It's simple economics, Adobe has 15 million CC users willing to put up with the subscription model. Our small community who supported a company away from Adobe's forced rental system does not really matter in the end really. Even if we all simultaneously quit Substance products right now we are easily replaced by Adobe's Prosumer base at $20 a month.
Since the 1990's, Adobe has been the design company for Graphic and Web designers. It has never been viewed as serious 3D company, and barely a Film/VFX company. Instead of fighting for a 3D spot, maybe they should just merge with Autodesk already and become Adobedesk, the ultra-mega software monopoly that you just can't get away from.
We make an own the tools you need to work, and now you will pay us perpetual rentals to access your own work.
In the same way that no workman would rent his work hammer to work, digital artists should not accept the rental model in its current form. Software as a service is a the new talk of the town on how to milk consumers for cash. In the long run it will not work once every company is only selling rental software services and people realize that the collective they have to pay per month will outpace the pre-paid software licenses they used to own.
Rent-to-own or Perpetual licenses are acceptable and fair models. Most of us are even willing to own a perpetual license and have the consumer choice to subscribe to a major updates system.
This is why your current customer base feels betrayed.
However, it does not justify taking it out on the developers or disrespecting their team no matter how you feel about the process.
Even when Adobe is huge for now. Nothing is carved in stone. The subscription model is very risky for a company.
Imagine a new world wide financial crash (again) ,where little studios, or even bigger ones have to tight their belts.
First thing they look after is how to reduce costs and get ride of subscription models and buy software where they have after no pressure anymore with monthly payment.
Other thing is, my stepson just finished last year his study at the Art University "école de condé" in Nancy.
I talk with many students over there (just out of interest) and what I can tell you is that many dislike Adobe products and did not use them private .The school even suggest them to stay flexible and also try open source and other Software which is not "Industry standard". Times will change. Including for Adobe. New ,young artists become more individual and want to stay independent. The field which Adobe will cover is for new young Artists not from Interest. I hear many times the claims "Adobe CC is a gadget " buggy, bloated up, way to inflexible .I think many will move in another direction than Adobe wants.
I really hope the best for Substance Suit and for the team behind it. I admired them from the first day on I see their Software and still do. And I still trust them that they have best intention. Hope all their dreams become true .
For now I still keep my subscription here, but i will not join Adobe. Not because the Allegorithmic team, because Adobe with his CC which I just simply don't want to see anymore on my PC. (Cost me enough nerves to remove it)
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Substance - Purchases & Licenses - Substance source points are vanished after buy out the full licence