Game creators criticize upcoming fees for 2024, as company executive revises initial proposal
Unity, the tech company, has attempted to provide clarity regarding its contentious decision to impose a new fee on game developers. In a blog post on its official site last night, the company disclosed the introduction of a “runtime fee,” necessitating developers to pay a set amount each time a game, constructed using the Unity Engine, is installed by a player.
Unity specified that the fee would only apply after a game generated $200,000 (£160,000) in 12 months and accumulated at least 200,000 lifetime game installs. Despite these conditions, developers expressed their displeasure on social media.
Several individuals highlighted the risk of malicious installs, as discontented gamers might uninstall and reinstall games repeatedly to impose substantial costs on developers. There were also apprehensions about potential hefty charges if games were featured in charity bundles or subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.
Unity’s pricing adjustment “will devastate charity bundles,” according to developer Callum Underwood on X. He expressed concerns that developers would be hesitant to contribute thousands of keys to bundles supporting charitable causes if it meant potentially incurring charges from Unity.
Indie developer Aggro Crab shared on X: “Guess who has a somewhat highly anticipated game coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024? That’s right, it’s us and a lot of other developers. That means Another Crab’s Treasure will be free to install for 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download our game, Unity could impose a fee that significantly impacts our income and jeopardizes the sustainability of our business.
Unity later issued a clarification on X, stating, “Currently, a vast majority of Unity Editor users are not paying anything and will not be impacted by this change. The Unity Runtime fee will not affect most of our developers. The developers who will be affected are typically those with successful games generating revenue significantly exceeding the thresholds outlined in our blog.”
To address developer concerns, Unity established an FAQ page on its forum.
In an interview with the tech news site Axios on Tuesday night, Marc Whitten, the president for Create solutions at Unity, scaled down the scope of the fees. He asserted that developers would no longer be billed for multiple installs of games by malicious users. Instead, there would be a charge for the initial installation and then a second installation on a different device. However, this contradicts the information in the company’s FAQ, which states, “The creator will need to pay for all future installs. The reason is that Unity doesn’t receive end-player information, just aggregate data.
Whitten also mentioned that games featured in charity bundles would be exempt from charges. However, Unity would depend on developers informing the company of their participation. He further reassured developers that they wouldn’t incur fees for standalone demos or if their games were included in subscription services. In such cases, the responsibility for the fee would lie with the platform holder.
Despite Unity’s assurances, some developers remain apprehensive, feeling that the company has breached their trust by introducing new fees with uncertain implications. Many game developers have committed to using the Unity game engine based on its previous licensing terms.
Developer Tom Francis expressed on X that the issue wasn’t the specifics of the new fee but the problematic nature of its implementation. He emphasized the concern about a partner capable of altering the revenue share after a game has been created and released, suggesting that such partners should be avoided.
Veteran developer and consultant Rami Ismail echoed a similar sentiment. He stated, “Listen folks, y’all can stop arguing the specifics […] Unity should not be able to retroactively change the terms & conditions on products or sales you’ve already made. Them making this move says they’re willing to, and that should be terrifying.
The new fees are slated to take effect on January 1. Charges will vary based on the developer’s licensing agreement with Unity, with the highest rate set at $0.20 per install. However, game developers who have already committed to extended development cycles with the Unity Game engine now confront an uncertain future.