Trying to Understand the Licensing fee, clarification needed

Why does the cheaper license have less features? I thought the license was based on your $100k status.

According to the language right now, you get an "indie" version of the license if your company makes less than $100,000. Which would be great for an independent developer, if all features were enabled.

In order to get full functionality, that same independent would have to pay the same licensing as a larger firm.

I understand charging different fees based on the $100k status. That gives the little guy an entry into game development. I don't understand cutting the functionality for the indy license. Since the functionality is excluded from the cheaper version, the license fee is really not based on the $100k status at all.

It's a typical license: pay more get more features, pay less get less features.

I apologize if I am reading this wrong. But, what's the point of getting a discount if you are a small firm? Especially if you have to pay for the Pro license to get full functionality, if you are below $100k or not?

For example I am a small firm that makes less than $100k (have been for past four years) But I would have to pay for the Pro license if I want to get all features and be able to compete. If I want full features my "below 100k status" really has no bearing on my license fee.

 

Hi dingo,

let me try to clarify. First off the license is not based on your $100K status. It is just that the Pro version has several (cool) features that the Indie doesn't have. One of the features is render to texture. An incredible amount of work went into it (and still does, just wait and see). Another of the features of the Pro is that you can earn over $100K/year.

Pay more and get more.

But then, the Indie version is plenty cool so I don't agree that we're putting a barrier to the little guy. At all. Similar tools are still 10x the price.

Unity: Pay less get more

Hope this makes it clearer, we tried to explain it in the feature-matrix, but thanks for the heads-up that it may not be clear enough.

Catchyoulater,

d.

 

Makes sense. Thank you for not taking offense also. I didn't know how to ask without just asking. It was kinda confusing, cause it seemed as though the license was based on the 100k status. Thanks for that clarification.

Maybe they should be Unity and Unity Unlimited or something.

edit - or just take the indie out and it be Unity and Unity Pro. Makes much more sense IMHO.

 

You too... don't want to start nasty fights in here.

Good points re. the naming. We're pretty settled on the current scheme (though imperfect, but then, what isn't), but in the future we could consider alternatives. Also, I would worry that changes of that sort would bring up new confusions...

Have a good... eh, day? evening... don't know anymore. Here it's soon morning, and I'm ready to change our web-hosting: the one we have now is the worst. We've had several cases of file corruption on their disks and today mail-service was down for several hours. I won't switch until tomorrow though, so I'll at least be present when all hell breaks loose

d.