Announcing The Platinum Club Plus [Beta] Program
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Unlike Poser files, VUE doesn't import DAZ files directly and then there's the question of how much it costs (at least $500 for the import/export options). As with iClone, the intermediary facilities come at a price - one that could be better spent on more DAZ content if there was compatibility with other platforms built into DS. More importantly there's no Octane Render for VUE unlike Lightwave, DS and many other platforms. I don't imagine that Lightwave owners are going to buy VUE just so they can import DAZ content.
Maybe in days of yore when people were amazed at even basic modelling and FX, CGI creators had time to troubleshoot workarounds but now audiences expect complex modelling and FX so those who create this expect their software to work close to seamlessly - even at the lower end of production.
Hmm.. its on sale for less than that.. (only annual discount opportunity ongoing now). But seems to me you do not want to work to make things work. Its still a time saver and once you hammer out the pipeline process things ,move along. Click some of my links if you care to see how precisely I implement the DAZ figures in any number of render systems. The 3d exchange pipeline does work great BTW, so doe does Collada and and Carrara makes a great exporter too...One hint I can give you is that I use the incredible Untimate Unwrap 3d app to fix any animation, uv or geometry issue in my pipelines. Any incompatibility can be adjusted in a fbx, x, obj or collada file and its rig. Vue's animation (bhv) & collada import capability is excellent.
I actually own VUE Esprit with some of the modules and some of their content. The reason why I stopped my VUE membership is because trying to sustain both DAZ and VUE works out very expensive. If you don't buy VUE Studio in the sale then be prepared to spend ages trying to buy the modules on sale.
It doesn't make sense asking Lightwave owners to buy VUE so they can use DAZ content. It just isn't going to happen. The point is to make DS or DAZ content directly compatible so that LW and other platform users buy DAZ content. It's a suggestion that makes sense to me because as much as I love DS and started out with it, there comes a point when its limitations are frustrating. I assume (perhaps wrongly) that there are quite a few long term (or more recent) PC users who share this frustration which might hold them back from buying more content as they progress.
HAHAHA... LECTURE... a bit over the top there. It was an opinion, nothing more!
I tend to agree. If the $1.99 PC model is not cutting it for Daz financially, I think an increase would work better than all these convoluted ways to do the same thing. I for one, would not complain if PC prices went up a tad to justify expenses. It has been 10 years at this same price, so I think Daz is justiied in raising PC prices to keep up with expenses.
The one thing Daz needs to learn is the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) - it seem pretty obvious by all these post that people are genuinely confused by this new PC+ thing, no matter how much it's explained. Just raise the PC price a tad and problem solved. no need for complicated schemes.
-AniMajik
If only you decided what content DAZ sold! I'd give my right arm for those products that can actually be used in real world scenes. Even in sci-fi and fantasy scenes most characters aren't running around in 3/4 length latex boots and very little on top. It's as if Blade Runner, Alien, Prometheus never existed. Even in many scenes from Avatar characters are dressed in everyday clothes or slightly pimped version of them.
I still can't work out why DAZ lowered the price of PC membership if it's led to this. If lowering the entrance price means putting up product prices where's the sense in that?
For me, the value of the platinum club is linked to new releases. I have bought all the older items I presently require. And the value of the club is reduced over time because the back catalog is not enticing. Perhaps what should be considered is to allow PC members to buy a certain amount of items at 1.99 then increase the cost for items over the selected amount.
Simply raising the price of PC items doesn't address the problem of wish list hoarding. A lot of folks do it because there is no urgency to buying something that will always be set at a low price. In order to address this issue there has to exist an incentive for people to buy items as they come out rather than wait until they absolutely must have xyz for a render.
I was thinking some modified version of the snowball model might work. The more PC items you buy, the better monthly coupon you earn. Or maybe a bonus freebie if you buy a certain number of PC items over the course of the month. Raising the price is fine - $2.99 or $3.99, but a carrot is still required to get folks to buy NOW instead of later.
