unless it's around $100 or under, I like the developer and know that I'll definitely be using the software a lot (e.g. Quixel suite, UE4). Do I have the money to buy all of the other software (Maya, Zbrush, Photoshop etc? Probably. Did I earn that money by using the software I pirated or using the techniques I picked up from pirated training DVDS? Nop, the money is from student loans, so there's no way I'd spend it all on expensive software and then starve when I can obtain it for free.
The way I see it, it's acceptable to pirate software, training DVDs etc. as long as I'm using it for learning purposes and can't easily afford it. However as soon as I get a job or a freelance gig and actually earn money using the software I pirated or the things I've learned from pirated training DVDs, then it would be a dickish move not to pay for it all even if you have it pirated from earlier
Used to pirate games when I was 10-15, not anymore though.
For me, and I know a lot of friends who feel this way, the industry standard software is priced at an industry standard level. And when it comes to being able to keep up your skills outside of work, it's very difficult when faced with those industry standard prices. 3K for a copy of Max?
Other software, such as the Quixel Suite, Substance, Marmoset Toolbag and now even Unreal (!), those are priced in a way that's totally affordable and it feels like they're actually aiming at people with those price points. Some of the larger companies seem to just be pricing for corporations and nothing else.
I don't pirate games/music or even films anymore. I still grab the latest big US TV show every so often, but I've started to not worry and just wait for it to be on Netflix.
I fundamentally believe autodesk would make more money if they sold maya or max for 300 dollars instead of 3000.
They are missing out on so many sales its ludicrous, you simply can't charge that much for a piece of software and expect that many people to pay it, think of all the students, economically disenfranchised(places where that can buy a villa), indie companies and hobbyists they are missing out on.
For me, and I know a lot of friends who feel this way, the industry standard software is priced at an industry standard level. And when it comes to being able to keep up your skills outside of work, it's very difficult when faced with those industry standard prices. 3K for a copy of Max?
Other software, such as the Quixel Suite, Substance, Marmoset Toolbag and now even Unreal (!), those are priced in a way that's totally affordable and it feels like they're actually aiming at people with those price points. Some of the larger companies seem to just be pricing for corporations and nothing else.
I don't pirate games/music or even films anymore. I still grab the latest big US TV show every so often, but I've started to not worry and just wait for it to be on Netflix.
I dont see why people torrent max when there is the student trial which is a 3 year trial and you can just keep applying. it has pretty much almost everything regular paid for max has.
I dont see why people torrent max when there is the student trial which is a 3 year trial and you can just keep applying. it has pretty much almost everything regular paid for max has.
Afaik they don't even require an edu email. Just the name of a school.
Boom! They don't even check, as long as you don't make $$$ off it they aren't going to sue your ass for using a free version of a software they offer out to just anyone. tons of people do it to learn and for hobby reasons, with me its both.
I also love the fact the fact Quixel put their beta as open, more companies would follow in their footsteps, I have nothing but respect for the guys at quixel because they aren't just looking to make a quick buck and the fact they make some damn good programs :P
I would only torrent to try it out or if I felt it was overpriced for my income (£0)
I fundamentally believe autodesk would make more money if they sold maya or max for 300 dollars instead of 3000.
They are missing out on so many sales its ludicrous, you simply can't charge that much for a piece of software and expect that many people to pay it, think of all the students, economically disenfranchised(places where that can buy a villa), indie companies and hobbyists they are missing out on.
10% of the price x10 if not more the sales.
Possible, but I doubt it.
Their subscription program would collapse.
Most of their 3ds max revenue probably comes from their existing customer base and they'd need to increase that tenfold instantly if they lower the price and subscription prices that much. And I strongly believe that many people who pirate a 3k $ software will also pirate a 300 $ software.
-"Because it's Autodesk. They are obviously up to something."
-"I don't like the software, I'm just forced to have it because it's standard" (Aka -I need the tool to actually do my job, it's just that I'd rather have it for free.)
