Is it just me or does the upgrade path for Absolute 7 seem a bit unfair to loyal Steinbergers.? I mean I already have a fair few of the components. Might it be fairer and more attractive to seasoned users to have already owned items taken into consideration..?
Just saying…
Hi and welcome to the forum!
This question has been brought up in various threads over the past days. Some pointed out that there’s the option to resell single VSTis that are not used as a basis for the crossgrade after purchasing Absolute.
I do agree with you. The current offer is not very attractive for users who already own multiple or all VSTis plus various libraries. Someone suggested to ask Steinberg sales for a discount: I have never heard of a discount being given nor did I ever try to get one. Who knows? Steinberg is generally known for being very generous to their customers.
I upgraded from Absolute 6 to 7 for $99. I thought it was a pretty good deal. I got GA6 and Etude pianos (which I really wanted to try but never bought). I can see if someone has invested in several of these instruments this upgrade path may not make the most sense. But for me, I’m happy with the price and what I got.
That seems to be a very fair price to me, too, I’m with you 
.
However, the OP was referring to users who not already own an Absolute version. It’s about the crossgrade and not the update price especially with regard to users who separately purchased and own a variety of VSTis and libraries.
Crossgrade prices don’t differentiate between users who own most if not all VSTis (regardless of the update version) and users who already own just a single VSTi.
Maybe, Steinberg wants to keep it as simple as possible - a reasonable approach. However, users who own more and even updated versions of the included Absolute VSTis might not be tempted to go for a buy with a pricing model that does not differentiate here.