Actually to get nearly all the features of Sonar Platinum you’d have to buy PT HD and that’s $399/ year. I know because I do. To make matters worse I get a suite of plugins along with that too. Great, but if I decide not to update then I lose use of those plugins. Bad luck if any of my projects used them.

If an update has a value to you then you pay it if not then stay at the level you’re at and save your money.

Nobody is forcing updates, which are the only "subscription" part.  If you think they're too expensive (like i do), then don't buy them!  
As mentioned above, Cakewalk is a company that needs to turn a profit to keep producing a great DAW.  So they're free to charge whatever they feel is appropriate.  Whining about it won't do any good, especially here on a User Forum.  
The beauty of free-market capitalism is that if you don't like this DAW, you're free to take your business elsewhere.  Maybe you'll find something that suits you better, maybe you won't.
 

First year of Sonar Platinum rolling updates were only $149.00
Second year it was $199.00 , now its $249.00 .....so will it be
$299.00 next year $349.99 the year after that,,,, and you will say ... but they improved the LP EQ and the LP Multi comp .  I been using Cakewalk since 1996 ... I stuck with it because that's what I know and I'm a PC guy. Since Gibson bought it, Its got a greedy Corporate feel to it with polite receptionists and mediators. This is the first time I have been offended by this companies Policies. I know you will not change on account of me . I just want to speak my opinion before I Bail.
 
 

Back in the day I only upgraded when the bakers pulled a really tempting feature out the oven.
Else I'd skip a version or two. That meant the cost of upgrading went up with each skip, but I was cool with that.
 
CW offers pricepoints for every pocket and you can make music with all of them.
My interface came with a free version of Sonar LE.

bobgassert
First year of Sonar Platinum rolling updates were only $149.00
Second year it was $199.00 , now its $249.00

 
Actually right now it's $199. Very few people buy any products at the full list price, they wait for a discount or promotion.
 
However it's also important to remember that unlike some programs, you don't have to update every year; SONAR will keep on working. With a program that forces people to pay for a subscription every year or their projects disappear, the company can charge less per year because that's guaranteed income (or extortion, if you prefer ). 
 
It used to be that each year had a different version of SONAR. If you wanted to update from a version that was two or three years old, it cost you more than if you updated from the previous version. That's kind of the way things work now, except that those who feel they need to upgrade every year end up paying more. I think a lot of people will skip an upgrade, as they often did in the past. If they do, the upgrade price probably ends up being about the same after two years, assuming they wait for a sale.

Anderton

bobgassert
First year of Sonar Platinum rolling updates were only $149.00
Second year it was $199.00 , now its $249.00

 
Actually right now it's $199. Very few people buy any products at the full list price, they wait for a discount or promotion.
 
However it's also important to remember that unlike some programs, you don't have to update every year; SONAR will keep on working. With a program that forces people to pay for a subscription every year or their projects disappear, the company can charge less per year because that's guaranteed income (or extortion, if you prefer ). 
 
It used to be that each year had a different version of SONAR. If you wanted to update from a version that was two or three years old, it cost you more than if you updated from the previous version. That's kind of the way things work now, except that those who feel they need to upgrade every year end up paying more. I think a lot of people will skip an upgrade, as they often did in the past. If they do, the upgrade price probably ends up being about the same after two years, assuming they wait for a sale.

After all this time, people are still confusing the Photoshop (pay monthly to keep using the software) with the Cakewalk, pay monthly until the full amount is paid, then you can continue using Sonar.  People just can't seem to grasp that after you paid your monthly, pay as you go, plan you OWN Sonar, with no further payments necessary.
Then if you want to get updates, you can pay more monthly payments.   It's really not that difficult a concept.

And these same people who were complaining about the "Lifetime Deal", saying it was unfair, are the same people now complaining that this Lifetime update deal is no longer available for them.  How many months was that deal available?   You snooze, you lose.   But you still get to keep using your bought and paid for copy of Sonar.