Really? Is it possible for a beginner? Just keep in mind that we are talking about a studio. A software with all tools included, not a Lite-C software construction kit.

And keep in mind that we are talking about games. I mean: try to setup these shaders plus shadow mapping for a real game if you want to compare with other engines. Try to apply shadows to a complete outdoor scene, not a house and 2 trees (e.g. multi resolution shadow mapping).

This is what they are talking about and there is a lot of truth in the postings above (available platforms, ease of use, real-time editing, production-ready software).

But you are right if you mention the price. T3D and Unity are just more expensive. So Gamestudio keeps the best solution for kids and students. And I think this is easy to see in the forum as well. This is not a bad thing.

So you just have to distinguish if you are talking about learning 3d programming with very low budget or if you really are making something for sale with lots of platforms and efficient time usage in mind.

Gamestudio will not die because of the price advantage. But finished indie games will be published in greater amount with the use of Unity and T3D. And there is no doubt that there will be finished games made with Gamestudio as well. But it will be a smaller amount and they will be Windows only.