#Animation Bus. & Sales
15 messages in this thread
I'd like to take a minute to jump in this thread (albeit late..).
I am a college student, and I disagree with the rationale about no student
discounts. Many realize that colleges are pretty much a distibution point of
illegal and pirated software. This is true. One case in point was a guy I
knew who had a (pirated?) beta version of 3DS R1. He then proceded to do some
animation for a Real Estate promotional for the money it took to buy a good
hardware system, including a Targa 64.
What I do not understand is why then charge students full price, when they can
go the free (but illegal) route and copy it from someone they know? Are you
not encouraging pirated software, when you know full well that 90% of college
students are spending all of their money on their education? I do not know ANY
students who has that kind of money to spend on a software package that will
not even be of benefit until they get a job using it. I think that software
businesses are foolish to not give serious discounts to students. College
students have the time available to learn (become hooked on) software. Then,
once they get out into the businessplace, they are actually good at doing
something. They are good entry level animators who are useful, but still
underexperienced to demand more money. The only company I know that is doing
this right is Borland. The Borland programming software is used by every
Computer Science student, and *class* I know. Why? It's because it is cheap.
Cheap, not poor quality. The professors like it because it is good software,
and the students buy it because they can afford it. Students get it for about
HALF OFF. And know what? I know more people who actually bought it than those
who pirated it. 3DS could be the same way. As 3D becomes more universal,
people will be looking for a good program to learn on. I bought Playmation.
Why? Because it was good, and cheap. I spent $400 on Playmation. Why should
I spend more on a learning tool? I don't have a $3,000 car, let alone enough
money to buy a $3,000 software package. (or even $1000 for that matter.) I'll
let my employer shell out that kind of money. I'll stick to the reasonable.
What get's me is that R2, or even R1 is not sold to students. I would have
gladly spent my $400 on R2. But for now, I'm thinking about upgrading to
ProMation. They work with me. I might have to relearn to be useful in a 3DS
running shop, but hey- that's your problem. I take all that I can get my hands
on. It's just that 3DS is untouchable. (legally)
I'm sorry if you got a raw deal. I just want you to know that not every
student has pirated software, or SGI's that are out to do you in. Students
want to do their job. Learn. I wish I had the right kind of tools to learn
from, but I have to buy it all myself.
Thanks for your time.
JNJ
John, you make very good points to support my opinion that special discounts
should NOT be granted just because someone is a student. What is a student
anyway? I'm a student everytime I sit down to learn a new piece of software.
So what is the difference? I'll tell you what you really are saying to me.
You think because you are unemployed and a student that you should get
discounts. Being self employed, when I take time out to learn new software I
am essentially an unemployed student. Maybe you meant that because you are a
student enrolled in an institution of higher learning that you should be
granted special discounts. I fail to understand where you see the difference
unless you really believe that while a person is learning software he should
have it at discount and when he actually has learned it he should pay the full
price? ? Do you think this would actually work?
John, your arguments are weak for discounting software to students but sound
more like you're looking for pitty or a handout because you think students have
it so rough. I've been there, as a student, no help from parents either,
I've also taught on the collegiate level and realized the financial constraints
some students are under. But, I'll tell you this much, John, the most
successful students are the ones that learn early on what it's like in the real
world where one negotiates his offers rather than having them handed to him on
a double edged sword. You know what I mean?
>>I'm sorry if you got a raw deal
I don't know what you are referring to but I work fine with the local students
who use my output to tape services for their school animation projects. I give
NO "student" discounts. Tips and tricks are free while they wait, though. One
even sits here taking notes. Says he learns more in one hour here than a whole
semester at school. From what I saw it doesn't surprise me.
This sounds like a lot of whining. I went through six years of college without
a single dime from anybody else. All the money I had to pay for tuition,
housing, everything, I made myself while going to school at the same time. I
first bought Autocad (it was version 1.6) when I was in the second year of
school. I did it because I knew that's what I would want to do. Did it cost
more than my car? I don't know. I don't care. I knew I would turn that into
something useful and that was all that I cared. By the time I was in the fourth
year, I had already made more money than most whiners in my class would have
made in their entire life. Why? Because while they were spending all day and
night trying to fix the world I was either in my dorm writing software or
around the world selling it.
You're an example John should use as a mentor, not his communistic professors!
3DSr2 Student Version — $250 3DSr3 Student Version — $500
Both are currently available.
– G
Out of curiosity, what is the difference ( other than price ) between the
student version and the $3000 version?
Judy
I don't think that there's any difference, Judy. The point is to make the
software available to students who can't afford it (at the most reasonable
price possible).
– G
I don't think the student version can be used for profit.
RE: student pricing on 3DSr3. Great price, but remember that there are no
upgrades available from this "locked" version. Just my $.02.
Correct.
– G
At $500 for release 3 , the way I figure Autodesk would reach a break even
point in 54 months vs. selling at dealer cost. The "student" would buy a new
upgrade each 18 months for the same price us non privledged people have to pay.
I don't get the point of "non upgradable student versions" It's economically
silly to even mention this limitation. The point is I'll recommend everyone
attempt to buy student versions rather than full blown versions. Just go and
enroll in a class somewhere. 3DS is being taught here in JAX for $35 per
semester and student discounts for software purchase have been advertised.
Let's see that's $535.00 for release 3. Not bad! Sorry dealers, Autodesk has
just stabbed you in the back! I just got off the phone with one student /
customer of mine and he just saved his dad $2500 by getting the student
version. I think he won't be welcome at the dealer anymore.
Where do students purchase 3D Studio and what are the requirements (must they
be taking a 3D Studio course at the time?).
Is this same discount price available to Multimedia Instructors?
John N. Jordan,
You might want to call AutoDesk at 800-525-2763 after they get back from
sabatical in January as there is a student version of 3D Studio available and I
think it's around $500.00. For what it's worth.
James M. Murphy
John,
There are student versions available for 3DS r2 and r3. They are limited in
the sense that you cannot upgrade them automatically .. in otherwords .. your
student status is check at every upgrade. There are 3DS dealers who focus on
the educational market place (a sore point with me) who will be you source.
Call Adesk MM division and find-out.
Ang
Hey namesake!
>>cheap student software…
To add my two cents, I can see validity in both sides of this issue. I have a
son in college and I bought 3DS the hard way. My earlier comment to you about
college still stands: "work butt off, get good grades, get good job, buy
everything."
However, A Humble Proposal…
I think much goodwill and marketing wisdom would be accomplished AND much
existing customer alienation would be avoided if Autodesk sold (or simply,
gasp, gave away !!!) a "crippled" version of 3DS. Perhaps a limited 3DS that
would render only to low resolution flics (or have a limited file size, or
limited face count, or rendered slowly, or was missing some commands, or…)
Anything to prohibit its use in a production environment.
This way, all students could have access, learn, display their talent, and
become great employees and loyal ADESK customers. The existing customer base
would not have their livelyhood threatened by a flood of full-blown 3DS
packages. 3DS would reign, Alias would die, and entropy would be reversed. <g>
The cost of creating and testing a separate version would quickly be recovered
in full package sales. (Ouch, Gary, no, stop!)
Come to think of it, why limit this to students? (OK, everyone who got hooked
on a bootleg, er, evaluation copy of 3DSr1 and then immediately went on to buy
every version since, plus AniPro, etc, please raise your hand.) Could be the
smartest thing Autodesk did since they hired the multimedia talent.
JKJ