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Cross-platform Android and iOS gaming arriving through Google Play
Android phone and tablet owners and iOS devotees might not be quite so divided in the video game space soon. Features recently added to Google Play game services, the tool used by developers to manage items like leaderboards and achievements in Android, included new multiplayer options for iOS devices. Additionally, as Engadget pointed out, an update to the Unity engine allows cross-platform multiplayer for iOS and Android players. Google Play game services also received a change to their categories, bringing the total number of video game genres on the platform to 18. Lastly, Google plans to launch a "game gifts" service, which will allow players to send one another in-game items. The company launched its game services software development kit in May 2013 as an answer to Apple's Game Center service. Google also recently purchased Android controller manufacturer Green Throttle Games. [Image: Google]
Unity 5 revealed, includes improved lighting, audio
Unity Technologies has unveiled the next iteration of its increasingly ubiquitous cross-platform game engine, appropriately dubbed "Unity 5." Described as a "massive update," Unity 5 features a "completely overhauled audio system," physical shaders and enhanced real-time lighting. Additionally, the update delivers an ad-sharing network that should make it simpler for developers using Unity 5 to cross-promote mobile games. Unity Technologies also hopes to expand the engine's already massive reach with the addition of support for the WebGL graphics API. Unity 5 will be available for pre-order from the Unity Technologies store at some point tomorrow. Helpfully, paying for the engine early also grants users access to Unity 4 and all of that engine's remaining updates. [Image: Unity Technologies]
Google helps devs create cross-platform Android and iOS multiplayer games
The annual Game Developers Conference descends on San Francisco this week, and Google's wasting no time in sharing its news. For gamers, Mountain View's said it'll be launching a "game gifts" service for sending in-game swag to other players, and increasing the number of game categories in the Play store to 18 in the hope you'll stumble upon titles you might like easier. More important, however, is what devs can do with the new features of Google Play game services, a back-end tool for managing leaderboards, achievements and more in Android, iOS or web games. Multiplayer support has been added for iOS games, and via an update to the Unity plug-in, cross-platform multiplayer between Android and iOS devices is now possible. These features have to be implemented by developers, of course, but next time you see that friend who's always arguing the merits of one mobile OS over another, you might just be able to settle the discussion in-game instead. Update: A new version of Google Play services is rolling out to support the new features. Version 4.3 supports the new gifts feature, as well as tie-ins to Google's recently updated Drive API for storage.
Dear Esther dev ditches Source for Unity after unpleasant surprises
For the past two months, environment artist Robert Briscoe has been working to make Dear Esther run in Unity, rather than Valve's Source Engine, and he has some pretty gifs to show for it. He's bringing the entire game to Unity, six years after it launched as a free Source engine mod and two years after it launched as a separate game, also in Source. In a blog post, Briscoe asks the question on everyone's mind, "Why would you want to port Dear Esther, a fully finished game on a solid engine, over to an entirely new engine so late after release?" Thankfully, he also answers the question, with a bit of background information: Briscoe, thechineseroom's Dan Pinchbeck and Jessica Curry, and coder Jack Morgan made the 2012 PC launch game, and then the team split to work on their own things (Amnesia, anyone?). Briscoe outsourced the Mac and Linux ports of Dear Esther to two separate teams, which have since dissolved and stopped bug-fixing those versions. Another, native Linux port, is still in beta and looks like it's staying that way. Briscoe received a "huge bill" for the middleware included in Source Engine but not covered in the original licensing deal. The team wasn't aware of the middleware or its fees before getting the bill, and it had to pay for a separate license for each platform. "It was a big hit financially, which put us at a loss in terms of the Mac and Linux ports," Briscoe says.
Unity engine comes to Vita with full feature set in tow
In its ongoing quest to support every gaming platform in existence, the Unity engine is now available to developers on Sony's Vita handheld. According to a blog post on the Unity website, the Vita version of Unity supports all of the handheld's unique features including touchscreen sensitivity, dual analog joysticks, the Vita's front- and rear-facing cameras and its gyroscopic motion sensors. In addition, the engine also supports the features of the PlayStation Network, allowing developers to easily integrate trophies and friends list support into games developed on Unity. Most crucially, the addition of Unity support to the Vita will make it easier to port games from the handheld to other platforms supported by the engine. Instead of having to rewrite a game's code from scratch, developers can now build a game in Unity and with a few relatively simple tweaks port it to other Unity platforms. In March, an agreement was announced to bring the Unity engine to all Sony gaming machines. This should make development of future cross-play games less resource-intensive.
