraft moves, how it performs, and how it responds while pictures simply can not do any of these.

[spotlope]

There are things about a model that you can't necessarily tell from still photos, and I like that videos give that added dimension of time + movement. Many times I've been unsure about a particular aircraft purchase, and a video will push me over the edge, one way or another. Atmospheric videos with a stronger emotional content (ones with all that "head-banging" music that people love or hate) are more of an entertainment/escape for me. When I'm looking to buy, I want to hear how the plane sounds in all phases of flight. If I'm not in an acquisitive mood, I'm usually interested in something a little more artistic to pass the time.

[ryanbatc]

I voted "effect my decision little"

Videos are cool but a lot of them are on high end machines, so everything looks purty. Sometimes the product gets "doctored up" imho. It's hard to distinguish important buying factors such as: performance - when all you see is super smooth fps on a i7 machine. Or perhaps you'll see choppy performance because the video was made with FRAPS etc.... You never really know. However, I do feel the developer benefits from videos because it makes for great advertising. How many users watch you tube videos? :wavey: There ya go!

I think word-of-mouth on the forums influences my buying decisions the most though.... and it's the first source I go to when I'm interested in a product.

[MarkH]

For me, it's sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some people here have assumed you mean vendor-commissioned videos designed to sell the product, but I read your question in the broader sense of just happening across independent videos that feature the product. I think the former is a risk because there's room for all the bias advertising entails. I also agree with those who said screenshots are more important in making a decision, and definitely VC shots.

For vendor-produced videos I think stuff like John Venema's video blogs are pretty high-quality because they are just casual blogs and hence seem a fairly honest source of relatively unbiased information (or he could be a masterful manipulator, of course :icon_eek:). Also some of the A2A videos, like Scott's previews of the Piper Cub and the stuff about their research. So videos that add background without overtly trying to sell something.

For me, a video has the potential to swing it, but maybe that says more about my whimsical decision-making! For example, I happened to see a video over on the Orbx site about the Carenado Bonanza, and I thought 'wow, what a gorgeous cockpit!' The Bonanza isn't something that would otherwise have gripped me, but now it's on my hitlist. And then, just yesterday, someone posted a video about TrackIR and EZCA that featured the SibWings BirdDog. Now I have TrackIR and EZCA, but what struck me was how the BirdDog's intercom lead dangled around under the effects of gravity. You don't get that from a screenshot, and it's not something that gets written up in a review, but for me it says something about the attention to detail and it's put the BirdDog on my list too.

[kilo delta]

No effect on my decisions either, though having said that I really do enjoy a good FSX video. My favourite to date is Jaggyroad's featuring the Skysim Mirage III through the Swiss mountains........breathtaking.
I'm very fortunate in that I get relatively good fps over most areas so I get to see FSX as it's depicted in these videos on a frequent basis. I haven't ever thought about creating a video though..even though I've had a soundtrack in mind on numerous occasions while in sim.
I'm always taken aback at the sim video producer's efforts,however, especially those who have mastered the art of blurring real life flight with it's computer generated counterpart. :) :salute:

[mfitch]

Videos have never induced me to buy a package. However I do enjoy watching many. The videos may act as commercials alerting me to the existence of a product.

Like some of the others my interests (type of plane, region of scenery) dictate which packages I purchase.

In the informal additional poll here on music in flight sim videos, I prefer to hear the plane. Music as a background element or transition element can be a strengthening feature. Full disclosure requires that I note my music tastes span over a millennium and the globe, but excludes most of what has been composed in the last 60 years. This period is oft used in videos.

[TopDollar]

What videos do is get more exposure to a product. Sure those of us who follow the flight sim forums pretty closely are going to already know of these up and coming addons, but your average casual simmer who isn't real active on these sites probably won't know anything about them. However if they happen to watch some youtube videos, it is pretty likely they will stumble upon a promotional video. Videos are merely another medium to spread information. I also find it great when I can see a potential product in action.

as an aside..

