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Master Skin prices skyrocket!

windowblinds
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PixelPunk
LightStar
Join Date 12/2002
+1578
Reply #101 March 1, 2015 6:49:03 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Psychosis81,
reply 100

John, so is it safe to say, that we shall never see another blind from you again?

 

If by John you are referring to vStyler, as of right now your statement is true, you will most likely never see another WB from him again, sad to say. 

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PixelPunk
Jaroepz
Join Date 01/2008
+28
Reply #102 March 1, 2015 7:00:52 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting LightStar,
reply 101

If by John you are referring to vStyler, as of right now your statement is true, you will most likely never see another WB from him again, sad to say

LightStar what did i miss ,how come?

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PixelPunk
LightStar
Join Date 12/2002
+1578
Reply #103 March 1, 2015 8:17:31 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Jaroepz,
reply 102


Quoting LightStar,
reply 101

If by John you are referring to vStyler, as of right now your statement is true, you will most likely never see another WB from him again, sad to say



LightStar what did i miss ,how come?

John is designing audio software interfaces now for several companies around the world and getting paid for it (but not nearly enough for his high quality of work IMO). All his time is taken up with this now and probably will be for many years to come as his work is in really high demand.

Also, he is tired of the design restrictions imposed by Windows itself and Windowblinds/SkinStudio, and the software bugs, etc. that no one ever fixes. 

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PixelPunk
RedneckDude
Join Date 04/2009
+2223
Reply #104 March 1, 2015 8:18:59 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting LightStar,
reply 103

Also, he is tired of the design restrictions imposed by Windows itself and Windowblinds/SkinStudio, and the software bugs, etc. that no one ever fixes.
Pretty much what 2of3 recently said in his thread.

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PixelPunk
Jaroepz
Join Date 01/2008
+28
Reply #105 March 1, 2015 8:21:18 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Wow,ok thank you for your reply...

 

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PixelPunk
Philly0381
Join Date 11/2004
+844
Reply #106 March 1, 2015 9:07:08 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The one and only tuff lesson in life is that everyone moves on.......eventually.  

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PixelPunk
Psychosis81
Join Date 01/2015
+6
Reply #107 March 1, 2015 9:21:42 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

yea, i had a feeling he quit...... he was definetly my favorite skinner.. i think i have bought every skin he ever made lol.. sucks sucks sucks

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PixelPunk
sydneysiders
Join Date 04/2004
+1042
Reply #108 March 1, 2015 10:17:50 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Phoon,
reply 98

Not an accurate assessment unless you make it from the time of promotion to master, going forward.

Yeah... all those 'free' skins are supposed to be in the nature of shared community uploads from hobbyists learning the skinning craft and expanding their creativity and having fun with the community.... sadly, making it to master these days, isn't necessarily seen as becoming a responsible elder of the community with impeccable behaviour and community spirit... it seems all about the $$... I know it's been very handy for masters to be able to sell their work and we have benefited from some superb skinning from our masters over the years and I have many of their skins.. but when the almighty dollar becomes the main motivation from the skinner, and/or stardock, to reach master ... it really lessens the overall status... and cheapens the tradition...

first masterskins priced at $20 says it all.... skinner's prerogative? yes... judgement? dubious... 

especially after Stardock generously altered the % arrangements to benefit skinners recently...

 

Quoting LightStar,
reply 103

John is designing audio software interfaces now for several companies around the world and getting paid for it (but not nearly enough for his high quality of work IMO).

 

see some here Psychosis81....   link...  have a scroll through... and here... link...   

 

and no... you could never pay v by the hour for his work.... he is too much the perfectionist.... each pixel has to be...perfection... and tried a zillion different ways...    but that being said, the audio companies are getting a good deal for the quality they are being provided with... it knocks their socks off, the creativity and quality...

 

Quoting Psychosis81,
reply 107

yea, i had a feeling he quit...... he was definetly my favorite skinner.. i think i have bought every skin he ever made lol.. sucks sucks sucks

never say never...  

if/when he ever has some downtime... I'll keep prodding for another, I assure you...        

but it has been fabulous to have his skins updated to continue using... they'll never date.... classics...

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PixelPunk
RickJP
Join Date 11/2007
+472
Reply #109 March 1, 2015 11:08:34 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Hope you are right Syd love his work, and he may not be over here now but he was born close to were I am now days. most likely in the same hospital I spent a month in when I was ill couple years back.

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PixelPunk
Nimbin
Join Date 01/2006
+118
Reply #110 March 2, 2015 1:01:59 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Maybe if the price of an entire suite of skins it to much, the Master could offer just the WB Skin as a separate purchase and then the whole lot for another. Seems that may make everyone happy. I am absolutely not against a skinner charging for their work if they have attained the rank of master. But in my case the extra skins being offered in the suites are for programs i don't have installed. Sysmetrix, Xion etc etc. I only have Windowblinds and iconpackager installed so i don't really need the other skins. That's my choice and totally not the fault of the creator. I would how ever like the opportunity to just purchase the WB Skin without the other stuff. Just Sayin'

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PixelPunk
sydneysiders
Join Date 04/2004
+1042
Reply #111 March 2, 2015 1:54:32 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting RickJP,
reply 109

Hope you are right Syd love his work, and he may not be over here now but he was born close to were I am now days. most likely in the same hospital I spent a month in when I was ill couple years back.

yep... he's a limey....  a Wiggan supporter...  

