NGUI: Free Edition

[ArenMook]

Have you been tempted to give NGUI a try, but just don't want to commit to spending money on something that you may not use? Good news! You can now get all of NGUI's features for development, evaluational, educational and/or internal use with the Free Edition.

Click the logo to download the Unity Package.



What's in the package? Everything NGUI comes with -- this includes all of the functionality up to and including version 2.0.7c -- Atlas Maker, Font Maker, all of it.

What's the catch? Aside from the non-commercial usage restrictions, NGUI's "Free Edition" message will be shown when you launch your application, and NGUI's watermark will appear in the top-left corner. Example 3 is also missing (orc inventory), because it's a bonus example.

But the rest is there.

And now the really interesting bonus:

If you are a developer, you are welcome to create your tool or Asset Store-bound package using the standard or free version of NGUI, then swap it out with the Distribution Version package before submitting it to the Asset Store. All I ask is that you clearly state that your product is using NGUI and that the contents of the NGUI folder is the work of Tasharen Entertainment. You should also not modify the contents of the NGUI folder, aside from removing whatever items you don't need.

This lets you freely use NGUI for your Asset Store-bound work where before you were limited to Unity's GUI.

Happy NGUIng!

[zlabs]

I was waiting for this!

Thanks man!!!

[Mishaps]

Nice Work!

[hjupter]

Nice logo !

[chi]

Nice GUI !

[Morning]

How easy/hard is it to update free to commercial when the project is close to finishing?

[goat]

Too kind.

[NomadKing]

Great news. Really looking forward to trying this out

[jc_lvngstn]

Perfect timing...thanks!

[WolfGames]

Awesome!!

[norby]

Thanks a lot

Norby

[OMG!Yeti's]

Thanks for this Aren.

Gives me the chance to try out your system until I have the money for the full package sometime next month.

[ArenMook]

How easy/hard is it to update free to commercial when the project is close to finishing?

Trivial -- delete the NGUI folder, import from the full version package. Done!

[Izitmee]

Great Aren. I always thought that every package should come with a trial, so this is awesome. Still didn't get it, but will probably grab it for my next project.

By the way, I never put anything on the Asset Store, but from what I understand it is quite complicated to develop "Trial" versions: how did you achieve it? I'd love for other developers to follow your steps

[DavidB]

Wow this is definitely a great idea, and from the looks of it a great package. I'll definitely be checking it out. Though I would like to ask for some clarification regarding:

And now the really interesting bonus:

If you are a developer, you are welcome to bundle this Free Edition package with your own commercial Asset Store-bound work, provided that you do not alter the contents of the NGUI folder beyond removal of not needed items, and clearly state that the contents of the NGUI folder are the work of Tasharen Entertainment.

This lets you freely use NGUI for your Asset Store-bound work where before you were limited to Unity's GUI.

If you package NGUI on a commercial asset I presume:

1) The developer must own a commercial license for NGUI (only makes sense)
2) Stipulate that their package is only for non-commercial uses unless the purchasing user also purchases NGUI?

#2 is what I'm confused about. If you use NGUI in a commercial asset, are customers of such an asset also obliged to purchase the commercial NGUI package prior to using their purchased asset commercially?

Thanks!

[Morning]

Allowing NGUI inclusion with your asset store projects is a clever marketing idea. The buyer needs to buy the license for NGUI to use it for commercial stuff.
Oh you clever man.

[WooSpringBreak]

I want to undergo horrific genetic modification so I can have your babies

[ArenMook]

@DavidB: The Free Edition can be distributed, the Standard / Pro editions can't. This is mainly targeted at other content developers producing something for the Asset Store. For example -- this lets anyone create custom fancy skins for the UI, complete with a full UI layout and setup, or create a much more interesting looking UI for their Starter Game Kit than they would with Unity's GUI.

The buyers of this "combo package" may already own a standard copy of NGUI, so upgrading for them would be a simple matter of replacing the NGUI folder within. Or maybe they won't want the UI part of it at all, and bought it for some other purpose (game mechanics for example) -- in which case they can just stay with the free version, provided the UI won't be used in their own final product.

@Morning:

@WooSpringBreak: I'll be waiting! *bow chica bow wow*

[ArenMook]

By the way, I never put anything on the Asset Store, but from what I understand it is quite complicated to develop "Trial" versions: how did you achieve it? I'd love for other developers to follow your steps

All I did was put a part of NGUI into a managed C# DLL, and created a new package with a price of $0. It was fairly easy with how NGUI was designed -- most things were already compartmentalized nicely.

Bottom line is -- the less spaghetti code you have, the easier it is.

P.S. This entire "free edition" endevour has a very high chance of blowing up in my face by hurting my own sales, so I am taking a pretty big risk here... Either the sales will stay solid and I will continue development of NGUI, or they will slow down, which will cause me to go work on something else. So if you like what you see, consider investing in future features, and let me know! I'll happily share the results of this semi-experiment with the rest of the community.

[minevr]

Good job!! Bump~~