It was absolutely their intention to drain c13 for the last drops of revenue before releasing c14 just weeks later, knowing it was ready to go and knowing we’d have to pay out again.
It’s deception whatever way you cut it.
For those saying it’s what they always do. You’re suffering from hindsight logic, which is to say, it feels obvious because you already knew.
That’s like me being surprised that you didn’t know a lightyear is 6 trillion miles
I think it’s more a modern mentality because you rarely get anything physical to show when software purchasing. So people easily devalue both the version they’ve just bought and the new version equally.
There’s many that don’t appreciate that a ‘free’ code that unlocks software equates to thousands of man hours that Steinberg have had to pay out.
So they adapt a “Well, if you just give me a download code, it’s only a few numbers it’s not going to cost you anything extra.”. But what they’ve failed to appreciate is that Steinberg need paying for the previous version as well as the new version.
It’s that part which doesn’t register.
From a Windows user POV - the realization, that the C13’s stupidly white top menubar won’t get fixed, cause that fix is being marketed as one of the main changes in C14.
I think the bitter taste is caused by the lack of transparency in telling customers they’re buying a product that will be upgraded within weeks.
And that is exactly wrong. People would not remember that they got something nice from Steinberg on the next possbile occassion. They will find a way to say “yeah, ok ,but see, this is different. I should really receive it for cheaper/free”. The best example is actually right now. You got something nice. You already forgot it.
Consider me signed up on this petition. I feel conned. I just bought Cubase 13 and Wavelab 12 because of the E-licenser ending situation. Bought them at a discount on August 31. I am extremely disappointed in Steinberg right now.
If you bought Cubase 13 ONE DAY before they released Cubase 14 and you had to pay full update price to get Cubase 14, would you be upset?
Answer honestly.
If you would then consider that in essence you agree with this petition: we’re just haggling about the time between updates grace period.
Its like the old Winston Churchill joke:
A man asks a woman (swap roles if you feel this is politically incorrect) if she would be willing to sleep with him if he pays her an exorbitant sum. She replies affirmatively. He then names a paltry amount and asks if she would still be willing to sleep with him for the revised fee. The woman is greatly offended and replies as follows:
She: What kind of woman do you think I am?
He: We’ve already established that. Now we’re just haggling over the price.
====================
disclaimer - this is in no way to imply or suggest anything about Steinberg in the “joke” except the haggling 
You can just click the vote button on the top left. That would be the equivalent of “signing” it 
So what’s bugging me is that I bought C13 exactly 2 months ago, and activated it, not knowing the loophole for getting C14 for free if I’d waited with activation. Not knowing that will now cost me £83 more than someone else who may have also bought it on the same day but did know the loophole.
Am I throwing my toys out of the pram? Yeah admittedly, I am a bit, but you can surely see why.
Just leaves a bitter taste.
A heads up from Steinberg that they’re about to release an upgrade in 60days before I’d purchased C13 would have been good practice.
In all fairness to Steinberg I’m still going to save around £40 if I upgrade twice, than if I’d upgraded from C12.
It’s not really about getting it for free, it’s the lack of transparency that leads to me paying for something that others aren’t.
Honestly, If I had to pay full price (i.e. not the upgrade price) again then yeah, of course.
If SB remotely disabled C13 somehow when C14 was released, then yes, of course
But that isn’t what is happening. It’s £83 for the upgrade to a new version. Me buying it just under a year ago makes no difference to if I bought it on Tuesday. No one is forcing me to update to C14, I can still crack on with C13 until I’m ready to upgrade.
If I get Cubase 14 today then my TCO will be £580. Had got it C13 in the sale instead of shortly after release then upgrade to C14 then my TCO is £329. I don’t begrudge that; I paid what I was willing to pay. Others getting it tons cheaper later on is irrelevant to me
As someone who supported SB by purchasing C13 close to release for full whack (which helped fund the development of C14) it doesn’t seem like anyone has been particularly hard done by in the big scheme of things.
We all have an agreement with Steinberg: We understand they will try to sell their products at the price they think will maximize profits, and we may choose to buy their products if we think the price is right. That’s exactly what happened here. And no Steinberg didn’t sell you a different product than the one you ordered, or lie to make you spend your money. - Hence there was no deception!! It’s just business.
And … no, C13 is not obsolete if it still works on your computer, any more than the 2024 version of your vehicle becomes obsolete the day the 2025 models are released.
