The only feature Poser 8 really needs is somethng like Studio's MorphLoader PRO.

You can export a posed and welded figure, fix any joint issues in a modeller, then "un-pose" and "un-weld" it during re-import.

The results are PERFECT joints that match absolutely anything the "Big Boys" can do with weightmapping.

Unfortunately these correction morphs only work 100% properly inside Studio, so Poser really needs it's own native system to finally solve the joint problem once and for all.

Studio also has a new "mixer" feature that lets you blend between figures and spawn new stand alone cr2's from those hybrids.
This is extremely usefull to fill gaps between figures.
Maddie can have an older (bigger) sister that is still younger (shorter) than Laura without any scaling issues.
Or you can blend Freak and M3 to get a "realistic Freak".
Or you can blend David and Luke for a real teenager.
Or SP3 and Laura for a real petite woman.

Possibilites are endless and as the new cr2's are stand-alone without scaling/morphing, cloth conversion for the new figures is no problem either.

I still prefer Poser for a lot of reasons over Studio, but if the next generation won't give me the same level of control over how a mesh bends and looks as (the new) Studio does, I doubt I'll waste my time with it any longer.

They had a big advantage with the MorphBrush, (Which they never really exploited, btw).
But now they have to really show something new to stay on top.

Sorry, but some "new and improved" bolt on firefly "features" or a built in "library search" just won't cut in anymore.