MODO
I've been thinking about trying my hand at 3D modeling to create prerendered game graphics. While reading through the usual "Which is better: 3DS Max, Maya, or Blender?" articles I found a few mentions of The Foundry's "MODO" and am becoming more and more convinced it's probably the way to go.
It's quite expensive ($1,800) but that's comparable to 3DS Max and Maya. MODO seems to be the package of choice for Pixar, ILM, and other big studios. There's surprisingly little content on the net comparing it to other 3D packages or describing how to use it to make games - it just doesn't seem to have much penetration into the gamedev market.
The workflow videos on the MODO site are amazing, the buy-in from major studios is impressive, MODO's pedigree is impeccable (created by Alan Hastings and other former NewTek/Lightwave engineers), and this independent research paper pretty much seals the deal:
http://www.pfeifferreport.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MODO_Creative_Efficiency_MAX.pdf
There's also a MODO vs. Maya version here:
http://www.pfeifferreport.com/v2/downloads/
And here's the MODO home page:
http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/modo/
I'm gonna finish up some programming work first and then try out the 30 day trial!