Greetings,
Heh; I think you might be shocked at how much of the catalog I own.Arguing over that is the road to madness, I'll admit, however, I will point out that BECAUSE I own a significant percentage of DAZ's catalog, this PC+ is particularly valuable to me. Because it means I can pick up more PA items at significant discounts, which are the meat of DAZ's catalog. One of the biggest gripes I hear constantly is that longer-term users don't know what to buy with their DO coupon. That's solved with this. It's just...solved, because the PA catalog is SO much bigger than the DO catalog. (There are 5,600 items with DAZ 3D as their artist, and around 16,000 active items in the store.)
The PC items are excellent, and varied, but they don't hold a candle to the breadth of items available in the PA back-catalogs. This PC+ approach, whether it's the final one or not, moves towards opening up that back-catalog to me. That's where the 'growth' is, for me. That's where I'd like to be spending my money, so to me PC+ is a good idea.
-- Morgan
I read the FAQ, saw the Summer stacking sales, and opted in immediately.
Between the stacking discounts and the PC+ discounts, I was getting some premier artist items at at a 65% off. The PC+ discount is also stacking with other discounts, so many of the PC items which are currently in the M4/V4 sales are now cheaper. DO's that have a premier artist listed who is also part of today's summer stacking and additionally part of the MV/V4 sales -- are going very cheap.
The back catalog of PC items ranges from approximately $2 to $5 (except those items that are currently on sale -- some of which are less than $2).
So a good number of the PC items are more expensive, but a good number are also cheaper.
The PA discounts are awesome, given that they stack and stack and stack (depending, I understand, on some choices made by the PA's themselves).
If you're new to the PC and haven't yet bought a huge number of PC items, then it may not be the best deal.
If you've been around for ten years and already own half of the back catalog of PC items and DO's, this upgrade is totally amazing.
The fact that Daz may potentially maintain the choice as to which type of club membership we prefer is excellent. I'd expect serious pushback if PC+ were foisted on everyone, especially new members. But as long as it remains a matter of choice, I can't see why anyone would complain.
Heh; I think you might be shocked at how much of the catalog I own.Arguing over that is the road to madness, I'll admit, however, I will point out that BECAUSE I own a significant percentage of DAZ's catalog, this PC+ is particularly valuable to me. Because it means I can pick up more PA items at significant discounts, which are the meat of DAZ's catalog. One of the biggest gripes I hear constantly is that longer-term users don't know what to buy with their DO coupon. That's solved with this. It's just...solved, because the PA catalog is SO much bigger than the DO catalog. (There are 5,600 items with DAZ 3D as their artist, and around 16,000 active items in the store.)
The PC items are excellent, and varied, but they don't hold a candle to the breadth of items available in the PA back-catalogs. This PC+ approach, whether it's the final one or not, moves towards opening up that back-catalog to me. That's where the 'growth' is, for me. That's where I'd like to be spending my money, so to me PC+ is a good idea.
-- Morgan
Yes. EXACTLY!
No, actually it's a lot cheaper. Because DAZ keeps indiscriminately stacking discounts on top of discounts, my current one year subscription cost me less than $30.
That is indeed true. And when I joined back in 2002 it cost $100 ( well $99.95) for the year and now it is $70, even without any offers
The same for me when I joined back in 2004. I don't remember when it changed to $70, but it was a welcome change.
One question I have Jared, if you read this, if and when DAZ decides to put PC+ into effect, will there still be a regular PC membership so that the new PC+ is "in addition to", or will it replace the old PC membership? I was chatting with a friend earlier and she asked the question, and I didn't remember seeing that mentioned.
That works great if it's your only purchase for the month. Now that your coupons are gone, you're stuck with the inflated PC prices.
I still can't work out why DAZ lowered the price of PC membership if it's led to this. If lowering the entrance price means putting up product prices where's the sense in that?
I don't get it either. I think I was even able to extend my PC membership for a year for about $40 one month.
With the wacky sales, it makes me think DAZ is in financial trouble and doing what it takes to make a buck for the month. I don't remember so many sales in the past, and certainly not a special even every single month. The yearly PA sale used to be a big thing. Now, all the sales run into each other like one big blur.
With all the sales, I don't really have any incentive to purchase ANY new releases... especially when they're at 30%. I'll just wait until the next sale and get it at 50% or more off.
The sales aren't even fun anymore because they just start over again once the last one ends. Nothing to anticipate. Nothing to spurge on. It's the same old tune, different month.
