The resistance against Unity is heating up
Unity's recent announcement about its new pricing structure has left the game development community in turmoil. Under the proposed changes, set to roll out in January 2024, devs crossing a specific revenue or installation threshold will incur fees for each game download. This decision has sparked a vocal backlash, with several developers, including FrogteamGames, Innersloth, and AGGRO CRAB, publicly opposing the move and contemplating a shift to alternative engines like Godot or Unreal.
FrogteamGames, the minds behind "Frogsong," highlighted the financial risk this imposes on indie studios. They point out that the fees undermine giveaways, charity bundles, and subscription platforms like GamePass, stating, "These fees do not benefit developers in any way, and instead can actively harm them."
Innersloth, the creators of the popular "Among Us," warned that the change would lead to delayed content and could hamper studios of all sizes. AGGRO CRAB, currently working on "Another Crab’s Treasure" for Xbox Game Pass, added that Unity's fees could "threaten the sustainability" of their business.
Unity clarified that "charity games/bundles are exempted from fees," but didn’t specify how they'd distinguish those from other games. There's also ambiguity about who'd bear these fees for Game Pass titles—Microsoft or the individual studios. Regardless, the fear is that costs could eventually trickle down to the developers.
Further muddying the waters is Unity's opacity on how they'll accurately count legitimate game installs, a concern echoed by several developers.
With rising discontent and plans to abandon Unity if the changes stand, it's clear that Unity's new pricing strategy is causing more than a little discord in the gaming community. Developers are calling for a rollback, advocating for a model that doesn’t compromise the financial health and creative freedom of game makers.
Source: Weibo