Unity is a popular cross-platform game and media development engine. Controversial new fee structure, developers using the platform denounced this as destructive and unfair. Now, the company is reportedly considering rescinding the announcement, at least in part.
This engine is popular among independent developers as a way to get games up and running on multiple gaming platforms while minimizing upfront costs. It was free if a developer’s revenue was less than $100,000, up to $200,000 he was in the Plus tier, and above that he was in the Pro tier. As a result, some of the biggest games out there use it, including Pokémon GO and Genshin Impact, as well as countless indie hits like Slay the Spire and Timberborn.
However, the company announced on Tuesday morning Starting in 2024, the company will charge a $0.20 fee for each game install if a title sells 200,000 copies and the developer earns $200,000 in revenue. Developers who pay higher subscription tiers have higher sales thresholds and lower fees (and remain free for developers who don’t meet those milestones).
Selling 200,000 copies may be a dream come true for many indie developers. And while Unity itself estimates that about 10% of its users fall under this umbrella, there are many users for whom this fee could be disastrous. A game whose Unity licensing costs have already been recouped many times over will suddenly become a liability. A spike in sales can result in fees of thousands of dollars. And on mobile, many games are free and rely on ads and in-game monetization, so climbing to the top of the App Store list can cost creators a lot of money and reduce their immediate income. I can’t get it.
Unity’s original language and new fee description suggested that pirated and repeat installs would also incur fees, something developers called unprecedented.
Multiple creators of popular games, perhaps famous ones Among Us Developer Innerslothstated that instead of paying the fee, they would take the game offline or delay further development to port it to another engine. (Open source Godot There is considerable interest. )
“This will not only hurt us, but other game studios of all budgets and sizes,” the developer wrote in a post to X/Twitter. “If this were to happen, it would delay content and features that players actually want to port the game to elsewhere (as others are also considering). However, many developers I don’t have the time or means to do the same thing. Don’t do it. What?”
Dan Marshall of Size Five Games was less diplomatic, telling Eurogamer: Most indies don’t have the resources to deal with such terrible logistics. ”(Unreal he will start charging 5% royalty) After gross revenue reaches $1 million From the product. )
The next day, Unity clarified and reversed some of its policies, explaining that fees are not retroactive and changing the policy to only charge for the initial installation on a device. The fees will also go to resellers such as Microsoft in the case of Game Pass (which generates a huge number of downloads), but how will this be done and which platforms will fall under its umbrella? is unknown. If a major game store suddenly became responsible for paying millions of dollars in game fees, it would be much more likely to simply remove Unity-based titles or contest its policies rather than pay. At the time of publication, Unity had not responded to my questions regarding these points.
Weekend, Unity I apologized He said an updated policy would be announced “within the next few days.” However, the news appears to have spread within the company at an all-hands meeting. Obtained by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. (Also, Unity had not responded to my questions about the report’s accuracy by the time of publication.)
In the updated pricing structure that Unity is expected to announce soon, downloads will not be counted retroactively (meaning all games will start from zero once the policy is implemented) and the fee will be $1 million per game. Limited to 4% of revenue if reached. . The former measure makes the new fees less of a ticking time bomb for some publishers. The latter measure is clearly aimed at making the engine more competitive with Unreal, which, as mentioned above, costs a little more.
Installations will also be self-declared, which brings its own challenges, and it’s not yet clear whether Gamepass or a similar service will be the payer on your behalf.
This change may move some developers toward satisfaction with the new structure. But the tone in the online creator community is that Unity has clumsily rolled out what they thought they knew (Because my employees said so) A highly unpopular policy suggests some kind of fundamental lack of understanding or consideration at the company.
“It will be difficult for Unity to regain developer trust.” Danny Gray of Ustwo Games told GamesIndustry.biz.. “Even if everything goes back to normal, trust will be lost.”
