Content Paradise complete site overhaul announced!

[Ken1171]

Ken, I understand what you're saying. But if they want to play in the Poser/Daz market, they need to follow the same rules.

That's exactly what I am saying - SMS was NOT part of this community until they acquired Poser. And since then, SMS has repeatedly claimed that they do NOT sell contents, they sell software. It is more or less known that SMS never wanted CP in the first place. It came along with the bundle, but it has become a burden to SMS ever since. That's why it has been neglected until now.

But the bottom line is that SMS has store policies with all other software they sell besides Poser, and I think they didn't want to have special rules that only apply to Poser. I believe (hypothetically) that if Corel acquired Poser, they rules at CP would be the same as in the Corel store. Conversely, DAZ and HW do not sell other unrelated software like SMS does. They ONLY sell Poser/DS contents, so the rules are similar to other stores that do the same.

I am not trying to take sides on this - I am only explaining that SMS is not like DAZ or HW, and they don't make contents. I believe it was the same with the other retailer company (efrontier from Japan) that owned Poser before SMS. Efrontier was also a software retailer that also sold Poser. And like SMS, they didn't make contents. They follow the same common business practices as other corporations, like Corel, Magix and Ashampoo. They all charge for extended downloads.

What remains to be seen is IF their business rules will allow them to treat CP differently. We will know by Friday.

I can tell you a definite plus to both selling and buying at HiveWire - Quality Control .

Indeed, this is yet another side-effect of SMS handling CP like all the other unrelated products they sell. No beta-testing. That's yet another thing we will all find out if it will change by Friday.

 

[Seliah (Childe of Fyre)]

@Ken1171 - Yes, I understand you. No worries. Not offended or upset here, promise.

I will see what it looks like on Friday.

 

[Mythocentric]

While they don't make content they do sell content via a store set up for that purpose. It, therefore, follows that to make an additional charge to extend the download period (unlike any other content store as far as I know) for that content is a killer. It is to be hoped that the new regime has taken this on board and will do away with it. Otherwise, CP despite its visual overhaul will remain dead in the water. It is after all, along with poor quality control, one of the most quoted major reasons many people no longer shop there. I look forward to Friday and hopefully, a fully-revamped store to add to my list of content suppliers.

 

[Rae134]

I too hate the download fee (I understand its a software thing but like others have said this content is different). If they didn't want to sell content then they should have sold that part off or dissolved it. I hope the re-do will be operated more like other 3D content sites. (Its the reason I won't shop there).

 

[Ken1171]

along with poor quality control

Hehe there isn't any over there. Whoever makes a product can just upload and hope for the best. By Friday we will know if that has changed.

While they don't make content they do sell content via a store set up for that purpose

True, but not because they wanted to. Look at how many years it took them to finally look at the CP store. Until now they just forgot it existed, probably for lack of a bigger team to handle it. Remember it used to be the Poser programmers who managed CP until very recently, which was really bad. They just didn't have enough people.

By Friday we will know what's new over there. Fingers crossed! ^^

 

[eclark1894]

I too hate the download fee (I understand its a software thing but like others have said this content is different). If they didn't want to sell content then they should have sold that part off or dissolved it. I hope the re-do will be operated more like other 3D content sites. (Its the reason I won't shop there).

You have every right to do that, but it's a little unfair to the vendors who had nothing to do with the policy. I once had to get something replaced from Vanishing Point and John Hoagland sent me a download link. All i had to show him was a order number. Same thing with Phil C when i needed a replacement for the Wardrobe wizard key. I've had a tougher time getting stuff from Poserworld. My membership there expired and I'm SOL if I need something replaced. That's partly why I haven't re-joined. Aside from the fact that I don't like memberships that expire.

 

[Ken1171]

You have every right to do that, but it's a little unfair to the vendors who had nothing to do with the policy.

Very good point. I have a bunch of unique products at CP that are being boycotted like this. One of them is a Chinese outfit for Dawn with TONZ of textures options. What a waste.

 

[Rae134]

And the China Blaze has been on my wishlist for ages Ken. But since funds are really tight and I have in the past had both my hard drives and the NAS die at the same time I can't afford to have to repay for something that I've already purchased

 

[Stezza]

Do the vendors get a percentage of this extended download fee or does CP get 100% of it?

 

[Ken1171]

And the China Blaze has been on my wishlist for ages Ken.

You will have an extra income as soon as your product (Primitive) starts selling. ^^

Do the vendors get a percentage of this extended download fee or does CP get 100% of it?

Vendors get nothing from the extra fee. That's why it's unfair to boycott us there.