-" I could buy a new phone/tablet for that money"
-"Blender is free. I think software should be free." (But I still like to use max anyway.)
I'm also not quite sure if I like the idea of super cheap software.
Probably because I have forked out a lot for mine over the years and while I'd be happy to pay less in the future, there is also a part of me that selfishly expects everyone else to have to clear the same hurdles.
If 3ds max would be free as of tomorrow, I should probably be happy, but honestly?
I'd be pretty annoyed, because that would reward the people who pirated it all along.
I see the positives and the egalitarian advantage that the 3d world is open to everyone. (Though it pretty much is, already. Today a lot more so than it used to be. Blender is basically a dream come true.)
But it might also encourages people even more to start working for dumping rates and in that way it's quite similar to the pirating problem.
If you have to pay 3k for your tools, you will think very hard about it and factor that in into a reasonable asking rate.
Afaik they don't even require an edu email. Just the name of a school.
I didn't realise this would be one of those justify what you posted type deals. But anyway...
The idea that you're telling someone, "No don't pirate it. Just claim to be a student when you're not." Seems like an odd way of escaping the 'I'm a pirate' label so you can feel guilt free? Dishonesty is dishonesty. I feel pretty at ease with my explanation above, I don't feel the need to hide behind, "Well technically I didn't torrent it." Because technically I would have agreed to a user agreement that said I was a student and that's still breaking the law?
But again, this wasn't meant to be a thread about arguing ethics...
I didn't realise this would be one of those justify what you posted type deals. But anyway...
The idea that you're telling someone, "No don't pirate it. Just claim to be a student when you're not." Seems like an odd way of escaping the 'I'm a pirate' label so you can feel guilt free? Dishonesty is dishonesty. I feel pretty at ease with my explanation above, I don't feel the need to hide behind, "Well technically I didn't torrent it." Because technically I would have agreed to a user agreement that said I was a student and that's still breaking the law?
But again, this wasn't meant to be a thread about arguing ethics...
are you serious? I wasn't even the original person who responded to you, I don't give a shit what you decide to do. I'm just posting information.
You're getting insanely defensive over because you think I'm challenging your decision to pirate instead of claiming to be a student? Good lord man
I used to pirate games a fair bit until Steam sales came along (CURSE THEM!) and I started earning money. I also started training to be a games artist which helped curb my habit. With the Humble Bundle and other sales on all the time I've hardly pirated any game (if any).
It used to be my way of trying certain games and play other ones too without the restrictive DRM.
I like where Autodesk are going with the MayaLT route but they should reduce the price further and git rid of the polycount export restriction IMO. If they do the same with 3ds Max then I think I would be interested in buying Autodesk's products.
Mind you there is Blender which is making strides towards becoming a game development tool (and free) and of course there are other alternatives.
are you serious? I wasn't even the original person who responded to you, I don't give a shit what you decide to do. I'm just posting information.
You're getting insanely defensive over because you think I'm challenging your decision to pirate instead of claiming to be a student? Good lord man
Oph, I didn't realise I sounded so defensive. Sorry. Also, I actually didn't have anyone quoted, I just replied. But then someone replied before me, so I quickly stuck in the quote so it made sense. I'll remove the quote if that makes you feel better? I dunno. I regret ever posting!
Oph, I didn't realise I sounded so defensive. Sorry. Also, I actually didn't have anyone quoted, I just replied. But then someone replied before me, so I quickly stuck in the quote so it made sense. I'll remove the quote if that makes you feel better? I dunno. I regret ever posting!
It's fine, but for the record when someone posts a paragraph of text responding to a point I never made by asking lots of rhetorical questions with itallicized "technicallys", yes that seems defensive to me.
I understand (now) that was misquoted but that's how it looked to me
I definitely support the developers of these awesome pieces of software, but being a student means I cant afford much of anything... I will 100% buy these programs when I am actually able to make money in this industry - but until then, its either don't get any practice or experience what so ever and find it harder to get a job or just pirate it. Luckily some companies offer free licences (Autodesk) through my school - AIE - that helps a lot!
I always purchase licenses from the smaller companies like Marmoset, Quixel etc, and found cheaper/free alternatives like Silo and Blender to replace Autodesk stuff at home.
Sorry this is kind of off topic. I've seen a lot of people say they refuse to pay for autodesk programs, and just use the student version, which technically you can't monotize from. So my question is, how would you start freelancing if you dont have a commercial license.
I no longer pirate music. Because Spotify offers me a good deal for music; I don't own it but my music tastes change too much to buy everything on albums. I do buy one or two albums a year like I always used to.
I no longer pirate most movies or series. Netflix offers a pretty good deal; I don't own it but I tend to only watch once. Sometimes I go to the cinema for a movie, sometimes I wait and rent it at the local shop. Sometimes they're forcing Europe to wait extra long, and then I pirate.
I no longer pirate any games. I have too many of them as is, already, and I feel Steam/GoG/Origin strike a decent balance between price and 'ownership'. Though I do worry frequently about 'what if Valve goes bust' and thus currently prefer GoG because of DRM-less-ness.
I no longer pirate most software. My Windows is legit, because it's affordable and worthwhile. My office is freeware, because it's good enough and doesn't try to make my decisions for me (seriously, Word, I'll decide on my own whitespace/indentation/etc.). My HTML editor is Notepad++ because it's simple, free, and gives me enough tools to work with and a lot of control; why use some clunky overkill like Dreamweaver?
I no longer use 3DS Max because I'm not a student, not with a company, and frankly I'm not seeing myself realistically spending five fucking grand one-time or 1794 yearly. Especially not since what I've read they didn't really improve much in the past 5 years. I would buy 2009 for 1000 with nary a thought. But as is, I'm simply using Blender and not even giving Autodesk the satisfaction of market share, because fuck their approach to pricing. Same goes, largely, for Adobe.
I used to pirate such software, and even Windows/Office with the idea of 'buy when I can afford' in my mind. Currently I've decided that some companies aren't worth buying stuff from because they're just not playing nice.
Sorry this is kind of off topic. I've seen a lot of people say they refuse to pay for autodesk programs, and just use the student version, which technically you can't monotize from. So my question is, how would you start freelancing if you dont have a commercial license.
You don't use autodesk student wares for any profit as the files are watermarked. People use blender and cheaper alternatives as there are plenty to use.
You don't use autodesk student wares for any profit as the files are watermarked. People use blender and cheaper alternatives as there are plenty to use.
So basically, by using autodesk programs you are effectively limiting yourself to only being able to apply for studio positions, and if you ever want to freelance you must learn free software? (Assuming you can't afford Autodesk stuff)
I don't pirate games, usually because i either wait until they're down in price, or the ones i get aren't really that expensive.
Software on the other hand, i haven't pirated before (I'm leery of viruses in the keygen programs), but i have used the free student version of max 2012, even though i haven't been a student since 2009, i just said i was being home-schooled when i signed up.
now my license of max 2012 has expired, and i want to try and finally make some money of of this hobby that i've been dabbling in since 2006, i do have an old perpetual student license copy of max 8 that i got just as i finished a collage course back in '06, but it's ancient now, and was not as streamlined as more recent versions (the hair/fur system in that version is a performance killer), and 3800£ for a single seat of Maya is utterly unacceptable for someone wanting to go freelance.
But if i must, i will re-install that, and use it for commercial purposes, to hell with the license agreement, that version is almost 10 years old now.
I've tried blender several times, but i just don't like the way that program works, too much reliance on key-binding workflows, i prefer to work with a mouse, not to mention that blender's pipeline integration breaks with every version.
I do have the indie pack for the Substance Suite, although i'll be lucky if i ever make more than 10k a year with that (i'm not even selling anything yet), i don't have the quixel suite since my versions of photoshop (cs2 and cs4 upgrade) are both educational non-commercial versions (CS2 was, and i think that restriction carried over when i upgraded), and i'm not touching Creative Cloud, or AD Desktop Subscription.
