NoelCan opened this issue on Oct 13, 2009 · 125 posts
Mugsey posted Wed, 21 October 2009 at 10:18 AM
Apparantly I've gotten a lot of responses FROM "early adopters". Those with ruffled feathers sqwauk the loudest, and I've done my share of sqwauking myself though - this forum thread not withstanding, and Yes CGShare has forums.
My point is this. Remember when you spent about $600.00 or more on 3D content for Poser 4 and the propack a few years ago? Wouldn't it be really really swell if you could keep on using that content that you loved and paid so much for in future versions of Poser indefinitely?
(by the way - "HEY - LOOK MA - I'M USING REAL LIVE PARAGRAPHS - WOO HOOOO!!!")
Let's talk about Poser itself. Brand new it runs about $250.00. That's pretty cheap for Poser because I can remember when the old Poser Pro Pack came out during the Metacreations / Curious Labs transition - and I saw it back then for about TWICE that much because times were better and Poser was a cutting edge thing! My copy was a gift - or I never could have gotten it. I was amazed that folks could afford it THEN!
Generally you won't spend that much unless your a die hard hobbyist or a professional CGI artist, I got Poser 6 for $99.00 on sale - and I had to pinch pennies to pull THAT off.
Let's say that you spent $400.00 on Poser Pro, and another $600.00 on content. Hmmm - $1000.00 investment. Over the years - NATURALLY - Poser capabilities increase with new versions. Your original copy of Poser is now officially lame, and content that will work with the figures that you have begins to shrink. Where once stuff for "Vicky 2" was all over the net - now, the old sites you went to for content are either dead, or they've had a change of venue or format.
Where once you saw Vicky 2 stuff all over the place - now you see maybe a lame pair of boots or an underwear texture every third blue moon. The NEW figures that are out (Vick 4.2, Mike 4, Aiko 4, etc.), are not only costly in and of themselves as far as disposeable income is concerned - but as a sneaky below the belt gimmick - NOW you have to buy extra "Head And Body Morph Packs" to make the figures complete and to give them halfway decent morph channels. That means that your paying about 30% more per figure than you did for "Vicky 2".
So - one day Smith Micro, or WHOMEVER will own the franchise, comes out with Poser 9 or P10.
They've made the sudden decision that; "Hey - guess what kids" - this version of Poser can't use PZ2, .lgt, .mt6, PZ3, PPP, CR2, HR2, FC2, or Standard Poser Prop Files like previous versions. It only uses SMITH MICRO figures and proprietary file formats now, and those will cost you about twice as much as your original Poser stuff! We got the idea to screw you that way because Poser was just suuuccchhh a hot seller, we felt that it was time to "take it to new directions ( corporate babble for "bleed you dry")!
Hey, guess what?...You just crapped out a $600.00 floater! THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING! The FASTER that you snatch up new versions - the more you encourage slimy monkey suits to pull a fast one on you, and the quicker the expensive software that you have turns into redundant white noise. I've seen it happen - you have to - and it ain't a pretty thing! I hate to play "CGI NOSTRADAMUS" here - but I will be posting a big "I TOLD YOU SO" when the catch 22 hit's the crater.