Wow this thread exploded in 24 hours. Some really great ideas, and thoughts have been shared. I have to say, Matt Lind I'm right there with you. By demoting Softimage's perceived value it devalues anyone who uses it as their main app. Perception is reality - especially when you're dealing with upper management, advertising people, etc.
If any of you work in advertising, how often do clients demand a Smoke or Flame suite without even knowing what it is or why they need it? I've seen it happen frequently. The brand recognition and perception that it is the must-have package drives the market, whether it's the right tool or not. I've had clients who are 3D savvy ask about my software. When I told them Softimage, they responded "oh I remember that from the old days... it's still around?". Ouch! So in my view, graphs like that continue to push the perception into the marketplace. It doesn't matter if Softimage is the most complete, "studio in a box" 3D app Autodesk has available when they continually tell the general public it's an accessory to their "real" 3D apps. Why is it so damaging to Autodesk to continue with the existing marketing plan AND promote Softimage on equal footing to Max and Maya? The only rational explanation I can come up with is, if potential new customers (non Max, Maya users) are exposed to Softimage on an equal level to Max and Maya, they will quickly realize it offers significantly more tools than Max and Maya, such as the FXTree, Face Robot, ICE, etc., and it will cut down on sales of the suites. Big studios are never going to change their pipeline based on some marketing materials. But there are thousands of new businesses and new freelancers each year who look to start their career using a particular 3D app. The suites offer a larger source of income than selling individual packages. But for the small company or freelancer, Softimage alone offers nearly everything they'd need at a lower cost, so the answer is to hide it away and push the more expensive solution. That's what happens when competition leave the marketplace. -Paul
