Seriously and without a hint of melodrama, this is a portent of the VI-apocalypse. Many people predicted it, well, now it's shifting gradually from prediction to reality. All of those "we don't like sales, our high prices assure high quality & exclusivity" promises just can't hold up anymore against all the competition that entered the market in the last 3 years. Just like EastWest a sampling generation ago, being forced into cutthroat sales for the Hollywood lineup by competition from Spitfire and OT.
And what about the new developers? I don't know how many more orchestral libraries can actually get off the ground. People won't invest in full orchestras - especially the winds and percussion - unless they already like and own the strings and brass... it's dumb but it's the reality... and the competition to sell strings and brass right now is vicious as hell. I'm worried for SoundIron's new orchestra (Hyperion) and Performance Samples (Con Moto). I think Wallbank's orchestra (Cinematic Studio) will still sell because it's designed and priced with a sort of built-in assumption of the apocalypse that's unfolding, and he hooked a lot of customers with the strings.
The message is loud and clear though. The days of selling a single orchestral department (especially strings or brass) for $500+, or single instruments for the equivalent add-it-up price, are over forever. Kind of amazing considering Hollywood Brass debuted not 8 years ago at $800.