The most i'm willing to pay for software is roughly 1000£ or so, so my options are either Modo (which apparently has very little scripting support), or Maya LT plus yearly sub, which is far more reasonable, but at the moment, has no zbrush integration, and no xgen integration (something i think i would be able to make use of.)
So basically, by using autodesk programs you are effectively limiting yourself to only being able to apply for studio positions, and if you ever want to freelance you must learn free software? (Assuming you can't afford Autodesk stuff)
...
- Start -
Low money
Work using free software
- You earned money! -
Buy "X" to improve work efficiency
Work
- You earned money! -
Buy "X" to improve work efficiency
Work
AFAIK You are not entitled to use autodesk software. Technical ability will always outshine software use and at the end of the day, if you get to the point where you are contemplating buying £4000 software, you must be making a fair amount to justify it. If not then well yeah, you fail at basic logic.
You can use the student versions to make a nice portfolio which will give you a hand in getting into the industry but the tools don't make the designer etc etc etc
Whilst this is certainly true, not all tools are created equal and there isn't really much alternative to using Max/Maya depending on what you need to do. You may also find that if you're freelancing, your client's internal pipeline may well dictate which tools you can use. The $5775 barrier to entry for 3DS / Maya is fucking brutal, given that an annual salary for many artists is pretty low and especially when you consider that they expect you to pay for upgrades each year on top of that (though mercifully it isn't a requirement).
An annual salary for a freelancer can be pretty high, though, especially when you compare the investment needed to other jobs out there. (Cost for education etc. aside.)
And it's higher partly because you have to provide your own rooms,workstation, software, healthcare, pension etc.
Not saying I don't understand what you mean, but if you take some steps back, the money for software should be one of your lesser problems, or you might find yourself between a rock and a hard place sooner or later.
And now that you can rent Max when starting out, I think it's pretty much a moot point. Sure it will cost you more over a year, but now you can start working right away.
A lot of piracy stems from lack of accessibility, though there is no one size fits all... A lot of value seeking takes place, trying to find if X software is worth it. Software doesnt always come with just a monetary cost, but the cost of time as well (learning). Piracy starts making a lot of sense when such purchases can literally break some peoples bank or are just not accessible, or in their eyes the value is just simply not there.
Regarding value vs cost, a person who is either a hobbyist or cannot or has not made revenue with the software or field cannot see the cost of the software covering what they can or will expect to make.
Allegorithmic is pretty smart in their approach, though hard to actually follow though with, they will offer lower (more accessible) pricing for those that bring in less than $10,000 in annual revenue from the software.
Yup, this applies to games and software. Games have a ton of issues with local versions being censored or edited. A lot older titles aren't available for new anymore (Grim Fandango), or only available using certain drm/services (Origin, Steam, Games for Windows, UPlay, etc). I'm sure piracy rates are higher on those games.
If anyone wants to quick reminder in the historic sense, Quark vs. Adobe would be the place of start on why Piracy made Adobe what it is today and Quark as well.
This might sound weird, but I used to pirate, but I also still do. This might be frowned upon but I don't feel that all pirating is a crime. Naive? Probably. With subscription models on the rise, I think for software my habits will change. But for some products it's still barely justifiable to use subscription models.
I download, for example, the Game of Thrones, and then buy the DVD sets.
I used to download games which I lost as a kid, scratched the disc etc. But now with GoG and Steam I can buy them usually for three fiddy in a sale.
I never download "small scale"(how to describe...) software, like nDO or Toolbag, their cost is very justifiable.
I don't pirate industry leading software right now, but have in the past and will probably do so in the future so that I can see if a script I made is compatible, to keep up with current technology that'll be coming to the office or if I would be switching from one to the other like when switching to different companies who use different softwares.
I download stuff that I have that has annoying DRM on the stuff that I own.
If anyone wants to quick reminder in the historic sense, Quark vs. Adobe would be the place of start on why Piracy made Adobe what it is today and Quark as well.
