{"id":404321,"date":"2023-09-13T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T15:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?p=404321"},"modified":"2023-09-13T10:11:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T15:11:29","slug":"unity-runtime-fees-announcement-draws-heat-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/unity-runtime-fees-announcement-draws-heat-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Unity draws heat over newly announced fees tied to game installs (Update)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update (9\/13\/23): <\/strong>Following yesterday’s news, Unity has clarified and already walked back some key points. In a statement to Axios<\/a>, Unity exec Marc Whitten said fees will not be charged for demos unless they are a part of a download that includes the full game.<\/p>

Additionally, Unity looks to have walked back one issue around multiple fees. Unity now says it will only charge for an “initial installation,” per Axios, after regrouping to discuss the issue. However, an extra fee will charge if a user installs a game on a second device; once on a home PC and again on Steam Deck, for example. Whitten also says that developers will not be on the hook for fees through services like Xbox Game Pass, but rather, it would be the distributor (a.k.a. Microsoft).<\/p>

Our original story follows<\/em>.<\/p>

This morning, Unity Technologies announced an update to its pricing plans and fees that sparked a bit of an outcry among developers. Unity says that, starting on January 1 of 2024, the company will introduce a new runtime fee based on game installs for any game that passes certain thresholds.<\/p>

To break it down in straightforward terms, there are two components of Unity: the Editor and the Runtime. The Runtime is code that plays on devices, making Unity-made games work.<\/p>

This new Unity Runtime Fee, as the company dubs it, would be based on each time a game is downloaded by a user. According to Unity, games that meet these thresholds qualify:<\/p>