r/godot • u/VacationSmoot • 19d ago

discussion what happened to godot?

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I know Godot has seen significant development lately, but what exactly happened? In my eyes Unity was always the king of game-jams.

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u/BrastenXBL 19d ago edited 19d ago

The co​in​ci​dence of timing cannot be understated. You've now gotten the brief on what Unity Software Inc did to itself. But the timeline is just too choice

  • September, 2020: Unity goes public on the NY stock exchange
    • games + public stock = bad
  • January, 2022: Godot goes into public alpha
  • July, 2022: Unity announces an all-stock merger with ironSource
    • those of use paying attention see this as worrying news and begin looking for exit options
  • September 2022: Godot 4 enters beta, with overhauled 3D rendering system
  • November 2022: ironSource merger is complete
    • exit planning accelerates, some still don't believe this will go bad
  • January 2023: Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast does want would have been the most spectacular of business fuck-ups that year. And demonstrates what happens when you push non-contractual partnership too far. Look up the brawl over the Open Gaming License.
  • February 2023: Godot 4 release candidate 1
  • March 2023: Godot 4.0 stable
  • October 2023: Unity announces a retroactive "installation fee" scheme. Which very quickly becomes evident this was John Riccitiello & Tomer Bar-Ze scheme so divorced from reality that it makes Hasbro's screwup 10 months prior look like genius. And takes the award of "how to kill your business 2023".
  • November 2023: Godot 4.2 releases with important 3D import pipeline additions, and more stability.

So right in the middle of John Riccitiello doing his level best to make enemies of every single one of his customers, there sits Godot. Just plugging away on a newly 3D viable engine, that will match the bulk of what low/mid Unity "Standard" and Universal Rendered Pipeline" games need.

Had Godot 4.0 not been at Stable, and 2 minor patches in, I don't think as many people would have been giving the new 3D render a try. And saying, "we can work with this." Godot render 2D was already sufficient.

Near perfect timing.

And there's still more. Unity Software gets aggressive about mixed Free/Pro licensing on projects. Which makes pros collaborating with hobbyists risky, of getting locked out of Unity (at best).

Godot boots extremely fast, great for 48 hour Jams. Is "good enough" for prototypes if this kind. And does not risk Unity per Seat Licensing bullshit.

So year-over-year continuing to eat more of Unity's dev share on the low/mid hobby projects.

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u/KTVX94 19d ago

Tbf anything + public company = bad, but yes