I think that most users would happily pay $20 to $30 for the app, but the subscription model is crazy to me. I can speculate why it is priced the way it is (keeping in mind apple keeps 30% off subscription price), and why they went with subscription model while the typical appstore app is usually offered as a single purchase + extra coins for brushes and/or optional tools, it's fairly obvious they are only offering two months of time to enroll into free trial to maximize their user base as fast as possible. It will be interesting if they end up never offer permanent iOs licenses the way they do with desktop at this point, though. Also, Japanese iOs apps can be very expensive as well (look at jrpg prices for iphone for example) - they actually might be pretty realistic about their target market's buying power, considering it is still an application targeted at the Asian market in the first place. The professionals use desktop program but I suppose illustrators who now can use it during train commute, or as a quick presentation/pitch tool during client meeting sessions will think otherwise? Maybe the purpose is to put csp desktop on subscription next year?
I won't be surprised if this change comes with ver. 2,0 once it is out, but I don't think they will push for desktop subscriptions. It makes no sense to ditch the cash flow from the higher upgrade price in favor of more regular, but smaller monthly subscriptions. I'd be okay with a 12-month sub, billed annually, tho. Bizarre pricing, but I guess the devs probably took into account that Ipad Pro don't have that many users, and if you can afford one to do art you will can probably afford to pay the monthly fee. Either that or I suspect that they are testing the waters with the subscription model before rolling it out for the desktop version. I can't imagine Smith Micro can forever keep updating the application for free.
Knowing that CSP now corner the manga/comic digital drawing market, they have a large enough user base to tread the same path as Adobe and charge a subscription. It's very sad but it is what it is. There never has been an upgrade to Clip Studio Paint. Manga Studio 4 was the old Comic Studio. Smith Micro was a reseller and rebranded the software Manga Studio. That software was discontinued.
Clip Studio was new and Smith Micro rebranded it as an upgrade to the old Manga Studio 4 (Comic Studio) and called it Manga Studio 5. If I recall, even though Manga Studio 4 had nothing to do with Manga Studio 5, Smith Micro still offered a decent discount to owners of Manga Studio 4.
When Clip Studio was rolled out in English it was already at version 1.5. There have been a number of free updates since and we're now at v.1.6.7 without having to pay an extra dime. I'll still never pay for a subscription though. Said in: When Clip Studio was rolled out in English it was already at version 1.5. 1.38, actually - that's the earliest installer I have here on mac, dated may 9-th 2015.
I don't get the aversion to subscription model tbh; I don't have any interest in animation/comics creation, therefore EX version is an overkill for me. CSP Pro with same brushes I use on desktop going mobile would be a no-brainer purchase for me. I also don't get the aggression towards an app that currently gives you half year of free unrestricted usage tbh.
In principle I don't object to the subscription model in the sense that if you want continued improvements then they have to have a a continued revenue scheme. BUT I have two problems with this one from Celsys • the proposed sum is too high ( particularly if you have already purchased perpetual licences from them. ) • too few improvements are of any use to me.