Did you think C13 was a good value for the purchase price you paid (I’m sure you did, with such strong discounts)? C14’s release doesn’t change that then - it still is good value!
Are you just as upset at Waves because they are selling plugins at 1/10th the price you paid for them? IMO all this is just a shoulder-shrugging sequence of events, then move on.
And this concept that is unfair to not get C14 free because you missed the grace period by one day. What if Steinberg felt sorry for you and acquiesced and gave it to you. What would you say about the guy who missed the grace period by two days - should he also get c14 free, or should that exception just be for people like you who missed it by one day. What about the people who missed it by three days, should they get it for free also? Three weeks? Three months?
I agreed to pay what others pay and not a penny more. If through some non transparent way I could pay nothing then why didn’t I know this during the buying process?
Why is it that 2 customers can buy the same upgrade on the same day but only one of them is informed enough to know that not activating it until 4 weeks to the next release will get them the next upgrade for free?
Lack of information at the checkout. I had no idea a release was coming soon.
Why would I? I have a whole busy life outside of Cubase.
But I would’ve known if they’d told me during the buying process.
They chose not to. That’s deceptive behaviour. If you disagree, so be it. We have differing opinions.
I’ve financially supported many software developers over many years, since the years of Atari ST\Amiga.
So if there’s a free upgrade, yeah, damn right I want to know about it. I deserve that support in return. That’s just good customer relations.
I don’t know what you’re talking about with obsolete C13. Not my view
This is probably the longest reply I made in my life, but I felt like I needed to write this.
Oh, I don’t know, how do many other companies stay in business that provide free quality software (like DaVinci Resolve), some of which is even open source? They find other sources of income and get ahead of the competition. And that is how they survive and thrive.
I am not saying that Steinberg should completely switch their business model and make everything free, but you are making it sound like they’ll go completely bankrupt by giving people, who just bought Cubase 13, a free Cubase 14 update, which I truly believe they / we deserve, in this particular case.
Furthermore, if Steinberg mainly consists of a bunch of developers who are not really interested in marketing and expanding their business, then maybe it’s time for a change if this company is to survive. Programming will get easier and easier in the future with help of AI, which will make development easier for everyone.
So what’s left, then? The brand, the image and a lot of customers who trust the company and who don’t want to feel like they are being treated like fools, which is the case in this particular situation here.
You, and other like you, have to stop living in denial.
And it is morally right of Steinberg to reward those who have special knowledge with a free Cubase 14 update? I’m talking about those who know, when the new Cubase will be released, who know not to activate Cubase 13 yet, and who know that they can just continue using a 60-day trial, until Cubase 14 releases, which they now get for free! Stop with this “moral” thing, please. It makes no sense at all.
You are making it sound so dramatic. Steinberg develops software for creative individuals. Surely, they could be more creative, themselves, in working out more flexible solutions, when it comes to fairness, justice and treating their customers right?
You sound like a guy who is worried to “disturb the great order of things!” and just let things be as they are, otherwise the whole world would collapse. Well, it already is collapsing in a way - they are ending the support of an old system which is eLicenser.
Then SB should adapt to stay alive. How can you expect to stay alive as a business in this comlex, competitive environment by remaining the same? This is probably why SB are switching their model from USB dongle to their new licensing system. Even though their products will be pirated more now, and it will anger some old customers, still, they probably calculated the risks and made a hard decision, which is a good sign.
And speaking of eLicenser support ending. Yeah, that’s another thing. Pushing the FOMO of “the eLicenser ending soon, upgrade or else!”. Now there were two big reasons for us to utilize the September sale. The attractive prices AND the end of eLicenser. Setting the double lure onto the trap to reel in even more customers. I mean, I get it - strategically this makes perfect sense to maximize the profits. But as I said again and again: Cubase 14 was released too fast, some got lucky and got it for free, others had “special knowledge” and got it for free. And the rest of us, suckers, well…
Yep. Some might argue that “obsolete” is not the best word to use here. I would personally say “inferior”, compared to Cubase 14. Especially in regard to some “features”, that I prefer to call: “fixes and patches that should have fixed Cubase 13”, like the attrocious white menu bar.
Speaking of white menu bar. I agree so much with this! The white menus have been a problem for a long time and to me it seems like a neglected part of Cubase that needed fixing for a long time.
