Gregory's ServerUnity introduces new fees for game devs based on revenue and game installs https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/09/unity-introduces-new-fees-for-game-devs-based-on-revenue-and-game-installs/
 24 comments
@gamingonlinux literally can't think of a reason to use Unity over Godot or Unreal at any skill level really. Especially being the garbage collection stutter on Unity is still an issue games have to this day. The more I think on it, the worse it sounds. How exactly are they tracking installs? We need it to be clear on what they're tracking, otherwise that's a big privacy red flag. And how accurate will it be? What about pirated installs? Charity keys? Etc. So many bits unclear. @gamingonlinux What about families who install a single purchase on multiple computers and consoles? And yes, what are they tracking to identify a unique install? @gamingonlinux Obviously this can be different for Unity, but aren't most of revenue thresholds etc. usually self-reported? @vildravn there's no way they will rely on users accurately manually reporting this kind of thing @gamingonlinux Maybe not and it will definitely make me suspicious of any Unity game going forward. A comment on the article brings up an interesting point: what about GOG offline installers? Add to that Epic Store freebies? The list of uncertain ways this could be a problem just keep appearing. Oh and hey, it's a flat-fee. So...if you're already over the thresholds and you run a sale, you're already getting less - and then you're paying Unity a flat-fee for each of those new players! Lmao. Unity RN: @gamingonlinux This *sounds* like an idea that an exec had and just ran through, and no one got a chance to actually think about it before doing it...   @gamingonlinux @ben And what about me installing it on the Deck, formatting the Deck and installing it again?  @gamingonlinux I don't see this working without the installer phoning home. New games will need to be online-once or always online. Either way, unless this is reversed, I think this is the end of Unity as a platform for low-to-moderately successful indies as we know it. @gamingonlinux Since I'm usually low on space in my internal hdd's I uninstall and reinstall some of my favorite games a lot.. will that actually cost money to the devs now?  @gamingonlinux Figure out the unity tracking, make a patcher that sends epic-bliz-micro-vision account keys for all your indie games. @gamingonlinux That has been my question. I doubt publishers and stores are going to want to track this information, so that leaves Unity phoning home... This seems like a really clumsy way to go about things. Including the fact that nobody agreed to these terms when their game was created. @gamingonlinux Unity must have woken up and thought they just had too many customers and needed to cull them down or something. |
@gamingonlinux they have actually lowered the fees (or increased the threshold).
I registered for a Unity Personal account a few days ago and it said "you need to make 100k$ or less per year". Now it is 200k$ so people can make double money than before without paying a license fee.