According to a recent article on BBC Newsbeat, Unity, the popular video game engine maker, has faced severe backlash and criticism following its proposed new pricing plan. The company had announced that it would charge studios every time a game created with its engine was installed. This decision sparked outrage among independent studios, including the creators of hit games like Among Us, Slay the Spire, and Cult of the Lamb.
Unity’s engine is widely used in the gaming industry as it provides developers with tools for animation and audio, making game development more efficient. However, this new pricing plan threatened to disrupt smaller studios that heavily rely on Unity’s technology. Many developers expressed their concerns over how this charge would be applied and feared being charged for installing pirated copies of their own games.
The reaction from the gaming community was swift and furious. Garry Newman, creator of Garry’s Mod and founder of Facepunch Studios, likened Unity’s move to Adobe charging Photoshop users for image viewing. Independent developers warned that they would abandon Unity if the plan went ahead, which could lead to delays in ongoing projects.
In response to the outcry, Unity issued a statement clarifying some conditions of its new rates in an attempt to calm the situation. The company assured developers that the “majority” would not be affected by these changes and promised to make further adjustments based on feedback from the community.
However, some notable independent studios remained skeptical and criticized Unity’s handling of the situation. Innersloth, the creator of Among Us, stated that switching engines would result in delays for desired content and features in their game. Similarly, Mega Crit, developer of Slay the Spire, expressed disappointment after spending two years working on a new title using Unity but vowed to switch engines if necessary.
Other studios such as Aggro Crab (creator of Going Under) and Massive Monster (creator of Cult of the Lamb) also voiced their concerns about potential delays and the loss of a positive experience if they were forced to abandon Unity.
Amidst the controversy, Unity faced even more challenges when it was reported that the company had received “credible” death threats, leading to the closure of two offices. The impact on major Unity titles like Genshin Impact and Pokémon Go remained uncertain, as Niantic, the maker of Pokémon Go, declined to comment on the situation.
It is worth noting that Unity’s decision could also have implications for subscription services like Microsoft Game Pass. However, specific details regarding these concerns are yet to be clarified by Unity or other industry players such as Microsoft and Valve.
Unity’s proposed pricing plan has caused significant uproar within the gaming community. While the company has expressed its willingness to make changes and address developers’ concerns, it will undoubtedly need to work hard to regain trust among independent studios who feel their interests have been disregarded.
For more information on this topic, you can read the full article on BBC Newsbeat’s website: BBC(https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-66810296.amp).
