Are people willing to pay for a change of rendering engine? Some will, but I doubt the majority of Poser users will be willing to pay more money for Poser because of a new rendering engine? If they raise Poser's price too much, they'll loose customers. If they change too much in Poser, they loose customers as well. For SM this must be a though place to be in. They want to move forward, but have too keep their users in mind.

 

While their is much talk here about these things, the people debating represent a very very small minority of poser users. We've got no clue what the majority of Poser users want. Seeing how slow Poser changes each version, it seems like most customers don't want to drift to far from what they know.

 

On the other hand, SM is trying to reach new customers as well andmost likely they should to survive. They can't always build on the original user base. After all, a lot of those traded Poser in for D/S, they're getting older and move on, or don't use Poser that often anymore. A good number of the poser base is still happy with older versions. So SM has to look ahead and the new customers don't care about the older versions. But.... from all the effort it seems that recently SM is trying to reach the lover end of the market again and they're not going to pay for expensive rendering engines. For a while SM made the effort to try and reach the higher end market, but that seems to get less attention these days. Not sure where SM is going, but I wouldn't be surprised that a new rendering engine is not their main concern at all, since they're very busy trying to improve and enhance Firefly.

 

Personally, I still like Firefly and find it a pleasure to work with. For me it's an understandable rendering engine, being able to work out how it works and how to get the results I'm after. I also find it very nice that it gives me a range of rendering options. If I want cartoony, it can handle it. If I want more realistic, it can be done. If I want more studio like, no problem. Interior and exterior renders can be both be well achieved in P8. All without to much problems. It's easy and predictable, so it get's my vote.

 

That's my personal opinion, but no one should listen to that in respect to a new poser version at all, since I'm not going to upgrade at all. Poser is now getting too far from the originall by now, adding all kinds of new features that do not interest me at all and some improvements even annoy me. SM is adding all kinds of techniques I don't need at all. Or perhaps I should say I'm not willing to learn them at all. I like the way Poser works now and suits me fine. I don't need to go beyond, I'm not will to advance into newer developments, since I don't see the use and advantage of them for me at all. I've briefly followed the new D/S developments and some of the things mentioned and thought 'whatever'. I really don't care. I've followed the lux development briefly and thought the same..... 'whatever'. I doesn't excite me at all.

 

But I understand it excites others, but only a hand full of people.... the majority if poser users is, as always, silence. I do hope people get what they want in the next version or after.... I'm just to stuck in my ways and too happy with what I have now, to even be bothered to look forward anymore. For me Poser in it's current version is a tool that helps me to get my work done fast and easy, it offers all I need. I don't need to expand, I've got everything I need (even when it comes to content). I've learned Poser as much as possible, created my own content, custom figures, had fun doing so, been there. Now Poser is merely a tool for me and when I look around that's the feeling I get.

 

A few techies discussing what Poser needs to advance, willing to pay for it and help in rethinking Poser, but for most it's just another tool, helping them to create their dreams or getting work done faster or just have fun. I don't think it matters whatever direction Poser takes, there will always be a majority using it silently and if it's not me, it will be someone else. Seems like a lot of people (like me) have lost interest in discussing Poser. Compared the way (and by the amont of people) D/S is being discussed, there's little discussion going on around here and it's always the same few that do discuss.

 

I'm mainly a lurker these days and all I notice is active people going away, new users coming, but they don't join in the discussion. Only a few discussing many things, while it used to be a lot of people discussing these matters. For SM's and your sakes, I hope this is a not a sign for Poser..... but seeing how SM is doing a lot of effort to reach new markets and interacting with the old user base less and less, I hope Poser will be able to survive in the long run and I somehow have my doubts that adding expensive stuff to Poser will be helping in the survival of Poser.

 

I'm just hoping that SM knows what the majority wants and not only listening to a few, I'm sure they know how to reach the silent majority. I'm sure it's though to find out what such a diverse user base wants and needs.

 

Again, don't listen to me when it comes to future version and I hope you all get what you want from Poser in some way.

Artwork and 3DToons items, create the perfect place for you toon and other figures!

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?vendor=23722

Due to the childish TOS changes, I'm not allowed to link to my other products outside of Rendo anymore :(

Food for thought.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk