Adobe Actually Won't Discontinue Animate (theverge.com) 19
Adobe is no longer planning to discontinue Adobe Animate on March 1st. From a report: In an FAQ, the company now says that Animate will now be in maintenance mode and that it has "no plans toâdiscontinue or remove access" to the app.
Animate will still receive "ongoing security and bug fixes" and will still be available for "both new and existing users," but it won't get new features. Many creators expressed frustration after Adobe's original discontinuation announcement from earlier this week, and the application is still used by creators like David Firth, the person behind the animated web series Salad Fingers. Now, Adobe says that "We are committed to ensuring Animate usersâalways have access to their content regardless of the state of development of the application."
Animate will still receive "ongoing security and bug fixes" and will still be available for "both new and existing users," but it won't get new features. Many creators expressed frustration after Adobe's original discontinuation announcement from earlier this week, and the application is still used by creators like David Firth, the person behind the animated web series Salad Fingers. Now, Adobe says that "We are committed to ensuring Animate usersâalways have access to their content regardless of the state of development of the application."
That's not very different (Score:4, Insightful)
Animate will still receive "ongoing security and bug fixes" and will still be available for "both new and existing users," but it won't get new features.
The only difference between that and what they said before is that they will still be selling it. They have already committed to maintaining it for three years, that's "ongoing". There is no promise to bring it to new Windows versions, so that's not different either. If the only difference is that Adobe agreed to take more people's money, it's not a difference.
Re: That's not very different (Score:5, Informative)
You're not wrong but this is being driven by the community. Word it differently and take their money because that is what makes the consumer sleep at night.
It also doesn't hurt that they stock tanked in the last couple days.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
There is a big difference. Since it is tied to your subscription You would not be able to use it anymore if it was removed from their portfolio. This way people will still be able to access and use it.
FTFA from the prior story:
So no, that is not different at all, so it's not a big difference, in fact it's no different.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
So no, that is not different at all, so it's not a big difference, in fact it's no different.
Indeed. From the End of Life FAQs [archive.org] before they replaced them:
When will the End of Life take effect?
Starting on March 1, 2026, Animate will no longer be available for purchase. Existing Animate users can continue to use Animate. Support for enterprise customers will continue for three years, through March 1, 2029. For all other customers, support will continue for one year, through March 1, 2027.
Access to your Animate files and project data will end on the date that support ends. To ensure a smooth transition, we encourage you to export your Animate FLA and XFL files to other formats such as SWF, SVG, and MP4 before this date.
"Trust me, bro..." (Score:2)
I'd still be open to alternatives for the sake of having a Plan B. Adobe has only proven they can always pull the rug. "Yoink! Sux 2 B U! LOL!"
Re: (Score:2)
My guess is the big boys rolled around and hobbyists aren't profitable enough.
Also I suspect any serious effort to compete with Adobe would be met with large price drops from Adobe until you're out of business. Even if Adobe doesn't make money off animate I doubt they're going to stand by and let somebody else do. If nothing e
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any serious effort to compete with Adobe would be met with large price drops from Adobe until you're out of business
It's hard to compete on price with free software. OpenToonz is 3BSD licensed (allegedly as a loss leader for the Toonz Premium add-ons), and Synfig Studio is GPL2+.
Re: "Trust me, bro..." (Score:2)
Loss leaders can be effective. The free version of Da Vinci Resolve punches FAR above its weight. I haven't even needed the paid version yet. And then there's Blender, which is free, but I was more than happy to throw money at Project Durian (Sintel) back in the day when money was a whole lot tighter than it is now.
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There are alternatives, just not alternatives to what Flash (Animate) is.
Flash was always two things, animation (cutout/IK doll or FBF if you're that masochistic) and a game engine.
No tool out there replaces that functionality. Toonboom is a super over-priced program with the exact same pitfalls as subscribing to Adobe
Toonboom has cutout animation, it is not a game engine.
Spine is an animation tool designed for games. It is not an authoring program, you still have to import png's from another program.
Most a
outhouse fodder (Score:1)
...always available... (Score:1)
...for certain values of "always".
Shareholders must be happy (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
Indeed. And that CEO has either already hired even less competent people or is not listening.
I mean, f-Adobe, but... (Score:2)
I still use Fireworks CS6, and I'm glad it's still available in the CC subscription. And yeah, I'm part of the problem.
They also did the "we're killing it completely, oh wait, we'll just keep it on deep maintenance forever" for Muse a few years back.
Such a suprise (Score:2)
They need to fire some "managers" though, that made that bone-headed decision earlier.
Adobe, Alphabet, Autodesk (Score:1)
Bad business move (Score:2)