Softimage to this day, even years after its retirement, has possibly the highest pedigree of any turnkey 3D animation system.
Although I can't read the Autodesk mind, it seemed to me there was decision it was a mistake to develop three sophisticated rendering and animation programs in parralel. Besides the development costs and management complexity, they would have competed directly against each other for place in the market with significant overlap of needs. It would have been the victim of a streamlining processes.
Streamlining was in itself an appreciable business decision. I believe though that to boot Softimage and keep 3DS Max reads to me like choosing a child because it is ones own, and letting go of the stepchild. Rather than accept the step child is the stronger contender.
A sizeable Softimage shaped hole still exists in the market three years after its retirement.
After Softimage was retired movie goers began about a year ago to report a recent noticeable deterioration in animation standards actually ushered in by Softimage in Jurrasic Park. Coincidence?
Retiring Softimage was a mistake and a huge blow to the industry. The software should either be resurrected or, at worst, released to Open Source.
Bring back Softimage.
