Sidefx doesn't really sell content AFAIK and they have Houdini Apprentice for free. SoftImage had a free version which probably got canned when AutoDesk bought them. E-on sell content though I'm not sure how big a slice of their revenue it is - and they have a free version. Serif gives away older versions of their graphics apps, etc., so I'm not sure the content vs. software argument is wholly persuasive, to me at least. Heck, Poser 5 was even free for a limited time.

I'm not saying the strategy is necessarily a bad idea, but when your only real direct competitor has a capable free product advertised all over the web... I'm also a bit dubious about the value of boxed sales these days. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who would prefer the shrink wrap, myself included, but I'm also pretty sure that the days of brick and mortar software sales are about gone - even assuming you can get shelf space without paying hefty kickba.. er' promotional fee. It's their money though and I wish them well.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken