I guess what I meant is that the alternative to blender isn't Maya - Maya is a closed system (yes, it has plugins and scripting, but you can't change the intern

I guess what I meant is that the alternative to blender isn't Maya - Maya is a closed system (yes, it has plugins and scripting, but you can't change the internals, which are pretty messy). Right now the biggest studios are choosing to build their own proprietary platforms (ILM, Pixar, DD, Disney, DWA, etc) and replicate work instead of collaborating on an open-source platform. It's an opportunity for a medium sized studio to start taking a competitive advantage in technology, imho.