Is Unity getting into the dream-killing business?

18.09.2023 - 10:25 / gamedeveloper.com / Marc Whitten / Unity Pro / Unity Create

Since speaking with Unity Create president Marc Whitten about the poorly-received Unity Runtime Fee, I have tried to take him and the company in good faith. However, with the repeated clarifying statements and changes to the Fee that the company has made this week, that's become harder and harder with each passing minute.

An exceptionally strange claim that Unity has repeatedly hammered (including in follow-up statements to Game Developer) has been this: the Unity Runtime Fee will not impact the vast majority of Unity developers, and only the top 10 percent of users should expect to pay significant fees.

Unity leadership surely hoped this argument would comfort the hobbyists and indies who've been public advocates for the engine. It hasn't. Why?

First, there's a clear disconnect between what Unity considers the "top 10 percent" versus the game development world. Unity is quite likely right that high-earning developers won't feel that great a sting from such a fee—but has not considered the earnings of developers doing "just pretty okay."

And second—possibly the point that risks damaging its brand more—Unity's messaging about only "the top 10 percent" of users being impacted sends a negative message to bright-eyed aspiring developers: if you do find success with Unity with your unique indie game, we'll be waiting there to take our fee.

It's a dream-killing, depressing message. Let's dig into it.

Industry observers this week have quipped that Unity is clearly trying to get "some of that Genshin Impact money." Genshin Impact, like many other popular free-to-play mobile games, is built on Unity. But even with MiHoYo paying for a Pro or Enterprise license for the studio, Unity doesn't have many tools to capitalize on how much revenue the game is bringing in.

If MiHoYo used Unity's monetization services like LevelPlay (I'm unaware if it does or doesn't), Unity could get a bigger cut of that sweet sweet Genshin pie. If MiHoYo doesn't use the service (or cut any other deal with Unity for another of its monetization products), it could be on the hook for as much as $12,000 per month.

MiHoYo would pay that price because it's likely on the Pro or Enterprise plans. If a developer releases their game on Unity Personal or Plus, the 20 cent-per-install fee that kicks in at a lower install and revenue threshold will feel much more painful. If you've already earned $200,000 in revenue and had 200,000 installs, the next 100,000 installs (installs, not users) could cost you $20,000 a month.

Don't want to pay that fee? Well jumping up to Unity Pro—and paying the higher annual fees that come with it—is right there.

Unity's messaging this week has been focused on the MiHoYos of game development (who may themselves be miffed about