One of gaming's most-used engines arrives today on PlayStation Vita
With PlayStation Vita getting Unity game engine support in today's update, one of gaming's most widely used game engines is heading to Sony's latest handheld. And that means it's all the easier for the dozens of great Unity engine games to head to the Vita as well, to say nothing of future developments. It also means that, when games are ported, they'll have access to the full suite of PlayStation Network features (matchmaking, trophies, etc.); previously, many developers took the PS Mobile publishing route, leaving out rich features many other Vita games enjoyed. As content is the lifeblood of any game console, we're thrilled to see what today's update means for 2014 with PlayStation Vita. Unity's also promising PlayStation 4 support in the near future, which hopefully means that applicable Unity engine games will also have crossbuy support. We can dream, can't we?
Catlateral Damage chronicles the life of a destructive kitty
Ever wonder why cats love knocking stuff off of shelves? Because it's fun, that's why. Indie developer Chris Chung tackles this aspect of feline fascination in Catlateral Damage, a first-person action game that casts the player in the role of a particularly destructive cat. In Catlateral Damage, players hop up on overhead surfaces and send household objects crashing to the floor with repeated paw swipes. Break enough of your owner's valuables (hint: combos award point multipliers) and you win. For anyone who has never owned cats, this is a fairly accurate simulation of what their day-to-day life entails. Cats are jerks. The current alpha version of the game is playable for free online, and is available as a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux. A paid version is set to launch later this year via Steam Greenlight.
Bubsy 3D tribute is this week's best weird 15 minutes
The abstract, retro-inspired minds of Arcane Kids crafted a suitably bizarre, beautifully bad tribute to Bubsy 3D this week, and you can play it in your browser right now. While it ostensibly resembles the 1996 PlayStaton game, Arcane Kids' version takes you on an unwieldy tour of the real-life ongoing James Turrell Retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In contrast to the PlayStation game's abysmal take on 3D, the LACMA exhibition is a celebration of the artist's vision of light and space. Once you're done with the tour, however, things start to get really weird. We're talking the last episode of The Prisoner weird, complete with an unerring propensity of skeletons and an overriding sense of dread. While the controls and presentation mirror the terribleness that was Bubsy 3D, Arcane Kids' game is an aptly bizarre mixture of nostalgia and artistic thinking, and easily the best weird 15 minutes of the week. Strangely, it made me want to return to 2D SNES-generation game Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, which I was young and stupid enough to think was pretty good when I played it. Yesterday.
Unity license free for ID@Xbox developers
Microsoft announced this morning that all developers in the ID@Xbox program will have free access to the Unity game engine, which has become the go-to cross-platform backbone of game development. The Xbox One add-on for Unity is planned for 2014. "Will we devote marketing and promotion to promising looking titles in development? Of course. But we want to make sure the dev who's working away in Omaha, or Coventry, or Chiba will have the same shot to realize their vision on Xbox One as one of my developer friends we hang out with in Seattle or at a trade show like GDC or Gamescom," wrote Chris Charla, Microsoft's portfolio director for digital games. The ID@Xbox program is designed to lower barriers for independent developers, supporting various business models for those games. Unity licenses aren't that expensive, but for developers living on ramen, that extra money saved lets them get crazy with ramen that includes flavor packets. That's fancy!
Unity game engine hits 4.2.2 with iOS controller support
The Unity game engine likes to take things in small steps. First it was adding Linux and Wii U support. Then Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10. Now that most of the major operating systems are covered, it's time to start making minor enhancements to that support. With version 4.2.2, released today, it now supports iOS 7's native game controller API. Apple decided to standardize controllers across iOS, making it easier for developers to build in gamepad support. It was also trivial for the Unity team to plug that API directly into its own standard Unity input API. For more details you can check out the Unity developer blog.
Shroud of the Avatar dev update shows off Unity scene jam winner, collectors coin
Portalarium's latest Shroud of the Avatar dev blog is up, and its topics range from community contests to the wood grain of a miller's table. The blog introduces the Sigil of Magic, which is an artistic representation of the way Shroud of the Avatar's nine schools of magic interact with one another, along with a new official collectors coin, which will be sent out as a reward for those who backed Shroud of the Avatar at the Early Founder Collector Pledge level or above. Additionally, the blog leaps into each of the game's different crafting tables and talks a bit about their artistic influence. The studio also used the blog to declare a winner in its recent Unity Scene Jam contest. The contest gave Shroud of the Avatar fans 48 hours to build a scene featuring a lunar rift using the Unity engine and some provided resources. The winner will receive a Knight-level pledge, a signed game box, and a Shroud of the Avatar t-shirt. Check out the scene in a dev-hosted video after the break.
