unity
Latest
Waste your Friday playing Fotonica
C'mon, it's Friday. You know everybody else in the office is taking it easy. Check out Debbie, you think she's working on next week's ad budget? Nope. She's looking at pictures of her sister's birthday party on Facebook and wondering how she stays so skinny. Look at Rick in HR over there, you just know he's catching up on the scores from last night's [insert prominent sporting events here]. Why don't you head over to Kongregate and check out Fotonica, Santa Ragione's extremely cool new first-person running game you play with just one button. As you'll see in a trailer after the break, the game features a gorgeous wireframe aesthetic, so maybe you can convince your boss that you're making 3D ... work ... models, or something. Heck, he probably won't look up from The View long enough to notice.
Lenovo's Chinese eBox console suffers delay, here's how its camera-based games might play (video)
We had nearly forgotten Lenovo's Eedoo spinoff and its China-bound video game console, seeing as how it failed to meet a planned November 2010 unveiling, but IDG News reports that the motion-sensing eBox hasn't slipped Lenovo's mind -- it's just been pushed further into 2011. How far? If we were to guess, we'd say Q2 2011, and the video above spells out why. Seemingly by coincidence, we were just sent this footage of a game called Flyimal, built on the Unity Engine as a collaboration between 3D asset company Mixamo and 3D gesture recognition company Omek Interactive, and -- get this -- running on "the first [console] to be made by the Chinese for the Chinese market and due for launch by Q2 of this year." We can't think of many game systems that fit that description, to be honest. There's not a lot to look at here, but we imagine PrimeSense and competitors will be perusing the video soon, noting that the machine captures precisely 15 points on a user's body for its gesture recognition algorithms... and wondering if there's a third dimension to any of that movement. Read Unity, Mixamo and Omek's statement after the break.
Kinect Hacks: Flash, HTML, Unity and Silverlight integration
Blitz, an interactive marketing agency, has released its source code and scripts for a Kinect mod that outputs data compatible with Flash, HTML, Unity and Microsoft Silverlight. The company, which helped launch Halo: Waypoint with Microsoft and 343 Industries, explains that the device's standard C++ programming language was too limited for budding Kinect hackers. Hit the jump for the tutorial video.
Free for All: Twenty-five free MMOs for that shiny new laptop
So there you are, reading a column from your favorite Massively writer on your shiny new laptop. You might be stuck with your parents and family because of the snow, or you might simply want to find a new MMORPG to play on the device. Perhaps you broke down and bought that cute pink netbook at Target, and now you need something to do with it besides reading your favorite writer of all time? Don't worry, because I've taken the time to compile and test 25 MMOs that will work wonderfully on your new toy! Yes, there are real MMOs out there that are not dependent on the latest graphics card or six gigs of ram. These are fully realized worlds, complete with chat windows and socializing. I will make a note if the game might have some difficulty on the oldest of hardware -- or the least powerful -- so keep an eye out for that. Otherwise, download away! For the record, this is my new toy. I got it for work, but you know the first thing I had to do was try out gaming on it. Click past the cut to see the list!
Unity box turns iPhone into an IR remote
The UnityRemote box sits on your coffee table or some other centrally located place in your living room. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, Unity takes orders from your iPhone and transmits those commands through an IR beam to any other IR device in your living room. This includes your television, cable box, home theater system and just about everything that makes up your home viewing experience. The Unity has an app you plunk on your iPhone to accomplish all this, but the app lets you do more than just send single commands to your home theater system. You can create macro commands, called "actions," that will follow a series of pre-programmable instructions to your system. For example, if you want an "action" to "turn on the TV, then flip to the Blu-ray player and play whatever disk is loaded," the Unity can do that. The Unity seems like it's a lot of fun, and since it's priced at a mere US$100, it seems like something most of us could enjoy in our living room. [via Wired]
Free for All: Four games I'm dying to play in 2011
The year 2010 was a great year in gaming. If anyone tells you any different, look him in the eye -- you've just met a madman. In fact, 2010 did so much for me, personally, that it might be hard to top it for a while. I actually started getting paid to write my blog entries this year, discovered so many wonderful new developers this year, and played more hours than in all of the previous years combined. As luck would have it, there are already several new games being announced that are making 2011 look like an even bigger year for me. Browser-based technology is only growing more robust and rich, indie gaming is finally starting to get a lot of the respect it deserves, and I now have the ability to contact almost any developer I want for use in my columns. All of this adds up to some exciting times ahead, for sure. All thanks to Massively, of course. There are four games in particular that I am very excited about. More will come, I'm positive, but these four have already cast huge spells on me. Click past the cut to see what you should be excited about, too!
Behind the Mask: The mysteries of UNITY
If you've never made the trip to level 40 in Champions Online, the endgame is somewhat of a mystery. I remember prior to getting my first level 40 that people would talk about things like "Nemcon" and "dailies." I found it kind of strange that a level 35 character couldn't sidekick or otherwise experience anything similar to these things. That all changed for me when I journeyed into the UNITY building for the first time. It was a little confusing -- there were no easy guides telling me where to start NemCon or what the "Qliphothic research" was for. Fortunately, you guys don't have to feel as much like a noob as I did. Warning: This article includes some spoilers for the plot of NemCon.