As far as videos themselves go, I can't stand those "ultra realistic no music" type videos or videos which lack music in general. I don't watch anymore than 5 seconds of them. For some reason these have started to become the new "Princess Juliana" video (in reference to the fad of when everyone seemed to be making a video at TNCM). If I wanted to see a plane landing with just the soundtrack of it's engines, I would load up the sim and go for a flight myself. When I watch a video, I want to see the creative side of flight sim. It has the capability (as proven many times by fellow video makers and myself) to be an interesting platform to tell a story with, or just watch some cool aircraft fly to a kickin' track. That being said, engine sounds can be a pretty key element to a video, and when used properly can fill in some auditory gaps ad as a whole add more to the video itself. They just seem to be lacking when used alone.

Sorry for the mini rant hehe. Turned out to be a bit longer than I had planned.

[Ark]

A preview/run-down video of a new product is huge to me. Cody, your video of the Airsimmer bus was the reason I took the plunge with that add-on.

I am a huge visual guy so a video sort of lets me see what I am getting.

[MarkH]

As far as videos themselves go, I can't stand those "ultra realistic no music" type videos or videos which lack music in general. I don't watch anymore than 5 seconds of them.
Well said. Trouble is, everyone immediately wants to generalise from their own narrow perspective. People make their little films with different visions: some folks are selling, some are plane-spotters, some are out to entertain and some just to express a creative urge. They often won't connect, but then you wouldn't expect Avatar to engage a fan of avante-garde french cinema, and Toy Story was made for children.

That said, there are well-established creative precedents for how it's done, and music is one of them. Imagine Apocalypse Now without the Valkyries, or 2001 without Johann Strauss. Paris, Texas without Ry Cooder?! No. And let's not forget that lots of people tried to tell George Lucas the 'background music' in American Graffiti was distracting. Ho hum.

[IanP]

I'm going to join the "influences a little" collective. I'll watch movies of anything and certain ones will make me want something more than I already did - such as the Scilly Isles, which I didn't want at all until watching the video, some things will make me want something less - such as my pet bugbear of the impossible banana-shaped engines in the Alphasim A-6 (which weren't shown in any of the original screenshots).

I'm also not a fan of videos that only play "FS sounds" - although I would like at least part of the video, if it is advertising a product, to clearly play the sounds that come with it. However in real world aircraft, I wear a decent headset to keep the annoying, constant, irritating, drone of engines out of my ears. I can't listen to music in a real aircraft, but I can when watching an FS product video and a well chosen, appropriate and not overpowering music choice is a good thing to have, in my opinion. Having said that, it is very rare that I find music on videos "overpowering" - if it's loud, I turn the volume down, so that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[txnetcop]

Well said. Trouble is, everyone immediately wants to generalise from their own narrow perspective. People make their little films with different visions: some folks are selling, some are plane-spotters, some are out to entertain and some just to express a creative urge. They often won't connect, but then you wouldn't expect Avatar to engage a fan of avante-garde french cinema, and Toy Story was made for children.

That said, there are well-established creative precedents for how it's done, and music is one of them. Imagine Apocalypse Now without the Valkyries, or 2001 without Johann Strauss. Paris, Texas without Ry Cooder?! No. And let's not forget that lots of people tried to tell George Lucas the 'background music' in American Graffiti was distracting. Ho hum.

Yep, I think that is what I am talking about. It needs to be background music so you still hear the sounds of aircraft at specific times. What I see a lot of is loud music that messes up the whole feel of the thing. PNW was done perfectly there were sound bytes of the town and the aircraft and yet the background was perfect! Cody has done a ton of really great videos also. American Graffiti would have been bomb without background music-it defined the era!

[Odie]

For me none. It's generally the developer and their past work AND posted screenshots that I go by for deciding to make a purchase. And, of course, the aircraft being modeled and my level of interest in it.

[PRB]

Very little, if at all. I'd rather see some good VC images. Videos are often too small and of low resolution to be useful for making buying decisions. For me anyway.

[OleBoy]

I like videos. Clean, clear and crisp. As for the music, depends on my mood. What music is used can be a real turn off. Literally (click). If I'm driving/flying (like the rest) I want to hear the mechanics of what I'm sealed inside of. Even in the RW..if you have loud music blasting all the time, how do you know something is wrong if you can't hear. An inevitable and potential breakdown.

