Metacreations Makes Changes

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgMetaCreations, a renowned provider of graphics software, recently announced

that the Board of Directors has made the baffling decision of effectively

dropping their range of graphics products to concentrate purely on their

MetaStream technology. This decision comes shortly before the release of

Carrara, MC's "next-generation 3D software for print, video and the Web."

On the third line of their Carrara announcement, MetaCreations stated that

it would continue to support their existing graphics products. However,

this ongoing 'support' of the products has done nothing to settle the angry

MetaCreations community, as users fire up a "boycott MetaStream" action in

protest of the recent announcement. Many of MetaCreations' products have

cult-followings, and although they are unlikely to reverse this bewildering

decision by the company's businessmen, the mass of users and their protest

will almost certainly cause them a lot of grief. Some users are going as

far as calling for the head of the man they believe to be responsible for

these decisions, one Gary L. Lauer (ex-President and ex-Chief Executive

Officer, now Chairman of the company). Disembodied heads aside, this is a

serious issue. Around 100 MetaCreations employees have already been laid

off, or will be in the near future. Also affected by this 'change in focus'

are the third-party developers who create plug-ins for MetaCreations

graphics products, publications that make giving away and writing about

these products a primary selling point, and of course, the artists who use

the software. But through all of the controversy, questions and confusion,

the fact remains that MetaCreations have yet to announce the exact future

of their products. There is still a possibility that they will be sold to

other companies. However, there is also the possibility that they will not.

A wise decision would be to sell their assets to gain capitol for their new

venture. Whatever happens, MC users will most likely continue to create

work with the products they love, supported by the company or not. It seems

the businessmen behind the "creative Web company" have been making some

very creative business decisions indeed.