May 10, 2012, 07:46:15 pm
I remember when Autodesk decided that AutoCAD would become Architectural Desktop...now there are multiple versions of AutoCAD depending on your industry, and then Revit decided to join the party.
Software is ever evolving and unfortunately there is a cost to do so. There are people that are using Lumion 1 still on this forum. You are not required to purchase the upgrade, you can go on using what you currently purchased. Autodesk charges for subscription...if you do not buy the subscription, you have to repurchase the software...sometimes at a discount. They are doing the same here.
The point is you still get to use and enjoy what you purchased, and are not required to upgrade.
Actually Autodesk and Adobe are both making the Lumion cost increases difficult to swallow. Consider this: I have a subscription to Autodesk's "Premium" Building Design
Suite which includes AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, Revit, 3ds Max, and several other programs, and my yearly subscription for that huge suite of
programs is roughly the same as what Lumion charges for an upgrade.
Or take Adobe, I maintain a current version of their Production Premium Creative Suite, which inludes Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premeire Pro and several other
programs. The cost to upgrade the entire suite from last year's version? 375 USD (290 euros). That's nearly half of the "special introductory" price that Lumion is charging to upgrade from Ultimate to Pro.
In the case of both Adobe and Autodesk, the yearly cost to upgrade their whole suites remains very similar and customer-friendly year in/year out.
So, it's precisely when I reflect on the pricing strategies of Autodesk and Adobe, that I get alarmed by the rapid escalation of the cost of Lumion.
And of course no one is forced to upgrade or buy; why is that utterly obvious fact ever even mentioned when there is an expression of concern about the cost of something? If enough customers express their disatisfaction regarding the pricing strategies, there's a chance that those concerns will be heard and responded to in a customer-friendly way. I love using Lumion, and hope to be using it for years to come...I just hope it doesn't soon become unattainable.