I'm not saying this was done with foreknowledge, but at the time there were Gibson/Cakewalk employees who basically argued "Cakewalk has been around for thirty years, anything is possible, but there is no reason to think anything is amiss here". This was basically my thinking as well, and I fully intended to buy the lifetime update plan, but some unforeseen emergency expenses cropped up and I was unable. Had I done so in Dec, at the last opportunity, I would have paid more for the updates I received in 2017 than I did with the monthly plan. I had purchased on a special offer of $14.99 a month, which makes my total for updates I received in 2017 $149.90 as opposed to $199 I would have paid for the lifetime plan, which turned out to be 10 months (assumiing purchased in 12/17.

I knew the future was shaky when the lifetime updates was offered, seemingly too cheap.  But paid it anyway, if just to support the strategy.  Saddened, but not surprised by where we are.  Very sorry for folks who got sucked in late, hope Gibson makes things right by you.  But I'm ok...

Our petition to Microsoft to rescue Cakewalk out of Gibson!
 
Cakewalk and later Sonar has been our favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for many years. It is the home we go to when being creative. From writing songs, record songs, mixing songs to master songs and albums. We deeply love Cakewalk and Sonar.
 
Gibson is now stopping developing and service of Cakewalk and Sonar. So they are basically giving it up.
 
Dear Microsoft.
 
Please rescue Cakewalk and Sonar out of Gibson. You can make Sonar a system like Office and Office 365. And Music Creator to an app in the store. And please make it under insider, so that we, the users can have a say in the development. You can rebrand it if you want, but please make it backward compatible with current Sonar, Music Creator and pluggin base.
 
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/microsoft-please-rescue-cakewalk-and-sonar-out-of
 
PS! I don't give up yet. Please sign and share on Facebook an Twitter!

I didn't get worried until Craig Anderton announced that he had left (been sacked by) Gibson. Somehow that seemed like a warning, as he had been one of Cakewalk's most credible advocates.

We got so much stuff for the cash we put in... and it all still works...
So what if it still has a few bugs, I've worked around them for almost 3 years now with SPlat.
its all good...
I'm going to watch the DAW world for now and see who comes up with the features I like with SPlat because the Bakers will land someplace DAWish... I hope...
 
Peace!
 
 

Truth is, I did think about it but couldn't resist! I got my years worth so I won't complain about that.

AdamGrossmanLG
how can any company implement such a model?  lifetime updates for so cheap?

Image-Line does it with FL Studio by regularly coming out with new plugins and add-ons for sale.  The base program gets free updates, but those updates will not normally include any new effects, synths, sample libraries, etc. - just updates to the core program functionality.  As long as they keep making new add-on items that people want to buy, they have continual income.
 
When Cakewalk first announced the lifetime updates, I thought they would adopt a similar model.  It may have been their intention, but I guess there wasn't enough time to find out.  More likely it was just Gibson trying to get some quick cash.
 
Anyway, in my case, I paid $99 for the lifetime upgrades in May 2016.  If I hadn't done so, I would have had to pay $99 to renew my yearly subscription in January 2017, which I would have done, so the lifetime updates cost me nothing beyond the paltry interest I could have made keeping the $99 in the bank for seven months.  I guess people who didn't get the best price on the lifetime updates or who renewed their subscription on a different timetable may have gotten a worse deal, though.

AdamGrossmanLG
someone offering you a lifetime product for a few hundred dollars, and we don't stop to think (how can they pay developers for the rest of your life with this amount of money.  I smelt a fish back when they offered this garbage.
 
Disgusting.  Truly disgusting.

Somewhere in the fine print it said "Cakewalks Life Time"

Before there was FL Studio there was Fruityloops.  Same deal - one time buy and free updates forever.  Until Fruityloops became FL Studio.  Same program, new name, new buy in.  That is what I figured would happen with SONAR.  Fruityloops was well worth the money, and FL Studio it is still a solid program from what I understand, tho I don't use it.  It was one of the funnest beat makers around.

Ain’t 20:20 hind sight a wonderful thing.