Evolution Can I sell it on?
- Thread starter Wheelywoo
- Start date
Chiquitalees
New member
I am bitterly disappointed with this decision given it is my software that I purchased less than 12 months ago for nearly $200 Aus dollars. As I have advanced to a point with my flying ability to a point where I don't need the software anymore, I decided to have the product deregistered so I could on sell. I was also advised that I can't resell the product.
I can't understand why, like any other purchase one makes the buyer can't re sell the item. If I had known I could not re sell, I would never have purchased the product. Nowhere on the box that came with the product does it mention this very peculiar policy.
Could you please give me an explanation as to why this policy is in place as I work for a large retail organisation and I have never heard of such a policy with any purchase the consumer makes under fair trading. I will be contacting consumer affairs about this today. John
flightengr
Active member
Right or wrong, this has become common in the video game industry across PC, XBox, and PlayStation. Games that come on a DVD can still be resold since the DVD itself is the license. Digital downloads without any physical media are sold to the original owner, and none of these marketplaces (Steam, XBox Store, PlayStation Store) have any way to transfer a digital license from one account to another. They don't give you any kind of a tangible license file, card, or anything else like that. (The card or e-mail you may get when you buy it is a one-time activation code, not a license. Once the code has been used to create a license, the code is worthless.) You'd have to transfer the license from one user with an account at that marketplace to another, but they don't want to facilitate that process and evidently they don't have to since it's been like this for years.
Many users of flight sims have gotten beyond the beginner stages of learning to fly. A sim is a great way to keep the reflexes working during the winter months when you can't get out and fly the real thing. A sim is also a way to experiment with new maneuvers without risking a real aircraft.
Many users of flight sims have gotten beyond the beginner stages of learning to fly. A sim is a great way to keep the reflexes working during the winter months when you can't get out and fly the real thing. A sim is also a way to experiment with new maneuvers without risking a real aircraft.
csgill75
Well-known member
Consumer affairs won't do anything for you. Their stance has been documented that you can't sell what you don't physically have. What you physically have is a Key that has become useless once it is activated on Steam. Steam gives you a license to use the software the key that you activated is attached to. Steam also owns your Steam account and if it is found that you have sold the account to sell the software, they can permanently disable that account, forfeiting the right to use that software license. This is not a policy of Realflight so it doesn't have to be printed on the box or in the paperwork, this is a Steam policy that applies to all the games on Steam, and all digital distributors of software have a similar policy.
I have been using RF since 2009 and It is still a very useful tool. Use it to continue practicing and honing your skills, you can never get too much of that. Keep using the software to advance your flying capability in a safe, inexpensive manor.
Last edited:
Note that this is very similar to any movies or music that you "buy" from many streaming or on-line sources. You can use it, even install and uninstall it on multiple devices that you use. You didn't buy a physical, unique item that is yours alone. You bought lifetime rights to use the item.
Which you can still again access, even if you delete it from your system, as long as you keep your Steam account.
Which you can still again access, even if you delete it from your system, as long as you keep your Steam account.
RemyHeli
Active member
100%. Also nice to use as refresher of pre-defined manoeuvers for public airshow, if weather doesn't allow the week/days before.
Last edited:
Exactly why I will keep using my 8.5 and not Steam. To not be able to resell -> is wrong.
flightengr
Active member
If you haven't sold RF 8.5 yet, do you really think you'll ever want to? And by then, what market would there be for it? It's already three versions behind, and probably very difficult to install on Windows 10 or higher. It will also require hardware that supports DirectX 9, which is obsolete and was finally phased out of Intel's video drivers. Who knows... it may also become impossible to unregister the serial number and have the next person register it.
RemyHeli
Active member
Big topic and lot of parameters to consider (country, licence type, license policy, EU/NonEU regulations, rule date from, etc). Google below chain of words if you want see a true case of very expensive software. Not a recent case, just to give an idea on the subject and beyond personal home usage. Maybe the blockchain technology will be able to help in the future.
AutoCAD resale ruling a messy win for first-sale doctrine
Last edited:
csgill75
Well-known member
Nobody is going to want obsolete software that is not compatible with some of the more modern hardware out there today. It's resale value is next to nothing.
Judgement is perhaps slightly premature - my 8.5 is running great on Win 11, Intel processor, with the Nvidia 4070ti card. So it is not quite dead yet. Yes, may have issue with some specific hardware (haven't tried mine with just the Intel graphics, etc). But I agree that it is not worth a whole lot, given that any open box items are already usually very highly discounted to start with....
RF 8.5 works great with the Intel IGPU, you just have to place the DXVK d3d9.dll file into the RF8 folder. I have tested RF7.5 with the DXVK fix and that works perfect too.
RF9.5s does not work well with the d3d9.dll, yes, I can get it to work but it is limited in features and stability, for instance, planes and drones fly good but selecting a helicopter will instantly crash RF 9.5s.
My main consideration is not being able to sell what I buy. There are laws building for "right to repair". There should be laws for "right to sell". Outside of the new subscription based software, are there other common everyday goods that I can buy and not be able sell myself? Since you work for Horizon, you might be OK with the consumer getting 'locked in' to RealFlight, but I'm not.
flightengr
Active member
LOL... I don't work for Horizon.
I've pretty much assumed that I'm locked into any software purchase I made for decades. Open boxes have a lot less value the minute you open them, and everything changes so fast that by the time I'm done with a piece of software it really has no resale market anyway.
I've pretty much assumed that I'm locked into any software purchase I made for decades. Open boxes have a lot less value the minute you open them, and everything changes so fast that by the time I'm done with a piece of software it really has no resale market anyway.
csgill75
Well-known member
A Realflight License on steam is not a tangible object you can just pass along. Think of it as a lifetime rental of the software. You don't own the software, you paid for a lifetime rental. Therefore, You cannot simply sell the software since you don't really own it. Yes, Steam can and will deactivate the license if it is found that the account it was tied to was sold, or given to someone else, (they can track that, and yes it has happened many times in the past). You can sell the Interlink if you want, it isn't tied to the software in any way.
Ok, then that's a surprise. I take it back. But -- You offer more help than people who do WORK for Horizon from what I see.
Next time you want to sell that (any)thing, try ebay. You can offload RF 8.5 there for a decent price. I'm not ready for that yet, however.