I wrote an opinion piece on why I believe Adobe has gone too far. I can understand that Adobe was pirated (and it's almost close to impossible to combat piracy in developing countries, mind you). However, I believe that this practice might encourage more piracy in the long run. I was looking at Adobe's plans and my goodness, I have to pay every month to use it. Can a student or a teacher seriously afford the terms and services? Paying USD 20.00 a month for Photoshop would be equivalent to PHP 1162.48 per month. As I was shocked at the subscription-only model--I decided to buy an Affinity license from Microsoft. I could care less if I had to buy a license now digitally. It's still worth it buying it at one shot (and buying additional content later, that is content that I want) instead of having to pay Photoshop per month.
I wonder if Adobe was intoxicated by its past successes. Adobe became a well-known name. I took a short-term course called Associate in Computer Science back in the early 2000s--at the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus. In my second year (and the graduating year), we were taught basic multimedia. One of the many things we were taught was to use Adobe Photoshop. It was those "simpler times" and also slower Internet connection. The Internet was still considered a luxury in those times. Today, with DSL I can use the landline and the Internet at the same time! I used Adobe Photoshop enamored by its features that Microsoft Paint never had. Fortunately, Microsoft Paint evolved with the use of layers like Photoshop and Affinity Photo does. Photoshop was even used as a verb by Cebuanos. Cebuanos would say, "Well, it was Photoshopped!" like Kodak was associated with photography. I feel that yes--Adobe got intoxicated by its past success.
Customers are willing to pay more. However, make the customer pay too much and it can become extortion. It's understandable if a restaurant's items get more expensive due to operating hours and ambiance. Coffee shops are more expensive because of their ingredients and operating costs. Coffee from Starbucks isn't the same as coffee from the school canteen. Coffee shops are meeting places, which may slow down turnover rate. Most restaurants are, "You eat and you go." Coffee shops are different. Paying for a meal in the coffee shop also means paying for a meeting place too. I could understand if there's a subscription model for pro users. They need all those extensive features. However, not all who use graphics software are professional users.
I bought the Affinity License for around PHP 3,000+. It would be worth it because I'd use that software only as a hobby. I used Photoshop before only as a hobby or when I needed to use it. Affinity Photo would have that same purpose for me. In short, Affinity has become a substitute for those who find Adobe too expensive. Yes, it can be too expensive when you're not a professional graphic artist needing all the updates and features! I'm not a professional graphic artist. That means I'm better off with Affinity over Adobe then.