Archicad pricing policy

[Anonymous]

Can please someone from GS explain the big difference in prices bettween US and Europe?

The price in Europe is almost double.

This also holds for upgrades.

Can please someone give a responsible answer?

[Dwight]

What makes you think that Graphisoft sets its own price?

You might observe that regions of the world have differing economic situations and each language version must be localized and supported in that language.

I'm sure that there is leeway for the franchise owner to set what he thinks is a fair price in his market.

Car dealers do this - the exact same car is always less expensive in Canada that the Excited States, for instance - it is just tough that you seem to live in an economically strong country with fewer licenses to buy.

As for getting on a plane. Just be sure to tell the Woodster that you just moved to Connecticut when you buy that software cheap. And when he looks at your cone, tell him that you come from France.

[Vitruvius]

Dwight,

That reasoning just doesn't wash.

Software is a commodity and should be priced as such. Everybody else can sell their software for the same price worldwide - why not GS? Nooooo, they have this goofy reseller cartel system which they expect their users to blindly support and actually finance. That's why they can't deliver.

Olivier want's to buy a US version and pay a US price. But he's not allowed to by GS?

But really - 'localization' means it costs an extra thousand bucks for a French language menu? The whole 'localization' rationale is a sham. Do they mean they're giving their US customers less? Or is the practice of architecture in the US so pared down and simple compared to other markets? Are US buildings different?

I personally love the Yurt & Dried Dung Bricks add-on and would happily pay an extra thousand bucks for it. Of course the commission on my last Yurt was only a thousand bucks.....

But why does this concern all of us? Because it vastly diminishes the pool of potential users by pricing the product off the market. And that should concern everyone. We have invested a lot of money and time in this package and have a vested interest in widening the user group.

Or, in the context of your car analogy, we may have a product no one uses because they're trying to sell a BMW at Aston Martin prices. Apple almost choked on their pricing policy in the early 90's and with Revit now competing in the same arena, and backed by AutoDesk, GS may suffer a similar decline in their fortunes because of this stupidity.

Cheers.

[MarinRacic]

Dwight,

Maybe the Int. version should be available also - if you don't need localized menus and help, buy the International version for a lower price... I've wrote in previous posts that the average architect's salary in Croatia is 600-700 € while AC costs 5000 € + 22% tax. You know best how much do you earn and what's the price of AC over there and please do the maths... It's not fair, to say the least!

[Dwight]

I apologise for making an observation seem like an excuse.

[Anonymous]

Deleted by the author. Too long and useless.

In short, too much expensive for me, sorry.

[stefan]

One of my points is that localisation has stopped for Holland/Flanders, because it was too expensive, yet the high price remains!

I've seen Graphisoft Constructor & Estimator pricing announced: $6000 & $4000. That's less then what I pay for ArchiCAD alone... and ArchiCAD is included in the $6000...

I payed about EURO 6320, which converts to $8200 for ArchiCAD alone (without 21% taxes).

[Karl Ottenstein]

Olivier wrote:
Deleted by the author. Too long and useless.

In short, too much expensive for me, sorry.

I'm sorry that you deleted your post, Olivier. It actually outlined the issues quite well, I thought. My sympathy (for what it is worth!) on the pricing issue, in any case. 😉

Karl

[Anonymous]

stefan wrote:
I've seen Graphisoft Constructor & Estimator pricing announced: $6000 & $4000. That's less then what I pay for ArchiCAD alone... and ArchiCAD is included in the $6000...

I payed about EURO 6320, which converts to $8200 for ArchiCAD alone (without 21% taxes).

Prepare to see the price in Europe to almost 20000$.
Not any info just simple extrapolation

[Anonymous]

Karl wrote:
I'm sorry that you deleted your post, Olivier. It actually outlined the issues quite well, I thought. My sympathy (for what it is worth!) on the pricing issue, in any case. 😉
Karl

Thanks Karl,
My post was unusually personnal, i was angry. Some days later, i am still, so if you insists, here is a soft version.


1 - The world market is locked, this is Graphisoft's decision. I don't see any competition.

2 - I respect Copyright, i know it costs to developp and maintain a soft like AC. The question is not here, but about world pricing policy.
For me this is incomprehensible and counter productive. I hear Graphisoft's explanations, i don't understand them, i need more visibility.

3 - I compare the US price for AC 9 upgrade $ 495 with the French price $ 1 280 (without 19.6% taxes). The difference is more than twice and a half.
If the reason is translation fees, they are very very expensive. May be tech support is exceptionnal?
If French users want to pay this full price for a native version with translation fees and full tech support, it's their problem.
Most of them are asking for a French version, the reseller will survive.

4 - The first French site is http://www.fc-cadlink.com/ . The number of users increase everyday. Ask any question, you get the answer in few minutes.
The webmaster, Eric Wilk, does a fantastic job, and provides a real help. He is not a reseller. Notice the poll on the home page.

5 - One of my main interest in AC is GDL. I can live without the new features HOTLINE2 and HOTARC2.
When i had to upgrade all my personnal libraries to the new standards of version 8, the tech support was unable to help me.
Some users, from different countries, did it. I thank them a lot. I am not hurry to do it again, for each new release.
Not really the topic, but i feel some users will understand what i mean (AA? )

6 - A miracle, as it happened in Brasil, about uprading conditions, may happen for AC10 in my country.
I am not very optimistic on this one, but never knows. Some decisions are so hard to understand.

7 - I ask to exchange my native version for an INT version. No translation fees in this case.
Just a CD and the ability to exchange my key if it is defectuous. I don't ask for tech support, or pricy services i don't need.
I accept to pay the necessary fees for this exchange. I hope in this case upgrades at a more reasonable price.

8 - The situation is worst for some other countries, no tech support at all, but full price. Dear fellows, i feel your pain.

9 - I will continue to work as long as i can with AC8.1, but sorry, i don't upgrade at this price.

10 - This pricing politic is very disappointing for old and loyal customers.

Hope all this is understandable.

[Vitruvius]

Well said Olivier.

And, to add my thoughts on the localized versions - why can Cigraph offer plug-ins and manuals in four languages on a product priced at about US $175.?

And sell it at that price worldwide!!!

I would bet the French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese markets are big enough to warrant translated packages at the same price as the US. Perhaps some of the smaller countries demand a premium due to their smaller market share, but even then, it shouldn't add more than a 10 or 15% premium.

Let's be honest here, about 85% of the manual in an upgrade is identical to the previous version. And the localized software menus are likewise mostly carried over from the previous version.

GS is prioritizing the needs of resellers over the needs of their users.