Autodesk likely to kill off licenses and switch to only renting the software

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21

Be careful with generalizations. I can only speak for myself, and I have left Adobe software almost two years ago. I am very happy with my new workflow consisting of both open source and commercial alternatives.

And I am not the only one who switched to alternatives. I am also aware of a number of colleges that decided to drop Adobe in their classes, and colleagues making the switch for some of their work (for example, dropping Dreamweaver and Flash).

Whether it is feasible for anyone to leave Adobe does depend on the type of work they do, though. For broadcast motion graphics it’s going to be tough going. For video editing easier. For web development it’s a bit of a no-brainer, in my opinion - Adobe’s tools are relatively weak in that department (most self-respecting web coders avoid Dreamweaver nowadays). For digital painting great alternatives exist. Adobe still is quite weak for 3d work. For pure image editing alternatives exist that are on par.

Of course, I am aware I am the minority here.

True - when I run into the situation where I do have need of CC, I will use it. For example, I have to use those applications while teaching students. I do tell them about alternatives, though.

For graphic designers it is difficult to replace Adobe’s applications, if not impossible, since they have to be compatible with the rest of the industry.

That is why I use a combo of both OSS and commercial alternatives. Works very well.

For example, Photoline (beta) can connect with InkScape, allowing me to send layers over to InkScape and to pretty much work in a similar fashion as with smart objects between Photoshop and Illustrator. Photoline<->InkScape actually works a bit better, because I can edit the vectors in both applications, while Photoshop will always open Illustrator for that task.

For development I use Netbeans, which outperforms Dreamweaver in so many areas. Many web devs use it as well (being one of the three most popular choices). And that is OSS.

So again, it depends on the type of work we do whether alternatives can outpace Adobe’s software.

Honestly, Adobe’s Big Four are Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects at this point. The rest is of more marginal importance, and can easily be replaced, but Adobe’s clever move was to include ALL their software in one mega deal - effectively convincing most people the peripheral CC software is ‘good enough’.

True. Freehand was pretty awesome - it would have been great to have seen it grown as an application. Same for Fireworks. Alas, it was not meant to be.

The good news is that many new smaller companies are working on alternatives. Adobe’s CC subscription-only model DID have that effect. Sketch, Macaw, Affinity,… and others are starting to look very interesting.

And lastly, for 3d work Adobe’s software can be safely switched out for commercial and OSS alternatives right now.

22

Interesting news.

I think in 3 years he is right. There are going to be lots of changes in the software industry and I don’t think there will be much perpetual licenses either. Even Side Effects has their version of rentals. As well as a yearly subscription which is very high for the perpetual licenses. It is only a matter of time before things all pretty much go this way.

23

Adobe Creative cloud is actually very cost effective and you get a lot of software for your money…
For sure most of what it comes with I don’t need but photoshop, premiere and after effects as a power trio are worth the entry fee alone… but that’s as a business not a hobbyist.

3d software is different but it would be interesting to see price point and what you get for your money. It may actually be better getting frequent updates from Autodesk and decent cloud services…

A few years back I remember autodesk re-sellers just throwing in softimage for free when you buy other AD software because no one was buying and it sweetened the deal…

Still, I don’t use blender for the cost so it’s business as usual!

24

As soon as software goes subscription only, I drop it. As simple as that. Would not be an issue if they maintained perpetual licenses along side rental options.

25

I yet have to find a company that dropped Adobe or Autodesk and went with some OSS. I would argue that there are hardly any.

The fact is the problem is not only the software you use but also the infrastructure you sit it. From 3D in Maya for animation to Inventor for engineering or AutoCAD/Revit for architecture. The software you work with often is just part of a bigger work pipeline and those workflows are hard and costly to change.

I would be all for giving Adobe and Autodesk some serious competition but their simply ain’t anything. The OSS packages I would argue in many aspects deliver a good toolset but when one is honest cannot compete when it comes to the more demanding and high end features. For example Inkscape has better easier pen/path tools. But many things Illustrator can do from drawing to using many artboards Inkscape cannot.

Which is somewhat sad because Photoshop only in few areas got really good but otherwise stagnated. We are in 2014 and they still offer this smart image wanna be non-destructive layer approach where programs like Photoline as a 50$ product does a dramatically better job. But so did also Gimp and Inkscape over the past years not really refine their interfaces and products either and thus quite often already fail to get some serious considering because people just run away when they see the UI.

26

As a developer, it does make sense to me, without having to buy it as whole, and I can just get it for the time I need it, and develop on it.
This cost can be easily reflected on clients. It does work well for nuke as well, if you ask me. when productions ramps up and down, is cheaper than paying floating licenses.

my2c.

27

I pass all my software and service fees to the clients and specially also for teams that grow and shrink renting licenses on demand when needed is actually a great tool. But if all you need is Photoshop 4 tools then this will over the years be expensive. I think for some this deal is not good but for a big major chunk I think it is.

