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Just a Marketing Idea
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Just a Marketing Idea // Feature suggestions
Post by Steinie // Sep 27, 2006, 1:01am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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You guy's have training video deals like the $49 early release and the package deal with TS version x. Did you ever think about having something like a "pick 5" for x amount of dollars. Someone could build their library without purchasing software, since they already own it . I've been tempted many times to purchase the Pro Team but that is way out of my price range. Just a recommendation for another way to market your products. |
Post by RichLevy // Sep 27, 2006, 12:33pm
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RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
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Hey fellow New Jersian :)
I am not sure if Caligari still does it, but you used to be able to do the Pro Team thing in installment payments. Also back a few years ago they used to do bundles and such with the training videos. that is when I purchased the ones I have now... I'd like to see a nice offer on 4-6 videos for a nice price though some of the new TS7 training looks very good.
Rich
Alive and well on the beautiful beaches of the New Jersey shore :D |
Post by Grommit // Sep 27, 2006, 11:14pm
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Grommit
Total Posts: 32
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I have to agree with Steinie, I'd love to purchase more training videos and in an ideal world would join ProTeam. However the general pricing structure of the videos firmly shift them out of the hobby range and into the professional training investment price band. There's simply no way I could join ProTeam. I can buy an in-depth book on most software packages for £15-£30 in any bookshop, yet even a single introductory discount video course on one area of the program here costs more than that.
I think that Caligari are missing a major trick here with the training video prices. I can see the logic in reducing software prices to get people to purchase TS and then to try and recoup the revenues through training. However, the lack of available books elsewhere means that the videos are pretty much the only training a hobbyist can buy. By overpricing, they are blocking out a large number of people who would otherwise spend more.
Personal opinion, I think Caligari would make more money if all the courses were individually in the $20-$30 range, simply because of the increase in sales. Or even if the price structure was ramped, starting low with the basic introductory courses and getting more expensive with the advanced courses.
If a long term aim is to build a brand loyalty and awareness, you've got to draw people in and develop new users' investment in the software and their skills over time. But if the same new users struggle to get started because of the lack of basic training, then you push people away. I think the video courses are a brilliant way to develop skills easily, but they are priced at the professional user base at the expense of developing the next generation. This is a strategic mistake I think.
Love TS, love the video training. |
Post by Jack Edwards // Sep 28, 2006, 1:59am
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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I completely agree with Grommit. If I didn't have ProTeam I wouldn't pay for the courses, they are just priced to high in my opinion.
At a lower price point I'd think the courses could be a HUGE money maker for Caligari and might even allow them to reduce the price of TS itself. More people buying TS = more people buying courses.
I think above the $20-$25 price point is where you'll start to lose the hobbiests. Especially considering how many courses there are. I could see paying $50-$80 for a bundle of courses that spanned over a large project, or grouped together like concepts, but not for individual courses.
With the increase in learning curve for the new archetecture (7.0+) I think there's a large risk that new users will find the software to difficult to figure out and will become frustrated or discouraged. That's the last thing Caligari would want.
-Jack. |
Post by Jack Edwards // Sep 28, 2006, 2:26am
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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Not to mention that most of the courses are now outdated since the old 6.6 archetecture is going away. Who's going to make the investment to pay $50+ per course to learn an archetecture that is no long going to be maintained and is already in the process of being phased out?
Now don't get me wrong here. I learned a lot from the courses when I did them and I still think they have value, but a lot has changed in the technology and the way people do modeling now.
When the 7.5 comes out Caligari really needs to have ready to go courses on the following topics especially if the buzz for 7.5 is good:
Polygon modeling
* Box Modeling (e.g. Character modeling)
* Edge Modeling (e.g. Car modeling)
* SDS
UV mapping and Texturing
* Basic UV and Texturing
* Character UV Mapping
* Painting Textures in GIMP
* Painting Textures in PhotoShop
* Creating realistic textures
Animation
* Rigging Bipeds
* Rigging Quadrapeds and non-human creatures
* Building a walk cycle
* Syncing animation with audio
* Procedural Animation (already done :-))
* Scripting (done but needs to be a series)
Rendering
* Lighting
* Intro to Vray (done)
* Indoor scenes w/ Vray
* Outdoor scenes w/ Vray
* VirtuaLight
* Lightworks
* Creating a finished image
Illustration
* Product Illustration (done but mixes 6.6 + 7.1)
Obviously that's not going to happen since it takes a lot of time to make the courses, but maybe it'll get done in time for 8.0? At the least a UV Mapping course needs to be done, especially with the new UV Mapper that's coming. And some kind of course showing the new Animation engine...
-Jack. |
Post by Steinie // Sep 28, 2006, 2:45am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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This is on top of all the truePlay/TS7 live classes you KNOW their planning!.....
Have you checked out their Mission Statement, look for the word "Online" or check out the video of Roman in Boston. Listen to how he mentions trueSpace being the next "WEB" application. Is Truespace becoming a WEB application? They tinkered with it in Ispace.
My point is I hope they remain focused on the video courses and use Web training as an other way to train. Just like Norms new course.
I liked your video recommendations!
"Caligari's mission is to develop collaborative 3D authoring technology that enables participants to learn and work online." |
Post by TomG // Sep 28, 2006, 4:02am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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We run a whole range of offers on the courses for those who already own the software. These include groups of related courses for xx amount; pick your own y number of courses for xx amount; and the whole lot for xx amount.
I can assure you that those deals are often very good, and since they include older courses, you find the price per course is often less than the latest ones at $49 release special.
If you are NOT receiving these, then please check your email filters to ensure that all emails from "caligari.com" are allowed through. Given that these are for existing owners, they almost always go out JUST by email and don't show up on the web pages.
We will continue to do those offers too. Within those offers it certainly has been possible to pick up older courses at a very good price each when you work out the value :)
New courses are coming thick and fast, currently we are seeing about 1 maybe 2 courses per 4 weeks. There is no plan on this reducing, and we are covering a range of topics, so keep your eyes open for the new ones as they come out :)
Also, with this rate of courses being released, pT becomes very economical. Payment plans are an option, you can always call customer services and ask :)
No, we don't plan that the Live Courses will replace video courses, you will continue to see both. Each is very different, and each has its place!
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Steinie // Sep 28, 2006, 6:29am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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We run a whole range of offers on the courses for those who already own the software. These include groups of related courses for xx amount; pick your own y number of courses for xx amount; and the whole lot for xx amount.
HTH!
Tom
Since the release of TS7? Everything I've seen was bundled with software. |
Post by Jack Edwards // Sep 28, 2006, 8:07am
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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Thanks for posting Tom. I'm really glad to hear that the video courses aren't being replaced by the live courses. And that there are more coming too. :jumpy: Gonna have to start saving up for my ProTeam renewal... had to use the payment plan option last time...
-Jack. |
Post by Alien // Sep 29, 2006, 6:09pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Payment plans are an option, you can always call customer services and ask :)
A very good reccommendation. I wonder if Roman factors a cape allowance into Remy's salary? http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/super2.gif |
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