The "all in one" mentality is pervasive at ADSK. Just look at how they took the Mudbox & Softimage forums and jammed them into the "one-size-fits-all" disaster known as "The Area". ᐧ
On Sat, Mar 8, 2014 at 12:36 PM, Jordi Bares <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree 100% on one thing, if you are not willing to invest money to > maintain the application it is the only honest thing to do. The problem I > have is how is it possible there is no will to put the necessary work and > money to make it happen? How is it possible someone pays $35M to buy a > company and its product line and then bury it while still warm. > > Furthermore, the economic model that was sung to all of us countless time > that has been working for years on other industries like the automotive > where the Volkswagen group owns Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda and others > and allows them to develop one engine for all the cars yet compete in the > market while offering a distinctive experience (hello Softiamge) is > actually very sensible too in this case. I don't need to tell you that many > of the tools you are building for one app will end up on the others and a > chunk of the cost will be saved. > > All in all the other thing I don't get is the associated risk, when you > own the market is pretty much risk free! is like producing films and owning > the distribution channel, it is impossible not to make money if you play it > half well. > > The most amazing thing is that Softimage was a competitor during the last > 5 years we would have been in a extremely different situation competing one > to one with Maya for the top end of the professional market instead of > being buried. > > Sorry to be a pest but this is an extreme situation for many. > > thanks a lot though for your the dialog without corporate BS, I really > appreciate that Luc-Eric > > Jordi Bares > [email protected] > > On 8 Mar 2014, at 15:08, Luc-Eric Rousseau <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Sat, Mar 8, 2014 at 8:55 AM, Jordi Bares <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Nobody said its perfect, I am fully aware Softimage needs some truly > major work done to keep it well into the 21st century, like Max and Maya > and every other app, agreed. > >> > >> Regarding the number, you know we users are in the dark, everybody > avoids answering that but from what I heard (and may be wrong) the > development team never has been big, it is a different thing all the > support, Q&A, documentation, etc... that is the bulk of the company. > >> > >> Regarding the point I was trying to make, are you saying the cost of > development of Softimage was costlier than the PR, advertising, support, > documentation, etc..? > >> > >> Its very sad LucEric... very very sad. > > > > It's terribly sad indeed. Many of us worked many years 6 and 7 days a > > week on this thing. We poured our hearts into it. > > > > If you agree that there is still tons of work needed to do - millions > > of R&D, imho, plus a lot of risks of failure - to make that app modern > > in 5 years, then it doesn't matter if a few people can keep that app > > going in the short term, it's the longer term that's the problem. > > > > One shouldn't be asking marketing and the resellers sell a 3500$ app, > > plus 850$-1100$ a year in sub, if they don't have a 5 year plan and > > don't plan to have the investment to back it up. You cannot have > > schools continue to teach this app as if it's an equally safe choice > > for the future. So you shouldn't be inviting new clients only to have > > them end up in forum reading about dissatisfaction, lack of > > development, fear of the future. So Autodesk announced last week that > > their plans and investments are on Maya and Max. It's terrible news > > for Softimage, but at least the cards are on the table and people have > > time to adapt. > > > > >