Embers of Caerus September update details explorable demo and team changes
Forsaken Studios has released its September development update video this weekend for Embers of Caerus, and in it, we get details on a new community manager, some issues the team is having with funding, and the upcoming exploration demo that's in the works with a new engine. As technical director Dave Belcher explains in the video, the investment hurdle merely means that the team will need to step it up a bit to show off more of what the game is at this point, with the possibility of more crowd funding in the future. Belcher explains that the game will be moving from Havok's Vision engine to the Unity engine (temporarily) for new prototypes, which should help show potential investors (both large and small) what the game is all about. Check out the entire 18-minute video just after the jump for more on what the team has been up to in the last few busy months.
Nintendo 'very aware' of desire for Wii U, 3DS unified accounts
Dan Adelman, Nintendo of America's go-to indie guy, recently told Destructoid that although Nintendo is "very much aware" of customer feedback calling for unified accounts across the Wii U and 3DS eShop, there is currently nothing to announce regarding the feature. "We don't have anything new to announce, unfortunately, other than we've definitely heard that feedback many times from both inside and outside the company," Adelman said. "It's definitely something that we're very much aware of. All development for the infrastructure really happens out of Japan, so we've kind of communicated this need in the market, and they're very much aware of it and working towards really just always improving the eShop." Unity on Wii U? Check. Unity across Wii U and 3DS accounts? Not so check.
Unity adding Xbox One support in 2014 [Update: 2014, not this year]
Update: It turns out Helgason misspoke, as Unity representatives got in touch with Joystiq and clarified that Unity will not be available on Xbox One until 2014. Here's the statement from Helgason: "During an interview with OXM in July, I misspoke and suggested that Unity for Xbox One would be available sometime in 2013. At that time, work had only just begun on those tools so while there will be a very few developers in very early testing phases this year, the Xbox One tools for Unity will not be widely available to developers until 2014. We are currently hard at work on the technology and are making great progress but we are not yet ready to announce any specific release windows. I apologize for any confusion my statement may have caused." Original post: Unity on Xbox One will be officially supported sometime later this year, Unity CEO David Helgason told OXM. This collaboration is part of a new partnership between Unity and Microsoft announced this summer, which will see Unity not only on Xbox One, but also Windows Phone and PC. "Depending on which platform there are different costs, but the fundamental thing is that the tools themselves are the same," Helgason said of the process involving exporting game code to Microsoft platforms. "And once you build what you want to build you can just export it directly. So now we're adding, in collaboration with Microsoft, Xbox One support later this year and we also worked with them to make the Windows store export free." Unity is one of the most popular cross-platform game development suites offered today and the backbone of popular games such as Kentucky Route Zero, Gone Home, Surgeon Simulator 2013, Project Eternity and Deus Ex: The Fall. The company recently offered its mobile development tools to indies and small studios free of charge. The next update, version 4.3, is due this fall and will focus on providing developers with specific tools aiding development of 2D games.
Running Linux on your Mac: 2013 edition
Back about this time of year in 2009, I wrote a post that's remained a venerable favorite. Entitled "How to set up Ubuntu Linux on a Mac -- It's Easy and Free," the post described in full detail how those interested in learning more about one specific Linux distro could install Ubuntu in a virtual machine on their device. This post is an update to the original, with all-new instructions but still using the same framework -- Oracle VM VirtualBox, which is an open source virtualization environment, and Ubuntu Linux. Why would you want to run Linux on your Mac, which features a Unix-based operating system in itself? Well, you may need to run Linux applications for your job as a system admin, or perhaps there's some specific app that some kind soul has written to run on a variety of Linux distributions but hasn't been ported to OS X yet. Whatever the reason, it's easy to do and you can put it on your resumé. Step 1: Download VirtualBox The first thing to do is get the Virtual Machine environment installed. Rather than use either VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop, we're using the free Oracle VM VirtualBox. Download VirtualBox 4.2.16 for OS X Hosts here, and save it to a convenient spot on your Mac. Step 2: Install VirtualBox At this point you have a file with a name like "VirtualBox-4.2.16-86992-OSX.dmg" either in the Downloads folder or on the desktop. Double-click it to mount the installer image and this Finder window appears: The instructions are right on the box! Double-click the VirtualBox.pkg icon, respond to the various prompts using the default values, and VirtualBox is installed in the Applications folder. Step 3: Download Ubuntu Now it's time to get the Linux distro that I used the last time -- Ubuntu. Yes, I know there are plenty of other distros out there to play with and that some are better than others, but for the purpose of this post I'm trying to make this as easy as possible for readers to just experiment. Head on over to this page in your favorite browser, and click on the download button for the Long-Term Support (LTS) edition -- that just means that version will be supported for a longer time. In this case, it was Version 12.04 LTS. By the way, if you have a fairly recent Mac that's running Lion, Mountain Lion, or even Mavericks, go ahead and select the 64-bit version of the operating system. You'll be