Changes in the usage policies of any digital product – video games, series, movies, music, etc. – are never usually a good sign, since they end up driving users crazy that we are, ALWAYS, the ones who pay the price. And the most recent of these modifications has to do, as you know, with the Unity graphics engine, which is so serious that it could affect a panorama as healthy as that of indie games.
If you are moderately informed about current events in the world of video games, you have surely heard that Starting January 1, 2024, an amount will be charged each time a game that uses this engine is installed on a device, causing smaller developers to have to assume a cost that they cannot bear. Which will lead them to have to look for others engines like Unreal.
A really bad decision
The response has been overwhelming from the community and publishers like Massive Monster, who have created Cult of the Lambthey have already warned that On that date of January 1, your game will disappear from stores. So we are going to give you several names that we already warned you that it is better to buy now before someone reconsiders if they follow the same steps. Or do you think it won’t happen?
Cult of the Lamb
We start with one of the most popular titles on the indie scene from last year. For now, The official account of the game has spoken on social networks saying to buy the game now, because on January 1 it will disappear from stores. What we don’t know is if this was actually serious or just a joke.
Slay the Spire
Another of the titles that are in danger due to the new policy is neither more nor less than one of the most famous and beloved indie RPGs of the moment. As you may have guessed, many independent studios have to use this graphics engine since they cannot afford Unreal, for example. Bravo to the Unity managers for their idea (joke).
Hollow Knight
One of the best indie games of recent years could also be affected by the new measures. Not only because they have to remove or raise the price of the original title, but because development of the sequel, Silksong may have to be delayed further or restart production directly to work with another graphics engine.
cuphead
Speaking of great games, one of the best games of the past decade could also suffer the consequences of the Unity tax. Cuphead, who made many fall in love with his drawing style and his unique characters, may have to either raise the price to make it a tax source or be removed from stores directly. Let’s hope not.
Pokémon Shiny Diamond and Shimmering Pearl
However, these new measures not only affect small projects and studies, but also also to large franchises such as Pokémon, which Unity used in this remake of its fourth generation games. Although we do not believe that this small tax will affect Nintendo much, we do not doubt that they will take some action, perhaps even raising the price even more.
And you? What do you think of Unity’s new measurements?