Unity & modding legal questions

News & General Discussion
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Hey everybody!

I had a few questions for UT and the Community regarding modding a game made with Unity Pro(which is the license I have).

Not on how to mod a game but rather some of the legal limitations if anyone has more answers.

I read through the EULA but I’m still confused on the legal jargon. I was going to contact UT directly but thought It would be a good Idea to ask this publicly in case someone else out there had these kinds of questions.

So basically I’ve been setting up my game while I develop it for allowing players to mod it. I’ve also been preparing to open up our entire IP; world, 3d-2d art, animations, story, everything under a license that allows commercial use and derivatives for free(real free). I don’t have the desire to ask for any type of royalty, only attribution.

I’m going to allow people to use the IP as they see fit, whether that be merchandising or making their own games, stories or you-tube shows or anything really. (that is if they even like the IP, it might just flop ) EDIT: My IP is not an issue nor my question. UT has no say on what I do with my IP.

But I’d also like to let modders profit on their mods(again without royalty) should they choose to do so. And here comes my questions and issues.

What are the limits with modding here?

How could I let users legally profit on their mods with a game made in Unity?

If I have a toolset running at runtime that allows;

the users to modifiy my own scripts/txt files;
edit levels;
import their own art and animations;
write their own dialogue;
set up their own missions(using the toolset);

and then allowed the user to profit on their mods am I breaching the EULA?

If it is breaching the EULA. Does anyone have any Ideas or solutions to be able to do this with Unity?

Is this just not possible with Unity?

EDIT:

I will use Fallout( 3 and New Vegas) and TES series for my example. Where most of the mods are visual content or scripts. The mods depend on the game.

Could I let modders of in-game scripts(quests, stats, level editing) and visual content(3d models, textures, animations) profit from their hard work if my toolset was run at runtime and didn’t allow the user to compile another separate game from it?

ps. I’m not sure exactly where a thread like this belongs so I’m posting it in gossip on the safe side.

1 Like
Modding Limits and Legal terms.
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Found this hope it helps - How to Make a Game builder On top of Unity - Industries - News & General Discussion - Unity Discussions

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It’s a pretty good question I’ve wondered about myself, actually, even without concern for the “profit” part.

Surely if a modder is using Unity Pro it’s no big deal, right, as they’ve paid for the same usage rights as us? But if they’re using a free license things just get murky. If I make something with Pro then they can’t contribute to it without their own Pro license, for starters. Or what if I was using a free license and someone with more than $100k income comes along and mods it, or someone with a Pro license mods it?

Then there’s stuff like how far we can go making custom editors and the like. I assume that as long as the stuff we’re allowing people to edit can’t be used outside of our game (i.e.: we don’t make a tool that allows people to make standalone stuff) it’d be ok, but I’m not certain of that.

It’s never been a big deal since none of my projects have relied upon that, but it’d be nice to know. Master Thief does have a mostly working level editor that I was at one point planning to include in the game.

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Legally it looks like if you start allowing people to make things with the engine then you could be breaching Section 2.f of Unity’s EULA. Best ask Unity first, especially as you will be allowing third parties to build Unity Pro licensed games and products without purchasing a license via modding.

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thanks @Arowx it did help a bit.

Basically, I learned that I can’t make a competing product with Unity. So I’d have limit my toolset.

@angrypenguin Yes this is more along the lines of my questions.

I wrote that I made a toolset that runs at runtime. So I’m not allowing them in any way to export a unity pro game; rather modify my game made with Unity pro. My question was if they can sell those modifications to other players.

The IP part I explained is not an issue as UT has no say over what I legally want to do with it. But as for modding Unity there comes the issues.

I will ask UT, I just thought this would be a good question to ask publicly

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@Arowx , sure but, for instance:

1. Me making a level editor specific to my game is not “mak[ing] the functionality of [Unity] available to … third parties”. Master Thief levels are not Unity scenes, they’re some data loaded into a Unity scene, and while they’re currently made within Unity there’s absolutely no reason they have to be. The level editor doesn’t expose any Unity-specific functionality (it lets you place stuff on a grid… everything else is presentation). Does that make it cool?

2. A Master Thief level editor can’t really be said to be a competing product in my eyes, but does Unity agree? (I’d guess so, but I’d want to make sure before I released it if I was still planning on that.)

3. What about games like Minecraft, Landmark, Little Big Planet or Disney Infinity where the game is a content editor? In that kind of instance where does the line get drawn?

Edit: To be clear, Arowx, I’m not asking you or any other forummer to answer these questions. Only Unity know the answers, and for hard answers on a given project I’m aware I’d have to contact them to be sure. I’m more interested in general impressions of the intent from people who actually know, here.

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@angrypenguin Yes those are some very good questions.
I’m hoping someone at UT will see this thread and help out publicly for future users. Or if anyone which has had to deal with modding, editors, toolsets, etc already has some suggestions.

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If part of your game design allows people to make mods inside the game, or with a tool you create that lets them create content playable only in your game, then that’s certainly allowed. As has been said, you are not allowed to use Unity to create a game editor that lets people create new and original games.

If your game project is shared up somewhere and people can use their purchased Pro to make a customised build of your game, then that is also permitted.

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I think the possible EULA breaker is when you allow modders to re-brand/skin your game and release a mod for profit. As you would in theory be allowing people to make a Unity game without a license.

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Thanks @Graham-Dunnett & @Arowx

Yes, The toolset would only allow users to make mods for my game not create a standalone game.

But yes, @Arowx brings up my main question. If I allowed users to sell 3d content, animations, and scripts which modified my game would that breach the EULA? Is that considered making a new game ?

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Probably would be considered just a mod to your game. Based on a few forum exchanges I think you’re okay.

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This is really good news! Thanks for the answers @Graham-Dunnett !

I’ll still make sure with UT that I’m not breaching the EULA once I’m done implementing everything. I will be stringent, clearly letting modders know their legal limitations. If they want to make their own game they’ll have to get their own Unity license and make one themselves.

The main idea here is mainly for 3d artists, animators and quest-makers only. Most modders don’t want to make a whole game just a weapon, armor or a quest. I doubt most would even want to sell their content but since 3d artists can sell their content anyway I didn’t want to limit them with my IP.

I’ll definitely be suggesting to those 3d artists and animators to sell their stuff on the Unity asset store :wink:

Well I’m going to do a happy dance. Have a great week everyone!