Unity plan pricing and packaging updates | Unity Blog
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In January 2024, Unity will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee based on game installs. Prior to this, Unity subscription plans will add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no additional cost.

So today Unity announced changes in how they are going to monetize their game engine, and it is, rightfully might I add, poorly recieved Here is how much youtuber Dani would have to pay unity if they consider his games to gain over $200k in revenue Dani's hypothetical unity payments

Now I don’t know how much tracking crackers and re-packers remove from the games getting cracked, but if unity were to count cracked games as a valid install (and they will count every install of a game they are aware of), thn piracy could seriously bankrupt indie devs. Like, not just losing them revenue, but actively losing them money. While piracy is already in an ethical grey area, I think that is just a bit too much. So, I want to raise awareness of this, and with it I have 2 questions to ask:

  • Do the people that crack games make sure to remove the ability of unity tracking cracked installs?
  • If the answer to the previous question is “no”, how do we make them aware of the fact that it is probably for the better if they do this?
  • @empireOfLoveEnglish
    49•1 year ago

    Cracking often includes blocking all networking features of a game to kill any phone-home license checking, so it’s likely that Unity will not know cracked games are getting installed. But it is not guaranteed.

    More likely every game dev save for a few big developers (who we don’t give a shit about) is going to drop this radioactive business model like a hot plutonium potato and it will become a non-issue.

    • LoafyLemon
      30•1 year ago

      Usually, cracking doesn’t typically result in the blocking of network features. This is why most groups suggest blocking the executable in the firewall.

      • @Sethayy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2•1 year ago

        Blocks the 1st party networks, but it doesn’t mean they don’t implement their own (or more so that the repackers don’t)

    • @PeachManEnglish
      17•1 year ago

      Yes and no, IIRC the last time I installed a cracked game (disclaimer: it has been a decade) I was required to install the game first with internet OFF, then replace the .exe with a cracked version. But it’s entirely possible that there are a lot of newbies doing this without blocking traffic, and launching the game with their internet on and without the crack. So Unity might not see EVERY pirate, but they will definitely see SOME. How many, I’m not sure.

    • firecat
      15•1 year ago

      unity is so bad at DRM, genshin impact got cracked a while ago and people made a private server with no paimon barrier. So not really worry about cracked games.