Planetside Software Forums

General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: D.A. Bentley (SuddenPlanet) on November 30, 2017, 06:56:04 PM

Title: Ouch! I wonder whats going on with Autodesk?
Post by: D.A. Bentley (SuddenPlanet) on November 30, 2017, 06:56:04 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/11/28/autodesk-layoffs-adsk.html (https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/11/28/autodesk-layoffs-adsk.html)
Title: Re: Ouch! I wonder whats going on with Autodesk?
Post by: PabloMack on December 09, 2017, 10:53:49 AM
The end of licenses and moving to more expensive subscription basis. I guess the software you already have on your computer will self-destruct (or just stop working) if you don't pay your bill. I don't know how it works because I refuse to buy into that melting ice berg.
Title: Re: Ouch! I wonder whats going on with Autodesk?
Post by: zaxxon on December 09, 2017, 12:40:08 PM
I hardly think Autodesk is going out of business, it's hard to imagine a municipal engineering department or any construction company not using their products. They maintain a major presence in the Game and Film industries. The Company's profits are up and the size of their workforce is still very impressive for a digital tool developer. I'm not a fan of the subscription model either: it is interesting to note that Adobe (which pretty much initiated the subscription avalanche), is now starting to see some competition from outlier companies like Serif with their award winning "Affinity" Photo and Design products - directly advertising "No Subscription" and reportedly selling respectable numbers. I'm at CS6 with Photoshop and will go no further. But Autodesk apps are still central to my toolset, even though Cinema and Modo are very attractive, and Houdini remains a sort of "Everest" fantasy; it is still Max, that with over 10 years time invested and a host of 3rd party collaborators that is my go-to DCC program. Moreover, after some testing and with some gut-wrenching deliberation I've started a subscription for Maya 2018 (ouch!).  I don't think it's realistic to scorn Autodesk too much, although I realize there is a certain delight at slinging stones at Goliath. These apps haven't fit into the 'Hobbyist' zone for some time, and have been priced at a commercial level as befits their use. And in a Commercial and Public Sector setting the 'subscription model' fits the budgetary requirements of the accounting department. Think of fiscal budgets and the advantages of 'leasing'. The 'rub' for the small studio and the affluent hobbyist is that the subscriptions can accumulate into an unsupportable expense: so how many apps can you support in your 'pipeline'?
Title: Re: Ouch! I wonder whats going on with Autodesk?
Post by: Ethrieltd on December 10, 2017, 07:29:41 PM
Quote from: zaxxon on December 09, 2017, 12:40:08 PM
I hardly think Autodesk is going out of business, it's hard to imagine a municipal engineering department or any construction company not using their products. They maintain a major presence in the Game and Film industries. The Company's profits are up and the size of their workforce.....

I dunno, the wayside is littered with companies and products whose usage was positively indispensable once...