Simply raising the price of PC items doesn't address the problem of wish list hoarding. A lot of folks do it because there is no urgency to buying something that will always be set at a low price. In order to address this issue there has to exist an incentive for people to buy items as they come out rather than wait until they absolutely must have xyz for a render.
I was thinking some modified version of the snowball model might work. The more PC items you buy, the better monthly coupon you earn. Or maybe a bonus freebie if you buy a certain number of PC items over the course of the month. Raising the price is fine - $2.99 or $3.99, but a carrot is still required to get folks to buy NOW instead of later.
What does it matter if people have inflated wish lists? If they're not buying things on their wish list, they're probably buying something else. If Daz doesn't like people adding things to the wish list, then remove the feature.
Personally, I use my wish list to keep up with sales. When items on my wish list go on sale, that's my clue to either purchase it. If the deal is too good to pass up and I don't bite, it means I need to remove it from my wish list, cause I didn't want it that bad anyway.
But still the wish list isn't the problem. People will either spend their money here or they won't. I can't see raising the prices is going to make people want to purchase items on their wish list.
I'm fairly sure it's been $100 for the first year, $70 per year after that, for as long as I've had an annual membership (I was monthly for a while, I can't remember how soon I switched over). And I think I joined at about the same time as you.
Yep, cost me around 100 bucks when I first joined around 10 or 11 years ago. But to offset that they gave us a $30 Welcome voucher that was 100 % off of all Daz Originals except PC items or 50% off PA items. And it could be nibbled at till whenever it expired. Plus a big pack of models and other freebies. After that you paid $70 to rejoin annually. Still got a fat voucher and bonus models for the next several years. Then they dropped the voucher, changed some other things like the signup fee (thank you, Daz!) and eventually it got to where it is now.
Ah, OK.. it's been so danged long that I forgot about that initial savings when I first joined the PC club! lol
Oh, now that I think about it, it was less the subsequent years. I seem to remember some freebies also besides the voucher. That and the voucher was what I remember disappearing, but I can't recall how far back that was.
It matters because DAZ representatives have stated on multiple occasions that it matters. They're paying up front for nice content and its languishing on people's wish lists because they feel no urgency to pick it up right away. Removing the wish list would only exasperate the problem because then people couldn't keep track of things they like and might want to pick up one day. Doing away with the wish list would be like shutting the door so you didn't have to see your neighbor's ugly kid. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean the kid isn't still ugly.
The point I was trying to make is that whatever DAZ decides to do it has to encourage people to buy more now rather than wait for a hypothetical "someday". Simply raising prices won't work because some people will make even fewer purchases than they did before. Along with raising prices they need to have some means of increasing actual purchases. One way is to somehow lure in hundreds of new people to the hobby. New enthusiasts are always going to be great for the PC because they'll load up on new and old products alike. I'm assuming they've been attempting this ploy all along and the influx of new people isn't enough.
So that leaves them with trying to get their current buyers to change their spending habits. The new coupon is intended to help with that. Folks like me, though, will bide their time and pick up PC items that are 60 days or older with their coupon and get them for free or almost free. That won't help clear up their problem. That's why I suggested another form of carrot - either a buy more and get a coupon, or buy enough and get a freebie.
Delurk....
Could someone point me to the post which listed the PAs who are joining this?
When I went to bed last night it was up to 24 pages....
Now I am not sure where that list was in all of this.
Thanks for any help.
Go to My Account > Platinum Club. They're listed there.
I think with a number of people (myself included) that were upset that they would be losing the ability to use the $6 Voucher on PA items, and PC items would increase to $2.99 from $1.99 Daz had to counter this MAJOR blow to the PC with some form of an incentive, and that was to lower the price of membership.
To me, it was the only "good" thing about the change.
-MJ
It matters because DAZ representatives have stated on multiple occasions that it matters. They're paying up front for nice content and its languishing on people's wish lists because they feel no urgency to pick it up right away. Removing the wish list would only exasperate the problem because then people couldn't keep track of things they like and might want to pick up one day. Doing away with the wish list would be like shutting the door so you didn't have to see your neighbor's ugly kid. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean the kid isn't still ugly.