I created a whole feature request here, asking them to fix this: [Feature Request] True Dark Mode (GUI) for Cubase on PC
And it’s not because I find them “ugly” or “unstylish”, but because they genuinely cause me pain in my eyes and my head. Because white background with tiny white text is just painful to look at when almost everything else in Cubase is dark, especially when it’s dark outside and you are getting ready for sleep.
And now that they finally patched this, they have labeled it as a “feature” in Cubase 14, which they now ask a full update price for.
I also mentioned this in the following reply, in another topic:
To conclude the white menu bar topic, this should have been a fix, for Cubase 13 too, and not a new “feature” only reserved for the newest version. It’s things like this that make me angry. It’s like people put up with it long enough, and then Steinberg thinks that they can stop patching current (now previous) version of Cubase. And instead of patching things that needs to be addressed, immediately, they leave the holes open, just to patch them in the NEXT version… for a price. And this becomes like a loop, where some things don’t get fixed until their completion, because it removes reasons and excuses to create future updates (or patches, as I would call them) in the future and charge money for them.
To paraphrase some of my own reply from above (from another topic):
“They can add as many fancy new features, VSTs and workflow improvements as they like and call them “features” for their new version of Cubase, that they charge money for. But basic necessary fixes that help us to SEE without getting headaches, should be free patches that fix current Cubase versions, in my humble opinion.”
One could argue: “well, white menus is not a bug, you can still use the menus and their functionalities”. Sure, you could, but I bet that if your eyes were just as sensitive and you got headache from staring at white blocks on your screen, you would not use that argument. If they at least could update Cubase 13, giving us dark menus, I would be slighly more “OK” with not getting Cubase 14, just yet. That’s one of the biggest things that bug me, at the moment.
Yes, I think that would be fair. If they don’t want to give us Cubase 14 update for free, then why not at least give a little discount as a gesture of kindness and humulity.
And who does benefit from that, in the end? The “voucher game” that SB created was a way for people to start talking about it, selling vouchers, donating vouchers, creating more customers for SB. The same customers that SB were planning to sell the Cubase 14 update to at a full price, shortly after the sale.
Exactly. It’s not like Steinberg will get “poorer” by allowing some people to get their newest patch… I mean update. A lot of us could have gotten Cubase in “other questionable ways”, but we have chosen to go full legit and support the company that we love and trust. Stop abusing that trust!
Not a bad idea. They could make a system that calculates the date from the day of activation (or purchase) to the current day and make a special discount / voucher / code, based on that, for that particular user.
As @mavo0013 suggested above, it a good idea, I think, or at least it’s a good initial suggestion that can always be customized. Things don’t have to be that black and white.
There are a lot of replies in this topic, but you are one of the few who actually nails it. You are formulating it clearly and on point and I completely agree with you.
Related to the above, yes, this is what I feel like, as well. It’s like we are playing poker with Steinberg. Instead of going to a shop, and be greeted by a polite, smiling seller who wishes to sell you the best thing and tells you everything you need to know to get the most out of your money, you instead are greeted by a shady dealer who just wants you to buy an inferior thing, makes you sign a contract and then he can squeeze just a “few more” bucks out of you to fix the aforementioned inferiority.
I know that this comparison might seem a bit wacky and exaggerated, but find I it necessary to get my point across.
Maybe it has something to do with the anonymity of the online shopping, that SB feels that it’s justified to do as they do.
It seems like it and feels like it, at least, whatever it may be or whatever they call it.
And why should customers not be allowed to haggle, at least a little? Why should they be forced to accept every decision and price that the seller establishes?
This is the essense of my frustration, as well.
No, Steinberg didn’t sell us a different product than the one we ordered, just a slightly inferior one, compared to the one that they were planning on releasing, shortly after.
You can pack your arguments, however you like, that it’s just “business”. And Adobe could also say: “We just make you pay us cancellation fee for early termination, while thoroughly concealing this policy, before you press Accept, because it’s just business”.
And no, I’m not saying Steinberg is Adobe. Steinberg is much better than them. It’s just an example for the sake of principle, since you came up with “it’s business” argument.
I couldn’t agree more. I even asked one of the Steinberg guys (Matthias) about this, in detail, in another topic, but he didn’t really address it.
This was my initial reply to him:
And this was his reply:
Me:
Matthias:
Me:
And then he stopped replying to me by posting this comment, not really addressing the core issue:
There is no reasoning with them, when they keep deflecting like that.
They could have said something like that, yes. Like: “Cubase 14 will be released around date X. If you activate your Cubase 13 license now, then you will have to pay the full price to update to Cubase 14 (no grace period), but if you wait until after the 9th October, then you will be eligible for a free update. Do you accept? Yes / No”.