30

EDIT: Double post.

31

I yet have to find a company that dropped Adobe or Autodesk and went with some OSS. I would argue that there are hardly any.

This is absolutely true because it’s more expensive for a company to change its pipeline, re-train its crew and forfeit its assets than it is to simply keep paying the piper.

But what about NEW studios? For startups with a tight budget, paying for a recurring software license is a non-trivial concern, especially if monthly costs are as much as half the rent. And what about studios that make infrequent use of 3D? They certainly can’t justify a recurring fee for a program they only need a few times a year. And, of course, none of these studios are keen to have their 3D assets locked into a proprietary app that is subject to shifting pricing models.

Not all proprietary 3D users are happy about the switch to software leasing. It wouldn’t hurt to leave out some milk and cookies for these people…

32

I tried posting yesterday but I’m not sure where it went. I think this is a fantastic opportunity, like Rocketman suggests, for new studios. For the Adobe Master Collection, it can easily cost upwards or $4-5k but with a subscription-based model you can pay as little as $50/mo (~$600/year). The entry barrier is much lower, which allows small businesses—much like my own studio—to get off the ground faster.

Although we’re currently a Blender house, we’re looking to move into other packages like Maya and Houdini and seriously considering the subscription model. Despite one’s thoughts on Autodesk and Adobe as industry giants, this licensing option has made it a lot easier for small studios and independent artists to break into the industry.

33

Boiling frog.

Wait a few years and then see Autodesk raising the rent. What can you do? all your work is contained in binary files which are meaningful only if you can run the application(s) that manage them. You can only bow and wait for the moment Mr. Dark Helmet will alter the deal even more.

34

That’s a valid point, although Autodesk’s history hasn’t indicated that’s a route they would take. There’s no saying what they’ll do down the road, but the cost of Maya (and many other programs in the industry) have been steadily decreasing even over the last 5 years. With the introduction of “indie” versions of popular software packages, I’m more inclined to think they’ll follow a path similar to the one they’re on now.

One of the nice things about Maya is they offer an ASCII file type that allows you to save in a plain-text format. Chances are there’s someone out there that would be able to write a converter to glean all the necessary information from the file to move to another program if need be.

35

I woudn’t mind paying a subscription fee for good quality software that does the job. I would think it would be a good subsitute for forking out 3K for soft. 3000! A business can justify spending that on a seat, especially what it costs when you factor in other costs such as training, electricity, heating, subsidised meals for employees etc. How is a freelancer supposed to justify those costs?

I thought that subscription would actually make Autodesk products affordable by small studios and freelancers. I see that they want something stupid like 200 a month!

37

It’s been a while since I’ve used UE, but I was under the impression the software was free to download and use until you were ready to publish a game. The price you pay for the software ultimately depends on what you distribute (kind of like a royalty fee). Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, though.

EDIT: UE4 currently has a mixed subscription/royalty model. You pay $20/mo. + 5% of your sales revenue for publishing rights. Sinan is right, you can keep your current version of UE without the subscription. Cool setup.

If you stop your subscription, the cloud, new updates, etc should stop, not the software itself.

The biggest argument I can see against this is if someone buys a subscription, downloads the software, then immediately deletes their subscription (effectively getting all the software at the cost of a one-month subscription). Controlling the software through the cloud helps companies like Autodesk and Adobe protect their own property—remember, purchasing a software license (even a perpetual license) is not the same as going to the store and buying a loaf of bread. You’re paying for the right to use the software for a specified set of time, and, in the case of subscriptions, paying for the time you have an active subscription.

39

More people will switch to using open source 3d modelling software then.

40

You also have to consider Autodesk’s target audience. They market primarily to studios in the VFX and animation industries - a market dominated by large studios that need production-tested software with a dedicated technical support team. Individual artists aren’t even on their radar, which is why alternatives like Maya Indie, Blender, and other packages exist. I don’t expect to see artists flocking to cheaper alternatives so quickly because the larger studios that use Maya in their pipelines will either stick with the licenses they have or adopt the subscription model without too much fuss. Overall, I think this news will impact the industry - whether positively or negatively is yet to be seen - but has very little effect on individual artists.

41

Thats the point - I think many make the logical flaw that because for them it works the same for a studio.

42

Two cents - Across the board, Graphics companies, CGI software companies, Gaming engines, and support third party plug-ins,
appear to be marketing not so much “away from” production studios and legacy design houses, but rather reaching out to small production outfits and individual hobbyists. Trying to capture/broaden a user base.

None of which would be happening if there wasn’t money to be made. So its a very great thing for buyers. A gift horse.

43

There is lots of money to make and only because a company is big doesnt mean they are well managed. Take a look at the music industry and selling MP3 songs. …

44

Autodesk’s 3dsmax/Maya’s move to a much cheaper, more freely available format isn’t being done with the intent to lose money. And it happened only after some serious market study.