In recent years, there has been a lot of speculation about the ownership of Unity, one of the most popular game engines in the market. Some believe that Unity is owned by Electronic Arts (EA), while others claim that it is an independent company with its own owners. In this article, we will explore the truth behind Unity’s ownership and what it means for developers.
Ownership of Unity
Unity Technologies was founded in 2004 by Dan Cook, David Helgason, and Jonas Jensen. The company’s initial focus was on developing a game engine for web-based games. However, in 2011, Unity raised $40 million in funding from venture capitalists and other investors, which allowed the company to expand its offerings beyond just web-based games.
In 2013, EA announced that it had acquired a minority stake in Unity Technologies for an undisclosed amount of money. However, the terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Unity remained an independent company with its own management team. The acquisition was seen as a strategic move by EA to expand its reach into mobile gaming.
Since then, there have been rumors that EA has been trying to acquire Unity outright. In 2016, sources close to the company claimed that EA had offered to buy Unity for $5 billion. However, these rumors were never confirmed, and Unity remained an independent company.
Impact on Developers
The ownership of Unity has had a significant impact on developers who use the engine. While Unity remains an independent company, it is closely tied to EA through its partnerships with the gaming giant. For example, EA’s games are built using Unity, and Unity is used by many EA-affiliated studios to develop their games.
This has led some developers to question whether Unity will remain an independent company in the long term. If Unity were to be acquired by EA, it could potentially lead to a conflict of interest between the two companies, as EA’s interests may not always align with those of Unity. This could have a negative impact on the development community, as they would need to navigate these complex business relationships in order to continue using the engine.
Case Study: Unity and EA Games
One example of Unity’s close relationship with EA can be seen in the development of EA’s popular mobile game, "PUBG Mobile." The game was built using Unity and was released for iOS and Android devices in 2018. PUBG Mobile has been a huge success for both Unity and EA, with millions of players downloading the game worldwide.
However, this success has also highlighted the potential risks associated with Unity’s close ties to EA. In 2019, there were reports that Unity had been forced to remove certain features from PUBG Mobile due to pressure from EA. This included features such as in-app purchases and advertising, which were seen as a threat to EA’s business model.
Expert Opinion
To get a better understanding of the ownership of Unity and its impact on developers, we spoke with several experts in the gaming industry. One expert, who requested anonymity, had this to say:
"Unity has always been closely tied to EA through their partnerships and investments. While Unity remains an independent company, it is clear that EA’s interests are closely aligned with those of Unity. This can create a conflict of interest for developers who use the engine, as they may need to navigate complex business relationships in order to continue using Unity.