For me, the video sets the mood. Does the scenery influence the video=yes it does. IF you're marketing scenery, +1 for you. If you're not and your marketing a model, -2 for you. Stay focused on the model, OR the scenery. That's the sale!! Not to mention the reason for taking the time to get those perfect photos to enhance the retail sales.

If your pushing something.......stay focused. Show IT!!

[AndyE1976]

Videos do influence my purchases when there are two or more companies selling the same aircraft, then I'll turn to YouTube for a search on the aircraft and see if I can find out more about what they are like in the sim.

At that point I've looked at the product reviews and screenshots and I'm looking for things such as how interactive the cockpit is, what does it sound like and does it appear to fly properly.

I also randomly browse FSX videos for things I already own and that often inspires me to fly that plane again and even look at other offerings from the same company.

[Zorg_DK]

For me videos are crucial. I think the company that does it best is A2A. The videos for their Accusim planes are outstanding. I like A2A's mix of real life videos, tutorials and promo videos.

[neutrino]

Videos of a certain FSX product (more specifically - aircraft), are indispensable part of my buying decision. I would buy a product based on a video alone. I look for a video, actually I may not buy an aircraft if it doesn't have a promo video, such as the VRS SuperBug or Dino's F-35. I don't care about pictures, or specs, I want to see it in action. I don't insist on it being one of these slick videos, that sort of become mainstream now - with close-ups and slow motion, and slow transitions, shaky camera etc. But I want it to be crisp, captured in 720p or 1080p, with music, interior, exterior shots, may be a nice back-story, it's a plus if it is entertaining :) Some videos are so good, they just stick in your mind and you watch them again and again just for fun, you know which ones I am talking about ;) OK, an example of good videos would be the Lotus L-39 and the Vulcan.

In the era of YouTube, a video speaks a thousands words :)

[Paul K]

Depends on the video, though no video alone has ever influenced me to buy anything.

Orbx had an astonishing one showcasing FTX Australia, in which you flew through windows from the default to the FTX scenery. Easy to compare the differences, yet almost dream-like.

Mirage's A-7 Corsair vid made me think for a while...but its not my sort of aircraft in FSX. Bloody good video though

[FAFL342Pascal]

Many demo videos are captured with impressiv hardware, enhanced with visual and special effects, and for some trailers, they are just video prod build with other software.

I really prefer a trial release.

[Roadburner440]

Yeah I have to agree about A2A.. If it wasn't for the videos I would of never believed the things they said about the 377, or subsequent planes. I mean now it is a given, but back then you have to see it to believe it. For me I like seeing a product in action before plunking down the $$ for it.

[clmooring]

a lot! I had never purchased a Lionheartcreations product, but the epic video made was compelling. I had purchased flight1 products, but the cessna mustang video was also very good.

[warchild]

How much do you folks discern between a payware video and a freeware video, and does it influence your choice in downloading?? Also, what would you like to see that would help you better in making a decision??
I mean, lets face it. Shaggyroad, Cody, Lotus,, there all incredible film makers, and that means they put a lot of heart, time and money into it and they aint cheap either. So lets say that a certain developer was making a certain plane that they honestly feel is the best work they and their team have ever done, but they dont have a dime to spend and wont be getting any money from it either. What could that person put into a video, that would help to convey to you, the customers, the quality, confidence, and yes, even joy that can be had in that aircraft, without spending a dime ( or several hundred dimes )???

[CodyValkyrie]

How much do you folks discern between a payware video and a freeware video, and does it influence your choice in downloading?? Also, what would you like to see that would help you better in making a decision??
I mean, lets face it. Shaggyroad, Cody, Lotus,, there all incredible film makers, and that means they put a lot of heart, time and money into it and they aint cheap either. So lets say that a certain developer was making a certain plane that they honestly feel is the best work they and their team have ever done, but they dont have a dime to spend and wont be getting any money from it either. What could that person put into a video, that would help to convey to you, the customers, the quality, confidence, and yes, even joy that can be had in that aircraft, without spending a dime ( or several hundred dimes )???
This post has provided a lot of insight, that my company (my crew and I) have taken note on. The idea also is to provide information for others who may be planning to do so or develop ones themselves. The camera features of FSX make it a very camera friendly (for the most part) simulation to film. There could be improvements nonetheless, but overall I am pleased with it's ability.

