I suppose Autodesk is trying to become the only modeling company out there now. I do suspect that prices for their products will increase quite a bit...
But on the bright side, Maya will have some new features, so I guess that's something to look forward to.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw - Man and Superman