I worked in print around that time, as far as I know it was all about OSX support. Quark 5 wouldn't run on OSX while Indesign did. I heard a story that they revealed Quark 5 at a conference and basically said the future was windows, the crowd was not pleased.
When I look back on my history, the only reason I pirated as a teenager was because I could, prior to that I didn't have internet so I bought all my NES games, which were crazy expensive for the time. I also regularly purchased shareware out of catalogs, which was basically paying for demos.
The software I own that uses DRM just works, I've never felt the need to pirate it after the fact. I also don't like that I have to operate under the assumption that everyone who releases pirated software & crackers are completely honest and have no interest in cybercrime or just causing mischief.
I think piracy of expensive software increases sales in the longterm. People don't like to take the chance of getting sued and a blow to their reputation, so they have a strong preference for having a legit license, and so will likely buy it when/if they can before using it commercially.
I think it hurts sales of expensive software when people don't pirate, but instead choose free software like blender, because after they're able to afford the expensive competition they probably spent years mastering the free or cheap software and don't want to switch.
While having a more reasonable price will get pirates to buy sooner, maybe the bigger advantage is getting the non-pirates as customers.
Since more profit can increase development, I want the same thing companies want, that magic price that gives maximum profit. You could maybe do careful surveys and some math to get a decent estimate of the optimum price. Although I guess a monopoly could make them somewhat complacent, so they need a little competition, but a lot of competition can be bad for the industry because none of the competitors can afford to invest nearly as much in development.
I doubt indies care much about the industry standard software so wont be persuaded by that to buy expensive, so probably a great move to offer indie versions and subscription plans.
Luckily i do own all the tools i use daily, mostly because im still using old versions, and dont upgrade often. Im still working on maya 2012, and with Photoshop i went from cs3 to cs6 to cut down on costs.
But the costs are fucking insane, im just now starting to make money from freelanceing, and since im not getting the best paying contracts i only make between $2000 and $3000 CAD per month. Since i freelance that money is also pre tax. After taxes, rent, bills, food. i have if im lucky $500 of disposable income left over.
Than compare that to the cost of Maya being my whole entire gross income on a good month, makes it nearly unattainable.
I'm not too into endlessly shelling money out, so what i wish auto-desk would do is let you buy a product with payments.
good example is maya im still on 2012 well it is 3 years later, so devide that by 36 months for the last 3 years, and even if they add a little on top, that is around $100 per month which is more than affordable for most. Which i dont even mind not getting updates since i havent seen anything int he last 3 years of Maya updates even worth the cost.
Why cant they do that? It happens with the tools of the trade in other industries. If i was a mechanic or carptner i could finnacce the cost of my tools over a set amount of time from companmies like SnapOn or DeWalt, or my local tool shop. When you look at it, Maya and Max or just the tools of our trade.
If anyone wants to quick reminder in the historic sense, Quark vs. Adobe would be the place of start on why Piracy made Adobe what it is today and Quark as well.
Quarkxpress was also just a horrible program to work with from what i remember
Replies
U WOT M8?!
unless it's around $100 or under, I like the developer and know that I'll definitely be using the software a lot (e.g. Quixel suite, UE4). Do I have the money to buy all of the other software (Maya, Zbrush, Photoshop etc? Probably. Did I earn that money by using the software I pirated or using the techniques I picked up from pirated training DVDS? Nop, the money is from student loans, so there's no way I'd spend it all on expensive software and then starve when I can obtain it for free.
The way I see it, it's acceptable to pirate software, training DVDs etc. as long as I'm using it for learning purposes and can't easily afford it. However as soon as I get a job or a freelance gig and actually earn money using the software I pirated or the things I've learned from pirated training DVDs, then it would be a dickish move not to pay for it all even if you have it pirated from earlier
Used to pirate games when I was 10-15, not anymore though.
Other software, such as the Quixel Suite, Substance, Marmoset Toolbag and now even Unreal (!), those are priced in a way that's totally affordable and it feels like they're actually aiming at people with those price points. Some of the larger companies seem to just be pricing for corporations and nothing else.
