I can’t argue with the premise of starting real and allowing transformation to other than real. It makes perfect sense. One of the great strengths of software and virtual items is that they are a lot easier to transform than physical things. That’s much the same reason I’ve argued for a more accessible interface without sacrificing a more advanced one for those who prefer greater control/flexibility. The default should cater to the largest number of user’s preference but one could argue either way. If it is possible to have a do it all figure that starts from some hypothetical ‘realistic’ base and yet be able to morph into what now seems to be popular then I’m all for it.

Now did this never occur to DAZ et al, or was it some limitation of the technology at the time or is it simply the aesthetic choice of the creators? We know DAZ has access to body scanning technology – the used it for the AMG ‘digital clone,’ and maybe the use it as a starting point on other figures as well. My guess is that they created an idealized, or fantasized figure because someone found it attractive. Now either that was an accurate take on what the majority wanted or the customers have just been drinking the kool aid. I’m always suspicious of these arguments that If Only the public were exposed to superior products, be it religion, operating systems. music etc. then they would adopt them in droves. Usually, when the mass adoption fails to materialize (see Windows vs. Linux on the desktop), the proponents claim corporate conspiracies, bemoan the tyrannical inertia of the installed base or (as a last resort) the stubborn ignorance of the masses. I think oftentimes, the simpler answer is just, ‘Dude, she’s just not into you.’

In the end, people make what people want. I’m disappointed that more people prefer ‘reality’ television to PBS, but such is life. If DAZ figures that RealVickie wouldn’t help their bottom line, then they’re not going to make one. That’s why there are always specialty markets for super accurate scale models etc. Usually, those markets charge a premium, reflecting the smaller demand. You can lobby DAZ, SM etc. or try to educate the public as to why they should prefer more realism but … I’m not even sure that if people were rendering mass scenes with plenty of roles for non hero characters, they wouldn’t make those ‘pretty’ as well. If you’re dealing with an office scene for a brochure or something then yeah, the real, average person on the street may be desirable but for the fantasy, escapism or whatever you want to call it that makes up a lot of Poser images, figures that transcend reality are probably always going to be very popular. IMO, its not marketing or education or any of those things. It is a fundamental characteristic of the human animal. That, ladies and gentlemen is probably the wrong windmill to tilt at.

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