this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2023
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Credible sources: multiple online reports from various media outlets, and reading the official announcements when combined with 30+ years of experience as a professional software engineer, software architect and software designer.
As regards the technical side: Well the only way you would be able to track installation would be to make the run-time 'phone home' with each installation so that Unity could increment the count on the developer's account. And the only way to know which developer/game to update is to have a unique identifier baked into each run-time that is sent with the call home.
A pirated copy is still an installation of the run-time unless the person who cracks the game goes to the trouble of intercepting the call home too.
And given the above described mechanism, it should be relatively easy to spoof installs that aren't really happening if you have impulse control problems, some technical ability, and a beef with the developer.
As regards legal mechanism, that's simple, Unity update their contract, invalidate their old contracts (they deleted their public copies of old contracts that allowed users to stay on old copies of the runtime). The new contract just needs to include terms that include their fee being due for each call home they receive.
And once you have a contract you can persue a breach through the courts using contract law. That's why contracts exist.
As regards neutrality, I haven't got a horse in this race, I'm not a games developer, but it's pretty easy to see an abuse and call it out when you see it. The Unity complany had a profitable business model that was working for a decade or more, then they decided they wanted some more of their client's income without actually offering any more for the additional charges.
The stance taken by the execs at Unity is just an ongoing part of the corporate greed trend we are seeing causing the cost of living crisis worldwide.
I don't think I'm jaded or biased, this is just my honest summary and appraisal of the situation for the consumption of someone who wanted to know the salient facts and implications.
Almost all pirated games are is removing the phone home ability? Like 90% of why people pirate is offline only mode (name 1 pirated game that can connect to official servers)
Seems like otherwise it'd be pretty simple to not boot without confirmation.
On the other hand it'd probably be a hell of a lot harder to make a pirated copy that looks legit - has the proper phone home, store authentication and account tied to it.
Cause like otherwise it'd be dirt simple to track who's cracking your games, just check who's phoning home way too much and send the authorities at that account.
But also not to be on unities side but they did say they'll not include pirated copies (if they somehow ever could)
No, The whole point of pirating the games is to make sure that you can install it and play it. They're going to remove any calls home that will stop them from running or any checks that make sure it's genuine. But they're not going to bother themselves with the unity call home unless it keeps the application from running.
Yes, except now you have to do it twice. Once for the game, and once for the Unity run-time. And if you don't take the time to do the second one, the game still works.