Tams

I don't think it's OK to charge the same price for the upgrade as for a new product. I thought once I bought all the programs it would be normal to be charged less for an upgrade.

Am I reading it correctly? As an EXISTING Affinity Suite User and Customer of Affinity, I have to pay the SAME PRICE for version 2 of their Apps as a NEW Customer?
Is Affinity following the approach taken by most Mobile Phone Service Providers, Cozying up to NEW Customers, while IGNORING the LOYALTY of their Existing Clients???
NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR!!! 

I think the big issue is the limited time for everyone, which makes it a high pressure sales tactic instead of a reward for loyal customers.

For previous purchasers it should not be a limited time discount.

It's not 'standard'. For example a music software developer I support provides a yearly pricing model for updates on the App Store, but keeps existing versions updated with basic compatibilty and bug fixes for those that have purchased the original version, but don't want to, or can't pay for new features. It's a complicated bit of kit, and he's a significantly smaller outfit than Serif.
It's a business decision. They could have factored in a transitional period instead of switching support off overnight for all of their original products, but they didn't.
You can't expect everyone to be happy about that.
I've no idea, but since it was released 18 years ago I very much doubt it.
V1 Affinity software was still on sale a few days ago. It is now no longer supported.
 

The price for an upgrade is more than fair, but the problem is that it isn't much of an update. What is happening is that I now have to bloat my phone and computer with two versions (Photoshop I have 7 different versions for compatibility). Now all my workflow is broken to Spine in v2, and eventually Spine will break my v1 workflow to stay compatible. This shouldn't be a separate install.

Secondly, how does the universal system work? With a login and IAP which is hugely buggy, and can cause big problems in the future if the company ever dissolves. This is also an Apple problem.

What would I like? V2 updates in the existing app. I don't want two installs. I will pay gladly for this not to happen. As it stands now I'm uninstalling. It is hard to call continued development of a great product being ripped off, that's not the word, I'm being disrespected. My time and workflow are being shat on. Doesn't seem like there is a way to make this right. Serif has already committed to wasting my time and breaking compatibility permanently. It makes Adobe much more attractive again for a pro like me. I still subscribe to Adobe CS, but I think this is going to push me back to the Adobe way of doing things, and this won't end well.

It sucks the App Store is terrible and stifles the idea of upgrades without making the total mess this is. I get it, you need money, and you deserve money, but this was...botched.

Please at the very least provide bug fixes on v1 for a couple years. I don't need new features, but I do need my workflow unimpacted. That's the bare minimum of good faith here.

There is no "upgrade path" that we can reliably offer, so we are giving everybody this launch upgrade price.
To all here.
40% off as cheap as we can make it. If there were a way we could do an upgrade offer to previous owners that would be 100% fair and miss nobody out (and not break the rules of the Apple Store and the Mac App Store) it would still not be cheaper than 40% off for upgraders. In fact it would just be LESS reduced for non-upgraders, so this 40% is the upgrade price. Please don't be jealous that others who have never had our software are being offered your special price of 40% off, just be pleased for them and you.

It would be very useful to have a selection of print templates including bleed marks and safe areas.

Just downloaded Affinity Publisher - any plans to support r-to-l in any of your products? I have many clients who need English and Hebrew support and would value having something other than Adobe to make use of.