Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says the company is adjusting Unreal Engine pricing for non-gaming developers in fields like film \/ TV and automotive. \u201cWe haven\u2019t officially announced this, but in the interest of transparency, we want to put it out there,\u201d Sweeney said in a presentation from Unreal Fest 2023 posted on X<\/a> (formerly Twitter) by @ImmatureGamerX (via<\/a> Game Developer<\/em>). The CEO didn\u2019t mention specific pricing but said Epic\u2019s licensing model would resemble those of tools like Maya<\/a> and Photoshop<\/a>.
Sweeney sounded (understandably) determined to differentiate Epic\u2019s price hike from Unity\u2019s<\/a>. The latter stirred the ire<\/a> of countless developers as it announced a per-install pricing model that many smaller developers claimed would have put them out of business. Unity ended up walking back<\/a> many of the plan\u2019s most contentious changes. However, whether the softened stance will prevent a full-on developer exodus remains to be seen. Several months before its pricing fiasco, Unity cut its workforce<\/a> for the third time in less than a year.
Epic\u2019s CEO briefly addressed his company\u2019s recent layoffs, where it let go of 16 percent of its workforce<\/a>. \u201cThis was a survival move that was necessary,\u201d Sweeney said. He added that Epic began running into \u201cfinancial problems\u201d about 10 weeks ago, but he sounded satisfied that the move puts Epic back on solid ground. \u201cOne thing, we stabilized our finances so we won\u2019t run out of money as we build the metaverse,\u201d he said. Epic has been bullish on constructing a virtual universe, including a partnership with Meta, Microsoft, and others to develop metaverse standards<\/a>.
Sweeney explained that Fortnite<\/em>‘s revenue had subsidized other parts of the company and that it was time for change. He claimed aspects of Epic\u2019s business had grown too reliant on the cash cow. \u201cA funny thing about being funded so heavily by Fortnite<\/em> over the past six years is we’ve had different parts of our business get disconnected from their revenue streams. We have big teams serving different industry verticals, building this and that set of features for custom clients without revenue to support it,\u201d he said.
The co-founder sounded as invested as ever in the Epic Games Store<\/a>. \u201cWe think the Epic Games Store is a cure to a disease that’s impacting a lot of the industry right now, where the mobile platforms have become overlords and are extracting vastly higher payment processing fees than any same payment process around there,\u201d he stated. \u201cAnd we’re fighting that.\u201d The company has taken on Apple<\/a> and Google\u2019s<\/a> stranglehold on mobile payments.
Sweeney\u2019s speech wrapped by framing the moment as a crucial turning point laced with optimism. \u201cIn summary, this is a pivotal moment for us,\u201d he explained. \u201cOur commitment now is to operate differently. We are determined to avoid falling back into a precarious position. Through the highs and lows, we promise to support you,\u201d Sweeney said.
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Amazon is shutting down its short-lived audio app known as Amp. The tool was designed to allow creators to make custom content as modern DJ hosts.
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