The point I was trying to make is that whatever DAZ decides to do it has to encourage people to buy more now rather than wait for a hypothetical "someday". Simply raising prices won't work because some people will make even fewer purchases than they did before. Along with raising prices they need to have some means of increasing actual purchases. One way is to somehow lure in hundreds of new people to the hobby. New enthusiasts are always going to be great for the PC because they'll load up on new and old products alike. I'm assuming they've been attempting this ploy all along and the influx of new people isn't enough.
So that leaves them with trying to get their current buyers to change their spending habits. The new coupon is intended to help with that. Folks like me, though, will bide their time and pick up PC items that are 60 days or older with their coupon and get them for free or almost free. That won't help clear up their problem. That's why I suggested another form of carrot - either a buy more and get a coupon, or buy enough and get a freebie.
I still don't understand why it matters that people hoard things on their wish list. I guess the question would be: Are people spending less because they have items on their wish list?
Have their algorithms come to the conclusion that people who put things on their wish list spend less?
You parrot that DAZ says it matters, but why? Why does it matter?
People tend to put items on their wish list that they can't afford at the moment or think they'll get a better price later. When they can afford it or the price is right, they pick it up. The alternative is not having a wish list and people forgetting the item exists all together.
Really, if it bothers DAZ so much that people put things on their wish list that they can't afford or think they can get a better price, then make new releases more affordable. Of course, that defeats the purpose of rising the prices (like now). But really, blaming a wish list is silly.
I know others do, but I don't have any PC items on my wish list. I figure if it doesn't grab my attention at $1.99, it's not worth being on my wish list. And if $1.99 isn't an affordable impulse by, I don't know what is.
I'm fairly sure it's been $100 for the first year, $70 per year after that, for as long as I've had an annual membership (I was monthly for a while, I can't remember how soon I switched over). And I think I joined at about the same time as you.
It's certainly been like that since I joined in 2006. I think the biggest change, where the initial $30 membership fee was finally officially dropped, was within the last year, but they've been running various specials to get around it since well before the new store hit.
The thing I keep looking at is that Rendo is making their PC work without the full buyout of products that DAZ's version entails. And from that point of view, this new PC+ actually starts to look a lot more like Prime than the existing Platinum Club in that it relies on PA's to take a greater portion of the burden of running the PC. Given the crazy sales going on with V4/M4 products, I get the feeling that a lot of the older DO products aren't moving as fast as they used to, and that almost certainly extends to the Gen4 product that constitutes around half of the total PC library. Add in the fact that a good percentage of it takes a lot of extra wrangling to work well on Genesis/Genesis 2... wrangling that a lot of folks just coming into the hobby aren't going to feel invested/confident enough to do for themselves... and I imagine that the vast majority of PC sales are coming from items that are three years old or younger. At five a week, that's about 780 items, a sizable percentage of which are texture sets, so that's not really a lot of product to hang an ongoing program on.
Unlike Poser files, VUE doesn't import DAZ files directly and then there's the question of how much it costs (at least $500 for the import/export options). As with iClone, the intermediary facilities come at a price - one that could be better spent on more DAZ content if there was compatibility with other platforms built into DS. More importantly there's no Octane Render for VUE unlike Lightwave, DS and many other platforms. I don't imagine that Lightwave owners are going to buy VUE just so they can import DAZ content.
Maybe in days of yore when people were amazed at even basic modelling and FX, CGI creators had time to troubleshoot workarounds but now audiences expect complex modelling and FX so those who create this expect their software to work close to seamlessly - even at the lower end of production.
Hmm.. its on sale for less than that.. (only annual discount opportunity ongoing now). But seems to me you do not want to work to make things work. Its still a time saver and once you hammer out the pipeline process things ,move along. Click some of my links if you care to see how precisely I implement the DAZ figures in any number of render systems. The 3d exchange pipeline does work great BTW, so doe does Collada and and Carrara makes a great exporter too...One hint I can give you is that I use the incredible Untimate Unwrap 3d app to fix any animation, uv or geometry issue in my pipelines. Any incompatibility can be adjusted in a fbx, x, obj or collada file and its rig. Vue's animation (bhv) & collada import capability is excellent.
I actually own VUE Esprit with some of the modules and some of their content. The reason why I stopped my VUE membership is because trying to sustain both DAZ and VUE works out very expensive. If you don't buy VUE Studio in the sale then be prepared to spend ages trying to buy the modules on sale.
