I always thought this clip was a good explanation to what happens to product design/innovation in a monopoly environment. In the case of software products/services like Adobe, Autodesk, and others - it's pretty obvious.
https://youtu.be/_1rXqD6M614
In regards to subscription/software-as-a-service business models - I'm not a fan. I terminated my MSA with MAXON on R20. I'm pretty confident I can sit on this version for a few years and not miss-out of productivity or new features.
I agree, BodyPaint/UV system overhaul would be worth upgrading.