I don’t really care if or how Unity reacts to the accusations. The fact remains that they did it, and their response is trying to deflect attention from the fact that they did do it.
The exec team isn’t changing. They didn’t even mention the scummy anticompetitive (and potentially illegal in some jurisdictions) fee vouchers they were handing out to try to steal users from AppLovin, nor was the sneaky update of their license terms that was done to enable the whole snafu addressed.
I don’t think Unity is coming back from this. The industry doesn’t trust them anymore, and nothing has been done to materially address the root cause of that lack of trust: the exec team and the board.
If they do a leadership shakeup, it’s possible they can save it. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
But there’s also the sketchy (and anticompetitive, and potentially illegal in some jurisdictions) fee vouchers they were using to try to tank AppLovin’s customer base, as well as the silent and sneaky update of their license terms that everyone discovered after the fact. The “apology” makes absolutely no mention of those. And I find that incredibly telling (aside, of course, from the lack of exec team shakeup).
You showed everyone who you are, Unity execs. You also pointedly did not even begin to address any of the other sketchy shit, like the vouchers you were handing out to try to sink AppLovin, or the silent and unannounced modification of your license agreement that was discovered by the community after the fact.
We have never made a public statement before now. That is how badly you fucked up.
Lmao shots fired. Unity’s C-suite made their own bed… and the bed is made out of anti-personnel mines. I genuinely hope this picks up steam.
Unity showed their hand when they made the announcement. I had never thought to look up who owned them before. Now that I am aware that they’re majority-owned by VC and PE firms, it’s pretty clear to me that this category of monetization-oriented behavior is here to stay, because that’s how VC and PE operate. Unless and until they somehow get a new owner, it’s my sincere opinion that Unity should absolutely not be seriously considered as a game engine for any new game project.
The controlling shares of Unity are held by a trifecta of private equity and venture capital organizations. That’s why this is happening. It’s a classical presentation of the (short-term) profit über alles enshitification cycle.
Oh yeah. It definitely has that classic Bethesda jank in many of the normal places, but it still feels good in all the ways that matter. Like you’re finally awake.