It doesn't make sense asking Lightwave owners to buy VUE so they can use DAZ content. It just isn't going to happen. The point is to make DS or DAZ content directly compatible so that LW and other platform users buy DAZ content. It's a suggestion that makes sense to me because as much as I love DS and started out with it, there comes a point when its limitations are frustrating. I assume (perhaps wrongly) that there are quite a few long term (or more recent) PC users who share this frustration which might hold them back from buying more content as they progress. Of course it does not (to ask Lightwave users). Its whether Lightwave users want DAZ & Poser figures in a Vue scene rendered with Lightwave. No one is asking, just one of many viable suggestions for a pipeline to help employ DAZ figures in your render of choice, Lightwave. I think you and I agree that there are much more potential than just DS renders for the content sold at DAZ and would like more support for published standards so it would be more convenient and flexible (EULA).
Go to My Account > Platinum Club. They're listed there.
That page for me has only this week's PAs - I thought I saw a list of all of the PAs who had signed on so far
Could have been a senior moment. :red:
That works great if it's your only purchase for the month. Now that your coupons are gone, you're stuck with the inflated PC prices.
Not so, sure I cannot use coupons spent again this month but I am logged now and there are five full pages each with about 60 listings for $1.39. Then after these pages of $1.39 they go to those for $2.09 and gradually increase their price. I can buy all of them right now for these prices. That is better than $1.99.
>>Simply raising the price of PC items doesn't address the problem of wish list hoarding.<< A lot of folks do it because there is no urgency to buying something that will always be set at a low price. In order to address this issue there has to exist an incentive for people to buy items as they come out rather than wait until they absolutely must have xyz for a render.</p>
I was thinking some modified version of the snowball model might work. The more PC items you buy, the better monthly coupon you earn. Or maybe a bonus freebie if you buy a certain number of PC items over the course of the month. Raising the price is fine - $2.99 or $3.99, but a carrot is still required to get folks to buy NOW instead of later.
So - my wishlist has been hollow for the past year with nearly 4000 DO's in inventory. .99 PC sale, and the Spring Cleaning Freebies... Not much hoarding once you have been here 18 mos or more because of all the sales provide many opportunities. Once the consumers are at this point, then what?
+ I get it...but then even that vast pool of PA goodness will get lean if the market does not grow.
Simply put, I've signed up for the Platinum Plus beta to help DAZ decide which way the price increase should go. There may be more betas after this one. The reality is $1.99 per PC item is ridiculously under priced and at some point the price will have to go up. No increase since I signed up as a member years ago? Too good to be true.
I don't get it either. I think I was even able to extend my PC membership for a year for about $40 one month.
With the wacky sales, it makes me think DAZ is in financial trouble and doing what it takes to make a buck for the month. I don't remember so many sales in the past, and certainly not a special even every single month. The yearly PA sale used to be a big thing. Now, all the sales run into each other like one big blur.
With all the sales, I don't really have any incentive to purchase ANY new releases... especially when they're at 30%. I'll just wait until the next sale and get it at 50% or more off.
The sales aren't even fun anymore because they just start over again once the last one ends. Nothing to anticipate. Nothing to spurge on. It's the same old tune, different month.
I agree with you about the sales. Especially when it's the same group of PA's that go on sale all the time while others never do! I also get pretty confused about what discount goes with what and end up spending ages sticking things in and out of the cart to see how they stack and then worrying if the discount will be there 6 hrs later when I've more time to sort out payment. I think I've got sales fatigue. This latest change is even more mind boggling.
I am sorry if this has already been said (I have not read all the replies in this thread) but I have just joined the PC+ Beta and I am surprised that many PC items that normally cost $1.99 and that I have put on my wishlist are now far more expensive since the 70% off reduction applies to them.
I am afraid to say that I will personally need more incentive to renew my PC membership in April of next year... I do not see the point to pay $5.09 for a PC hair that usually costs $1.99 since the price raised by more than 100% in one second...
I am glad that it is just a beta test and that we will return to the normal PC membership after the end of July... Of course until the PC is replaced by the new PC+.
My first opinion is not positive though I hope that it will change during the beta test.
Edit:
A very big thank you to DZ FIRE for the free Escort Weasel. It really is a very nice model and it is really what made me join the beta test...