licensing software
Is it okay to use the Arial Font in Software?
<p>I'm building a video game. I was wondering if it was Okay to Develop software with the Arial font. Do I need a license? Do I need to purchase it? Because I'm not really sure.</p>

<p>Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.</p>

<p>As far as I know, the Arial files that come pre-installed with your operating system are only licensed to you through your Windows license. You aren't authorized to distribute them. On the other hand, about 75% of people use Windows, which usually comes with Arial pre-installed, so you could just reference the system fonts and not worry about that.</p>

<p>If you're determined to support OS X and Linux, anyone can get Arial for free through <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/web.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Microsoft's core fonts for the web</a>, but their EULA says you can't redistribute them. So you could encourage your users to locate and download that package.</p>

<p>You could buy an app license from myfonts.com (just search for it there), but that's pricey.</p>

<p>But now let me speak to you as a typography fanboy rather than a licensing nerd. I suggest you not use Arial. It is an already bland font made even more bland by overuse. Font choice is just as important as any other design element in a video game: would Candy Crush Saga (King, iOS/Android/Windows Phone/Browser, 2012) make as effective a message without this "delicious" chunky script font?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/rN2NC.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/rN2NC.jpg" alt="Delicious!"></a></p>

<p>Arial cannot aid the atmosphere of your game unless you are making a game about the history of typography. Think carefully about your choice of typeface and whether one that actively encourages neutrality is your goal. But if you must, there is a simple solution: <a href="https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/arimo" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Arimo</a>. It is metrically compatible with Arial, meaning every character in Arimo has the same width as its counterpart in Arial, so that documents typeset in both fonts will have the same layout.</p>