I don't pirate games/music or even films anymore. I still grab the latest big US TV show every so often, but I've started to not worry and just wait for it to be on Netflix.
They are missing out on so many sales its ludicrous, you simply can't charge that much for a piece of software and expect that many people to pay it, think of all the students, economically disenfranchised(places where that can buy a villa), indie companies and hobbyists they are missing out on.
10% of the price x10 if not more the sales.
I dont see why people torrent max when there is the student trial which is a 3 year trial and you can just keep applying. it has pretty much almost everything regular paid for max has.
I'm not a student.
You could claim to be
Afaik they don't even require an edu email. Just the name of a school.
I also love the fact the fact Quixel put their beta as open, more companies would follow in their footsteps, I have nothing but respect for the guys at quixel because they aren't just looking to make a quick buck and the fact they make some damn good programs :P
I would only torrent to try it out or if I felt it was overpriced for my income (£0)
Possible, but I doubt it.
Their subscription program would collapse.
Most of their 3ds max revenue probably comes from their existing customer base and they'd need to increase that tenfold instantly if they lower the price and subscription prices that much. And I strongly believe that many people who pirate a 3k $ software will also pirate a 300 $ software.
-"Because it's Autodesk. They are obviously up to something."
-"I don't like the software, I'm just forced to have it because it's standard" (Aka -I need the tool to actually do my job, it's just that I'd rather have it for free.)
-" I could buy a new phone/tablet for that money"
-"Blender is free. I think software should be free." (But I still like to use max anyway.)
I'm also not quite sure if I like the idea of super cheap software.
Probably because I have forked out a lot for mine over the years and while I'd be happy to pay less in the future, there is also a part of me that selfishly expects everyone else to have to clear the same hurdles.
If 3ds max would be free as of tomorrow, I should probably be happy, but honestly?
I'd be pretty annoyed, because that would reward the people who pirated it all along.
I see the positives and the egalitarian advantage that the 3d world is open to everyone. (Though it pretty much is, already. Today a lot more so than it used to be. Blender is basically a dream come true.)
But it might also encourages people even more to start working for dumping rates and in that way it's quite similar to the pirating problem.
If you have to pay 3k for your tools, you will think very hard about it and factor that in into a reasonable asking rate.
I didn't realise this would be one of those justify what you posted type deals. But anyway...
The idea that you're telling someone, "No don't pirate it. Just claim to be a student when you're not." Seems like an odd way of escaping the 'I'm a pirate' label so you can feel guilt free? Dishonesty is dishonesty. I feel pretty at ease with my explanation above, I don't feel the need to hide behind, "Well technically I didn't torrent it." Because technically I would have agreed to a user agreement that said I was a student and that's still breaking the law?
But again, this wasn't meant to be a thread about arguing ethics...
You're getting insanely defensive over because you think I'm challenging your decision to pirate instead of claiming to be a student? Good lord man
It used to be my way of trying certain games and play other ones too without the restrictive DRM.
I like where Autodesk are going with the MayaLT route but they should reduce the price further and git rid of the polycount export restriction IMO. If they do the same with 3ds Max then I think I would be interested in buying Autodesk's products.
Mind you there is Blender which is making strides towards becoming a game development tool (and free) and of course there are other alternatives.
But that's my two cents
Oph, I didn't realise I sounded so defensive. Sorry. Also, I actually didn't have anyone quoted, I just replied. But then someone replied before me, so I quickly stuck in the quote so it made sense. I'll remove the quote if that makes you feel better? I dunno. I regret ever posting!
I understand (now) that was misquoted but that's how it looked to me
I no longer pirate most movies or series. Netflix offers a pretty good deal; I don't own it but I tend to only watch once. Sometimes I go to the cinema for a movie, sometimes I wait and rent it at the local shop. Sometimes they're forcing Europe to wait extra long, and then I pirate.
