I agree that DAZ Studio likely started as an insurance policy against Poser's [then] uncertain future. Once they had it though, it was only natural that they would explore what they could do by more tightly integrating their content with the software. Looking at the Unimesh and Figure Mixer technologies, Genesis seems like a natural evolution. I assume that the plan always was that Poser would incorporate Genesis support. I don't know how far they were in development when SM (declined declined. If they were faced with the choice of abandoning their work on Genesis/putting it on hold vs. developing a more Poser friendly version (and possibly having to stick with V4 while doing so), I'm pretty sure they didn't take the decision lightly. Basically, I don't think they ever intended to draw a line in the sand and frog march Poser users over it. I think they were "stuck" with what they feel is a great piece of technology and an assumed "partnership" that didn't pan out. If the choice is between pulling the trigger on Genesis and soldiering on with old content (when new content is your main revenue) and risking self-inflicted wounds, I can see doing the former. It was risky, but if you really believe in something enough, you take the chance.

Everyone wants to be Apple, 'control their own destiny,' have a complete ecosystem, etc. - witness Microsoft's decision to create their own tablet. I'm not sure how well it applies in this market. DAZ and Poser had a nice complimentary thing going, but I wouldn't fault either one for their decisions. You do what you think is best for your business. With the small size of the market though and only two major players, it does mean that those decisions have an large effect on users. Perhaps that is reflected in the rather 'energetic' response to the whole thing. I think it's far too early to speculate on the outcome. I think that Genesis or something very like it is a logical move away from a plethora of individual figures, conversion utilities etc. I don't see the near term demise of discrete figures but I do think that a somewhat more 'integrated' system perhaps has the potential to broaden the market beyond those of us who are undaunted by (or enjoy) buying this here, that there, what works with what, convert this to that etc. Genesis may turn out to be the equivalent of the Windows tablets of years ago, too soon or not quite right. Poser or someone else entirely my eclipse everythig we now take for granted. I still believe that consumer 3D has enormous unrealized potential, but I wouldn't be surprised if, in the end, developments rooted in games or even erotica (two proven drivers) have more to do with large scale gains than Poser type applications. In the meantime, we should hope that Genesis doesn't kill DAZ, because I'm not sure that having only one major player in a small market is necessarily better than having two competing ones - even if their paths are - for the moment at least - diverging.

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