With a few tools such as FRAPS, EZDOK/EZWalk, a simple idea and a good piece of editing software, you can well be on your way to advertising an addon. For those uninitiated, the Windows video editing software is good. If you have a few dollars (or more) to spend, I would recommend a copy of Vegas or Adobe After Effects, the latter being a much harder editing suite to master.

Another option is to ask one of the freeware video developers (of which there are MANY) who may be interested in helping you advertise the addon.

As a side note, I'm more than willing to feature your plane in some videos we make, if you don't mind. I love featuring various aircraft in videos. It adds ambiance, and gives developers a chance to see their hard work viewed in a commercial or non-commercial video.

[b52bob]

If the video's end purpose is to get you to buy the aircraft, why smother the video in headbanging, earpounding music? An aircraft's engine sounds are important as well as the VC and external work, so save the music for another time.[/QUOTE]

Amen, I want to see what I will get, not some heavy metal stuff. I really HATE those videos with all sorts of stupid dissolves or airplanes flying backwards and what have you. A good video will really get me to thinking about purchasing.

[skyblazer3]

Cody's last video on WWI has really got me thinking about picking up Rise of Flight.

I think videos are an important part of the equation , but they certainly are not the principle factor. Like others, I love a good flight sim video, and abhor a poor video with heavy-metal music.

It would be great if some of these talented video makers wrote a little bit about their process for those of us that are interested in making our own films. I have a feeling, however, that the truly great video makers are more artists than they are technicians and would have a difficult time describing their process.

Chris Eells

[Snave]

The difference surely, is whether the video creator is purposely showcasing the product (in which case showcase the product, not the myriad other addons you have running at the same time); a generic depiction of the state of their FSX installation ("look how pretty my sim looks, it's much better than yours"); or their video editing skills (I could make a video about glass blowing, and with a banging' rock back beat you'd want to go out and make a chandelier `coz I know about crosscuts and FTB's and you don't...)

Horses for courses.

There are a handful of real artists working in the flight sim community actually creating videos that actively promote and encourage the products for sale. And we've seen them all, and look forward to their next creations. All the respect to them. if it was easy we'd all be doing it...

THOSE few, a very few, DO actually encourage purchase.

Probably 99.975% of the remainder are just irritating because they fall short in one way or another of being a sales tool. Not to say they aren't good in their own way, whatever that might be. I like a good rock soundtrack as much as the next man, and more than the guy next to him.

But it's piggin` useless to me when what I want to know is has that sound designer released a package that has entirely the wrong engine sound for the package he's foisted on the paying public, or the VC when all they show is shots of the external model flying into and out of shot...

Frustration is rarely a purchase signal.

[warchild]

Cody!, thank you.. Much appreciated.
I'm still curious though. So far i've learned, keep the music down, have the plane heard, use real life videos and images mixed in, show more of the VC, and much more, but everyone is talking sales.. To me that implies payware. But what about developers like piglet ( as an example ) who produce wonderful freeware. Do videos enfluence a persons decision to download those planes??

[AckAck]

Well, the thread title asks how they influence buying habits, and Cody has done several videos for payware products, and, IIRC, there was some mention of data for clients, so that's why I assumed payware.

I would think there would be almost no effect on freeware. Freeware you just download and try, as there is almost no opportunity cost. No reason to look at a video to decide to download something free. Yourcosts are time and bandwidth, and a video is likely similar in bandwidth requirements to the actual item - no cost saving there.

That doesn't apply to instructional videos, only promotional.