I no longer pirate any games. I have too many of them as is, already, and I feel Steam/GoG/Origin strike a decent balance between price and 'ownership'. Though I do worry frequently about 'what if Valve goes bust' and thus currently prefer GoG because of DRM-less-ness.
I no longer pirate most software. My Windows is legit, because it's affordable and worthwhile. My office is freeware, because it's good enough and doesn't try to make my decisions for me (seriously, Word, I'll decide on my own whitespace/indentation/etc.). My HTML editor is Notepad++ because it's simple, free, and gives me enough tools to work with and a lot of control; why use some clunky overkill like Dreamweaver?
I no longer use 3DS Max because I'm not a student, not with a company, and frankly I'm not seeing myself realistically spending five fucking grand one-time or 1794 yearly. Especially not since what I've read they didn't really improve much in the past 5 years. I would buy 2009 for 1000 with nary a thought. But as is, I'm simply using Blender and not even giving Autodesk the satisfaction of market share, because fuck their approach to pricing. Same goes, largely, for Adobe.
I used to pirate such software, and even Windows/Office with the idea of 'buy when I can afford' in my mind. Currently I've decided that some companies aren't worth buying stuff from because they're just not playing nice.
You don't use autodesk student wares for any profit as the files are watermarked. People use blender and cheaper alternatives as there are plenty to use.
So basically, by using autodesk programs you are effectively limiting yourself to only being able to apply for studio positions, and if you ever want to freelance you must learn free software? (Assuming you can't afford Autodesk stuff)
Software on the other hand, i haven't pirated before (I'm leery of viruses in the keygen programs), but i have used the free student version of max 2012, even though i haven't been a student since 2009, i just said i was being home-schooled when i signed up.
now my license of max 2012 has expired, and i want to try and finally make some money of of this hobby that i've been dabbling in since 2006, i do have an old perpetual student license copy of max 8 that i got just as i finished a collage course back in '06, but it's ancient now, and was not as streamlined as more recent versions (the hair/fur system in that version is a performance killer), and 3800£ for a single seat of Maya is utterly unacceptable for someone wanting to go freelance.
But if i must, i will re-install that, and use it for commercial purposes, to hell with the license agreement, that version is almost 10 years old now.
I've tried blender several times, but i just don't like the way that program works, too much reliance on key-binding workflows, i prefer to work with a mouse, not to mention that blender's pipeline integration breaks with every version.
I do have the indie pack for the Substance Suite, although i'll be lucky if i ever make more than 10k a year with that (i'm not even selling anything yet), i don't have the quixel suite since my versions of photoshop (cs2 and cs4 upgrade) are both educational non-commercial versions (CS2 was, and i think that restriction carried over when i upgraded), and i'm not touching Creative Cloud, or AD Desktop Subscription.
The most i'm willing to pay for software is roughly 1000£ or so, so my options are either Modo (which apparently has very little scripting support), or Maya LT plus yearly sub, which is far more reasonable, but at the moment, has no zbrush integration, and no xgen integration (something i think i would be able to make use of.)
...
Low money
Work using free software
- You earned money! -
Buy "X" to improve work efficiency
Work
- You earned money! -
Buy "X" to improve work efficiency
Work
AFAIK You are not entitled to use autodesk software. Technical ability will always outshine software use and at the end of the day, if you get to the point where you are contemplating buying £4000 software, you must be making a fair amount to justify it. If not then well yeah, you fail at basic logic.
You can use the student versions to make a nice portfolio which will give you a hand in getting into the industry but the tools don't make the designer etc etc etc
Whilst this is certainly true, not all tools are created equal and there isn't really much alternative to using Max/Maya depending on what you need to do. You may also find that if you're freelancing, your client's internal pipeline may well dictate which tools you can use. The $5775 barrier to entry for 3DS / Maya is fucking brutal, given that an annual salary for many artists is pretty low and especially when you consider that they expect you to pay for upgrades each year on top of that (though mercifully it isn't a requirement).
