@Jeremy Noguer
I think we all agree that from Allegorithmic's perspective, this is a great move and makes sense. From Adobe's perspective, it makes a hell of a lot of sense. With Adobe having been on the board for 2 years, it is fair to say that you are familiar with Adobe's recommendations and products. But try to look at this from the customer side of the table for a moment to understand our apprehension. I would argue that much of the success is due, in part, to the fact that Allegorithmic was completely agnostic and separated from monolithic companies (financially) such as Adobe. The fact that we can do the vast majority of texturing work in the Substance Suite for a relatively low-cost (that is stable; see recent price increases by Adobe) and the constant feedback and innovations that were developed by the team is part of the reason Substance has become so integral to a great many companies' and individuals' pipelines. Couple that possibility with the option to purchase perpetual licenses (not offered by Adobe) and you end up with a best in class product lineup. Furthermore, as a customer base we are highly aware of, and elastic to, the results of company buyouts by monopolizers such as Adobe and Autodesk. The slow growths that we see in our daily use products by those monolithic companies is the reason why young artists (that are the future of these industries and potential customers of these companies) and older artists outside of studios already locked into a specific pipeline are quick to jump software depending on their needs (financial and user value).
We recognize that there will be economies of scale and product integrations that will likely improve the overall value and experience of the Substance suite, but our apprehension based upon historical performance by Adobe leaves us fearful of what happens when Adobe pressures the team to make a poor choice (e.g., advertising other Adobe products inside of the one you're trying to use), and/or forces the product to have a business model that counteracts all of the good faith and community building that has been done to date in-part due to a business model (again, rent to own and perpetual licensing) that has been abandoned by Adobe with an explanation of "it will not change yet."
I'm not jumping on the "abandon it" band wagon (that's ridiculous), but I am cautious of what happens in the next year, 3 years, 5 years, and further. So please consider that as the team makes announcements in the future. A more thorough explanation of what to expect (now and in the future; other than "that Peter Jackson moment", as awesome as that is, would go a long ways to soothing our concerns. Thanks!
