Live data from Hacker News

Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

mobilegamer.biz

1–10 of 185 posts

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#2
Buried lede: AppLovin tried to buy Unity last year: https://www.wsj.com/articles/applovin-proposes-combination-w... LevelPlay is Unity's rebrand of IronSource's mobile game monetization platform. IronSource bought/merged with Unity about the same time, a move criticized by some: https://www.thegamer.com/unity-criticised-for-merging-with-k...

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#3
This really does seem like Unity is destroying their business for pennies. Mobile game display ads seem like a very, very low value business to be in and I would imagine rates are going down all the time. Unity may manage to wipe out AppLovin by burning down the rest of their business, but winning king-of-the-hill on top a pile of ashes does not seem to be a high value position.

Edit: It's as if Unreal wants to be king of glossy, fancy, high value brochures, magazines, and books. Unity wants to be king of phone book yellow page ads.

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#4
What I'd like to see is that this fiasco encourages studios to produce their own engines rather than using the pre/existing selection.

I'd happily wait another 5-7 years for a new game on a new engine then have a new game in two years that feels identical to others.

And then open-source it and let the creativity roam free.

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#6

What I'd like to see is that this fiasco encourages studios to produce their own engines rather than using the pre/existing selection. I'd happily wait another 5-7 years for a new game on a new engine then have a new game in two years that feels identical to others. And then open-source it and let the creativity roam free.

I disagree. It's not an engine problem if a game look like others. Most of the time, it's not lack of creativity too. It's often, not taking risk and applying what is already working.

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#8

What I'd like to see is that this fiasco encourages studios to produce their own engines rather than using the pre/existing selection. I'd happily wait another 5-7 years for a new game on a new engine then have a new game in two years that feels identical to others. And then open-source it and let the creativity roam free.

I disagree. It's not an engine problem if a game look like others. Most of the time, it's not lack of creativity too. It's often, not taking risk and applying what is already working.

And using a game engine lets you take those risks because you can iterate and release faster.

Studios will take more risk on a $3m game than a $6m game.

Re: Unity is offering a runtime fee waiver if you switch to LevelPlay

#9

>> “A fresh report…has thrown light on the situation” …no it hasn’t. This was in their original announcement. Discounts are available for those using other Unity products/services (which includes their ad stuff).

Describing a 100% fee waiver for studios that start a new engagement with one specific service as "discounts... for those using other Unity products/services" isn't exactly being forthcoming.

This isn't my car insurance giving me a discount on my homeowner's policy, this is my landlord threatening to jack up my rent unless I use his garbage disposal company.

Post reply on HN