Monday, September 18th 2023
Unity to Start Charging Per-Installation Fee with New Business Model Update
Unity is introducing some notable changes to its pricing and service offerings, slated to take effect on January 1, 2024. The new Unity Runtime Fee will be based on the number of game installs at the heart of these changes. This fee will apply every time an end user downloads a qualifying game. Unity believes this initial install-based fee allows creators to retain the financial benefits of ongoing player engagement, unlike a model based on revenue sharing. The company clarifies that the fee refers explicitly to the Unity Runtime, part of the Unity Engine that enables games to run on different devices. Additionally, these changes are not going to be not retroactive or perpetual. Instead, all fees will start counting on January 1, 2024. The fee will apply once for each new install and not an ongoing perpetual license royalty, like revenue share.
However, the new Unity Runtime Fee comes with specific thresholds for revenue and installs, designed to ensure that smaller creators are not adversely affected. For Unity Personal and Unity Plus, the fee applies only to games that have generated $200,000 or more in the last 12 months and have a minimum of 200,000 lifetime installs. For Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise, the fee kicks in for games that have made $1,000,000 or more in the last 12 months and have at least 1,000,000 lifetime installs. The table below shows which Unity accounts pay what fees, with costs ranging from $0.2 per install after the first 200,000 installs. After one million installs, each new install starts at $0.15 and $0.125 for Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise, respectively. As the game gains traction, install fees decay, as shown in the table below.
Update 15:36 UTC: Unity issued a statement on company's Twitter/X account that promises changes in the couple of days.
Source:
Unity
However, the new Unity Runtime Fee comes with specific thresholds for revenue and installs, designed to ensure that smaller creators are not adversely affected. For Unity Personal and Unity Plus, the fee applies only to games that have generated $200,000 or more in the last 12 months and have a minimum of 200,000 lifetime installs. For Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise, the fee kicks in for games that have made $1,000,000 or more in the last 12 months and have at least 1,000,000 lifetime installs. The table below shows which Unity accounts pay what fees, with costs ranging from $0.2 per install after the first 200,000 installs. After one million installs, each new install starts at $0.15 and $0.125 for Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise, respectively. As the game gains traction, install fees decay, as shown in the table below.
We have heard you. We apologize for the confusion and angst the runtime fee policy we announced on Tuesday caused. We are listening, talking to our team members, community, customers, and partners, and will be making changes to the policy. We will share an update in a couple of days. Thank you for your honest and critical feedback.
67 Comments on Unity to Start Charging Per-Installation Fee with New Business Model Update
The folks who already have a game near completion in the pipeline or too far into development to turn back and re-build in a different engine. These folks will finish their game then use a different engine for the next.
There is not a single ounce of trust that remains after they pulled the carpet out from peoples feet like that.
But what developer is going to trust an engine that will try and do this again?
I shall sit back and enjoy the popcorn for when M$, Sony and Nintendo stomp this c*nt and his cabal of fellow execs into oblivion -
Well as some devs have said now, too little too late - www.theregister.com/2023/09/18/unity_runtime_fee_changes/
Read. Not all of this is true, but enough is to be damning:
Kick the entire board in the nutsack, fire the CEO, restore unity
Gullible.
Backfired.
Didnt expect an alternative view on John though, that said he wasnt the only one to dump shares before the announcement - www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/u/insider-activity. This stinks of illeagal insider trading and some investors have already kicked off court proceedings, well before the september announcement - news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/unity-software-leaders-accused-of-insider-trading-on-bad-metrics