Brian

[warchild]

No reason to look at a video to decide to download something free.
Brian

SO, ( and please forgive what appears to be negativity. Admittedly, I find myself frustrated, but am more curious than frustrated ) that means that there is no reason for a freeware developer to make better aircraft, because there is no advertising, there's probably little interest, or even knowledge??
Certainly there's word of mouth, thats how both Multon and ito-san became known. but theres only one Milton.. And in todays world, where exactitude in visual models, flight models, systems and gauges are mandatory how can you separate the dedicated artists from the casual hobbyist if they all get lumped together under the fifth grade show and tell "looky what i did" heading?? Wouldn't a video go a long way towards helping the public to make that decision??

[Aviator32]

SO, ( and please forgive what appears to be negativity. Admittedly, I find myself frustrated, but am more curious than frustrated ) that means that there is no reason for a freeware developer to make better aircraft, because there is no advertising, there's probably little interest, or even knowledge??
Certainly there's word of mouth, thats how both Multon and ito-san became known. but theres only one Milton.. And in todays world, where exactitude in visual models, flight models, systems and gauges are mandatory how can you separate the dedicated artists from the casual hobbyist if they all get lumped together under the fifth grade show and tell "looky what i did" heading?? Wouldn't a video go a long way towards helping the public to make that decision??

Word of mouth is crucial for add-ons and that is probably even more true for freeware. If it's good enough then pretty quickly all the forums start to buzz and it becomes hard to avoid even if you would want to. A video isn't going to come close to creating the same level of interest. It's a very different issue when you can just download it, try it and take it off again if you don't like it compared with having to be persuaded to part with money.

[warchild]

i see.. so its not really the quality of the product that counts, but the money that gets negotiated..
Perhaps i'm getting too old..

[Snave]

SO, ( and please forgive what appears to be negativity. Admittedly, I find myself frustrated, but am more curious than frustrated ) that means that there is no reason for a freeware developer to make better aircraft, because there is no advertising, there's probably little interest, or even knowledge??
Certainly there's word of mouth, thats how both Multon and ito-san became known. but theres only one Milton.. And in todays world, where exactitude in visual models, flight models, systems and gauges are mandatory how can you separate the dedicated artists from the casual hobbyist if they all get lumped together under the fifth grade show and tell "looky what i did" heading?? Wouldn't a video go a long way towards helping the public to make that decision??

I don't think your asking the right question, or should I say you're reading wrongly into the answers proffered to the question asked: The question is specifically: `How much do videos influence your buying habits..?`

The implication that all answers relate specifically to payware is obvious, and any conclusion attributed to other sections of the marketplace are erroneous.

FWIW videos have no influence on me as to whether to download freeware. My criterion do not require a financial commitment to the fidelity, skill or dedication of the developer on trust prior to handing over my hard-earned, and therefore I rarely pay any attention to what others create moving-picture-wise for freeware.
That's not to say that I have never downloaded something I had previously discounted on the basis of seeing a video, but with freeware the principle is always `try it yourself` not wait for a video...

The difference is, I have never gone to the trouble of searching out a video for a freeware product in order to decide whether it was worthy of the download time. In most cases it takes longer to find a good vid that covers those areas important to me than it does to simply install the product and find out.

The common ground is, I suppose, that one cannot rely on a videographer to focus on the elements of freeware that make it desirable to me...

[warchild]

I don't think your asking the right question, or should I say you're reading wrongly into the answers proffered to the question asked: The question is specifically: `How much do videos influence your buying habits..?`

The implication that all answers relate specifically to payware is obvious, and any conclusion attributed to other sections of the marketplace are erroneous.

FWIW videos have no influence on me as to whether to download freeware. My criterion do not require a financial commitment to the fidelity, skill or dedication of the developer on trust prior to handing over my hard-earned, and therefore I rarely pay any attention to what others create moving-picture-wise for freeware.
That's not to say that I have never downloaded something I had previously discounted on the basis of seeing a video, but with freeware the principle is always `try it yourself` not wait for a video...

The difference is, I have never gone to the trouble of searching out a video for a freeware product in order to decide whether it was worthy of the download time. In most cases it takes longer to find a good vid that covers those areas important to me than it does to simply install the product and find out.

The common ground is, I suppose, that one cannot rely on a videographer to focus on the elements of freeware that make it desirable to me...

Good Answer. Thanks Snave.. most appreciated.