Autodesk is going crazy?

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Diurno
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Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Diurno » 21 Apr 2010, 17:28

Every day my impression that the Autodesk wants to let sink Softimage grows.... try to go on the product page of Autodesk: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc ... eID=123112

and you'll be surprised that you can't see Softimage listed.... to find it you have to go in See All Products....

what do you think of this? A simple mistake or a commercial strategy?

julius
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by julius » 21 Apr 2010, 20:51

This is not a new thing :that's the case since Softimage was bought...

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Hirazi Blue
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Hirazi Blue » 21 Apr 2010, 20:55

And before that Softimage was even harder to find on their webpages... :D
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Deracus
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Deracus » 26 Apr 2010, 01:25

You look at it from the wrong direction.

For Autodesk, Softimage isn´t on par with Max and Maya. They seem to look at it more like being something like mudbox. A rather specialized companion-tool to their larger packages.
Mudbox and Motionbuilder aren´t in that list as well. Max and Maya are playing the bigger roles for them, when it comes to offering a complete 3d-package.

I don´t want to rant or something with my statement...it´s just the impression i got over the time and that has sat itself into my mind.

I can even understand this approach somehow. It seems to be hard enough for the marketing to make distinct recommendations about when and where to use Maya or Max (especially after the glorious act of making to separately sold Max-Versions ^:)^ :-q )
Fitting a third package into this scheme should be almost impossible without admitting, that the three packages are mostly the same in quite a few areas. So they tried to open another market. They focus on the key-aspects, that drive the usage of Softimage in the larger studios - and to make it clear - these are the only ones that really count in the eyes of AD in respects to direction of development and coordination of marketing. These key-aspects are and have ever been the incredible animation-capabilities and since ICE the great possibilities that come with it.

I wouldn´t say, that my opinion is the only true one, but at least for me, this whole scheme would make sense and explain quite a few things, that have happend

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Hirazi Blue
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Hirazi Blue » 26 Apr 2010, 09:33

You're probably right. The problem however remains that Softimage isn't a companion tool such as Mudbox and Motion Builder. Face Robot as a standalone tool could have been (at a more realistic price, that is).
And I personally think, ICE is nICE :D, but only within the context of Softimage itself. Building something like that in Max and Maya should be done from the ground-up (and wasn't that one thing XBR is sort of trying to achieve?)
I fear for Softimage's future, not because of it's bizarre marketing, but because of it not fitting in with the "big ones" and at the same time not being able to truly fulfill a role as a specialized "companion."...
Maybe - to refer to a joke I made on the XSIBase - Autodesk should really sell it to Smith Micro (as a "powerful companion" to Poser), as the constellation it exists in now, seem to doom this beautiful software to sudden discontinuation... =((
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Diurno
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Diurno » 26 Apr 2010, 12:53

i think you have both right, but i don't think it's a good strategy to put Softimage as a companion tool with the actual price.... and it's also confusing for the new users, cause le't be honest, Softimage has many key feature ok, but it can does what max and maya does as well.... and i think also in a more practice and confortable way of work....

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wacom
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by wacom » 26 Apr 2010, 20:15

Well, if you look on other pages, SI is the first listed, or the "head of the pack" in the images. AD is a large company, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is some rivalry between departments AND just some stuff that falls through the cracks, completely by accident.

That said, uh yeah, they need to put this horse out like it's a winner- sales figures don't lie!
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Qwesto
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Qwesto » 01 May 2010, 00:43

Yeah there's truth in both answers...but this leads to a very dark conclusion and it's a really old one from the days of the inquisition aehm acquisition (:D). I get more and more the feeling that they will sell it again or let it die slowly, after spying out all the know-hows from the dev team??? I can't get rid of the feeling...

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Hirazi Blue
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Hirazi Blue » 16 Jun 2010, 17:12

...didn't quite know where to post this, but this old thread seems as good as any...

I just visited the "Autodesk Media & Entertainment Resource Center", the Autodesk branch Softimage belongs to, only to find they didn't get around to ever update the Softimage pages. With Max, Maya, Motionbuilder & Mudbox there's talk about their "2011" releases, but Softimage seems stuck on "2010" forever.

Ah well, great marketing... :-bd
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Bellsey » 16 Jun 2010, 18:41

that site and link isn't really the official Autodesk page for Softimage or the Media & Entertainment division itself. I believe that is a US portal site used by the US application specialists for various US activites, including some more widespread webcasts the guys have done.

If you look at the official product pages below, the releases were all updated at the same time, there no conspiracy going on.... :-)

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc ... eID=123112

http://area.autodesk.com/products

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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Hirazi Blue » 16 Jun 2010, 19:38

Nonetheless, it's slightly strange, that Max, Maya, Mudbox & Motion Builder get their
properly updated pages on that site, while Softimage doesn't...
And just to make things clear: I wasn't talking about a conspiracy, I was talking about marketing,
which in my book are two very distinct beasts...
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Re: Autodesk is going crazy?

Post by Bellsey » 16 Jun 2010, 21:33

well its not really about marketing, that site is more US sales, hence why people like myself and others are not on it.... different Autodesk regions. That isn't really a main public website, but more a general portal for the US guys to use for their customers, but also other as well.
But if you look through much of the info, the Softimage page is pretty up to date with the 2011 info. Mark has also done some webcasts showing the new release.

All the main marketing and official sites that I mentioned were all published at the same time, with details and new materials for the 2011 releases including Softimage. And if someone was looking for info on Softimage, those sites would appear first and not the one you mentioned.

Please don't read too much into it, it's not poor marketing at all. As I said in a previous post, its more about time and resource really. I only mentioned conspiracy, because even though you didn't mention some people seem to think that poor marketing for Softimage means that something thing behind the scenes is somehow stopping Softimage or holding it back, when this is not the case. Could somethings be better? Sure, there's always room for improvement and we are trying hard to do this.

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