Attached Link: Is Meshbox the #1 Producer of Bryce Content? Maybe - we think there is a market, but does DAZ?

Some time ago when my team started our Release 2 updates of our existing (and later future) models, we added support for Bryce 5.5+. But it seems like there is no commercial interest at all. I posted recently in the Meshbox blog about this because I noticed how low the numbers were for Bryce products offered by DAZ.

Your comments are appreciated, and I hope some other Bryce vendors will participate.

I've read your blog, and I was just wondering what you meant by the term "Bryce Add-ons", I didn't think Bryce had any add-ons.

Quote - I've read your blog, and I was just wondering what you meant by the term "Bryce Add-ons", I didn't think Bryce had any add-ons.

Hi Fran,

This is collectively any stuff that can be used with Bryce, meaning materials, tree presets, models, etc. I don't believe Bryce has any form of scripting.

Chikako, we use the term 'content' to describe Bryce presets and models etc. Just so you know........;-)

Quote - Chikako, we use the term 'content' to describe Bryce presets and models etc. Just so you know........;-)

Yeah, yeah...you know what I mean :-)

I've been adding Bryce support for my models since I got the program last summer.  It's one of the first things I learned to do because there just didn't seem to be many Bryce products anywhere. I think it would help if DAZ did a better job marketing it. I see ads for Studio & Poser on the cg & game sites & in magazines. Why not Bryce? It could be used for backgrounds in the same way that Vue is. 

Danas Anis is trying to start an online Bryce 3d Magazine. Hopefully it takes off & gives Bryce more exposure. 

I sell at CP, YurDigital & Rendo .. I didn't try DAZ because I don't think my grungy models would fit in with the stuff they sell on their site.

 

True, there hasn not been a lot of marketing for Bryce in CG/Game websites and magazines. Some yes, but not as much compared to Studio and Poser. Recently, though that did recently change when DAZ decided to give away Bryce, Studio and Hex for free.

One way (not the only way) to create a strong marketplace for Bryce content; one would create very desirable, original meshes and then sell those packaged for Bryce only, ever. Meaning that package would never be available in native formats for Poser, Studio, Vue, or as generic meshes.

And, (I had suggested the following to Daz throughout my years of beta-testing) you make it so that content can be permanently locked within Bryce, so it cannot be manually exported out in any way (unless the author would allow that, of which they could charge more for that option up front).

Btw Brycers, this is the way Vue users (cornicopia3d) has been doing it for YEARS! Their content available for Vue is vast and of great quality now.

Best example of this marketing practice imo, is microsoft and the xbox. The xbox console with an unforgiveable 50% failure rate was still purchased by people like crazy even if they were aware of the impending failure rate. Why? Halo is why. If you wanted to play it, you had to buy an xbox because Halo was not available anywhere else.

Additionally though; Micorosft would eventually allow Halo games to later appear also for PC's but normally years after their initial debut. Which is insanely smart as it would boost that Halo game just after it had faded away from its debut 2 years earlier. Not only would that renew interest in Halo gameplay (of any version) but would help get all the consumers excited for the next version of Halo which would be close to coming out...for xbox only...for 2-3 years. Anyway, you get the idea.

But, here is the unfortunate downside when you apply this to Bryce content. The author of this (very desirable, original) content would (most likely) not make as great profits beacuse you are not selling to users of potentially any 3D program (versus if you are selling say, generic meshes and textures) You would be limiting yourself to sales from Bryce users only.

Yet, one major silver lining right now is that the most current/best version of Bryce, which is Bryce 7 Pro is available to anyone for free. So, right now, absolutely anyone on the planet could be a Bryce customer (if the content is desirable enough). And...(and I'm just guessing here) if Bryce content sales would increase and stay that way, Daz might likely just keep Bryce free for a very, very long time.

Yet overall, the bottom line is, if a Bryce content creator would adopt this practice it would be a move for making smaller profits but for a longer term as they would be attempting to create a catalogue of content for and only Bryce.

One last note; obviously this practice has indeed started as you will notice with some of the retail content that have came out after Bryce 7 debuted. This is all wonderful for Bryce yet...where the real money and power lies is with creating a very popular catalogue of original meshes. Materials, Skies, IBL, Trees are all great and needed but the real power of the draw for users and their money are in meshes.

AS

I have to agree I think marketing plays a factor. Poser and DAZ Studio are far more popular and promoted more (Something that irks me a little as I think Bryce is fantastic). And also I think because of that, the return on investment of time etc. in making stuff for Bryce may put off potential vendors. I make materials for Bryce but my DAZ Studio ones always sell better - so where should I invest my time I could ask. Well actually it doesn't personally put me off that much cos I love Bryce so much! But that's just me and I'm not necessarily representative of others...:)

Since its possible to bring in DS content into Bryce, that's probably why all of DAZ eggs are in a single basket.

While Cornucopia 3D primarily focuses on Vue content, you can also sell Poser content there as well. There's an excellent mix of product types there. Meshbox doesn't do all of them, but we do meshes and have a number of original trees there.

Most of our modeling begins in either 3D Studio MAX or Shade, then is sold in the following formats: MAX (through our Pro license), Shade, Poser / DS, Vue and Bryce. The Bryce versions do sell, but its the weakest format.

AS, I think DAZ tried to set expectations that anything for Bryce would have to be specifically made for Bryce, if you wanted to sell it in their store - I dont think that's done anything for the platform. I don't sell there, but I considered selling our Bryce versions until I read about their expectations.