Hello,
I don’t post often, but I felt the need to share my feedback about what I’ve been reading and my thoughts on FAB in general.
First, let me provide some context: I’ve been involved with game assets since Unity 2.5, and over the years, I’ve invested a significant amount in assets for both Unity and Unreal. My library exceeds $20,000 in assets, and today, I plan to spend another $100. I have a funded project and operate as a professional in this space.
Here’s my contribution to the discussion:
1. **Unity and Unreal Asset Segregation
I strongly feel that Unity and Unreal assets should remain entirely separate in the marketplace. Mixing them creates unnecessary confusion. There should be a simple toggle or button allowing users to completely hide assets for the engine they aren’t using. Having to repeatedly filter for the correct engine wastes time during every search. I preferred the previous system, and as someone who no longer uses Unity, seeing Unity assets in my search results is frustrating and irrelevant.
2. **No Recurring Payments or Paid Upgrades
The concept of recurring payments or charging for upgrades is not practical or buyer-friendly. From the perspective of a buyer:
- Most assets are rarely, if ever, updated.
- A significant portion of my asset library is outdated or has stopped functioning entirely due to lack of updates.
- Buyers expect to own what they purchase, without worrying about additional charges for updates.
Moreover, many asset creators are hobbyists or beginners who may abandon their work after earning some money. The idea of paying recurring fees or for updates from unreliable sources is unrealistic and unappealing. Buyers expect professional support and long-term reliability, not additional costs.
3. **Professional License Concerns
The professional license structure is problematic. If I had to pay 5–10 times the price for every asset I purchase simply because I’m a studio, I’d either:
- Hire someone to create a similar asset I’d own outright, or
- Modify the purchased asset myself to avoid the inflated license costs.
Studios and indie developers aren’t foolish, and the primary reason for purchasing assets in a marketplace is to save money and development time. For example, if I buy a VFX pack but end up using only 1–2 Niagara effects, it might be cheaper to hire a freelancer to create exactly what I need rather than pay for an overpriced license.
If professional licenses inflate costs too much, buyers like myself will simply stop purchasing assets. The current pricing allows me to build within my budget, but if all my assets were 5x their current price, it would be financially impossible to continue. Keep this in mind: your market thrives on affordability and accessibility.
4. **Wishlist Removal
The removal of the wishlist is disappointing. I relied on it to track promotions and manage my planned purchases. Without it, keeping track of sales and potential purchases has become unnecessarily difficult. I strongly urge you to bring this feature back.
These are my thoughts. I hope my feedback proves helpful for improving the marketplace for both buyers and sellers.
Best regards,
Nikko