Unity Technologies has stated that PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo will pay the company's new runtime fee on behalf of game developers.
A new FAQ has been shared by Unity Technologies, which answers questions regarding the company's recent change in pricing plan for its game development engine.
According to the FAQ, the Unity runtime fee will be charged to the entity that distributes
Charging Playstation: They have been quite naughty ever since they released the PS4 (and not in the good way), so a few millions in cash is kinda like karma to them.
Charging Xbox: Game Pass, Backwards Compatibility, Series S, allowing you to legally install emulators in their consoles… If there’s a gaming giant that’s pro-consumer, it’s them (second only to Steam, obviously), they don’t deserve it.
I’d call it, sucking up to the player base to regain market space lost during the last generation. I’m not too proud to take advantage of their desperation.
Every console requires an online subscription to play MP aside from a handful of games such as apex legends, fortnite, and rocket league. Not just an Xbox thing.
The one defense I’ll give it is that when Nintendo’s was free it was absolutely pitiful/unusable. Really you couldn’t do any meaningful online MP on nintendo consoles until the switch. I don’t like paying for it but clearly it’s the only way resources get dedicated to it.
The other consideration - though not really a defense because it’s not necessary - is that with Xbox for $60/yr I don’t just get the online component, but 3 free games/mo. Most are garbage but I always end up with 4 or 5 games a year that I wouldn’t have otherwise played (How I discovered XCOM!) that I really enjoy OR I get super lucky and some game I wanted to buy but haven’t ponied up for drops (I got AC: Black Flag for instance one time). It’s a hell of a value add at least!
Charging Playstation: They have been quite naughty ever since they released the PS4 (and not in the good way), so a few millions in cash is kinda like karma to them.
Charging Xbox: Game Pass, Backwards Compatibility, Series S, allowing you to legally install emulators in their consoles… If there’s a gaming giant that’s pro-consumer, it’s them (second only to Steam, obviously), they don’t deserve it.
Charging Nintendo: TAKE IT ALL
I love gamepass/Xbox’s BC commitment but I’m not going to call Microsoft “pro-consumer” lol
I’d call it, sucking up to the player base to regain market space lost during the last generation. I’m not too proud to take advantage of their desperation.
Oh not Microsoft as a whole oooohhh no.
But their Xbox division is pretty cool 😎👍
Do you still have to pay monthly fee on XBox to play any online game?
Every console requires an online subscription to play MP aside from a handful of games such as apex legends, fortnite, and rocket league. Not just an Xbox thing.
Thank you for answering. But you can’t imaging how wild it sounds from pc gamer point of view, and double wild that this is called pro-consumer.
The one defense I’ll give it is that when Nintendo’s was free it was absolutely pitiful/unusable. Really you couldn’t do any meaningful online MP on nintendo consoles until the switch. I don’t like paying for it but clearly it’s the only way resources get dedicated to it.
The other consideration - though not really a defense because it’s not necessary - is that with Xbox for $60/yr I don’t just get the online component, but 3 free games/mo. Most are garbage but I always end up with 4 or 5 games a year that I wouldn’t have otherwise played (How I discovered XCOM!) that I really enjoy OR I get super lucky and some game I wanted to buy but haven’t ponied up for drops (I got AC: Black Flag for instance one time). It’s a hell of a value add at least!
Meh I like Phil Spencer but Xbox has made questionable calls too
Really bad policies that will set even worse precedents are not a punitive measure against companies you don’t like.