Breaking News: Unity’s Town Hall Cancelled Amidst Alarming Death Threat Reports

The Unity pricing controversy has taken a troubling and alarming turn. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company has canceled a town hall meeting due to credible death threats. Unity CEO John Riccitiello was scheduled to address employees on Thursday morning, but the meeting was called off and two offices were closed because of the threats.

Earlier this week, Unity, known for its video game engine popular among indie developers, announced changes to its pricing model. Along with yearly subscription fees, Unity plans to introduce a pay-per-install pricing system. Developers will be charged each time their game is installed on a device, subject to specific download and revenue thresholds.

The announcement sparked a significant backlash. Indie developers expressed their protest, stating that the changes would harm their already narrow profit margins and erode trust due to the lack of clarity and advance warning. Some have even pledged not to use Unity again, encouraging players to pay for their games but refrain from downloading them to avoid the new fees.

Riccitiello himself has emerged as a central figure in the controversy, with some viewing him as the driving force behind the new pricing model. As the CEO of Electronic Arts, he oversaw the introduction of controversial loot box monetization in FIFA 09. His remarks referring to developers as “f*cking idiots” for their hesitance to implement monetization schemes early in the development process gained attention. There was also a notable incident where Riccitiello suggested charging Battlefield players $1 to reload their guns. Additionally, reports surfaced this week that he sold 2,000 Unity shares just before the company’s announcement, which resulted in a significant drop in the stock price.

Unity has provided some clarification through Twitter regarding the new pricing structure and has revised certain unpopular elements. Developers will no longer be charged for demos or game re-installs, but they will incur fees for installing games on multiple devices. Measures will be in place to prevent fraud or malicious activity, and games included in charity bundles will be exempt from fees. Unity expects only 10 percent of its users, specifically those who have achieved success on a larger scale, to be affected by these changes.