 

[eclark1894]

And the China Blaze has been on my wishlist for ages Ken. But since funds are really tight and I have in the past had both my hard drives and the NAS die at the same time I can't afford to have to repay for something that I've already purchased

Backing up doesn't cost anything. I have backups of stuff I've bought at DAZ, CP, Rendo and RDNA, just in case. I still don't know if I can get anything from DAZ on RDNA. I've looked through my product library there and don''t see anything from RDNA. Oh, and backups from Hive wire too.

 

[Ken1171]

Me too. I have backups of EVERYTHING I have ever bought on an external drive. Some things in more than one drive. Not only Poser products, but also digital goods and programs I have purchased online.

 

[Mythocentric]

[QUOTE="Ken1171, post: 115216, Vendors get nothing from the extra fee. That's why it's unfair to boycott us there.[/QUOTE]

That's rather a lopsided view isn't it? If people don't shop at CP because CP charge them for extended downloading, they are boycotting CP (and SM) for imposing that extra financial burden, not the vendors. It could be equally argued that a vendor, aware of that extra charge, and still chooses to sell their products there knowing that it will probably mean fewer sales is responsible for their own actions (and potential loss of business). That's your decision and you are solely responsible for your action and no one else. To be honest I find that remark about the customers unfairness for boycotting CP somewhat disparaging just because they choose to exercise their right not to buy from a company who places an extra charge on something they've already purchased. You made the decision (along with CP's other vendors) to sell there, aware of CP's policies so the only blame lies with yourself. Not the customer. Hopefully, that will become a thing of the past on the Friday 15th. We can only wait and see.

 

[Ken1171]

You made the decision (along with CP's other vendors) to sell there, aware of CP's policies so the only blame lies with yourself.

I made that decision over 10 years ago, when things were quite different, and way before SMS acquired Poser. Who knows who will own Poser tomorrow? Things change all the time.

 

[Miss B]

Hehe there isn't any over there. Whoever makes a product can just upload and hope for the best. By Friday we will know if that has changed.

Well, they would have to hire a QAV team, as I don't think they have anyone from their new forum that's doing it. I may be mistaken, but I think our QAV team here are volunteers under Alisa's guidance, but we have a forum where we can find Beta and QAV testers. Not sure if they have anyone on their payroll that would do that, or even know how.

 

[Ken1171]

Not sure if they have anyone on their payroll that would do that, or even know how.

That's the thing - I used to be part of their insider program, so I used to know things. But now things have changed, and there is no direct communication with the developers anymore. They may or may not have QAV. We will have to wait a few more days and find out by Friday.

 

[Miss B]

Then it would be up to the vendors to do the Beta/QAV testing for their products, and from what I'm understanding, most vendors there (unlike yourself and other vendors who really know what they're doing) don't care, and that's very sad.

 

[James R.]

Very well deserved recognition James, also shows Rafael appreciates class when he sees it.

That's extremely kind of you to say, Hornet! Thank you!

 

[eclark1894]

[QUOTE="Ken1171, post: 115216, Vendors get nothing from the extra fee. That's why it's unfair to boycott us there.

That's rather a lopsided view isn't it? If people don't shop at CP because CP charge them for extended downloading, they are boycotting CP (and SM) for imposing that extra financial burden, not the vendors. It could be equally argued that a vendor, aware of that extra charge, and still chooses to sell their products there knowing that it will probably mean fewer sales is responsible for their own actions (and potential loss of business). That's your decision and you are solely responsible for your action and no one else. To be honest I find that remark about the customers unfairness for boycotting CP somewhat disparaging just because they choose to exercise their right not to buy from a company who places an extra charge on something they've already purchased. You made the decision (along with CP's other vendors) to sell there, aware of CP's policies so the only blame lies with yourself. Not the customer. Hopefully, that will become a thing of the past on the Friday 15th. We can only wait and see.[/QUOTE]


No, it lies with the customer. Your choice, and you don't HAVE to pay the download fee. Hell, some people just don't want to have to take it out of their cart. And look, I'm not saying that you have to shop there if you don't want to. But in all honesty you're not hurting CP you're hurting the vendors. You want to hurt CP, stop buying buying Poser, or Moho or whatever.

 

[James R.]

In regards to content, here's something you all might find intriguing...

One of the things that was brought up by CEO Bill Smith in Smith Micro's "State of the Union" meeting on May 3 was this:

"Turning to graphics. We continue to push forward with our plan to rebuild and rebrand our two key products, Moho and Poser, bringing to the markets a stronger graphics product line with a more aggressive focus on content creation."
​

That's a direct quote from the meeting transcript from seekingalpha.com

I don't know what it means in precise terms. No one except he and his team members do.

But it does indicate they are working on things and have plans for Poser....how CP figures into this is anyone's guess until Friday.