3D Studio Max Subscription

[flavrsaver]

How many of you have enrolled in the 3DS Max subscription service? My understanding is that it's a yearly subscription and it grants you access to the latest updates to the app, training and extensions...corrent? How much does it cost (I'm in the US)?

I'm currently using Max 8 and I'm considering upgrading to 9, so I'm wondering if it's more beneficial to do the subscription service or to just buy the upgrade.

[instinct]

we got multiple lics on subscription. Considering the release cycle (wich is currently approx. 1 major release a year) and comparing subscription prices to upgrade prices you are far better off on subscription. That's only valid IF you upgrade to each majorversion anyways tho.

Thorsten

[dapeter]

I think you'll have to buy the upgrade and a year subscription, I don't think you can just buy the subscription and get the upgrade... so keep that in mind. U.S. subscription's around $500 right now, and in my opinion worth it.

[instinct]

the subscription includes all upgrades i thought....am i wrong there ? dont have too much insight in the financial side...at least we get the upgrades autoamtically via snailmail...and i thought they were included.

Regards,
Thorsten

[SnipeyX]

it only includes the updates if you are already included in subscription before the new version comes out. Otherwise no one would ever have to buy an upgrade it would just be 'subscription'. So if you are on max8 now, and want max 9, you have to buy the upgarde to get to max9 and then if you want the next upgrades, you get on subscription now and you'll get the next updates when they come out.

[dlparisi]

You need to buy the subscription at the time of your original purchase or an upgrade fro a previous version. Otherwise you could just "purchase" the subscription and not renew and in effect get the upgrade for less than the cost of a normal upgrade.

[flavrsaver]

Okay makes sense. I appreciate the insight.

[Syclone1]

Unless of course your running max9 atm then you should be able to get on the subscripton. Im not sure what its worth in the US but in Canada I think my subscription is around $550/yr per seat atm.

-dave

[ShaunDon]

It's about $400 US per license... it's become the Autodesk tax that we love to hate. Honestly there's not enough packed into each max release for us to justify the cost of upgrading, other than the overall stability improvements and 64-bitness. For the most part we upgrade every year to stay current with the community of max artists so we can work with all of our contracters.

Shaun