udgang99 opened this issue on May 02, 2007 · 101 posts
byAnton posted Mon, 07 May 2007 at 12:53 AM
Assuming this thing between Apollo and Daz figures were a competition, which I can assure you it isn't, as that I hate the concept and simply there is also nothing in the Poser market to win. Personally I don't see it as competition but rather only doing what they had to because someone forced them to change, but for the sake of arguement.....
In artistic markets, unlike some other markets, the crucial difference between innovation and emulation is that one generates new ideas and the other is limited/dependant on these outside ideas in order to exist.
Competition is a form of aggression which seeks to dominate for whatever the reason or scenario. The paradox is that if a competitive emulator succeeds against it's competition, it no longer has anything to emulate and both Innovator and Emulator are gone from the picture.
Competition results in contest only resulting in the exertion of effort and action which is neither guaranteed to be positive or productive. Historically economic and industrial competition has been healthy for the larger population only when there was diversity and the resources of the competitors is equal.
For the sake of ensuring the continuation of diversity, choice, and ethical balance, I do not think a company and it's resources competing against a sole artist in thier living room is something to be proud of, boast about, encourage, for admire. I also think that it is important to always consider intent instead of simply chalking everything unsavory as simply being the state of what is considered "doing business" in today's society. In my opinion a big fish dependant on competing with smaller fish in a very small barrel is more telling of a fish that seems big but in reality can't cut it in the lake with the other big fish.
As an person apart of a larger world first, an artist second, and a former merchant last, I personally have felt that is is my responsibility and right not just to offer fair pricing ( all pricing is self-serving only), but rather to seek to educate, empower, and support those who I self identify with, share my marketplace with, communicate with, and generally all those who I come in contact with. Now while this may sound sappy, it has very deep benefits such as stimulating positive creativity, leading to shared goals and efforts, and generally feeling like what I am doing is worth while.
However, I don't see how creativity and motivation can exist in a vacuum where nothing is done to empower, educate, stimulate, or support those that have provided information, given support with the hopes of receiving some in return, and generally been the source of financial revenue.
Without support nothing can thrive and the nature of competition neither guarantees nor implies support, interest or anything else that would foster growth, evolution, innovation, or goodwill. Where the larger population may benefit in the short term from unhealthy/unbalanced competition, obviously that party will end with a horrible hang over as all parties without concern for consequence inevitably do.
I'm so glad to be back to hobbyist that I realize I should have done it years ago. But that doesn't mean that just because I have nothing to gain , or loose, that I don't feel I still have responsibilities, being to offer my best work free in exchange for participating and using the resources of the community, despite occasions where experiences have run to darker fringes of human nature I avoid in real life.
Now this may all be naive or considered unrealistic, but it doesn't make it untrue. The current structure of the Poser market (everyone) has been is a state of actively failing for various reasons for a few years now. The current structure has been so overdone, so over exploited, and over milked, that it will be interesting to see how the content side responds. I made the Morphing Fantasy Dress for V3, but really, how many times can you refit and reuse the same ideas before people start to wonder if there are any other ideas.
Where previously, within stores, merchant forums and private correspondence, merchants (being the first red flag of what was coming) were complaining of diminishing sales and interest. Little was done higher up to address these concerns and instead, the "Let's just keep doing what we always have done" was stuck to leading the situation to present day, where now it is more obvious the stores and sites are finally feeling the crunch, which was previously painless from the sheer volume of content. But it doesn;t matter if you have 5000 products if they all drop in sales, because this is telling of a trend which must lead somewhere.
And here we are. I think diversity is the best way to survive any hardship. For stores, merchants, and users, the best approach is to embrace choices, options, diversity and abandon old habits, for what once worked is no longer working and when a company like Daz (calm down Tom) has to emulate a guy in his living room, you know thing must be at the breaking point, though I can assure you no one will admit it or talk about it. :) People should support and willingly encourage the support and use of all figures because if all your eggs are in one basket and the bottom rots out, your screwed and pretending and insisting the basket has no holes changes nothing.
Okay this is the most I have ever written. I hate typing. No one has to agree and I really don't care t debate it, but for these reasons I think very soon all figures will be free. And freebies didn't cause this.
Sorry for any typos. Anyone see Spiderman yet?
EDIT:
Quote - Penguinisto wrote: "Anton is a merchant, a business entity, and is no more immune to analysis or opinion than any other..."
Wrong yet again. SOmeone keeping score?
I am not a Poser merchant nor am I am Poser business entity. I do not work in 3D anymore. I am a freebie making, fun loving, wishing you would give up already, hobbyist. :)
-Anton, creator of Apollo Maximus
"Conviction without truth is denial; Denial in the
face of truth is concealment."