$250,000 for a Route!

[micaelcorleone]

Yes, you read correctly.

That is the money RSC spends on one route project according to RSC CEO Paul Jackson on the "Let's Talk Trains Show".

We now spend about $250,000. In a couple of years the cost of developing a route will be upwards of $1M.

Right now, I get really dizzy. Never though it would be so much.

Source: http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?f=314&t=124050

[SMMDigital]

Sounds like he needs to outsource. We have cheap jobs here in the US!

[ozinoz]

It all comes down to the definition of "cost" and how that cost is derived. If they factor in overhead recovery and how the actual internal charges are calculated, they "may" be cross charging one department from another $100 an hour or more whereas their truer cost may be $30. Accountants can do wonderful things when it comes to costing and revenue for tax declaration.

A quarter of a million does seem a tad excessive...

[PapaXpress]

ok maybe its neck and neck with HSC

QFT

[SCLALINE]

He really had alot of good points though, especially perception vs reality

[buzz456]

I would like to point out that Bob says he put in 2000 hours creating the NEAR. Multiply that by $125.00/hour and what do you get folks? One twenty five with all the equipment and overhead might not be too far off.
Buzz

[Machinist]

I would like to point out that Bob says he put in 2000 hours creating the NEAR. Multiply that by $12.50/hour and what do you get folks?
Buzz

$25,000?!?!

[Machinist]

He really had alot of good points though, especially perception vs reality

Could you post in few words a summary... I'm not used to "hear" in English, so I'm having some problems to understand all they talked.
Cheers,
Doc.

[artimrj]

I would like to point out that Bob says he put in 2000 hours creating the NEAR. Multiply that by $12.50/hour and what do you get folks?
Buzz

$25,000?!?!

I make 3 times that at my day job. The route 19 months, making routes at those wages would not even pay the bills let alone eat.

[JackD]

I would like to point out that Bob says he put in 2000 hours creating the NEAR. Multiply that by $125.00/hour and what do you get folks? One twenty five with all the equipment and overhead might not be too far off.
Buzz

Seems we have an animated decimel point

[SMMDigital]

And how much have you spent, SMM on the NSAND? And it is how many times better than anything RSC has made, 80 times? (ok maybe its neck and neck with HSC)?

Now now, lets not compare apples to hex-head bolts. I do my route because trains are my chosen hobby and I already have a day job which pays quite well. You figure that RSC has a room full of full-time guys that have at least a BS degree in computer sciences and artistry that you have to pay competitive wages. Then, you might be sending some of them out into the field to collect data for a new route, so there is expense in that. And possibly you may be paying licensing fees, and who knows what other fees to the prototype roads. I imagine it could all add up to be quite expensive, but i'm kind of dubious that a route like Donner Pass had a quarter-of-a-million bucks put into it.

As far as my route and the HSC, I don't consider myself in competition with RSC or anyone else, but the NSAND isn't worthy to tie the shoe laces of the HSC route.

[DonR]

I'm thinking RSC should outsource some route development to some of you guys... I like their routes and your routes.


Don.

[Csxgp38-2]

Ah, but we do have pictures. AltoonaWorks on Facebook has plenty.

[ex-railwayman]

I don't how much you North American guys are charged for DLC from Steam, but, let's say that a route costs 40 bucks, it would need to sell 6,250 copies to break even at a quarter of a mill, if the development costs are going to increase to 1 million per route, that means that they'll have to sell it to 25,000 customers, shall they ever get enough customers and will they ever make a profit on this policy???

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

[Machinist]

This question echoes in my mind: how much costumers does RSC have?