Well Played Unity, Well Played...
Is top management of Unity so naïve? Perhaps not...
In
a “surprising” turn of events, Unity Technologies recently announced a
significant pricing rollback for its Unity engine. Unity engine is widely
used by developers worldwide, but in recent years, pricing concerns began to
emerge. The company recently adopted a tiered pricing structure, which didn't
sit well with many small to mid-sized game studios. This discontentment
eventually culminated in a strategic rollback, an intriguing display of negotiation
skill.
For
example- the "Offer a Bogey" tactic is a negotiation strategy where
one party proposes a demand that is intentionally excessive or unfavourable,
creating a psychological anchor. In Unity's case, the excessive demand was the
pricing structure before the rollback. By presenting users with this
"bogey," Unity set the stage for a negotiation that would ultimately
lead to a more reasonable and favourable outcome. Unity Technologies displayed
excellent negotiation finesse by following up the initial excessive pricing
structure with a substantial rollback, making it clear that they were willing
to compromise and meet their users halfway. The question is- has this move
evoked a sense of gratitude and relief among Unity's user base, fostering a
more positive relationship between the company and its customers? As the Unity
team communicated the pricing rollback strategically. They emphasized their
commitment to supporting small and independent developers, addressing one of
the major pain points of their user base. This not only demonstrated empathy
but also showcased Unity's willingness to adapt and evolve in response to user
feedback.
Another negotiation tactic worth mentioning in this context is the "Door-in-the-Face" tactic. This approach involves making an initially large request that is expected to be refused and then following it up with a more reasonable request. It's interesting to note that the excessive pricing structure they initially presented could be seen as a metaphorical "door in the face." The subsequent rollback served as the more reasonable request that followed, leading to a successful negotiation outcome.
In
conclusion, Unity Technologies' recent pricing rollback for the Unity engine
demonstrates a cunning use of negotiation tactics, specifically the "Offer
a Bogey" approach. Whatever unfolded in last few days, was perhaps a planned
move by Unity in all likelihood.
