Tag: Godot

According to the creator of Doom, the future of video games lies with indie developers

The recent wave of layoffs and studio closures at Microsoft reflects an alarming trend in the video game industry, which has been suffering job cuts over the past few years. However, this context of uncertainty contrasts with a notable resurgence of independent developers, who are helping to shape the future of the sector. The best games are being made in the indie space John Romero, renowned video game designer, commented in an episode of the Deep Dive podcast from Nightdive Studios that the industry has expanded considerably, especially in the indie realm. “You just have to look at Itch.io […]

The recent wave of layoffs and studio closures at Microsoft reflects an alarming trend in the video game industry, which has been experiencing staff cuts over the past few years. However, this context of uncertainty contrasts with a remarkable resurgence of independent developers, who are helping to shape the future of the sector.

The best games are being made in the independent sector

John Romero, the famous video game designer, commented in an episode of the Deep Dive podcast by Nightdive Studios that the industry has expanded considerably, especially in the indie sector. “You just have to look at Itch.io to see how many independent developers there are,” he stated. With nearly 19,000 games released on Steam in 2024, the competition is fierce, but Romero emphasizes that many of the titles nominated for Game of the Year are independent developments, highlighting their growing importance.

Despite the fact that development tools and distribution platforms, such as Steam and Godot, have made it easier than ever for developers to launch their games, visibility remains a critical challenge. As Romero points out, technology is no longer a barrier: “The main problem now is how someone is going to see your game.” This poses a complicated dilemma for creators, who must stand out among a crowd of releases.

Moreover, the financial situation has become more complicated. The pandemic made access to financing difficult, which in turn may affect the long-term sustainability of independent projects. Without the proper support, many developers are forced to balance game development with their daily jobs, which limits their ability to innovate and grow. Despite these challenges, Romero maintains an optimistic view of the future of the sector, suggesting that the growth in the number of players is a positive sign for the industry.

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The creators of Slay the Spire have released a game by surprise, and it’s free!

Mega Crit, the creators of Slay the Spire, have decided to stop using Unity, and to learn how to use Godot they have decided… to create a free game

The controversy with Unity hasn’t ended well for the company. While it’s true that they eventually backtracked, with their CEO even announcing departure from the company, the damage is done. Many developers, especially small and medium-sized ones, have lost confidence in the company’s future prospects. It’s not surprising to see movements towards other graphic engines, especially those with open-source licenses, such as Godot.

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The first major name to embrace Godot has been none other than Mega Crit, the creators of Slay the Spire, the popular card game that sparked the popularity of deck-building roguelikes. The studio has been working on their next project for two years, initially developing it under the umbrella of Unity. However, after the events, they’ve decided to switch game engines to Godot.

Learning a game engine isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires study, effort, and a lot of dedication. Instead of trying to learn on the fly, they have opted to work on a small project in just three weeks for the Jump Ship Jam called Dancing Duelists.

Close to the sensibility of Slay the Spire, Dancing Duelists is a small deck-building game mixed with autobattle mechanics. Players choose a character and a set of cards that will make up their deck. That’s the extent of their interaction: whether they win or lose this unique dance competition depends on the cards they draw and the ones drawn by their opponent. It’s a curious but refreshing twist to the Slay the Spire formula.

Not only has this project helped them learn how to use Godot, but it’s also available for free download on their itch.io page. It’s a much-appreciated gift that, while unlikely to occupy us for the hundreds (or thousands) of hours that Slay the Spire did, surely compensates for the delay their next game might experience due to the need to be ported to a new game engine.

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Unity intends to charge studios for every time someone installs a video game made with its engine

Unity has made some changes to its business policies, leaving very few satisfied people who use its engine to create their video games.

In the current video game industry, it’s rare to find a studio that uses its own engine. The pie is mainly divided between two major engines, Unity and Unreal Engine, with Godot being a distant third in terms of usage. That’s why any changes in the policies of the companies that produce these engines, Unity and Epic respectively, are closely scrutinized. However, the recent changes in Unity’s business policies don’t require a close examination to see why they are causing quite a stir.

Unity is a game engine that has been used to create games like Pokémon Go, Cult of the Lamb, Cuphead, or Fall Guys. It’s used for all kinds of games, both indie and large-scale productions, and up until now, it employed a subscription-based model. And we have to emphasize the “up until now.”

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In Unity, there are three licensing tiers. Unity Personal allows developers with annual revenues under $100,000 to use the engine for free. Those with revenues exceeding this but below $200,000 must pay for Unity Plus, which costs $400 per year. Anyone surpassing this figure is required to pay for Unity Pro, Industry, or Enterprise, which costs $2,000, $5,000, or a specific amount of dollars per year depending on their studio’s specific needs.

What Unity has done is announce the elimination of Unity Plus. Consequently, there’s now a leap from Personal to Pro, where the cost increases fivefold for the same service.

But what has caused the most controversy is the fact that starting from January 1, 2024, they want to introduce a usage fee. For every installation of a game that generates over $200,000 in revenue annually, Unity will charge $0.20 for each new installation. The higher the subscription level, the less Unity will charge per download, but this has caused many developers to protest what they consider to be excessive prices.

How this will all end is still up in the air. What’s clear is that with the current prices, Unity is finding it challenging to keep independent studios happy. And with these fees, larger studios have no reason not to seek fairer alternatives.

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