MAYA is too expensive

[Anonymous]

As a student aiming at computer game development degree at a local community college I don't see the incentive to purchase a 3500$ or monthly cost of 160$ a month as a doable, or even reasonable cost/benefit software program.

I am much more likely to try and cope wth much less functional and comprehensive programs as the cost is far beyond the range of a broke college student trying to etch out a living.

I honestly don't find paying the same amount for an excellent A to B car for  single piece of software as even fair market value. Likewise it is also triple the cost of my computer!!

6-months rent where I live in poverty as a student, for a single piece of software? Absurd frankly. Even the monopoly cable companies charge a third of the cost of this single program.

So honestly, what gives? 

This isn't even to mention the the partner programs such as Photoshop etc, are so much cheaper to produce graphic arts. At least their prices are only "robber-baron-esque" 

[joane.bonghanoy]

Hi @LittleBlackRainCloud,

We do have free software for Students which you can download anytime. Please register for the EDU Site here.

Once your account has been activated you can then avail for free any of the available software in the site.  

[Anonymous]

I understand joane.bonghanoy, and that is neat. as astudent I am able to study using some of the best and most used tools in the industry, but it dosen't chage the reality of a prospective customer with no guarantee of employment afterwards. I will not be able to use the tools I train with because the buy in is far too steep. Maybe years down the road, but it's far too expensive until I am already at the point of being successful using other tools that are affordable for a low income American.

[dgorsman]

This isn't an entry level or hobby software, it is "big P" Professional software with the costs appropriate to what it can deliver.  If you intend to run a business with this or any other software it is expected that you would be charging your clients an appropriate amount to cover your costs - just like the rest of us.  If you are just looking for hobby software to play around with then again, like the rest of us, you'll need to save and prioritize your money until you can afford what you want.

[Anonymous]

That is certainly the dogmatic response I was expecting.

But as a potential customer, what "bridge" software is adequate for us unable to make a living using the software we attempt to prduce with until we have something useful to sell?

[Steve_Curley]

Have you considered MayaLT?

[Anonymous]

What can What is the difference in the software and the cost difference?

[Steve_Curley]

You could start here - I don't use Maya (any flavour) but obviously, as LT is a cut-down version of Maya, it's going to be substantially cheaper while still being able to create game assets. Read some of the threads in the LT forum to see what people are doing with it and go here (then click the MayaLT link) for prices.

[Anonymous]

"Likewise it is also triple the cost of my computer!!"

If your computer is a third of $3500 it likely will not run Maya well at all anyway

But I agree with others here, Maya is pricy but it is pricy for the owned version, which is usually paid for by those making money off of it. Otherwise people usually use the edu version. Hell any classes/training you take involving Maya or any 3D modeling, animation, etc... are also very expensive. This is not a cheap or poor mans industry thats for sure. Besides the program and training, you need the hardware to augment everything, especially if you are trying to make money and get work with it. Best to wrap your head (and wallet) around that now and find a way to make it work or find something that will make you money to eventally pay for your desire to learn and have the things needed to further your 3D life. Is what it is!!

[Anonymous]

"But I agree with others here, Maya is pricy but it is pricy for the owned version, which is usually paid for by those making money off of it."

There is really no incentive to be loyal, or interested at all.

"Hell any classes/training you take involving Maya or any 3D modeling, animation, etc... are also very expensive. This is not a cheap or poor mans industry thats for sure."

Not true actually, I am doing just fine on grants paying my way through community college.

The fact of the matter is, I see nothing really drawing me in to use Maya vs. well .. anything else at all. The advertising for this extremely expensive software seems to be insider industry word of mouth.

But that still dosen't change the cost reality vs new graduate with loans to pay off issue. In fact it alienates me because of the iffyness of the industry in general. There is literally no reason to pursue a brand that reaches this deep into your pocket as if we are all drinking the same punch and livin hand in hand.

A single person has directed me to alternative software, but again I see no incentive to try Maya Light either vs. anything else available as open source.

I really had hoped there would be better information, but I am not surprised since the cost raises a flag that the commercial end doesn't seem really understand it's own field very well.

