Games

Dear friends, fellow gamers, and game devs alike,

I write this today with a heavy heart as I share with you the emotional journey I’ve been on recently, one that has led me to suspend all of my game projects as they were all being created with Unity. My hope is that by opening up to you, you’ll understand the reasons behind my difficult decision.

Unity was more than just a game engine; it was the embodiment of creative spirits worldwide. However, recent changes in Unity’s nefarious pricing structure have left me not just disappointed, but utterly shattered.

The catalyst for this turmoil was Unity’s attempt to introduce a $0.20 install fee for games generating over $200,000 annually and over 200,000 lifetime installs. While this might not have immediately impacted me, I know it impacts an unimaginable amount of other game developers out there, and the issue here runs far deeper than the financial implications.

It boils down to trust, a fundamental bond between a creator and the tools they depend on.

Unity’s announcement of this fee applying retroactively to all games ever made in Unity felt like betrayal. How could such a move be legal, let alone ethically sound? To make matters worse, Unity confessed that they lacked a precise method to track installations accurately and would bill the game devs based on estimates. It left me questioning whether the minds behind Unity inhabited the same reality as the rest of us.

For a while, I remained silent, observing the community’s merited backlash, feeling powerless to contribute constructively as I hadn’t yet released any games. But now, in light of Unity’s response and their revised pricing model, I find myself at a crossroads.

Unity has undeniably evolved and expanded its services over the years, and I appreciate that rising costs necessitate price adjustments. However, what I cannot accept is unbridled greed. To be fair, Unity’s newest revised pricing structure seems to be “reasonable” on the surface, and, had this been the initial approach, this entire ordeal might have been averted.

Yet, the trust Unity broke within me – and many other game devs – cannot be mended.

These past few weeks have been a period of mourning for me, not just for the loss of my Unity-based projects, but also for the trust that was shattered. I’ve redirected my energy towards learning the Godot Game engine and acquiring game assets independent of any specific game engine.

Long story short, I find myself unable to place my faith in a company that attempted to bill its dedicated and committed customers under a “Trust me bro, this is what you owe me” system. Thus, I’ve made the heart-wrenching decision to temporarily suspend all my projects. I will embark on the journey of rebuilding my games, in Godot. I promise to keep you updated regularly through my website and social media as I forge ahead and move forward.

To all of you who have patiently waited for my games, I offer my deepest apologies for the delay. Your continued support and interest in my work mean the world to me, and I’m committed to delivering creations that live up to your expectations.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Together, we will rebuild better than before, rekindling the flames of creativity and a brighter, more promising future.