But then again, there was the loophope that enabled you to use a 60-day trial right from the moment you bought Cubase 13 and until the Cubase 14 release, without any consequence - oh, yes, there is a consequence - you get a FREE update, lol. It seriously feels like a cheatcode. Don’t you see there is something wrong here?
By the way, I already posted these links above, but I will post them again reenforce my points, especially in regard to my “A B C” example.
and
So, tell me what you think. (this is to @HidMov )
I disagree 
Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you, and since you don’t really contribute anything constructive to this conversation, I think I will just ignore your mocking / trolling comments from now on " "
That’s like saying is it morally right for companies like Amazon to allow people to knowingly use products for a task and return them for free within the exchange period, when there’s people who buy the products and don’t use them until after the free exchange period and can’t return for free.
If people are wanting to exploit a goodwill gesture then it falls entirely on them. This idea that there’s some secret knowledge and Steinberg are in on it with users is just effing potty mate.
Sure I am. And you’re being very low key on the subject. 
There’s a deadline for the grace period, and if you fall outside it you lose out. If you purchased in the final C13 sale then you’ve got a discount.
The only grievances that are valid are those who activated during the grace period and haven’t, as yet, received their free update.
A side issue is whether Steinberg should be more transparent in announcing new paid updates ahead of time, I’d prefer that, but a representative of the company has already said they can’t for accountancy reasons.
Hung on, can I understand this?
Is there anyone who is getting a free Cubase 14?
Wow, sorry but you really have no clue about how software programming works and even less in regard to AI in programming.
You should never tell other people what they have to do, if they do not follow your opinion.
What is collapsing here? Steinberg replaced an ancient system with a more future proof system. Nothing is collapsing.
And next year you deserve the free update to Cubase 15? There is no particular case, as explained by several Steinberg employees now in length.
You are repeating yourself over and over again and loading the forum with endless postings, that get longer and longer.
As I did in another forum, I put you on ignore now, because I’m tired of all these never ending postings, without any real use and more and more just off-topic.
Dear Steinberg, please take note…
I didn’t say they would go bankrupt, I said that the decision to give away a free update for which they probably worked hard for months on end, “COULD” be financially damaging.
Sorry, this is nonsensical.
I don’t think it’s apt to tell me and others that we are living in denial. We are simply trying to make a point.
They are not remaining the same, they are making advances to their flagship programs.
I have zero problems with this. I can still use Cubase 8/9/10 & 11. I just have to take care of my dongle. It’s not rocket science…
Erm…what?
Look man, this is getting a tad too much now.
It’s simple.
You think you deserve a free update, because of the sale and C14 coming out too soon afterward.
I think this is BS for the reasons I stated. Other companies do the same, I don’t see their customers screaming for free stuff.
I can’t speak for you, but I bought Cubase 13 for more money than what it was sold on the 40th anniversary. Do you see me screaming about it? No.
I also bought a product at the sale, and I then saw Cubase 14 coming out straight after, do I feel like I am entitled to a free Cubase 14? No, I do not.
Arrrggghh I’ve tried to stay out of this but it’s difficult…
This is so true. Steinberg aren’t “rewarding” people with “special knowledge” - there are some people who have found a workaround to exploit. And guess what - you now also have that “special knowledge”, so you could do it next time around… Unless they close the loophole of course, which I would in their shoes.
I do feel sorry for anyone who bought C13 new and just missed the grace period, but for the rest of us, we make our choice about when and whether to upgrade during a release cycle. Even if you didn’t know releases are pretty much annual, the fact that you upgraded to version 13 is a bit of a clue that a version 14 will come along one day.
I upgraded to v13 at full price, I’ll upgrade to v14 at full price because I like the look of the features, but I might keep an eye on the bugs reported and wait until the first maintenance release. I’ll be getting two upgrades for the price of two. On other versions I’ve waited for the offers, and even skipped whole versions… I never expected though to take advantage of an offer late in the release cycle and then get the next version for free, even if it was a few days away.
I’m admittedly in the privileged position right now of being able to afford the upgrade at full price. I can well remember times when I wasn’t and I might have exploited the loophole then if I’d known about it. Now though I’m happy to pay my money and contribute a little to SB’s ongoing development of the product.
I don’t expect you to agree with any of this but using words like “morally wrong” and “deception” just seems disproportionately emotive to the topic.