asked if you want to make a donation to help development of Ubuntu; that's up to you and you can also just try it for free, then donate later. The download will begin and several minutes later an .iso disk image file is stored on your Mac. This is used as an installation "disk" for Ubuntu. Step 4: Launch VirtualBox and create a virtual machine Pop into the Applications folder and launch VirtualBox. A blank "Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager" appears. Click on the New button in the upper left of the window to start creating a new virtual machine. The first window you'll see looks like this: I typed in a very original name for my virtual machine: Ubuntu. You may call it George if you wish. The type of operating system is Linux, the version in this case is Ubuntu (64 bit). Click Continue. A screen appears asking for the amount of memory you wish to allot to your VM. VirtualBox recommended 512 MB, but I selected 1 GB because hey, RAM's good! Clicking Continue again, you're then asked if you want to add a virtual hard drive to the new machine. Use the default "Create a virtual hard drive now" radio button, and click "Create". The next screen asks what kind of hard drive file type you would like to use. I chose the default VDI setting, and clicked yet again on Continue. Now you need to select the storage size of the virtual hard drive on your physical drive. Once again, select the default "Dynamically allocated" and click Continue. VirtualBox needs to know the initial size of the new virtual hard drive and where you want to save it. I suggest using the default 8 GB setting, and default location -- in your user folder (the one with the house icon in Finder). You can select another location if you wish. Click Create to continue. Guess what? You're back at the Oracle VM Virtual Box Manager. With your new virtual machine selected in the left sidebar, click the green Start arrow. As your virtual machine boots, it will want to be pointed at the installation media -- in this case, that's the Ubuntu distribution file. Mine was called "ubuntu-12.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso", but yours might be different dependent on the version number of the download. Select the distribution file by clicking on the folder icon, then using the standard OS X dialog to find and select it on your Mac. Once you're ready to go, click Start. Step 5: Installing Ubuntu Linux Pretty easy so far, right? It gets even easier now, since Ubuntu practically installs itself. Here you have a choice -- you can either just try Ubuntu, which means that you're running it from the disk image, or you can install Ubuntu so that you can start installing apps and customize it. I suggest clicking the Install Ubuntu button. The next screen checks to see if your computer has at least 4.5 GB of available drive space (we set it for 8 GB earlier) and is connected to the Internet. Chances are good that if you're reading this post on TUAW, you're connected to the Internet. I checked both the "Download updates while installing" and "Install this third-party software" boxes so that my virtual machine received any late-breaking security updates, then clicked Continue. Next, an Installation type window appears. Since you've selected your virtual hard drive, make sure Erase disk and install Ubuntu is selected, and then click Continue. You should see something similar to this indicating that you're connected to a VBOX HARDDISK: Click that Install Now button and you're on your way. You'll need to create a user for your virtual machine: Put in your name, the name of the computer (if different), pick a username, and then select and confirm a password. If you don't care to log in every time you start the virtual machine, just select "Log in automatically" and click Continue. For me, I decided to require a password lo log in. Now you are treated to an exciting slideshow of features while the Ubuntu installer does its magic. When it is complete, you're asked to restart the machine: As soon as your virtual machine reboots, you're greeted with a login window (if you selected that option), and then move to to the Ubuntu Desktop using the Unity Desktop Environment: At this point, you can choose to play around for a bit, browse the Ubuntu Software Center (think of it as Ubuntu's App Store), tweak settings, and otherwise make yourself at home. I would suggest, however, that before you do too much, that you make a few minor changes to your virtual machine. To do this, shut down your Ubuntu VM by clicking the little "power button" icon in the upper right corner of the window, then selecting Shut Down... Step 6: Final Tweaks Once you're safely back at the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager, click on your Ubuntu virtual machine in the left sidebar and click the Settings button in the toolbar. What we need to do is change the boot order so that VirtualBox knows where to look for the virtual machine file on the Mac. When the Ubuntu - System settings window appears, click the System tab: See that second item below Base Memory titled Boot Order? Initially, it's going to show CD/DVD-ROM as the first item in the list. You want to change that by clicking on Hard Disk, then moving Hard Disk to the top of the list using the little arrows to the right of the boot device list. By the way, since your Mac doesn't have a floppy drive, uncheck that Floppy check box. In fact, you can do the same to CD/DVD-ROM as well if your Mac (like both of mine) doesn't have an optical drive. Conclusion I was surprised at how little time it took to set up the Ubuntu virtual machine this time compared with 2009. Of course, the iMac I installed it on is much faster than the one I used four years ago, and both VirtualBox and Ubuntu have gone through some changes as well. It boots a lot faster, too -- from the VirtualBox Manager, it takes just 8 seconds to get to the login screen. Like I said earlier, you can choose to use any other Linux distribution if you wish to; I just chose Ubuntu because that's what I did four years ago. But this is a fun and educational way to learn all about another operating system, and if you choose not to make a contribution, it's also free.
