Autodesk Buys Softimage XSI

[graham]

I would just like to point out that Jim fails at the thread description.

[Wolfwood]

I would just like to point out that Jim fails at the thread description.

[kodiak]

muhaha..at least something interesting happens while we are living these couple of boring days until it just settles down and no one cares anymore

back to your shots, ladiez

[graham]

muahahaha

[digitallysane]

I guess it was to be expected. I don't think XSI was actually profitable, I think they were heavily on Avid's money all along, trying to get some marketshare and then become profitable. For example, I don't think they could afford to sell the 500USD Foundation for real, if they wouldn't have Avid's backing.

Avid begun to have big problems with their main product lines, they have to concentrate on winning back marketshare, there's the economic crisis, Autodesk has money, Avid has problems... what happened is very logical (even if not pleasant at all).

Cynically speaking, I don't think Softimage really competed in the marketplace in a real sense (that is, putting out a good product, making money from it and developing it with the money made). They were supported all the time by Avid. It might have been comfortable, but the other side of the coin was just shown: when not needed they were thrown away.

My respect for the way SESI does business (of which I was quite critical many times) raised considerably.

Dragos

[mike]

my simple comment:

[LEO-oo-]

When Autodesk bought Alias I didn't think much of it cause Maya and 3DSMax have always been oriented to different markets (with some minimal blending). Now that they have acquired XSI they now have a product which overlaps with two of their existing ones. (And that's ignoring Mudbox)

Strange strange strange.

To be honest, I would have thought Adobe would have been interested simply to round out the DCC suite.

I agree with both points. And I'm surprised about Adobe. Not much left for them

[Guest Swann]

I just wakeup 10 minuts ago (or maybe i'm still dreaming ?! ) and i'm shocked.

Autodesk have a lot of advanced technologies (already developed) under his wings now.

PS. Adobe will buy Autodesk and then Microsoft will buy them All .

BTW: I'm really happy that I didn't lose my time and money for learning XSI.

Edited October 24, 2008 by SWANN

[symek]

I agree with both points. And I'm surprised about Adobe. Not much left for them

This is what suprised me also. I thought another player would jump in game. Which is BTW games...

[Nerox]

I just want to hear Kim Davidson say this will never happen to SideFX.

I agree, but does it make any difference?

As a user one can only hope the lightning won't strike at us, since it seems to go on and on. As Autodesk grows bigger and bigger, it's get easier by the day to acquire even more company's.

Probably Autodesk will remain as a gigantic reseller of everything ;0

[Guest Swann]

Probably Autodesk will remain as a gigantic reseller of everything ;0

Propably, but I think they can't be flexible enought for FX market. Look on Houdini, bugs are solved week by week, not from version to version. New tools are added sometimes in between versions.

So this makes them big but slow.

I Hope.

[kumpa]

Looks like Houdini is next in death row... I always wondered about ownership of SideFX, but i guess if they are on stock market it is as easy for Evildesk to buy them as it is for me to buy a loaf of bread.

Edited October 24, 2008 by kumpa

[kumpa]

My respect for the way SESI does business (of which I was quite critical many times) raised considerably.

sry for twin posting, but can u explain this statement a little more ?

[mike]

if you look here:Reuters company info

you see that sidefx is privat, not on stock market.

[Ezz]

I guess it was to be expected. I don't think XSI was actually profitable, I think they were heavily on Avid's money all along, trying to get some marketshare and then become profitable. For example, I don't think they could afford to sell the 500USD Foundation for real, if they wouldn't have Avid's backing.

Avid begun to have big problems with their main product lines, they have to concentrate on winning back marketshare, there's the economic crisis, Autodesk has money, Avid has problems... what happened is very logical (even if not pleasant at all).

Cynically speaking, I don't think Softimage really competed in the marketplace in a real sense (that is, putting out a good product, making money from it and developing it with the money made). They were supported all the time by Avid. It might have been comfortable, but the other side of the coin was just shown: when not needed they were thrown away.

My respect for the way SESI does business (of which I was quite critical many times) raised considerably.

Dragos

Not quite true. If you read some of the treads posted by Softimage workers you will find that XSI gained marketshare the last couples of years. Buisness for AVID on the other hand does not seem

to go very well.

Such a pity that Softimage will stop existing.

Erik

Edited October 24, 2008 by Ezz

[Nerox]

Well I meant that Autodesk currently is in a role of developer, but if they continue like they do, they end up not really more than 'box movers' like most resellers are.

All I'm trying to say: Its not a good thing to be acquired by Autodesk. But guess everyone agrees on that ;-).

Propably, but I think they can't be flexible enought for FX market. Look on Houdini, bugs are solved week by week, not from version to version. New tools are added sometimes in between versions.

So this makes them big but slow.

I Hope.

You're totally right, that's the big issue of stock market compagny's like autodesk. If they bring out any news about future updates they 'manipulate' the market, that's a great thing about compagny's like SESI they don't have to worry about these kind of things.

[Guest Swann]

It's couple of hours from time when I first heard about it and I'm still in shock.

I feel exactly the same like in 11 september 2001. I just wakeup and BAH. Is it really the same world I left yesterday when I gone sleep ? IS IT ?

For all you out there my

but as always

and SideFX will not give up.

EDIT:

Autodesk have MudBox, it's a good starting point for bigger application. Why have three applications when you can use only interesting technologies from them and use for most new, that doesn't have all those garbage in code from previous milenium.

Look on Modo. It started from modeling and now animation.

Edited October 24, 2008 by SWANN

[digitallysane]

Not quite true. If you read some of the treads posted by Softimage workers you will find that XSI gained marketshare the last couples of years.

Gaining market share is not synonymous with profitable. At what cost did they gain that market share? Was it on their money or on money from Avid? etc etc

Dragos

[michael]

I think the real question in all of this is how long will maya max and xsi continue to be developed in their current form?

if I was a studio make big software/pipeline decisions I'd be wary of investing in applications that, at least IMO, don't have much life left in them...

[symek]

I think the real question in all of this is how long will maya max and xsi continue to be developed in their current form?

if I was a studio make big software/pipeline decisions I'd be wary of investing in applications that, at least IMO, don't have much life left in them...

All of them (including Houdini) are at the end of their journey anyway. They are ~10 years old, and there are a number of cycles one software can go through reasonable. There was Softimage 3D| XSI... and there was Prisms | Houdini, then there will be another step of evolution. Autodesk is preparing itself for that step rather then investing in any of Softimage code.

Of course I would have a problem to prove anything I said here

Edited October 24, 2008 by SYmek