Please demonstrate me wrong, but don't bother if I'm just going to get another misplaced brow beating for sincere curiosity.

[Anonymous]

Considering how deep 3D / CGI is, I would recommend either not going into this line of work, regardless if it's full-time or part-time or picking a program of choice, I started with Lightwave, moved to Softimage for many years and now I use Maya and hopefully won't have to change software anymore. 

Once a software of choice is choosen get started, in all honestly it won't be mastered in a year, or even two years.

[Anonymous]

I'm not "really" certain what you are trying to say here .. but I am guessing you don't find your line of work a viable option for a new graduate with cost effectiveness in mind for work.

I again just want to put things in perspective here.

A good a to b car ~2500$
A place to live in the Metro Portland area 5000$ ~ 475$ a month

Maya ~ 3750$ or 185$ a month

Photoshop 10$ a month ( or 300$ on Ebay)

Cable 60$ a month

Publishing liscenses 200$

a computer that can run all the software at the same time without chugging 1500$

a monitor 250$

electricity bill 100$ a month

Blender 0$ a month

Daz 3d 0$ a month

A website 10$ a month


Is it just me or is there a serious stand out cost amongst all these?
Is there something I am supposed to understand that changes this glaring monetary red thumb?

[Anonymous]

I understand very well the cost of many things and how they are increasing. I could go into a long lecture about that but that would be completely off-topic. The point is I understand your frustration and your wallet, the point I was making is; you are going to have to make a decision because it is not a in-expensive path to take as well as it isn't a short learning curve to learn 3D/CGI.

[Anonymous]

Do you know the percentage of Adobe users that pay for Photoshop? Like~10%. Percentage of Autodesk users that actually pay for Maya, I would imagine a lot less. Your budget can fit whatever you want in terms of software while the internet still exists. Not condoning anything here. Just saying that that's a thing too!

[Anonymous]

"Do you know the percentage of Adobe users that pay for Photoshop? Like~10%. Percentage of Autodesk users that actually pay for Maya, I would imagine a lot less. Your budget can fit whatever you want in terms of software while the internet still exists. Not condoning anything here. Just saying that that's a thing too!"

You are saying I assume that developers get the goods for free because their propective emplyers pay through the nose for it?

I see, so then what about freelance players on the market, what do they use instead?


Oh no I think you are saying to pirate?

LOL, this is advice from the Maya forums? Man I'm not interested in their financial woes, I'm just looking for a LEGAL alternative.
Or at least justification enough to demonstrate why "Maya is literraly as expensive" to maintain as all the other software and physical needs to operate a small graphic arts business combined!

And if you say pirates I'm going to just laugh at you.

[Anonymous]

I never said to pirate I strictly said I understand the financial cost of software and hardware and many of the other financial things we must pay for including car payments, insurance, food the list goes on.

I currently pay for an PsCC subscription, regardless of all the Photoshop clones, you still need Photoshop skills, regardless if you are doing 3D or Web, most will have Ps installed you can't escape it, in alot of ways most, if not all Autodesk software compliments Photoshop.

You want a Legal Alternative, that is good. There are a few choices one of which anyone would suggest, you can buy Maya + Subscription, rent Maya or buy MayaLT.

If you want to keep your Subscription up to date you have to pay for it, I can't drive a car without insurance, I'd like to so I can save money but unfortunately I can't and many would follow the same path if they could.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Well, any software that demands that kind of resources and manpower to develop and thrive must become expensive.

If you have a EDU license to Maya you have some good upgrade options from EDU to Commercial that's much cheaper than paying full price like you estimate with the $3500 tag.

If you're thinking about switching to another software package you have to calculate the time you'll use to get equally fluent in it as you are in Maya in addition to the actual cost of the new application.

That can take a long time, besides not everything you can do in Maya is possible in other software packages without having serious knowledge about the new application.

You say you're studying to be a game designer. If so, MayaLT is a perfect fit for most engines out there, like Unreal 4 and Unity.

You can do everything you need to do as a game artist in Maya LT.

