Arnold

[Rork]

ok.... here ya go:

http://www.polynoid.tv/rebird/

[ActionArt]

Thanks for telling us what you could Rork.

Judging from the resounding response I got with the idea of freelancers joining up to buy the required seats I guess that's not about to happen right away...

Just have to wait I guess.

[origin]

I would be probably interested but first...I would need to play with a demo, and knowing about price/rendernodes wouldnt hurt

[Chris_TC]

I would be probably interested but first...I would need to play with a demo, and knowing about price/rendernodes wouldnt hurt

Signed.

[MV-]

Thanks for telling us what you could Rork.

Judging from the resounding response I got with the idea of freelancers joining up to buy the required seats I guess that's not about to happen right away...

Just have to wait I guess.

Hehe. I would definitely be interested if you think you can make your evil plan to work as expected

Cheers

[Hirazi Blue]

I'm afraid this evil scheme will be foiled prematurely,
either in the licensing text or in the licensing method.
But you should obviously not let practicalities stop you...
(...and I hope, for your sake, that I'm mistaken...)

[ActionArt]

Knowing the price would make it easier to decide if it's worth pursuing. If there's enough responses here maybe it's worth contacting them.

[luceric]

Thanks for telling us what you could Rork.

Judging from the resounding response I got with the idea of freelancers joining up to buy the required seats I guess that's not about to happen right away...

Just have to wait I guess.

It's obvious that the point is not to sell only a group of license, it's to limit the number and select the kind of users you have to deal with. When a studio buys 5 licenses, there is a single contact point and a single config to deal with for all of those licenses, and the studio is more technically knowledgeable and the needs are more focused. The few coders there don't have the time to deal with all the individuals, answer all the questions and process all the feedback of a varied crowd (and from my experience, no doubt often explain why this or that is not the priority right now - then deal with the angry backlash+ultimatums).

[Hirazi Blue]

I always thought higher prices (not a minimum of seats per customer)
were the best way to keep the riffraff away.
;)

[ActionArt]

I can understand their position completely. Right now there in a very sweet place with good customers who understand the product and are willing to work with them instead of complain when something isn't right. Once they open it to the public, it'll be just as luceric says, backlash and ultimatums any time something isn't they way they think it should be. Any of the large developers face that including AD and MI.

If I was at part of the Arnold team I'd really be tempted to keep it that way permanently and never do a public release. As a user I hope they do but I can see their point.

That being said, a group of freelancers could "appear" to be a single studio with a single contact point and registered name....anyone can form a company right? ;)

Just sayin'.

[Rork]

big question is, who in the group get's the license server? ;)

[tomalc]

I always thought higher prices (not a minimum of seats per customer)
were the best way to keep the riffraff away.
;)

Isn't it the same ? I guess we can just pretend a license gives you four free seats ?

Unless Solid Angle really don't want do make a public release...

Anyway, I hope they are nearly ready for release (obviously) because the beta leaked (xsibase) and I don't know what to think...

It may force Solid Angle to get off its childhood... But I hope the rush won't makes Arnold a problematic teenager with spots all over the face !

As usual with Solid Angle, wait and see, and listen to the silence...

Thomas Le Calvé

[Hirazi Blue]

You're right, it is more or less the same. But it sends a different PR message to the potential user. The current idea of a minimum of five seats per customer tells you they want to keep it "exclusive", which may or may not rub some users (freelancers?) the wrong way. A higher price just makes it "exclusive" in a slightly different matter: "we're not exclusive, we're 'high-end' and thus we are more 'expensive'". This seems the same, but isn't from a PR point of view. Upside of this last approach is that, once you're ready for a higher volume of customers, you "just" have to lower the prices. Otherwise you'd have to first fight the perception "we didn't want you before, but now we do". Merely having to lower prices gets everyone in "happy mode" quicker and easier IMHO...
Granted, it's a subtle difference, but PR is often more about subtleties than anything else...
;)

[tomalc]

(...) Upside of this last approach is that, once you're ready for a higher volume of customers, you "just" have to lower the prices. Otherwise you'd have to first fight the perception "we didn't want you before, but now we do". Merely having to lower prices gets everyone in "happy mode"(...)

I see it as a chicken/egg problem, because suddenly lowering the price could also raise wtf reaction for someone who paid $$$ a few months earlier.. But well, it costs to get premium product before the others, so maybe you're right, I don't know..

My feeling is that Marcos Fajardo just don't want to turn Solid Angle into a true Software company. Is it fear ? I don't know, but my feeling is that he will try to keep Solid Angle as long as possible as a consulting firm : a small team of clever developers.

I can really understand this, if he already makes enough money to make a comfortable living, while having only to deal with what he loves (ie. development), why on earth would he upsets himself with all the hassle that having to run a full company will give him ? Not everyone want to be a millionaire !

Still, I hope I'm wrong, I'm sick of mental ray, but I need a raytracer.. Not a beta one (vray) a production proven one (as Arnold claims to be).

Thomas Le Calvé

[ActionArt]

big question is, who in the group get's the license server? ;)

I guess if there is one central license server and all seats have to be at the same location that would be a problem!

As for Marcos, you have to wonder why he would want to go public when he can sell a few hundred seats at a time to some outfit like Sony or sell a handful to independents and freelancers and have to increase his staff and dramatically increase his headaches and be distracted from serving his prime clients. He's got a sweet deal going right now, why rock the boat. Once public, he'll be in the same boat as MR.

It's bad news for freelancers like myself who would love to give it a try but why would he care? If I was in his shoes I probably wouldn't. That's probably the reason for the long dragging of feet to release anything publicly...

[tomalc]

As for Marcos, you have to wonder why he would want to go public when he can sell a few hundred seats at a time to some outfit like Sony or sell a handful to independents and freelancers and have to increase his staff and dramatically increase his headaches and be distracted from serving his prime clients. He's got a sweet deal going right now, why rock the boat. Once public, he'll be in the same boat as MR.

It's bad news for freelancers like myself who would love to give it a try but why would he care? If I was in his shoes I probably wouldn't. That's probably the reason for the long dragging of feet to release anything publicly...

Exactly what I think. I hope Marcos realise this situation could lead freelancers to some resentment against Solid Angle as a company in the future.. I hope he don't wait to have The-Perfect-Bug-Free-Product (I've never ever seen such a thing before, never. Even my lighter sometimes dosn't work !)

Thomas Le Calvé