EGDF: Unity’s Install Fees Are a Sign of Looming Game Engine Market Failure

Context: EGDF is the European Games Developer Federation. The article suggests that Unity’s actions create an anti-competitive environment and that the EU should step in.

Unity’s install fees demonstrate why the EU needs a new regulatory framework for unfair, non-negotiable B2B contract terms. Contract terms Unity has with game developers are non-negotiable. With the new non-negotiable install fee, European game developers have to either withdraw their games from markets, increase consumer prices or renegotiate their contracts with third parties. For example, if a game memory institution makes games available for download on their website, a game developer studio must now ask for a fee for it or ban making European digital cultural heritage available to European citizens. The three-month time frame Unity is providing for all this is not enough.

sadreality, (edited )

I love how we can't [have] this shit in b2b but having non negotiable terms in b2c context is totally fine 🤡

Because we are all stupid consumers to be fucked over for profit. That's normal and healthy and how system is intended to work eyy?

Gork,

For example, if a game memory institution makes games available for download on their website, a game developer studio must now ask for a fee for it or ban making European digital cultural heritage available to European citizens.

This is a thing? I’ve never heard of games being a digital cultural heritage.

Sigma_,

In the US the library of Congress has a video game preservation effort

…loc.gov/…/yes-the-library-of-congress-has-video-…

Library of Congress staff discussed its video game collection, the process of making a preservation copy of the data for long-term storage, the unique description challenges for video games and possible access solutions.

www.loc.gov/item/webcast-8772/

Skua,

I don't see any actual playable games downloadable from www.europeana.eu at the moment, which is the website for the EU's collection of digital cultural heritage. That does come with the caveat that I've never used it much and may well just be missing something, though. However, there is a fair bit of stuff about videogames, even including images of physical hardware kept in various collections across the EU. I can also definitely see an argument for games being part of cultural heritage, particularly as the medium develops and becomes a bigger part of our culture. I think it'd be pretty fair to count Tetris as Russian cultural heritage, for example, not only because of its incredible influence but also how much it brought a Russian folk tune to global awareness (even if, ironically enough, it was an American version that did this second part).

Brocken40,

Archive.org has some flash and older pc games available for free, I downloaded a wolfenstien game off there, but it turned out to be Spanish version, so your milage may vary

Capricorn_Geriatric,

I can’t see how Unity increasing prices is anti-competitive. If anything, them going brainfuck with fees can only serve to open the market to new players. Also, I doubt they’ll be able to make the fees retroactive, at least for games that won’t get updated.

epicsninja,

I didn’t see it mentioned here, but if you used their adware services they would waive the fees.

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