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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/09/unity-exec-tells-ars-hes-on-a-mission-to-earn-back-developer-trust/ [arstechnica.com]

If there's one thing Unity Create President and General Manager Marc Whitten wants to make clear, it's that he appreciates your feedback.

"It's been a very feedback-giving week for Unity," Whitten told Ars, possibly the biggest understatement he made during an interview accompanying the new, scaled-back fee structure plans [arstechnica.com] the company announced today. "There was a lot more [feedback than we expected] for sure... I think that feedback has made us better, even though it has sometimes been difficult."
[...]
Now, Whitten says he sees unchanging, stable licensing terms as "a feature of Unity," just like any other core engine component used to make a game. "You should always be able to—as you get a version and understand the current version of the terms that exist—use those and know that you can rely on them as you start a project," he said. "It's another way of saying, 'I need a stable basis for this engine as I make my bet [on an engine].'"

That might be a hard promise for some people to accept, given that Unity made a similar pledge in 2019 [arstechnica.com] that didn't stop last week's attempted semi-retroactive change. But Whitten said he hopes actions like restoring a GitHub Terms of Service tracker [github.com] will be key to proving Unity really means it this time.
[...]
During our brief chat, Whitten seemed genuinely committed to trying to prove that Unity could once again be a reliable partner for developers large and small. "I know deeply that trust is hard to earn and easy to lose," he said. "I know the only way you actually earn it is through actions, not words."

Those actions will include Whitten saying he would be "out there talking much more in a two-way conversation with our creators, as will the whole company," he said. "I see this as day one and step one to re-earning or showing actions for our creators to see what kind of company we are and what we're trying to do to make sure we build the best tools for them to build the best games."

"That's all I can do: Say what we're going to do and then do what we say," he added.

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