The controversy surrounding Unity has claimed its first victim. It's a video game that was in development for Nintendo Switch and will no longer see the light of day due to the new policies of the company that owns the graphics engine, which even with its recent changes results in unfavorable business terms for creators.
A Futuristic Racing Game Won't Come to Switch Due to the Unity Scandal
According to a report from VGC, the futuristic racing game inspired by the legendary 90s game WipeOut, BallisticNG, will no longer receive a port for Switch because its development was done in Unity, and the recent policies are not appealing to Neognosis, the studio responsible for the project. The news was confirmed by the developers themselves, who pointed out that Unity's policies, even with their recent changes, are not enough to justify a port for Nintendo's hybrid console.
Regarding this, Neognosis stated that for the port of BallisticNG on the Switch, it was necessary to update the Unity version, something that is a requirement for publishing on Nintendo's console. This would mean that this futuristic racing game would fall under Unity's new pricing scheme, where they would have to pay fees for installation or a percentage of the revenue. Considering that it is a small project that won't sell millions of copies, the business prospects under this context are almost non-existent.
Unity responded to the controversy and criticisms it received with changes in its pricing policy. While there are attractive options for small projects using a free version, the reality is different for those on a paid plan, as the company will apply fees for installations or take a percentage of the revenue generated, meaning developers will have to pay regardless.
Why Did Unity Anger the Video Game Industry?
Last week, Unity announced a new policy that would go into effect on January 1, 2024, which directly targeted subscription models like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass. Specifically, the company intended to charge a fee ranging from $0.01 USD to $0.20 USD for each installation of a game created with its engine.
After the initial criticism and the start of the scandal, Unity reversed course and claimed that the fee would only be charged for the first installation of a game, in response to concerns about potential misuse, such as mass downloads by player groups, knowing that this would impact the finances of studios and publishers. However, the change was not enough, as publishers and developers pointed out that a download fee, even if it's for the initial and only download, would be a significant financial blow.
Subsequently, some studios, such as the creators of the indie hit Cult of the Lamb, threatened to stop selling their games because they wouldn't give Unity a single extra cent beyond what was previously agreed upon. On the other hand, the situation escalated to the point that a "credible" report of death threats led to the evacuation of the company's building.
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