Unity has issued a 180 objection to its controversial new pricing structure, which was almost unanimously condemned by users of the cross-platform game engine. New pricing policies are on the way, but they shouldn’t be too difficult for independent developers. Many developers threaten to abandon their engines and platforms in exchange for paying fees.
The change was announced just last week and immediately drew the ire of nearly everyone in the gaming community, prompting panicked “clarification” soft-pedaling about “runtime fees” that are paid every time a game is installed above a certain level. I urged. of revenue. This plan was extremely unpopular because, apart from the increased costs that many people would incur, it suggested that people running shows in Unity were completely cut off from the community.
But less than two weeks after its debut, the runtime pricing policy has undergone an almost complete reversal, and its architects have humbled themselves in front of their customers. Marc Whitten, Head of Unity Create posted an apology detailing the changes..
I would like to start now. very sorry.
We should have talked to more of you and reflected on your feedback more before announcing our new runtime pricing policy.
You are what makes Unity great. We know we have to listen to you and work hard to earn your trust. We are aware of your concerns and will be making changes to our published policies to address them.
Under the revised terms, games developed with the current version of Unity will not incur any runtime fees for developers who adopt the latest version in 2024. Free Unity Personal remains free, and there is no earning cap above which users must exceed. Upgrades to the next level have been increased to $200,000. Additionally, above $1 million, users will be able to choose between a per-user fee or a 2.5% revenue share, whichever is lower.
Witten said he would, too. Live Q&A today at 1pm PDTthere may be some more explanations in between.
Overall, this change seems to address most of the issues people had with the new conventions, and importantly, it’s more or less opt-in (or avoidance) for new projects, not games coming in 2024. It means becoming a product of success that cannot be achieved. Is it coming out now or has it been coming out for years?
But there is no doubt that the high-handed manner in which Unity sought to exploit its customers terrified the community, and while the threatened exodus is now likely to be much smaller, future shenanigans are I will continue to pay close attention. The credibility that Unity has built has been seriously damaged by this reckless move, and many developers may look more seriously at competitors rather than risk the company changing their contracts again.