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PixelPunk
RedneckDude
Join Date 04/2009
+2223
Reply #112 March 2, 2015 10:43:30 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Nimbin,
reply 110

Maybe if the price of an entire suite of skins it to much, the Master could offer just the WB Skin as a separate purchase and then the whole lot for another. Seems that may make everyone happy. I am absolutely not against a skinner charging for their work if they have attained the rank of master. But in my case the extra skins being offered in the suites are for programs i don't have installed. Sysmetrix, Xion etc etc. I only have Windowblinds and iconpackager installed so i don't really need the other skins. That's my choice and totally not the fault of the creator. I would how ever like the opportunity to just purchase the WB Skin without the other stuff. Just Sayin'
Exactly my feelings. I want the recent WB's by Neone6 and Vampothika, really want them. But I refuse to pay for the extra stuff that I can't use.

 

Personally, I think WinCustomize should make a rule against the bundling for that very reason. Why would I want to pay extra for stuff I can't/don't use? It makes absolutely no sense except to put more money in the skinner's pocket. It doesn't help the buyer at all.

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PixelPunk
bmetelsky
Join Date 03/2001
+14
Reply #113 March 2, 2015 9:00:21 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I would never pay more than a few dollars for a windowblinds skin, and haven't seen any "suites" worth paying for in a long time.

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PixelPunk
Leo the Lion
Join Date 05/2003
+100
Reply #114 March 2, 2015 11:12:09 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting sydneysiders,
reply 111


Quoting RickJP,
reply 109

Hope you are right Syd love his work, and he may not be over here now but he was born close to were I am now days. most likely in the same hospital I spent a month in when I was ill couple years back.



yep... he's a limey....  a Wiggan supporter...  

Wiggan??? Syd you mean Wigan..........I knew there must be someone out there that supports Wigan. Don't they call them the lactics???..........

 

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PixelPunk
RickJP
Join Date 11/2007
+472
Reply #115 March 3, 2015 5:10:17 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Football .. Rugby.. or both ?

Football team are the latics

 

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PixelPunk
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
+4184
Reply #116 March 3, 2015 5:53:17 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting sydneysiders,
reply 111

yep... he's a limey....  a Wiggan supporter...  

Wigan? And here I've been thinking Vegan...you know, v plus... darn!

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PixelPunk
greg2
Join Date 11/2005
+1
Reply #117 April 20, 2015 4:44:40 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,
reply 70

Having spent countless hours on skins a few years ago when they were far easier to create, I have a real appreciation for the effort put in to a high quality skin that gets all the details right.  There were times when it took a few days or a week to fix a single rogue pixel that just didn't look right, or to create an image that when applied gave the visual perception I was looking for.  I did it for the challenge and fun of it and uploaded them for free use, but that was my choice.  Didn't have to share them, but wanted to.  Couldn't charge for them because I wasn't a Master.  I strived for the exquisite beauty and detailed perfection of an essorant or MikeB (among many others, even Jafo in his day), a fool's errand if there ever was one.

The complexity of skinning for Vista, 7 & 8 increased dramatically, to the point that I couldn't devote the time necessary to do a skin justice and my nascent skinning career came to a halt.  The skinners who have created and shared a body of work qualifying them for Master designation have earned the privilege of charging whatever they like for their original art work.  They'll figure out what pricing works or their skins won't sell.  They are under no obligation to put skins up at all and those of us who enjoy creating and using skins should be grateful they do.

Which is why I found this thread, already at 3 pages, a bit sad.

And to reference PixelPunk's OP, skinning was never about the 'betterment of the community'.  It was about doing something personally enjoyable and rewarding and sharing it with the community.  'Betterment', if it occurred, was a fortunate byproduct.  That some are now able to be compensated for their contributions to that community is something to be celebrated.

 

Well said .....well said ...and at 5 pages is really really sad ....

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PixelPunk
Kinger
Join Date 05/2005
+21
Reply #118 April 20, 2015 6:07:42 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I haven't read through this whole thread but enough to get the gist. How many masters are there here selling skins? Not many. Is it wrong for them to want a fair price for the time they spend on their work? Not Hardly. Stardock gets 30 % we get 10% off as members. That doesn't leave much for the artist. Its this simple, if you cant afford it don't buy it. Laws of the market place will level things out. It doesn't do much good to complain and bitch about it. I'm not worth a dam as a artist so I like being able to support those here who are. If I like it I buy it. If I don't or it costs to much I don't.

I would like to voice my support for all the masters by saying great job and please keep it up.

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