If you really want to be scared, listen to this audio interview with Carl Bass.
The link cuts right to the appropriate moment, but you should listen to the entire thing if you have the chance. Essentially, he is saying that when you have competing products, it isn't a good idea to exert control, piss off customers and try to force them to use another one of your products, when they already use one of yours. He says killing a product will just lead to about half of them saying, essentially, screw you. Wow, he should take his own advice from 13 months ago... Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9-yZ5JVOBA#t=1054 And he was only talking about a PLUGIN... He was talking about T-Splines, and how customers would revolt and probably use the competitors products if Autodesk forced them use only use it with their own software, instead of working in the apps of the competition. The interview is also scary for how much (especially if you listen to the entire interview) he wants all Autodesk apps on the cloud. ALL OF THEM. Uh, no thank you. A choice, sure, but to have software only available on the cloud would really annoy me, if I was still using Autodesk products... On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 9:10 PM, Emilio Hernandez <emi...@e-roja.com> wrote: > Well it is not that we are "investing" in Softimage. > > Let's put it on another perspective. > > We want Maya or MAX to continue having the Softimage plugin as it is. > > Autodesk will have its money and we will have our Maya/MAX with the > Softimage plugin. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > Emilio Hernández VFX & 3D animation. > > > 2014-03-24 17:21 GMT-06:00 Maurice Patel <maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>: > > If you buy a license now you will have a certain flexibility later to add >> new licenses. But ultimately, yes, the program was built for existing >> customers to be able (if they want) to transition their licenses to 3ds Max >> and Maya and not really for new customers to be able to invest in Softimage. >> maurice >> >> >> >> > On Mar 24, 2014, at 4:36 PM, Martin <furik...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > Hi Maurice >> > >> > I don't think anyone who is going to start a CG career will do it based >> on SI even if you don't stop selling it for a few months or years! It isn't >> logic to do it. Only those who are already Softimage users and have >> Softimage based projects running will need new licenses to use a few years >> more. >> > >> > There are still too many projects based on Softimage in the industry >> and we need to be able to buy Softimage licenses for at least a year or two >> to be able to pick those jobs and finish them! >> > >> > I was planning to buy one license soon, go freelance and probably buy a >> few more later before the announcement. So should I just give up and don't >> take those jobs ? just because you decided that that was the best solution >> for us? You should have give us time to plan what to do with our business. >> > >> > Isn't it bad enough that you discontinue, without warning, the best >> tool we have to make a living ? >> > >> > Martin >> > Sent from my iPhone >> > >> >> On 2014/03/25, at 4:27, Maurice Patel <maurice.pa...@autodesk.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> The bundle is a transition bundle therefore it is only for those who >> >> already have Softimage to get access to Maya or 3s Max for free >> >> Existing customers can also purchase new seats to increase capacity if >> they need to Softimage is discontinued from sale because we would prefer >> for anyone starting a career or a business not to do so on a product we are >> no longer developing. However if you really want it there is an option: >> Softimage will be in the Ultimate Suite for 2 more years, If you are a >> student with an accredited institution you should qualify for special >> discount rate too. >> >> BTW - everything has a cost and implementing and maintaining >> >> offerings in our systems is not trivial Maurice >> >> >> >> >> >> Maurice Patel >> >> Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 >> >> >> >> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com >> >> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Emilio >> >> Hernandez >> >> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2014 2:59 PM >> >> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> >> Subject: Re: An Open Letter to Carl Bass >> >> >> >> What I still don't understand is why Autodesk cannot still deliver >> Softimage last version to Max or Maya suite, bundle or whatever name it has. >> >> I know they've saying a lot of reasons, but really none of them makes >> anysense to me. >> >> >> >> After all we will be buying Maya, MAX seats to get Softimage. It >> still means revenue from them for a software they are going to stop >> devoloping, addressing bugs or fixes. >> >> Ok. Don't sell Softimage seats perse, but package Softimage like >> Toxic. Let the user decide what tool he wants to work with. Just keep the >> Send to Softimage button regardless of the Maya version. >> >> This is no additional cost to Autodesk. >> >> >> >> Is this too much to ask? >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Emilio Hernández VFX & 3D animation. >> >> >> >> 2014-03-24 12:23 GMT-06:00 Nuno Conceicao <nunoalexconcei...@gmail.com >> <mailto:nunoalexconcei...@gmail.com>>: >> >> So for what I understood you can buy your first license only till the >> 28th then after this you are able to purchase more. >> >> If you have no licenses after this date you wont be able to purchase >> >> Softimage anymore... :( So I would suggest you get in touch with a >> >> retailer asap, he will be able to confirm this info obviously >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 6:19 PM, Nuno Conceicao < >> nunoalexconcei...@gmail.com<mailto:nunoalexconcei...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> >> I think you have until the 28th March to be able to purchase >> >> Softimage for the first time (not a current client) >> >> >> >> On Mon, Mar 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Martin <furik...@gmail.com<mailto: >> furik...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> >> Hi Maurice, >> >> Where can I have more info about this ? I was contemplating the >> possibility to buy a few licenses in the near future before the EOL >> announcement because I will most probably have some SI projects on my own >> and I don't have a commercial license right now (I work with my current >> employer license) and may need extra hands later, so If I buy the current >> version would I be able to purchase a few more seats later? Or am I too >> late for this? >> >> >> >> Thanks >> >> >> >> Martin >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> >> >>> On 2014/03/25, at 1:07, Maurice Patel >> >>> <maurice.pa...@autodesk.com<mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> >> >>> wrote >> >>> >> >>> Softimage will be available too but under slightly different >> conditions: prior version usage. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> <winmail.dat> >> > >> >> > -- Perry Harovas Animation and Visual Effects http://www.TheAfterImage.com <http://www.theafterimage.com/> -25 Years Experience -Member of the Visual Effects Society (VES)
