This is heart breaking.
I’d love to be cheery and optimistic about this, but history shows these acquisitions never ever lead to anything good, let alone better. There’s always the “Don’t worry, all great, nothing major will change…” and then the opposite happens.
Of course Ofer and everyone else involved in putting unbelievable effort into making Zbrush what it is today deserve all the rewards and money they can get. I really hope Maxon paid a ton and I will also always be thankful for what Pixologic did for so many years.
The thing is though, personally this isn’t just about money for me. For a long time I actually wished Pixo would charge for upgrades. It would only have been fair and I wanted them to be safe and - that’s the key- remain independent.
Apart from Zbrush being a very unique app, it is also Pixologic that has for so long been a very unique Company like no other. I’m not a brand guy, I neither feel the slightest emotional attachment to Microsoft, nor Apple, Adobe, whoever, whatever. I think it’s ridiculous to get emotional about companies, because at the end of the day it’s simply business and a question of do I get what I pay for and does it fit my requirements.
With Pixologic however it was different. If there ever has been a company I felt genuine sympathy and loyalty for it was them and for a reason. Especially when many years ago I was lucky and honoured to be part of the beta testing for 2 releases, which gave me the opportunity to hear Ofer Alon talk about what he is working on in late night online meetings. The completely real, genuine passion and joy of working on enabling and supporting artistic creativity and freedom with his tools was tangible, when listening to him. The man is an absolute legend. In my humble opinion he did more good for the creative world and was responsible for more truly ground-breaking innovation than any Steve Jobs could have bragged about.
And add to that their decades long loyalty to even the earliest users with amazing update after update, the community they established, the People officially representing Zbrush with heart and soul in the most loveable unconventional way - Yes Paul Gaboury, I’m raising a cup of coffee you won’t ever drink, to your glory - and even the quirky interface.
All of it made Pixologic so unique and as much as I wish them the best out of this deal, it will never be that company again under Maxon.
That’s simply sad no matter what. As I said already, I would have much preferred to pay for upgrades, even buy a full version again, whatever it takes, if it would mean that I’m paying Pixologic only and not Maxon or anyone else.
For me personally it has never been just about the money/free upgrades, but about the unique position Pixologic represented in an otherwise very corporate plain business world.
Alas, as they say, all good things come to an end. I’ll keep an open mind and an eye on Zbrush, - how could I not- but I consider this an end of a marvellous era and how much that will turn into a new beginning, I can’t tell yet.
Regardless of what is to come though, thank you so much Pixologic for all the years of creative joy, laughs, surprises, software miracles and wonders.
I would rather save and purchase it later.