Epic Games has announced a new pricing scheme for developers creating non-gaming products using the Unreal Engine. The company will charge an annual subscription of $1850 per seat. The term "per seat" essentially means "per person using the software." These changes will take effect with the release of Unreal Engine 5.4 at the end of April.
Although Unreal Engine is primarily known as a tool for game development, it is regularly used in various industries, which is the target of this pricing scheme. So, companies creating linear content, such as TV shows and movies, developing automotive infotainment platforms or attractions in a theme park, will have to pay $1850. Currently, Epic Games does not profit from most of these users, as the end products are not, as Sweezy said last year, "royalty-bearing."
The annual fee provides these users access to Unreal Engine itself, the real-time visualization tool Twinmotion, and the 3D modeling software RealityCapture. However, organizations can purchase separate licenses for each of these products. Twinmotion will cost $445 per year, and RealityCapture - $1250 per year.
However, there are some exceptions. Companies with an annual gross income of less than $1 million will not have to pay the fee. The same applies to students, teachers, and enthusiasts. Companies developing plugins for Unreal Engine can continue to use the software for free, but Epic will adjust the revenue share.
Game developers will continue to have free access to Unreal Engine, only paying a 5% royalty for software that generates more than $1 million in gross revenue over the entire period. In 2020, Epic raised the threshold for free use from $50,000 to $1 million.
Source: Engadget
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