You may have heard of Unity, one of the most popular game engines used by developers around the world. However, recent changes to Unity’s pricing structure have sparked outrage and concern within the indie game development community. In this article, we will explore the backlash and protest that several game developers have initiated against Unity’s new policies and discuss the potential consequences for the industry as a whole.
Unity’s new pricing structure, set to take effect in January 2024, will charge developers every time someone installs their game once they reach a certain revenue or installation threshold. While Unity claims that fees for charity games/bundles will be exempted, there is still confusion over how the company will differentiate between exempted and non-exempted games. This lack of transparency is causing anxiety among indie developers who fear financial risks and potential harm to their businesses.
The discontent among game developers is growing, with several expressing their intention to abandon Unity and switch to other game engines like Godot or Unreal. FrogteamGames, the developer behind Frogsong, voiced their concerns on Xitter, stating that future development in Unity has become a financial risk for indie developers like themselves. They believe that Unity’s new fees do not benefit developers and instead can actively harm them. Similarly, Innersloth, the studio behind Among Us, also shared their considerations to port their game elsewhere if Unity’s new pricing structure takes effect, delaying content and features that players want.
A Threat to Business Sustainability
Aggro Crab, developer of Another Crab’s Treasure, expressed grave concerns over the impact on their business. With an upcoming release on Xbox Game Pass in 2024, the studio fears that Unity’s fees could significantly dent their income and threaten the sustainability of their business. This decision puts studios in a precarious position, questioning whether sticking with Unity is justifiable for their future titles. A sense of urgency is evident as developers appeal to Unity to rethink their decisions and prioritize their product’s actual users over shareholders.
While Unity has clarified that the Unity Runtime Fee would be charged to the entity distributing the runtime, such as Microsoft in the case of Game Pass, there are concerns regarding the potential cost implications for studios with projects on Game Pass. Even if directly unaffected, developers worry that the additional costs shouldered by Microsoft could be passed down to them, further straining their financial resources. Moreover, publishers are now considering whether to publish Unity games if the new pricing structure comes into effect, potentially limiting the options available to Unity developers in the future.
One of the major concerns raised by developers is how Unity will differentiate between legitimate installs and unauthorized copies or malicious reinstallations designed to harm developers. Unity’s proprietary data model, which they are unwilling to disclose in detail, is supposed to provide an accurate determination of the number of times the runtime is distributed. However, this request for trust has left many developers skeptical, as they worry about the potential for over-reporting and the validity of the system.
Unity’s new pricing structure has generated significant unrest among game developers, particularly indie studios who perceive the changes as a financial risk and a disregard for their interests. The protest against Unity’s decisions highlights the need for transparency and fairness in the relationship between game engines and developers. As the fallout from these changes continues, it remains to be seen whether Unity will address the concerns raised by the developer community and take steps to reverse or amend their new pricing structure.
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