Autodesk Signs Agreement with Avid Technology to Acquire Softimage

#141

Please, don’t let this thread degrade into a flame war. Unless you are a regular user of either app and know how well enough to bash them, leave well enough alone. Both apps serve some major industries in equally major ways. Autodesk still isn’t the only high end game in town… yet. You don’t want this thread closed, right? I’m not just saying that as a long time C4D user, but as somebody who hates flame wars.

#142

Wow, haha. Who’s next in line? :smiley:

#143

I can’t see what the moan is about. Except of XSI AME bashers having their nose rubbed :smiley: SI was not independent when owned by Avid, and, as they say, at least AME is into 3D. I say cheers and welcome to the funplace :slight_smile:

#144

Even though i think it’s a bad they for the CG World. I do believe it’s also a great opportunity for all the other companies (MAXON, Lightwave, Luxology, Pixologic) to show that they can do better and be more innovative. Underestimating the Market is a really dangerous thing, especially when you look down to other applications from the Autodesk throne. It’s not the companies making the change, it’s the users themselves who decides which package they go with. I see very interesting days coming up the next few years and we’ll see where this will lead to. But i know one thing for shure, other companies are not sleeping, they are working and developing their tools further.

just my 2 cents

#145

Wow. The 3d industry is now Socialist.

#146

From my point of view, Softimage flourished under Avid. I’ve been following it since version 1.5, and each iteration has been absolutely fantastic. I don’t think that anyone is ranting here either. People will understandably have misgivings when the future of their favorite software, and sometimes breadwinner, is cast into doubt.

But Avid has not flourished, instead they went from bad to worse financially and they are under a long restrution plan where they need capital and are making lay offs. Bottom line that is what it counts. Avid was headless concerning 3D, didn’t had any compositing package, wasn’t puching any great technology to integrate 2D and 3D, it was nothing. Softimage would be going dead in water under them.

#147

I think the most unfortunate thing for users of any of the three products is the uncertainty this causes for them.

Its scary each year to upgrade not knowing if your software may be dropped the next year of if their focus for a certain app will conflict with what you use it for.

#148

Without getting into too many details, Don’t knock 'em til you try 'em. Might as well now, unless you don’t mind having to touch your toes while Autodesk shows you where the wild goose goes. :slight_smile:

#149

Autodesk
Auto_des_troy
Auto_Buy_up_all_3d_apps_in_competition
or simply AutoBots… who’s really in charge?

But seriously, was AVID really hurting that bad that it needed to “devest” Softimage? If anything, lacking sales can only be cause of the evergrowing software monopolies right? Sure if you can’t beat em join em, but AVID was a huge player in this game too. I say was, but now you have to wonder can they (AVID) even stay afloat with their main competitor- ADOBE? I don’t know, they might have just cut their wrists on that one? Sooner or later the monops are going to clash, and i really don’t see how us users are going to benefit?

#150

Autodesk is slowly trying to take over the world.

#151

Just got off the phone from Marc Stevens (AVID) and Marc Petit (Autodesk) in Montreal, in a 1-on-2 interview. (9:20am AEST; 90 minutes after the announcement)

“The acquisition of the Softimage business unit has been in the pipeline for quite some time, with dialogue beginnning many, many months ago,” said Marc Stevens. The discussions began well before SIGGRAPH in LA. It became clear to them, and many other people, that "the two companies were developing increasingly similar packages, and that working together would be more beneficial to everyone involved. The game industry is expanding, and there is common ground to be played upon.

They also assured me that all of those products on the Softimage line will stay in development, to make sure that the team continues to give people choice.

Both Marcs were adamant that the community would benefit from the move. The only thing that wil change will be the name at the top.

#152

Support your Open Source packages more… once you do, open source takes over and the artists ARE the creators, not only of the art but the tool as well.

#153

I guess the smart thing for Autodesk to do would be to give us a fair warning, say 2-3 years and come up with one app i.e. same as Maya born out of Alias and Wavefront TDI.

Then they’d probably chop it up into modules (like they’ve already begun doing with Max) and ask developers to come up with sub-modules, like the one’s they’ve absorbed already (ex. Muscles in Maya).

One thing that’s NOT going to happen is a new kid on the block developing a top notch 3d app from scratch. Took all three 3d apps they now own some 10 years to get where they are…

#154

And who pays the developers?

#155

But seriously, was AVID really hurting that bad that it needed to “devest” Softimage? If anything, lacking sales can only be cause of the evergrowing software monopolies right? Sure if you can’t beat em join em, but AVID was a huge player in this game too. I say was, but now you have to wonder can they (AVID) even stay afloat with their main competitor- ADOBE? I don’t know, they might have just cut their wrists on that one? Sooner or later the monops are going to clash, and i really don’t see how us users are going to benefit?

Avid is a public traded company. Finantial numbers are all over the web. it is easy to find them in Yahoo or Google Financial service. In short… while world economy have been growing like never before in last years(i am not including last months) Avid have been shrinking and being negative for a long time. They needed capital so they sell the useless rings for their video core business.

#156

I can’t help to think back to last year I think it was when XSI made those videos on why you should buy it instead of max or Maya. Talk about just being slapped in the face.

#157

Folks,

Anyway you look at it, this is BAD. Autodesk will own every complete Major 3D app (except Houdini). With the way things are going, there is no guarantee that Autodesk will invest more of it’s manpower to further developing XSI in quality way. Why should it? The other option is to do away with it and incorporate the “best” features of it into Maya (which seems to have a new version every 6-months). If this is for real…there will only be Maxon’s Cinema 4D, Houdini vs. Autodesk (Maya, XSI, 3DSMax).

The reality is that every company, if the price is right, will sell out. Remember, these companies are steered by a handful of people. They have a greater financial (short-term) interest in selling to the highest bidder when things get tough (or not).

At this rate, Maxon or Houdini’s mother company is not untouchable. This is the sign of the times. Bigger companies buying out smaller companies. Less choice for you and I and greater price control by the companies that know that you have fewer options.

Richard

#158

I’m not at all sure this is a bad thing. Maybe it’s having come from the 2D design world, but Adobe has had a near monopoly on print applications for five years, and near monopoly on image editors for at least a decade. That hasn’t stopped them from innovating, nor have they jacked up prices terribly. The thing about software companies that, apart from OSes, you can’t really have a monopoly, because even if you’re the only company in your market, you still compete with your last version. If you don’t make the new version compelling, nobody upgrades. (I’m wondering if e-on, with the 50% price hike on Vue 7.0 X-stream, is about to discover that.)

While I can’t image that five years from now, Max, Maya and XSI will all exist, fewer choices isn’t necessarily worse: it makes it easier to switch jobs when the tools you use become standardized and the only issue is the quality of your work. Going back to the print world, having to keep up with both Quark and InDesign is a drag. Switching between 3D apps involves a vastly larger number of differences to keep in mind.

I also don’t think the external competition is going away: the last time I saw data on it, C4D had significantly more market share than any Autodesk media market product. Maxon isn’t going away. SideFX seems like they’re making smart moves to expand their user base. Okay, Lightwave feels like it’s dying, but that might be a misimpression.

#159

…Santy Claus? :slight_smile:

That or their day jobs I suppose.

#160

They will stay in development but at what speed? I’d like to know about costs, i guess we’re now looking at Autodesks maintenance? One thing i’d like to know, probably won’t, did Autodesk insist on Foundation being pulled?