Hard sell and coercive tactics from Unity

<p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p> <a href=https://unity3d.com/ rel="external nofollow">Unity® software</a> is one of the most popular options for beginning and established indie developers. With a great feature set and range of target platforms it’s a very attractive choice. The popularity of Unity® software is in no small part thanks to a very liberal free license tier which allows developers grossing less than $100k annual revenue to use the fully featured engine at no cost. </p> <p> While it’s reasonable to expect that Unity Technologies would try to attract developers on the free tier to upgrade to a Unity Plus or Unity Pro license, it would seem some developers have been the subject of dishonest hard sale tactics and even some coercion.<br> We’ve spoken to several developers, and it seems there is a pattern to these aggressive sales tactics beginning with a message like the following: </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <br><img alt="An email claiming to have seen the developer's project on LinkedIn and offering a Unity license upgrade." class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid=45891 data-mime-type data-original=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.jpg data-unique=3nh3ptc94 decoding=async height=470 loading=lazy referrerpolicy=no-referrer sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1200px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, (min-width: 300px) 300px, 100vw" src=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.webp srcset="https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/thumbnail.LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.webp 150w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/small.LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.webp 300w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.webp 768w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/large.LinkedIn_Redacted.jpg.64dadf8001b90f9f10e7dddee28a7339.webp 1200w" style="aspect-ratio: 375/470; width: 375px; height: auto;" width=375></p> <p> Nothing is particularly amiss here. The message is polite, not overly pushy, and simply invites discussion of an upgrade. Unfortunately, however, it seems this “cold call” style message is a little dishonest. Several of the developers we have spoken to have received this message despite no mention of their project on LinkedIn, and at least two are not even registered on the platform. </p> <p> The above message has then been followed up with a message suggesting developers are in violation of Unity® software licensing terms due to a higher revenue than the allowed $100k. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt='A message from Unity suggests the developer is in violation of Unity licensing terms with annual gross revenue over $100k, suggests upgrading "to avoid impact your development work"' class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid=45892 data-mime-type data-original=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.jpg data-unique=7m125jbje decoding=async height=320 loading=lazy referrerpolicy=no-referrer sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1200px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, (min-width: 300px) 300px, 100vw" src=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.webp srcset="https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/thumbnail.LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.webp 150w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/small.LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.webp 300w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.webp 768w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/large.LicenseViolation_Redacted.jpg.38f740e4aec8e52d1dde677bfdc99490.webp 1200w" style="aspect-ratio: 784/320; width: 777px; height: auto;" width=784></p> <p> Now, these aren’t big-name developers with highly successful projects receiving the messages. Some trivial investigation of the developers’ social accounts or websites would reveal they have not earned anywhere close to the limit. </p> <p> <br> One developer <a href=https://twitter.com/KaiClavier/status/1019003728265924608 rel="external nofollow">Tweeted</a>: </p> <blockquote class=ipsQuote data-ipsquote> <div class=ipsQuote_citation> Quote </div> <div class="ipsQuote_contents ipsClearfix"> <p> “<em>Okay @unity3d, I know you really want to sell me a subscription, but this is a new low. I haven’t even made 100k in my entire life let alone the last year.</em>” </p> </div> </blockquote> <p> <br> Mike Berg of We Heart Games (who kindly provided the above images) had the following to say: </p> <blockquote class=ipsQuote data-ipsquote> <div class=ipsQuote_citation> Quote </div> <div class="ipsQuote_contents ipsClearfix"> <p> “<em>After a string of aggressive — and even deceptive — emails from various folks at Unity, I got one yesterday filled with veiled threats, and accusations that I might be breaking the EULA by earning more than $100k per year.</em> </p> <p> <em>This kind of open hostility toward hobbyist game developers is such a bad sales tactic, I don’t even know where to begin. People using the free license are exactly the people you should be treating with encouragement and respect. These are your future stars. The aggressive tactics by the sales team are so off-putting, that I no longer have any interest in doing business with Unity, and will now have a hard time recommending them to other game developers.</em> </p> <p> <em>I understand that having an income limit in your EULA is something that needs to be enforced, but it would have taken someone 10 minutes of looking at my company’s online presence to see that I’m not making money making games. I have nothing on either App Store, nothing on Steam, and four tiny free games on itch that aren’t even finished. A company should have some strict guidelines about what makes a customer suspect of breaking the EULA, before they get an email like the one I received yesterday. </em> </p> <p> <em>There are many good people at Unity. Unfortunately, this approach makes the entire company look bad.</em>” </p> </div> </blockquote> <p> At the time of writing, Unity Technologies has not responded to our request for comments, but have been in contact with some of the affected developers. Mike Berg has kindly shared part of his exchange, which you can <a href=https://twitter.com/weheartgames/status/1019338134331502593 rel="external nofollow">view in full on Twitter</a>, and we have included part of here:<br> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Unity representative explains that an error has occurred with automated sales emails that were intended to be customised, and with an automated system intended to identify possible EULA violations. The level of automation will be scaled back in future and all emails will be manually reviewed before sending." class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid=45893 data-mime-type data-original=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.jpg data-unique=elgp33m0r decoding=async height=579 loading=lazy referrerpolicy=no-referrer sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1200px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, (min-width: 300px) 300px, 100vw" src=https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.webp srcset="https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/thumbnail.UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.webp 150w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/small.UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.webp 300w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/medium.UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.webp 768w, https://uploads.gamedev.net/monthly_2018_07/large.UnityResponse_Redacted.jpg.b30b07635c4b0ea8278b90e41ddfa570.webp 1200w" style="aspect-ratio: 804/579; width: 804px; height: auto;" width=804></p> <p> Hopefully, the follow up from Unity Technologies and reduction of automated processes prevents similar incidents from happening in future, though in at least some cases it seems it’s too late to win back customers who have received the messages and are now considering alternative options. </p> <p><br></p> <p> The Unity logo and Unity product names are the property of Unity Technologies.<br> </p>