And it's higher partly because you have to provide your own rooms,workstation, software, healthcare, pension etc.
Not saying I don't understand what you mean, but if you take some steps back, the money for software should be one of your lesser problems, or you might find yourself between a rock and a hard place sooner or later.
And now that you can rent Max when starting out, I think it's pretty much a moot point. Sure it will cost you more over a year, but now you can start working right away.
Regarding value vs cost, a person who is either a hobbyist or cannot or has not made revenue with the software or field cannot see the cost of the software covering what they can or will expect to make.
Allegorithmic is pretty smart in their approach, though hard to actually follow though with, they will offer lower (more accessible) pricing for those that bring in less than $10,000 in annual revenue from the software.
Yup, this applies to games and software. Games have a ton of issues with local versions being censored or edited. A lot older titles aren't available for new anymore (Grim Fandango), or only available using certain drm/services (Origin, Steam, Games for Windows, UPlay, etc). I'm sure piracy rates are higher on those games.
I download, for example, the Game of Thrones, and then buy the DVD sets.
I used to download games which I lost as a kid, scratched the disc etc. But now with GoG and Steam I can buy them usually for three fiddy in a sale.
I never download "small scale"(how to describe...) software, like nDO or Toolbag, their cost is very justifiable.
I don't pirate industry leading software right now, but have in the past and will probably do so in the future so that I can see if a script I made is compatible, to keep up with current technology that'll be coming to the office or if I would be switching from one to the other like when switching to different companies who use different softwares.
I download stuff that I have that has annoying DRM on the stuff that I own.
I worked in print around that time, as far as I know it was all about OSX support. Quark 5 wouldn't run on OSX while Indesign did. I heard a story that they revealed Quark 5 at a conference and basically said the future was windows, the crowd was not pleased.
When I look back on my history, the only reason I pirated as a teenager was because I could, prior to that I didn't have internet so I bought all my NES games, which were crazy expensive for the time. I also regularly purchased shareware out of catalogs, which was basically paying for demos.
The software I own that uses DRM just works, I've never felt the need to pirate it after the fact. I also don't like that I have to operate under the assumption that everyone who releases pirated software & crackers are completely honest and have no interest in cybercrime or just causing mischief.
I think it hurts sales of expensive software when people don't pirate, but instead choose free software like blender, because after they're able to afford the expensive competition they probably spent years mastering the free or cheap software and don't want to switch.
While having a more reasonable price will get pirates to buy sooner, maybe the bigger advantage is getting the non-pirates as customers.
Since more profit can increase development, I want the same thing companies want, that magic price that gives maximum profit. You could maybe do careful surveys and some math to get a decent estimate of the optimum price. Although I guess a monopoly could make them somewhat complacent, so they need a little competition, but a lot of competition can be bad for the industry because none of the competitors can afford to invest nearly as much in development.
I doubt indies care much about the industry standard software so wont be persuaded by that to buy expensive, so probably a great move to offer indie versions and subscription plans.
But the costs are fucking insane, im just now starting to make money from freelanceing, and since im not getting the best paying contracts i only make between $2000 and $3000 CAD per month. Since i freelance that money is also pre tax. After taxes, rent, bills, food. i have if im lucky $500 of disposable income left over.
Than compare that to the cost of Maya being my whole entire gross income on a good month, makes it nearly unattainable.
I'm not too into endlessly shelling money out, so what i wish auto-desk would do is let you buy a product with payments.
good example is maya im still on 2012 well it is 3 years later, so devide that by 36 months for the last 3 years, and even if they add a little on top, that is around $100 per month which is more than affordable for most. Which i dont even mind not getting updates since i havent seen anything int he last 3 years of Maya updates even worth the cost.
Why cant they do that? It happens with the tools of the trade in other industries. If i was a mechanic or carptner i could finnacce the cost of my tools over a set amount of time from companmies like SnapOn or DeWalt, or my local tool shop. When you look at it, Maya and Max or just the tools of our trade.
Quarkxpress was also just a horrible program to work with from what i remember