Price change imminent?

[Rez007]

Hi Guys,

I kind have been away from here for a little, but I recently just read this topic. This might have been covered in a post that I might have passed over, but is the price increase for everyone or just the subscriptions sold in Europe? If it is for the US as well, then I have received absolutely ZERO notification from anyone from Autodesk and/or my reseller in regards to this...

Overall, this is not a brilliant idea in the least, I am curious to who runs the business strategy department, because why-in-the-world would anyone raise prices on a product when they are trying to establish a larger user base. You don't build growth by charging people more, especially to the people who supported you through all of the tough times when the outlook was really bad for Softimage. A lot of people will be leaving the software if this takes place with no options given. I keep telling myself to hold on to see what the next releases will be like, renewing and renewing, in the hopes of getting something I like, but so far not many of the things that I am looking, or hoping, for ever get implemented. This would pretty much be a done deal for me as well unless 2012 SAP has some blockbusters in there that are NOT just ICE centric...

Is there a chance of "grandfathering" in the people who are already here and just make the price increase for new customers? - loyalty should show for something...

[Hirazi Blue]

Hi Rez (pardon the pun )

Quoting Stephen Blair from the Mailing List:

The price adjustment was in Europe. In the Americas, the Gold sub price was already in line with that of the other M&E products.

(Quoted from here)

[luceric]

indeed, this whole thread is about a price adjustment in the EU, only. It wouldn't surprise me if this was for multiple products, and somehow related to the weak US dollar and other financial things.

[ThomasHelzle]

Hm - doesn't make much sense.
If the dollar is weak, it should become cheaper in europe.
As of today, one euro is 1.43 dollar and it has been like that for a long time with some smaller ups and downs.

I would subscribe to the "other financial things" though ;-)

Cheers,

Thomas

[Rez007]

@Hirazi and @luceric

Thanks guys for letting me know about that, which I assume would be the reason why I didn't get any notifications. Since that is the case, then I agree, it has to be because of the weaker dollar or something financial.

@Thomas
You have it right, but I think Autodesk might be doing a price offset/adjustment . Since the US dollar is the World currency, and if the US Dollar is weak, which it is, then that allows any country who has a stronger currency to buy more US Dollars. That is why in the US you hear a lot about Englanders buying property in the US, because their Pound has a lot more power and goes further. So, I think Autodesk might be trying to offset the currency exchange, so at the final result - the dollar that they take in per product, will match across the board. This is just a thought, I have no idea for sure or this is even right...

[ThomasHelzle]

They are doing an adjustment allright, but I don't subscribe to the "making sense" thing.

They can, so they do.

Cheers,

Thomas Helzle

[azurecgi]

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread as the whole price thing seems to have been swept under the carpet (especially by Autodesk, still no official notice of the price increase)

Has anyone here been stung by the new higher price for the enforced "Gold Support"?

[Hirazi Blue]

Hope springs eternal...
http://groups.google.com/group/xsi_list ... 827ed56ce2

edit: I can't comment on Autodesk policies anymore, see earlier posts and threads.
As my subscription runs out early next year, there is still a theoretical chance
the "silver subscription" as mentioned in the link above, will have materialized before then.

[ThomasHelzle]

Autodesk lost a customer in my case because of this price change.
I didn't buy a renewal for maintenance when it ran out on 9/11...

I was massively underwhelmed for some years now by what I got for my subscription, so paying that much more money for so little stuff that is actually useful to me is out ATM.

Well, it was fun as long as it lasted

Cheers,

Thomas

[IveBeenPricedOut]

I have spoken with Autodesk today hoping that there would be a way of just getting Softimage updates rather than the expensive, padded out, Golden Bundle! Their representative unfortunately couldn't offer any such package.

I have invested 3 years into Softimage and have now been priced out due to a crazy, over complicated, padded out bundle that I don't need or want.

It appears Autodesk have got the Midas touch and Ass ears - as per the myth!
I'm sure it will be the end of the road for a lot of aspiring and hobbyist animators.

A real case of "too big to care" and a disappointing time for many.

[Maximus]

I have a bit of time before i'll have to renew the sub, but i guess i'm gonna drop it if there wouldnt be another viable solution, the price change was kinda a blast for us EU, the software is already higher in € and this price increase is even more a pain.

[azurecgi]

edit: I can't comment on Autodesk policies anymore, see earlier posts and threads.
As my subscription runs out early next year, there is still a theoretical chance
the "silver subscription" as mentioned in the link above, will have materialized before then.

Mine runs out at the end of November, so I'm not holding my breath! What's really annoying is that I was going to purchase V-Ray when it's released to replace the useless Mental Ray we all have to pay towards with our maintenance. That may be off the cards now as the price hike has blown my companies "Softimage budget"!

If Autodesk do perform a U-turn on this, it's going to really p**s off people like ThomasHelzle and IveBeenPricedOut who cancelled their subscriptions. In fact, I think AD should let them restart their maintenance with no penalties!

Wouldn't it be lovely for a huge company like Autodesk to turn around once in a while and say "Sorry, we got that wrong"?

[IveBeenPricedOut]

I think that the autodesk marketeers have got it wrong.
Everyone being priced out has potential within the world of 3D animation.
If the tools are taken away - how can the market grow? - how can autodesk build a fan base? - how short sighted!
I'm not a fan at the moment - I'm history - They have stolen my 3d world.

autodesk - support and nurture your industry!!!
support the 'entry market'
support the freelancer
support the self employed
support the talent that doesn't yet have the money

Provide a simple "softimage only" solution
If people wanted the other programmes and support, shouldn't that be optional?

[druitre]

Hi, since you're asking for people being stung by the new pricing - add me to that. I have sub until end of this year, it will be a matter at that moment of either AD offering silver option or me having big & wellpaying projects going on (I'm a freelancer) that will make me decide to continue with Soft or decide on a new career. I hear shrubberers are making great money these days.

[luceric]

I don't know how this works in other countries, but a freelancers or self-employed should be able to tax deduct the price of the software as a business expense (of course, you need to make money for that). It would suck if you can't. Autodesk products are free for students. Autodesk even offers free software for out-of-work pros http://www.autodesk.com/assistance

As far as I know, a adding silver subscription is not under consideration at all, I don't think it will happen.

[Hirazi Blue]

@luceric - So what to make of Maurice Patel's post on the mailing list?
(see the link in my previous post)