Brilliant argument. Blender ver 2.48 & 2.49a as a tool does the job I want it to do, so I for one am not complaining, especially as I have yet to test 2.50x.
Disclaimer: I use blender for non-commercial, personal use only.
Blender is a very powerful tool and while it is true that it isn’t an ‘industry standard’ in the way that Autodesk products are, I think there are probably a lot more ‘professionals’ using blender than you might think.
It’s true that the major studios making games and films tend to use propriety software but I believe there are a lot of independents and small studios out there making use of Blender, a lot these people are maybe unable or unwilling for various reasons to share their work on this site. I myself am in the process of beginning to try and make a living from cg freelancing, mainly true the use of Blender
I think some misconceptions arise because the number hobbyists and casual users of this software is very high, a large percentage of these people, including those who post on this site are quite young. I think that this is for the most part a very good thing but it also has an effect were high quality works that are posted around the net, including here on BA are mixed in with beginner and non professional work. This high quantity of lets say immature work and also sometimes the immature comments made by a small number of Blender users can have an adverse effect on the reputation of the software.
The reality though is that Blender is capable of every bit as much, sometimes more than other cg applications with high price tags. The only real weakness, in my personal opinion is the render engine but I can see that efforts are being made to rectify that and aside from which there are other options available anyway, including industry standards such as Vray for example.
With regards to reliability, I have been using Blender for about 6 -7 years and it is the most stable software I have ever used.
We are talking about something in theory Michael.
You might have ignored that. Because that assumption also comes with a different scenario.
Also I saw Hypershot replace a whole range of products in a short time.
"The reality though is that Blender is capable of every bit as much, sometimes more than other cg applications with high price tags. The only real weakness, in my personal opinion is the render engine but I can see that efforts are being made to rectify that and aside from which there are other options available anyway, including industry standards such as Vray for example. "
I highly question that.
A problem of Blender is also that it is often made look better than it is. And that in the long runs
only harms its reputation.
I highly question that.
A problem of Blender is also that it is often made look better than it is. And that in the long runs
only harms its reputation.
Of course, I only speak from personal experience. A few years ago I got a qualification in Autocad and I was also able to spend a short time trying out max, not long enough to be able to form a considered opinion but personally I preferred the UI and work flow of Blender in comparison. I also have a bit of experience with Zbrush and a few other 3d apps but I not gonna pretend I am a great expert on the subject.
Yet, for me the bottom line is that the only restriction to what I can create in Blender in terms of modelling and rendering (in association with eternal apps) comes down to my own capabilities. Of course there are limits and yes it is always going to be difficult to compete or keep up with expensive apps that probably have a large full time paid programming workforce but all the basic ingredients are there and then some.
The fact is that you can achieve professional grade work with this software using it in conjunction with other packages because there are some people out there doing exactly that.
I hope I didn’t come across as harsh or arrogant when speaking about beginners and hobbyists that is not my intention, I understand fully that people have to start somewhere and everyone has different goals in what they want to get out of blendering.
The older and therefore established companies are using proprietary software since there was no open source Blender 15 years ago. Not even 10 years ago. so if you want to find a job in a bigger company then it’s more likely to find one if you know Maya or Max. That’s a fact.
The industry needs time to change… Probably a decade or more. But slowly but surely Blender will overcome these hurdles. All the small startup studios today will define what’s industry standard in 10 years when they grow bigger. Everyone knows that the monopolist Autodesk is not a safe bet for the future. They could stop development and support of any 3d package at any time, which is pretty risky for every company depending on them. All the financial investments into licenses would be lost from one day to the next. Employees would have to relearn another package which has to be bought again also.
But Blender will never stop to exist. Even if the Blender Foundation has to close its doors, Blender and its code will always be there for everyone. Open and free.
I’m confident in Blender’s future, it just needs time. 
(Not to mention that blender will evolve further, up the point when it really can compete with Maya.)
The Weta Blender contests interest me. Seems to me this is a way for Weta to test the waters in Blender before committing to it. By these contests, they learn if there really is a talented user base out there and what are the limits to Blender. Pretty clever if you ask me. Could Blender be headed for a place in the Weta pipeline?
Its been a while, but I’ve definitely heard some people grouse because of Mark Rothko’s choice of medium. The colors are fading. :no:
The contests are run by Weta Workshops, the prop makers, not the CGI Weta Digital.