Torque exporter for Houdini

#1 Looks interesting:

Quote:"Houdini Apprentice HD and the Torque Game Engine make a perfect match." says Kim Davidson, President, Side Effects Software. "GarageGames recognizes the value in providing low-cost solutions to indie game developers, in the same way Side Effects supports artists and animators with Houdini Apprentice HD."

But this is kind of what throws me off though:

Quote:Q. What sort of projects can I use Houdini Apprentice HD for?

A. As long as your work is not commercial in nature (i.e., you're not making money off it), you can use Houdini Apprentice HD. It's ideal for your personal projects, demo reels, community projects, etc.

I guess it would be useful for free games and give away projects, but really can't justify the learning curve of a new piece of software for non-commercial purposes. But if there was a change in the EULA to take into account "Indie" devs, then that would be a whole other story.

#2 Sadly the term "indie" is way too board since it can cover everything from a hobbyist working in their basement in their spare time, to small dev teams working on projects like Think Tanks or Orbz to large hundred men (or more) studios. As such I think the EULA for Houdini HD is appropriately worded considering the spirit at which it has been release and distributed.

#3 I don't necessarily disagree, it's just that any version under a $2000.00 price tag is excluded from any commercial use, therefore pretty much out of what I personally would consider the "average" Indies budget.

I've been kicking around indie circles for about three years now, and that figure represents about seventy five percent of my total expendatures on development software. It would just be nice if there was the "starving artist" indie version that had maybe a dollar cap like TGE.

I guess the real point is that the press annoucement seems to imply something more that it is, especially in its overall context. I rushed to re-read the EULA, thinking since the exporter was soon to be included with Apprentice HD and regarding what Kim Davidson had said, maybe it had been expanded or modified in some manner. I guess that's the fundamental point I was trying to make.