Unity Claims Playstation, Xbox, & Nintendo will pay its new runtime fees on behalf of devs

[anonpuffs]

twistedvoxel

Unity Technologies has stated that PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo will pay the company’s new runtime fee on behalf of game developers.

A new FAQ has been shared by Unity Technologies, which answers questions regarding the company’s recent change in pricing plan for its game development engine.



According to the FAQ, the Unity runtime fee will be charged to the entity that distributes the runtime, implying that digital store owners, such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, will be liable to pay the company’s new runtime fee on behalf of game developers who sell titles developed using the game engine. It’s unclear if Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are aware of this particular change in policy, and whether they’d be willing to comply with Unity Technologies.

Indie game publisher Top Hat Studios pointed out that Unity has used specific language, now repeated by executives, that the company will bill “the entity that distributes the runtime”. It sought clarification on whether Unity is planning to bill Nintendo for every install on Switch, and Sony for every install on PlayStation. As of writing, the game engine maker has yet to offer clarification on the matter.

Game developers from across the globe have raised concern regarding the aforementioned pricing changes made by Unity Technologies. The game engine maker had announced that it will soon be taking a fee from developers for every copy of a Unity game installed over a certain threshold, regardless of how that copy was obtained.

Indie game studio Aggro Crab has stated that its game, Another Crab’s Treasure, will be coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024, which means that it will be free to install for the 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download the game, Unity could take a fee that puts an enormous dent in the developer’s income and threatens the sustainability of its business. Similarly, Colorgrave Games has expressed its shock over Unity’s new pricing plan, stating that it dramatically and negatively impacts the community of smaller developers that it helped support, including itself.

Innersloth, the studio behind the popular social deduction game, Among Us, stated that the pricing change made by Unity would not only bring harm to its developers, but fellow game studios of all budgets and sizes. Meanwhile, indie game developer Studio Kumiho also raised concern in its statement, stating that the pricing change from Unity could put many careers in an uncertain position.

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Possibly the most deranged thing I've ever read.

 

[Zzero]

If I were any one of them I'd just release a firmware update to disable Unity's tracker instead. Apparently its easy enough to do on PC.

 

[Box]

The CEO needs to be thrown in prison for life, all his assets seized

 

[Entropi]

I feel many American CEOs are living in a bubble as of late. Not facing consequences for your actions throughout your life will do that to you.

 

[Zzero]

The CEO needs to be thrown in prison for life, all his assets seized

For closing Westwood and Bullfrog, right?

 

[laynelane]

I have doubts about whether PS, XBox, and Nintendo will pay this. Why should they? They pay for the game on their service and then have to pay further if the developer happened to use Unity - it makes no sense for them to go along with this, especially since there was no contract or agreement in place prior to Unity suddenly deciding to become as greedy as fucking possible.

 

[ethomaz]

I have doubts about whether PS, XBox, and Nintendo will pay this. Why should they? They pay for the game on their service and then have to pay further if the developer happened to use Unity - it makes no sense for them to go along with this, especially since there was no contract or agreement in place prior to Unity suddenly deciding to become as greedy as fucking possible.

They pay a lot of licenses to devs already…
Oodle and Dolby are examples.

 

[alphachino]

I hope the platform holders just straight up reject Unity games from their stores if this is in any way enforceable. Finding out a game is built on Unity illicits instant buyers' remorse in me so the quicker they're dead, the better. A world without their shitty, frame-pacing hell, unoptimised engine, is a world I want to live in.

 

[Deleted member 223]

Lol.... talk about doubling down.

It's war out here!

Remember, it's this outstanding fella at the helm...

These gaming CEO's need to be brought to heel. We've had quite a few uptight assholes with illusions of grandeur strong arming left and right. The "Gods" of gaming. If they can get away with murder, for a buck o five, they will.

Fuck this clown.

 

[Darth Vader]

I feel many American CEOs are living in a bubble as of late. Not facing consequences for your actions throughout your life will do that to you.

As of late?

 

[Box]

I hope the platform holders just straight up reject Unity games from their stores if this is in any way enforceable. Finding out a game is built on Unity illicits instant buyers' remorse in me so the quicker they're dead, the better. A world without their shitty, frame-pacing hell, unoptimised engine, is a world I want to live in.

This might unite Sony,Nintendo,Apple,Google,Valve and Microsoft

 

[Yurinka]

In the gaming industry everyone assumed that the "entity that distributes the runtime" is the game's publisher, not the platform holder. Because it's the publisher who traditonally always distributed the game and published to the different retail and digital stores.

That also means that in case of self publishing it's the dev who pays it. And well, in a case where the publisher and devs are different companies the publisher will add this cost to the list of costs that will have to be recouped before splitting their revenue, meaning the dev is who will be "charged" too in that case.

In any case, this fee is a nonsensical and too complicated dumb idea. The CEO and whoever else approved this crap must be fired. They should instead charge in a simpler way like Unreal: don't charge for seats using Unity and don't charge for installs. Instead charge a small percent of the game revenue after the game generated enough money to be profitable. In the case of Unreal, they charge 5% of the revenue after the game generated over a million dollars. And as a separated service charge for optional courses/training or additional dedicated support.

And then spend the money earned on improving the engine instead of acquiring ads companies and stuff like that.

 

[Entropi]

As of late?

Touché

 

[Snes nes]

Yeah just charge the platform holders that'll work

 

[Bryank75]

'We will charge the platform holders'

Jim Ryan;

 

[KiryuRealty]

twistedvoxel



Possibly the most deranged thing I've ever read.

That means a LOT, considering you have read tweets posted by Senjutsu Sage!

 

[Yurinka]

'We will charge the platform holders'

Well, Unity didn't say that. The OP is wrong.