February 5, 2015 : Maya Switching To A Subscription Based Model
Autodesk is taking a page from Adobe’s playbook and converting their programs to a subscription-only model starting early next year. This will include Maya and 3ds Max. Obviously they are putting a positive spin on the change, claiming it will create many improvements for users, but I remain skeptical.
I haven’t been a fan of Adobe’s pricing structure for years. Even before they became subscription based, I felt they released new software versions way too frequently. The previous versions would become obsolete (and incompatible with newer ones), requiring people to purchase the latest release.
Picture “South Park’s budget will go through the roof.” ‘converting their programs’ Sadly, it’s probably the start of a growing trend.
It does sound like Autodesk is trying to distinguish themselves from Adobe. While the article doesn’t identify Adobe by name, Autodesk does say they don’t like how ‘other companies’ handle the subscription based model; and they intend on doing it better for the benefit of its customers. Proponents of this system claim that it reduces the number of cracked versions, which increases sales from legitimate licenses, which will drive the overall price down for the software. While the argument makes sense, I just don’t see a company lowering their prices (and profits) once a certain pricing structure has been set.
Lightwave is my main 3D program so this news doesn’t affect me at the moment. However, part of me is worried that Newtek will eventually make a similar transition. Having only bought three licences over the past 12 years, a yearly subscription would most certainly force me to pay more than I historically have on the program.
posted by Pi Visuals at 7:59 pm
Tags: Lightwave , Maya