Besides if you want a job working for any of the leading studios in the world, you'll soon find that knowledge in either Maya or 3DS Max is required in addition to knowledge about the whole workflow process and other tools.

You also have a choice of subscription based access to Maya, so you don't have to pay so much in one go. Some shops also give you a downpayment on the software.

Yes, I agree that the full price for a new seat of Maya is too expensive for a "one-man-band", but usually it isn't you as an artist that pays the license either, it's your employer. 

But I'd look into Maya LT and see all the things you can do with it in a gaming pipeline. My guess is you won't be needing anything else.

[Anonymous]

"If you have a EDU license to Maya you have some good upgrade options from EDU to Commercial that's much cheaper than paying full price like you estimate with the $3500 tag."

Even if there were some that I had missed, I doubt there is a difference in the bottom line price. Although good point.


"If you're thinking about switching to another software package you have to calculate the time you'll use to get equally fluent in it as you are in Maya in addition to the actual cost of the new application."

This is what irks me, I will have a year of Maya training under my belt plus associated programs to develop with. Yet, I am going to have to backpeddle to learn a different software, while it is very likely to be far easier, it's not actually productive. Despite this, immense time deficit, a dollar in my pocket to put on the table doesn't change valuue simply because the work is laborious.

 

"You say you're studying to be a game designer. If so, MayaLT is a perfect fit for most engines out there, like Unreal 4 and Unity.

You can do everything you need to do as a game artist in Maya LT."

Aha! I didn't know this. My basic need to to create functional assets to use in games or equally detailed 3d art for other work.
Thank you for your input!

"Besides if you want a job working for any of the leading studios in the world, you'll soon find that knowledge in either Maya or 3DS Max is required in addition to knowledge about the whole workflow process and other tools."

I understand this as the truth from what I am taught, but because I have severe Asperger's I am unlikely to find a "corporate" or small business that will likely provide the latitude in work requiremnts for me to succeed. I am a designer at heart, a **** brilliant one, but it is useless if I cannot capitulate with others. So I am most likely relagated to doing freelance work as I can.

"Yes, I agree that the full price for a new seat of Maya is too expensive for a "one-man-band", but usually it isn't you as an artist that pays the license either, it's your employer. "

Finally some honesty! Thank you.

"But I'd look into Maya LT and see all the things you can do with it in a gaming pipeline. My guess is you won't be needing anything else."

I will, and thank you. You give a trustworthy answer, good sir. 😃

[Anonymous]

honestly i only learn maya because many studios requires it. Barely anything groundbreaking in new release compared to other softwares, and they have so many new bug in every releases. So many tools outdated and not integrated with each other. using 2015 at school, but i prefer to go back 2014 because too many bugs not worth it. and who wants to pay that money for bugs?

[Anonymous]

I think the thing that bugs me the most about Maya is really its lack of user friendliness. It's really the same across most of the softwares commonly used (personally I think photoshop is as bad). But you would think from a basic economic standpoint my dilemma would have been solved. I see no selling points, and mind you this is coming from someone who hates commercialism. But to simply ignore such an obviously large segment of new consumers is flat out ignorant.

I hate accessible crap, but on the other hand if I cannot even make heads or tails of your software even from a basic vanateg without an excessively difficult college degree you are misunderstanding business 101.

And I'm not really here to complain about there inability to recognize there softwares obvious flaws, I'm just like how the cold hell is aa student goign to prospect a career with such dissonant partnership with the tradesmen tool venders.

It seems to me to be a such a failure in common knowledge of the industry as to be laughable.

What I do know is businesses hike their prices to other businesses beause it's an ugly world full of politics and insurances. But I would think there would be some idea of the reality of lower level competition for an ever opening industry.

It short sightedness like this that stymies the growth of the entire industry.

Maya will never be worth more than it's competitors, and their competitors buy in value for basic functionality is 0$, right or wrong.

Without a demonstration of the difference in useability Maya is nothing more than a hot air baloon, business.
Aside from this Maya isn't even the better tool, 3DS Max is because of usability.

A whole lotta "this is industry standards" doesn't actually change the fact I can do what I need to for free.