The Unity Runtime Fee Sparks Controversy Within the Gaming Industry
The gaming industry is abuzz with talk of the Unity Runtime Fee, a new fee implemented by Unity that requires developers to pay $0.20 for every download their game receives. This change has sparked protests from many developers, who believe that it will have a negative impact on their businesses. However, the controversy surrounding the fee has also brought attention to some of Unity’s other questionable business practices.
One such practice is the removal of the terms of service (ToS) from Unity’s website. Critics argue that this was done in an attempt to avoid scrutiny and hide the terms that may have gone against the implementation of the fee. Unity has responded to these accusations on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the removal was due to low viewership of the page, not an attempt to hide the terms.
“I totally hear your frustration!❤️ Just to echo what Marc said, we are so sorry for our earlier actions. Genuinely disappointed at how our removal of the ToS has been framed across the internet. We removed it way before the pricing change was announced because the views were so low.” – Unity (@unity)
While Unity claims that the ToS was removed due to low viewership, this raises its own questions. The ToS is an important document that outlines the rights of those using Unity, and its removal, regardless of viewership, can be seen as an attempt to avoid scrutiny. This has led to accusations that Unity was acting in bad faith and violating its own terms with the original version of the Runtime Fee. Critics argue that hiding the ToS was a way to release an updated version of the fee without proper oversight.
Furthermore, legal firm Wiggins LLP has questioned the legality of the Unity Runtime Fee. They argue that the sudden implementation of the fee without sufficient notice could be grounds for contention.
Marc Whitten, a representative from Unity, has acknowledged that the company could have handled the implementation of the Runtime Fee better. However, he also stated that any significant changes to the company’s policies would have been met with controversy. While Unity has made some adjustments to the fee, such as allowing developers to continue using the Unity Personal Plan for no additional cost, the controversial changes are still being implemented.
In related news, AppLovin has released a new tool that allows developers to migrate from Unity to the Unreal and Godot engines.
Source: Pocket Gamer