With the news that Shake 4.1's release brought a $2500 price drop to the popular compositing application, most people seem to have missed a less publicized consequence of the release. According to Apple:
Apple will no longer be selling maintenance for Shake and no further software updates are planned as we begin work on the next generation of Shake compositing software.
This will be the last released version of Shake. This surprising end to Shake was predicted by a Page 2 Rumor along with some new details about this next generation application.
The upcoming high-end compositing replacement software is codenamed Phenomenon and will reportedly be based on the current Motion code, but will build off users existing Shake experience and knowledge. The most unusual aspect of this cross-over is that the new software is not expected until 2008.
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Here's something that doesn't get taken into consideration enough when talking about Shake and Apple... The fact is that (whilst it is used on all the big VFX films) all the big VFX companies use the Linux version. All the Shake shots for King Kong and LOTR were done on Linux boxes. Most of these big FX houses have complex data piplines built round Linux scripts, and the OS X version of Shake just isn't an option. Also the Linux version is the one the big boys go with because it is faster.
Maybe Apple are killing off Shake because they want to recode from scratch so that the OS X version will be industry quality (like the Linux one is)?.
I always find it funny that when Apple shows shots from Kong in their Shake demos that they were not done on Macs. Not that It matters, I'm sure each individual shot could be done just as well on a Mac, but they certainly don't mind people not realising that they weren't.