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I try to support creators of add-ons but since the start of this year I have had some of the most annoying problems with creators making up there own rules about there products. So you buy something thinking that you own it, you get updates on it with new versions of blender or unreal engine. No that isn't the case now. "You bought my add on in 2022? Well I feel you have had your use for my add on so with my new policies you are going to have to buy it again to continue getting updated versions of it" or "well I am changing my add on to be a yearly license now instead of a one time purchase when you already did" I mean WTF? this was never stated when you released your add on and pretty much begging people to support it. I would pay $25 for a add on when it is in beta 1.0 and when you get it to version 1.9.6 you tell people to rebuy it at $200 now? I am done buying add-ons from these creators. Total BS. I can understand making a buck but making the people who supported you feel like they have been cheated is messed up.
The economy sucks and people aren't spending like they used to because they (we?) just don't have the money.
Piracy (US!) doesn't help one damn bit.
Small programmers and creators are taking the hint from large, established companies. Adobe and Daz3D are going subscription only. Even the games you want are online play only.The only way to fight this is to tell them bluntly that you won't pay and will either pirate it and/or keep using your older version.
Here's a post from a few months ago on Daz's forums. I'm surprised that that asshole Hasel-fucking-tine hasn't deleted it...
"Ive been away from Daz for a while, came back to find DS 6 available. It came with a chatbot that i can ignore thankfully but i noticed one glaring issue for me....the mesh grabber (now geometry sculptor) is now conviently a premier only feature. Out of all the tools to paywall they chose this one integral to many of my models. Decided to uninstall 6 and stick with the older version, they can kiss my ass if they think imma pay $20 a month to use a single tool.
"Everything just feels like crap now with subs. I know one creator who is almost to the point of pirating software and add-ons because he is spending around $800 a month on just the subs. Zbrush, marvelous designer,adobe, houdini etc. total crap.
@michaelbishop, Yup. I use an older Photoshop and a hacked Marvelous Designer. I email them every so often (via a VPN and a temp email address) to let them know that I won't be sucked into their subscription software. Before I retired, our company dumped a couple of pricey subscriptions and went with open source replacements. Blender does a lot.
At the same time, please BUY from the small artists that make the fun items we play with. They're hurting too.
Except 3DORK...or is it 3DICK?
True. Well that was the original plan supporting smaller artist, but they are now out pricing there products and doing subs now instead of one time purchases
With the older versions of addons, one way to dispute it, is to look at the original license. If it's in a certain license category, changing it later is a huge no-no. They can change the license for later versions, but not the one you already bought. Corporations have been trying to get away with this a lot lately. Even attempting to change their own AGPL licenses to something else, which is literally illegal. They cannot change AGPL license to something else for a product they already sold to the public after the fact. Changing the terms afterward is a breach of contract. This is why Sony is getting sued, and losing right now, with the digital product scandal.
Just a reminder: Nothing is free. Ever. There is always a consequence. An action may seem inconsequential. But it isn't. Everything costs. Always.
The cost may be that the vendor loses patrons. Or they stop vending all together. Or the cost may be you learn what they learned and make your own. Or maybe you become their competition with a better product. Or simply go without. Or tolerate advertisements. Or subvert the adverts with an ad blocker. And on and on and on.
The consumer will always pay the costs of the vendor. If you aren't paying, then they are. And that decreases their profit. And that in turn decreases their motivation to continue producing. And if they stop producing, you pay the cost of losing of a favorite vendor. It is the way.
Well said @3demon. Potentially losing or alienating my favourite artists was one big reason I stopped sharing a couple of years ago. There's one gent who has a private site besides the large vendor where he also sells. I always wait for new products to show up on his own site to buy them because he gets ALL the money from sales on his own site. He charges a bit more on his own site but the extra buck or two is well worth it. I even buy items I probably won't use just to support him. I've gotten to know some of the artists and they aren't making mortgage money out of this.
I would disagree on one point, stupid is still free....and spreading.
🙂@supreme-leech Nope. Not even stupid is free. In fact, it probably has the highest cost of all. And although the demand for it is low, the supply seems to be never-ending.
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