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thewayneI wrote about this quite a bit when it was happening a year ago.
One year ago to pretty much the day, Unity, a video game development system, announced that they were going to start charging a runtime fee, or basically for every copy of the game sold. Previously it was sold on the basis of developer installations, and in many cases was free to tiny development studios or solo developers.
The blowback was indescribable, with many studios threatening to stop development in Unity or to switch to other development platforms. There were resignations within Unity at the top levels and their stock took a pummeling. Speaking of which, the announcement took place not long after they did their IPO.
Now they've decided that they're reverting to their per developer install model, and as of the start of the new year, will be increasing the cost of their Pro and Enterprise licensing tiers. Those levels come with increased level of support and access, making them somewhat worth the money paid.
Of course the big question is: how much did their subscriber base shrink due to this incredibly stupid move? If I were a developer and had been burned by them, then switched to another platform, I wouldn't go back. Of course, if the other platform was not meeting needs and expectations, that's a different issue. Lots of things to consider. Fortunately that is not the type of programmer that I am, and I am ever so glad that I am not! Commercial video game production is a horrible industry!
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/unity-is-killing-its-controversial-runtime-fee
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/09/12/1615225/unity-is-killing-its-controversial-runtime-fee
One year ago to pretty much the day, Unity, a video game development system, announced that they were going to start charging a runtime fee, or basically for every copy of the game sold. Previously it was sold on the basis of developer installations, and in many cases was free to tiny development studios or solo developers.
The blowback was indescribable, with many studios threatening to stop development in Unity or to switch to other development platforms. There were resignations within Unity at the top levels and their stock took a pummeling. Speaking of which, the announcement took place not long after they did their IPO.
Now they've decided that they're reverting to their per developer install model, and as of the start of the new year, will be increasing the cost of their Pro and Enterprise licensing tiers. Those levels come with increased level of support and access, making them somewhat worth the money paid.
Of course the big question is: how much did their subscriber base shrink due to this incredibly stupid move? If I were a developer and had been burned by them, then switched to another platform, I wouldn't go back. Of course, if the other platform was not meeting needs and expectations, that's a different issue. Lots of things to consider. Fortunately that is not the type of programmer that I am, and I am ever so glad that I am not! Commercial video game production is a horrible industry!
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/unity-is-killing-its-controversial-runtime-fee
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/09/12/1615225/unity-is-killing-its-controversial-runtime-fee
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Date: 2024-09-13 04:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-13 04:55 pm (UTC)One can hope that this lesson is never forgotten by Unity and they don't edge close to that decision again.
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Date: 2024-09-13 07:07 pm (UTC)I saw a Slashdot comment that implied before Unity's cash grab that Godot was in use 1:8 and is now 1:2! So while not the majority platform, significantly elevated!
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Date: 2024-09-13 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-13 11:40 pm (UTC)Hugs, Jon