,
18 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
I know this industry and my many friends and peers in it so well, it's scary.
Remember this Tweet?
Remember this Tweet?
Here is the result of yesterday's drama.
@EpicGames and @Improbableio have now teamed up to send up a $25M fund for SpatialOS devs using @unity3d to transition out of that engine.
gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-…
@EpicGames and @Improbableio have now teamed up to send up a $25M fund for SpatialOS devs using @unity3d to transition out of that engine.
gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-…
I had written (pinned to my profile) a lengthy thread explaining why this spat was bad, and that even though you can transition from Unity to UE4 (the obvious choice here), that it was super expensive to even consider. Especially for devs who have no experience with UE4.
None of this will effect the Unity business model. Why? Because SpatialOS isn't geared toward the many game types that devs are building these days.
Regardless, this fiasco should be a wakeup call and reminder that, right|wrong, legal or not, something like this CAN happen.
Regardless, this fiasco should be a wakeup call and reminder that, right|wrong, legal or not, something like this CAN happen.
Make no mistake, regardless of who is footing the bill, transitioning from one engine (let alone Unity) to another more about about talent, resources, and time.
It doesn't matter if someone backs up a truck of money allowing you to do it, because no competent CTO will make that decision lightly because changes in a project go beyond the engine that powers it.
Porting is rife with gotchas, you encounter new features (new shiny objects), which only serve as distractions - all of which CAN and WILL take your project off course, and in most cases, right off a cliff. Usually around the time the money runs out.
So while this $25M fund is a great gesture for affected devs using Unity with SpatialOS, it comes with all the baggage and risks associated with any game porting attempts.
In case you're wondering why Improbable didn't just push for a custom Unity license, and just pay Unity to continue doing what they're doing, rather than offloading the risks that come with ports on the devs. So are we.
That Herman called it a shakedown, says it all.
That Herman called it a shakedown, says it all.
It's a fine line to walk though. On one hand Unity has the right to protect it's business model, uphold its EULA (which they changed about 6 months ago wrt this furor), make money etc. On the other hand, they basically put devs and a middleware partner at great economic risk.
Most of us don't bother to read the changes in ToS and EULA licenses when presented to us. Because nobody gives a sh*t; as it's not like you can dispute them and force the company to revise them. Your ONLY choice is not agree, then you go find something else to use.
Negotiating a custom license comes with its own slew of problems which tend to manifest themselves when relationships break (see Crytek v CIG) down. So even if you do get a license/contract that's agreeable, it tends to be only as good as the desire to litigate its merits.
Setting aside the allegations of license abuse, the fact that Unity made this EULA change, mere months after buying a business that in some ways competes with its own middleware partner, thus creating their own conflict in the process, is dubious enough.
They have the right to profit from their acquisitions and to build their business. But making changes which directly affect the business model of a partner is the sort of thing we expect from those other guys who don't care either way.
This is why, as a legacy dev, I applaud this decision by Epic and Improbable to step up and offer to support the devs who would be affected by this Unity change. Sure everyone in the chain stands to gain, but that's what we do because we're not a charity.
Hopefully this incident sends a message to others who would consider pulling a stunt like this. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I have great respect for all my peers and friends at Unity, but this is a very Black mark in an otherwise stellar industry record.
I have great respect for all my peers and friends at Unity, but this is a very Black mark in an otherwise stellar industry record.
But this is part of industry history now. So we learn, change, and move on. As gamers and game devs, part of the drama machine, we hold on to sh*t forever - and a day. So my guess is that the industry isn't likely to forget what just happened.
{end}
{end}
