Unity, which made the price change, closed multiple offices after receiving threats.



It was reported that Unity Technologies, which develops the game engine ``Unity,'' has closed multiple offices after receiving ``credible threats.'' Unity introduced a new pricing system on September 12, 2023 that ``charges fees based on the number of times a game is installed,'' which drew anger from game developers.

Unity shuts two offices, citing threats after controversial pricing changes | Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/09/potential-threat-shuts-two-unity-offices-after-per-install-fee-announcement/

Video-Game Company Unity Technologies Closes Offices After Death Threat - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-14/video-game-company-unity-closes-offices-following-death-threat#xj4y7vzkg

In the announcement on September 12th, in addition to the conventional flat-rate plan fee, it was announced that they would be introducing a ``Unity Runtime Fee'' that would incur a fee each time a game is installed.

Unity introduced a pricing system that ``fees are generated every time a game is installed'' and game developers were furious, and ``Unity Plus'', which costs about 50,000 yen per year, also stopped accepting new applications - GIGAZINE



There are complaints that the price of a game engine, which is inseparable from game development, has been substantially increased without prior notice, and that the company may have to pay huge fees that cannot be covered by revenue. There are many voices criticizing Unity in the forums and in replies to official X, which is swirling among game developers.

Game developers keep posting angry comments about Unity's suddenly announced ``fee system based on the number of game installations'' - GIGAZINE


by Jillian Northrup

It has also been reported that some people may have threatened Unity Technologies as dissatisfaction has reached its peak.

According to Unity Senior XR Product Manager Javier Busto , on September 15th, law enforcement informed Unity that ``a realistic threat had been made.'' Unity senior product manager Utsav Jamwal also said, ``Due to security threats, our San Francisco and Austin offices have been closed.'' ``We can only attribute this to the recently announced pricing changes.'' I made a statement.




Jamwal added, ``By setting a threshold for the generation of fees, it becomes difficult for indie developers to reach that threshold.We believe that the fee structure itself is very fair. 'While we understand the community's frustration, we are perplexed by the response.'

In a statement provided to multiple media outlets, a Unity spokesperson said, 'We have become aware of a potential threat in some of our offices.' 'We took immediate and proactive steps to ensure the safety of our employees, which is our top priority. We will be closing down our offices that could be the target of the threat for two days,' the spokesperson continued. We have made it clear that we will fully cooperate with the police authorities regarding the investigation.

Due to changes in the pricing system, some game developers are taking measures such as withholding the release of their games. The developer of the cult-run game 'Cult of the Lamb' has announced that the game will be removed from the store on January 1, 2024, when the new pricing system takes effect. Kairosoft, which produces many simulation games, is selling a set of 4 games at a sale price titled ``???? Cairo Game is Made with Unity Bundle ????.''



Taking advantage of the confusion, Discord, a communication platform for gamers, joked, ``Starting tomorrow, you will only be able to send one message a day.''




・Continued
It has been pointed out that Unity suddenly revised its prices ``in order to direct users to its own advertising platform'' - GIGAZINE



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