Unity getting official 2D support, ad functionality, Unity Games label created
Good news for aspiring game developers, the Unity engine will officially support 2D development starting this fall with Unity 4.3. Of course, there are already lots of 2D games made with Unity (as the company's own website will attest), but the new update will add lots of tools specifically aimed at 2D development. Among those tools are a drag-and-drop sprite importing, a sprite animation editor and a dedicated 2D renderer. Also coming in the 4.3 update will be support for developer-controlled in-game advertisements. Developers will be able to create points within their games that will trigger an advertisement. The ad system will allow developers to enable, disable or change ads using a web interface, which sounds pretty handy for self-promotion. Finally, Unity's publishing arm, formerly known as Union, has been re-branded as Unity Games. The label will seek out promising Unity games, helping developers create and distribute the game, as well as offering QA support. The first two games to be published under the label will be Freeride SkiCross and Archangel (pictured). Interested developers can find more info on the Unity Games website.
New Facebook SDK issued for Unity games
Facebook has issued a new SDK aimed at expediting the integration of the site's identity and social features into games made by Unity developers. "Whether you're building on iOS, Android, web, or all three, the SDK lets you continue to write in C# and provide social game experiences to all your players, regardless of the platform they play on," the announcement blog post on Facebook's developer section reads. Over 90 million monthly active Facebook users have Unity installed – more than triple the number of users in the first half of 2013. 260 million people are playing games on Facebook each month and is increasingly becoming more popular. In July, Facebook announced a pilot program for publishing mobile games.
Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online's community focus
When interviewing developers for Massively over the last three years, I've taken many opportunities to chat up multiple community managers. And when I was running my own community, I read article after article about how to gauge the health of a community. Although I don't remember who said it or where I might have read it, I learned that one of the best ways to measure a healthy community is the amount of artwork that players make about your particular theme, or in the case of The Elder Scrolls Online, the game. Of course, all game creators like to see players having fun and being inspired by what they are doing. The Elder Scrolls brings with it an existing community inspired by games like Skyrim and Morrowind. The community has already fallen in love with ESO and has drawn inspiration from everything that ZeniMax has released about the game so far. One of these inspired individuals is Lisa Green, known as Aloucia on TESO-RP.com. She told me a bit about herself and the inspiration behind her painting that was featured in the latest Tamriel Chronicle.
Unity 4.2 adds support for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and BB10
One of game development's most used engines is adding support for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Blackberry 10 today in its latest version, 4.2. Some support was already offered in the latest version's beta run, but today Unity 4.2 drops out of beta and into primetime. That brings Unity's mobile platform support up to four: Android, iOS, Windows Phone 8 and BB10 (for both free and paid version of the engine). Of course, the implications here are what matters -- Unity powers major mobile titles like Temple Run 2 and Republique, not to mention the new Deus Ex mobile game. As for Windows 8, games like Surgeon Simulator 2013 (trust us -- look into that one) and Interstellar Marines are powered by Unity. There are also a smattering of previously paid functions going free -- head past the break for the full list.
Unity game engine to support Xbox One, gets a boost on Windows 8 and Windows Phone
When the Unity game engine runs virtually everywhere -- well, almost -- it's no surprise that Unity Technologies has just announced that the engine will support the Xbox One. However, the firm is also revealing a partnership with Microsoft that promises a deeper level of integration on the One than we've seen on some other systems. Microsoft Studios partners will get to build Unity-based Xbox 360 and Xbox One games for free. They'll also receive tools that take full advantage of the One's tricks, including cloud computing, matchmaking, improved Kinect gestures and SmartGlass. Developers who aren't console-inclined are covered as well: the partnership will give all Unity Pro 4 customers free access to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 development add-ons once they're available this summer. While there's no guarantee that game producers are more likely to target Microsoft's ecosystem than they have in the past, the Unity deal could lower some of the costs and technology barriers. And there may be more: Microsoft has dropped hints that it will provide further details on its support of indie console app development sometime in the near future.
