Bad business by Aerosoft and advice from a fellow game developer.

[Moach 97]

Ok, so here's the thing:

 

The whole deal with CCM's mod being pulled down over "copyright violation" has left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

 

It is simply horrendous business management, to be aggressive that way about whatever rules might have been broken. Sure, the files being distributed on the mod were technically protected by copyright terms.  But in practice, where it really matters, there is really nothing that could be done with those files that could in any imaginable way result in lost revenue or damages to Aerosoft.

 

Yet measurable damages can already be seen from the aftermath of said mod's removal.  Aerosoft is now an item of boycott to many a disgruntled customer, let alone our individual future purchases being written off, rest assured that whenever the question of whether or not to buy an AS product comes up, our suggestions will be something in the theme of "don't buy those guys' stuff, they're evil".

 

What a way to shoot yourself in the foot.

 

 

Now, I'm gonna pull rank here and put forward some kind advice as a fellow flight simulation developer. (not affiliated with MSFS, for clarity)

 

In my daily job, we go to ridiculous lengths to make our game as freely moddable as it can ever be.  Mods are to be encouraged, and facilitated to the best of our capability.  We'll even go to the trouble of making ourselves available all day on our Discord for modders to ask us whatever they need help with.

 

This strongly pro-modding attitude has proven immensely beneficial in the past.  See:   

 

I'm sure you're familiar with a game called "Kerbal Space Program".  Well, my twin brother and current employer was the original lead developer of that game. 

Back in the early days I was personally volunteered as chief community admin in those forums and even got to write down the original guidelines for addon publishing, which remain mostly unchanged by the admins that followed after and continue to this day (at least I hope so)

 

Having put modding friendliness as a first-and-foremost prerogative was undoubtedly a critical move leading up to the game's ultimate popularity. 

 

 

Therefore, it pains me on more than one level to see fellow developers of simulation products I'm personally interested in, doing such wild acts of lunacy as going against a modder over some copyright technicality that effectively hurts nobody in practice;  While to pursue it thus clearly makes for the worst PR move imaginable. 

 

 

Now, it would still be a very welcome turn of events and a most satisfactory surprise if in light of this, AS were to change their stance and allow the mod, despite it being technically against the rules. This also applies to the previous case of Mugz mods for the CRJ.

 

Sometimes, rules get in the way of a greater good. Would you blame a driver for breaking the local speed limit in order to reach help quickly and save a life? No, you give them sirens and paint "ambulance" on the side of their vehicles so they can do that very thing more effectively.  There's a lesson here somewhere, I hope you can see it.

 

 

[FrameRate24 19]

6 minutes ago, Moach said:

Ok, so here's the thing:

 

The whole deal with CCM's mod being pulled down over "copyright violation" has left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

 

It is simply horrendous business management, to be aggressive that way about whatever rules might have been broken. Sure, the files being distributed on the mod were technically protected by copyright terms.  But in practice, where it really matters, there is really nothing that could be done with those files that could in any imaginable way result in lost revenue or damages to Aerosoft.

 

Yet measurable damages can already be seen from the aftermath of said mod's removal.  Aerosoft is now an item of boycott to many a disgruntled customer, let alone our individual future purchases being written off, rest assured that whenever the question of whether or not to buy an AS product comes up, our suggestions will be something in the theme of "don't buy those guys' stuff, they're evil".

 

What a way to shoot yourself in the foot.

 

 

Now, I'm gonna pull rank here and put forward some kind advice as a fellow flight simulation developer. (not affiliated with MSFS, for clarity)

 

In my daily job, we go to ridiculous lengths to make our game as freely moddable as it can ever be.  Mods are to be encouraged, and facilitated to the best of our capability.  We'll even go to the trouble of making ourselves available all day on our Discord for modders to ask us whatever they need help with.

 

This strongly pro-modding attitude has proven immensely beneficial in the past.  See:   

 

I'm sure you're familiar with a game called "Kerbal Space Program".  Well, my twin brother and current employer was the original lead developer of that game. 

Back in the early days I was personally volunteered as chief community admin in those forums and even got to write down the original guidelines for addon publishing, which remain mostly unchanged by the admins that followed after and continue to this day (at least I hope so)

 

Having put modding friendliness as a first-and-foremost prerogative was undoubtedly a critical move leading up to the game's ultimate popularity. 

 

 

Therefore, it pains me on more than one level to see fellow developers of simulation products I'm personally interested in, doing such wild acts of lunacy as going against a modder over some copyright technicality that effectively hurts nobody in practice;  While to pursue it thus clearly makes for the worst PR move imaginable. 

 

 

Now, it would still be a very welcome turn of events and a most satisfactory surprise if in light of this, AS were to change their stance and allow the mod, despite it being technically against the rules. 

 

Sometimes, rules get in the way of a greater good. Would you blame a driver for breaking the local speed limit in order to reach help quickly and save a life? No, you give them sirens and paint "ambulance" on the side of their vehicles so they can do that very thing more effectively.  There's a lesson here somewhere, I hope you can see it.

 

 

I agree just as Mods did wonders for kerbal space program, mods MADE that game, the mods and tweaks for the twin otter, brought it from a "below average" addon, to one of the best addons available right now. Im saddened to have lost the ability to fly it the way i came to love it.

[Mark HM 6]

Just caught up - and that is game over for me buying from Aerosoft.   Annoyed me with the CRJ - it still has buttons that used to work and have stopped despite an update.

 

Then with the Otter, shocking sound so bad that I had to buy a sound pack.

Its thanks to the community that the Otter is my fav plane because of CCMs mod and I might have considered your next plane because I know the community can make them better thru tweaks.  (though I have no interest in your plan for an Airbus)

 

I don't understand the legal argument,  what is anyone going to do with the files?  What commercial gain?  What secret business sensitive info is in there?  Have you some code that only you know and have developed that magically make the planes fly so realistically? And from the communities response - there is a cohort of people that do not believe it flies realistically and in the spirit of community have offered an alternative.  An alternative that could drive more people to wanting to buy it form you and augment it with a mod.

 

Like certain other developers you do yourselves no favours and you should have expected, like every other developer - that someone will mod the flight dynamics.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[echo_oscar 40]

Worth noting that there are plenty of mods that edit and redistribute .cfg files from Asobo’s own planes. Not only does Microsoft encourage the community to enhance their products, they feature them in the Marketplace, allow distribution in their forums and even hire the modders as contractors! 
 

Aerosoft is quickly developing a negative perception in the community, especially after this aircraft’s release. I hope you guys come to your senses and make this right with your customers. 

[The Tune Shack 8]

I agree, a very bad move from Aerosoft.

 

If the aircraft was ok to start with I wouldn't have to buy a sound pack to be happy with it. But I'm OK with that.

But going after people who make mods? Shame on you.

[moebius 12]

Agreed.  This is appalling behaviour.  Strange that Aerosoft apparently didn't stop to consider that virtually all other major developers don't demand that simple performance mods be taken down.  I won't be buying Aerosoft again, because an aircraft that can't be modded is a much bigger risk than one from another developer that understands the community.

[OwlInFlight 2]

Even accepting what Aerosoft said about copyright violations as true, this is terrible optics for the company. That's a lot of trust burned away that won't easily be regained, if it even can.

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Friends.... 

 

I can fully understand the feelings. But the simple fact was that the files shared contained 95% our copyrighted material and thus was a copyright violation. And if you do not defend the copyrights of something law dictates that you can loose the copyrights. I have also suggest several ways the person who made the the files can share his work without copyright violations.