Explain this meme!

[Johnny Unusual]

I feel like I often see memes and I'm not online enough or it is outside of my pervue that I'm just not getting a meme (we can also use this for explaining other jokes online that we might not get).

With the title, I bet you may have thought "oh, this is some confounding Far Side shit" and if you have one of those to post, go ahead, this can also be a fun thread for unpacking confusing takes but mainly, I just want context for a gag. I could look things up but I only have so many hours in the day.

My point is, I don't seem to know what this is all about.

I get the format of using the old anti-piracy ads, I just don't know what a unity game is. Is this a Nazi thing? "Unity" sounds like it could be a Nazi thing.

 

[Lokii]

Unity is a video game development engine. A couple days ago they announced they would be charging developers for every instal of any game that was made in it. It is a massively stupid, punitive, and distruptive decision that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of small or indie delevopers and is a direct threat to the indie renaissance we’ve been enjoying for the past decade. A boneheaded short-sighted decision entirely in the service of corporate greed.

After January 1st installing a game made in Unity would hurt the very people that made it, hence the reason you wouldn’t do it.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Good to know. I'll keep an eye out.

I don't know if I have one so here's a question: installing but not buying? Because I have lots of games I purchased ages ago without checking the engine. So even if it's bought and paid for, simply installing it after the fact is still going to create hurt?

 

[Lokii]

That’s a good question that Unity has not sufficiently clarified, among plenty others.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I'll try to keep that in mind in the future. Knowing *gestures everywhere* business, now I'm suspecting this won't be answered until after the fact. After Jan 1, I'll be sure not to download any from my unplayed library (if I have any) until it is known.

 

[Lokii]

Most likely Unity will reverse this decision before you have to worry about anything. They’ve already done massive damage to their brand with the announcement and if they follow through it will destroy the company. Debacle isn’t too strong a word.

 

[Exposition Owl]

They’ve already done massive damage to their brand with the announcement and if they follow through it will destroy the company. Debacle isn’t too strong a word.

Even if it doesn’t convince Unity’s entire user base to run away screaming, some of the company’s comments would imply that Epic or Microsoft might be on the hook for these payments for games distributed through Game Pass or the Epic Store, and a lawsuit from either of those companies would leave Unity a smoking crater.

Anyway. For those looking for more detail, a writeup of the the initial story is here, some early reactions from game devs are here, and a follow-up with further developments is here.

 

[Torzelbaum]

some of the company’s comments would imply that Epic or Microsoft might be on the hook for these payments for games distributed through Game Pass or the Epic Store, and a lawsuit from either of those companies would leave Unity a smoking crater.

Wouldn't that also apply to Steam?

 

[Exposition Owl]

Wouldn't that also apply to Steam?

Quite possibly! It’s not super clear!

ETA: And because things weren’t bad enough before, I’m seeing reports that Unity employees are receiving death threats. Gamerz, everybody!

 

[Eishtmo]

Quite possibly! It’s not super clear!

ETA: And because things weren’t bad enough before, I’m seeing reports that Unity employees are receiving death threats. Gamerz, everybody!

The death threat came from one of the employees to one of the employers.

Unity closes offices due to ‘credible death threat’

The closures come after a week of controversy around a new pricing model

www.polygon.com

See the update sections at the bottom. It wasn't the Gamerz, this time.

 

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

See the update sections at the bottom. It wasn't the Gamerz, this time.

Is it weird that I'm mildly relieved it wasn't the Gamerz this time?

 

[Eishtmo]

Honestly I thought they lied about it to get out of doing a "town hall" that would have gone very, very, VERY poorly for them. Gamerz would have been my second choice. That it's neither is interesting.