Godot Is DESTROYING Itself...

Summary

The video discusses the rise of the GDau game engine, originally launched in 2014, which gained attention after Unity's controversial pricing model alienated developers. Unity faced backlash for introducing fees per game install, leading many indie developers to seek alternatives like GDau, a free and open-source engine. Despite technical limitations and political controversies, including a backlash over its LGBT support and moderation issues, GDau saw increased contributions. The fallout led to community division, with some even forking the project to create a new version. The future of GDau remains uncertain.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The GDau game engine launched in January 2014 and is known for its lightweight nature and free availability, contrasting with heavyweight options like Unity and Unreal.
• 📉 Unity made a controversial decision to charge developers a runtime fee per game install, leading to widespread backlash and damage to its reputation.
• 💰 The GDau project gained popularity and support in the wake of Unity's pricing controversy, with donations exceeding $50,000 a month and contributions from major industry names like Google and the creators of Terraria.
• 🔄 GDau is being compared to Blender, an open-source alternative in the 3D modeling industry, for its role in providing a free option against paid game engines.
• 🚨 On September 27, 2024, GDau publicly announced support for the LGBT community, which caused significant backlash and led to widespread moderation and blocking actions on social media.
• 💼 The announcement led to controversy as GDau blocked several users, including financial contributors, sparking debates about whether a game engine should engage in political discussions.
• 🔧 A new fork of the GDau project, named 'Rau' or 'Redo,' was created by community members dissatisfied with the project's current state and management.
• 📉 GDau's community management issues, including controversies surrounding moderators and social media posts, have significantly impacted the project’s image.
• 🛠️ Despite these controversies, GDau remains a free and open-source game engine, with strong potential to challenge Unity and Unreal in the future.
• 🔗 The situation with GDau has gained so much attention that even prominent figures like the creator of Minecraft, Notch, have commented on the project’s current state.

Q & A

What is the GDau game engine, and when was it launched?

The GDau game engine is an open-source game development platform that was launched in January 2014.

How does GDau's size and functionality compare to other game engines like Unity and Game Maker?

GDau is much smaller in size, requiring less than 200 MB of storage, while Unity and Game Maker require gigabytes. GDau also doesn't need installation and can be run via a simple executable or even in a web browser.

What programming languages are supported by the GDau game engine?

GDau supports GD Script, which is similar to Python or Lua, and C#, the latter of which is also used in Unity.

What major mistake did Unity make that benefited GDau?

Unity announced a runtime fee of up to 20 cents per install, which angered developers and significantly damaged Unity’s reputation. This incident led many developers to switch to GDau.

Why did developers move away from Unity after its controversial pricing model change?

Developers, especially indie game creators, were upset by Unity's new pricing model, which would have resulted in significant costs. Many felt it was greedy and unfair, leading to an exodus toward free alternatives like GDau.

What parallels are drawn between GDau and Blender in the video?

GDau is seen as an alternative to expensive game engines like Unity, much like Blender serves as a free alternative to paid 3D modeling software like Autodesk Maya.

How has the GDau project grown in recent years, and what notable supporters has it gained?

The GDau project has grown significantly and is now receiving over $50,000 a month in contributions. Notable supporters include the creators of Terraria and even Google.

What political controversy has GDau recently been involved in?

In September 2024, GDau made a post supporting the LGBTQ+ community, which sparked controversy. Some users criticized the game engine for being 'woke,' leading to heated debates and negative responses.

What was the reaction of GDau's community to the LGBTQ+ announcement, and how did the company respond?

GDau’s announcement received both support and backlash. Many distasteful comments were hidden, and GDau started blocking people, including contributors and those who merely suggested avoiding politics. GDau later issued a statement admitting that some blocks were errors.

What is 'Rau' (or 'Redo'), and how is it related to GDau?

'Rau' (or 'Redo') is a fork of the GDau game engine created by community members who disagreed with the direction of the GDau project. It already has a large following and aims to push out small fixes and updates.