First Impressions: Atmosphir
After poking around some of my usual haunts to find interesting new games to show you, I stumbled across Atmosphir. Granted, it's not a true MMORPG -- I will tell you that up front. I knew, however, that it was something that needed to be shown for several reasons. It's totally free-to-play but features an optional subscription that will get you a monthly 500 points to spend in the cash shop for optional customizations and items. All weapons are already balanced and equal, so there's no "buying power" in this game. Customization is a blast, and the characters feel sharp and bright. I was able to make a unique-looking character despite having initially limited choices. Paying the monthly subscription opens up many more choices, making it easily worth the six dollars or so. The real game shines when you load a custom-made level and rack up points. If you like what you see, you might even have a chance to edit the level yourself or make a brand-new level of your own design. Let me me explain a bit more and you'll see why this might be a very important game to keep an eye on.
Ubuntu 10.10 'Maverick Meerkat' officially released: get your cloud storage, paid apps and Unity UI now
On the tenth day of the tenth month in the tenth year (read: today) Ubuntu Linux has hit its 10.10 revision, though it's mostly more of the same. The new Unity desktop interface makes cramped netbook screens more organized, software purchase support might legitimize Ubuntu as an app platform, Ubuntu One brings a free 2GB of Dropbox-like cloud storage to automatically synchronize files and folders, and streams music to Android and iPhone devices too... for a price. There's also full multitouch support, if you've got the hardware. "There's never been a better time to try Ubuntu," the open-source community cries, and they're probably right -- early reviewers claim this Maverick Meerkat build is one of the best they've tried. Find the 700MB downloads at our source link, or in torrent trackers all around the world. Read (1), (2) - Expert Reviews Read - ExtremeTech [Thanks, Bobby]
Unity takes a bow on Apple's third-party development stance
When Apple first passed out those development restrictions on using third-party platforms to create iOS apps, Unity was one of the third-party services that could have been frozen out (though Flash was obviously in everyone's minds). The team behind the popular game development environment assured everyone Unity was safe, but according to the rules as stated, the rest of us weren't so sure. Now that Apple has officially relaxed that policy, however, Unity's David Helgason is doing the equivalent of a victory dance on the company's official blog, saying that Unity respects Apple for "coming to the right conclusion, and in our eyes it's best to let bygones be bygones!" Yeah, he's kind of excited. Not that he's admitting the rules were make or break for Unity -- the company was apparently talking to Apple periodically, and even had a workaround ready to go if Apple ever did crack down on the platform. Helgason also points out that, even while things were up in the air, Apple continued to approve and, in some cases, feature lots of different Unity-created apps. While Apple preached against using anything but Xcode to create apps, the app review team allowed and even endorsed the products of third-party development tools. At any rate, the issue is settled now. Consumers are the real winners here. An end user probably can't tell the difference (if done correctly) between a third-party app and an Xcode app, so the more options for developers, the better.
Unity CEO disses Jobs on gaming
Unity CEO David Helgason gave a talk at the Develop conference, going on this week in Brighton, England, and had some harsh words for Steve Jobs on supporting iPhone gaming. Jobs previously said that using "middleware" like Unity to develop iPhone games "produces sub-standard apps," but Helgason fires back that Jobs "doesn't understand the economics of game development fundamentally." Most developers, Helgason seems to be saying, can't be jack-of-all-trades with their code -- they need libraries like Unity to do some of the lifting, especially on smaller-scale platforms like the App Store. Stuart Dredge at Mobile Entertainment is doing a great job of covering all of the other iPhone gaming news coming out of Develop as well -- he's got talks by the developers of Ngmoco's Godfinger, Rolando's Simon Oliver, and Ideaworks Game Studio, the company that brought World at War: Zombies to the iPhone for Activision (that last talk sounds similar to the one we saw earlier this year at GDC). If there's a theme among everything developers are saying, it's probably that they're finding flexibility a must on the App Store -- while an app may be developed with one feature or pay model in mind, things often have to change quickly during development or even after the app goes live. Lots of interesting things to read in there if you're interested in iPhone game development.
E3 launches into space Taikodom-style!
There are not many games that truly give the player the feel of what it is like to fly a starship in space. In fact, even some of the MMOs that label themselves as sci-fi are often just fantasy games with a futuristic paint job. And if you're looking for, more specifically, a free-to-play sci fi MMO, you will find but one game, and that game is Taikodom, the Brazilian-born, space-action game. If this game seems familiar, it's because it was recently acquired by GamersFirst, who have really put production of this title into full gear. Massively was lucky enough to to get our hands on the current incarnation of this game -- pre-beta! -- at E3. Set some 300 years in the future, Taikodom tells us that Earth -- or at least, Earth as we know it -- has completely changed. We are no longer able to set foot on the soothing surface of our blue-green homeworld. Instead, groups of space stations called Nodes are now our homes. Corporations run these nodes, and each has its own distinct faction and personality. Humanity now explores the galaxy in starships, which simulate and repeat familiar sights and sounds back to us. Hyperspace between Nodes is traversed via giant disc-shaped stations called, predictably, jumpgates. Explore this vast and exciting galaxy with us after the break! %Gallery-95561%
Zelda 2 remade in ... first-person
If you just can't deal with Zelda as a side-scroller, good news: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has been remade in 3D! Credit goes to one Michael A. Johnston, who designed this fan remake as a Unity-based game that you can play right in your browser. Zelda II FPS is an impressive feat, combining authentic 8-bit textures with brand new 3D models of all the creatures and environments. It's also freaking impossible. Even the once docile slime enemies are now dangerous, since you can't tell when there are three of them right behind you. Enjoy being murdered repeatedly by weak enemies, for now, before Nintendo catches wind of this project -- which it will, now that people like us are telling everybody -- and likely shuts it down. Sorry! [Via Kombo]
Canonical shows off 'Unity' desktop, Ubuntu Light for OEMs
Linux development moves at a rapid pace and, faster than you can say Lucid Lynx, Canonical has now unveiled two new major additions to its Ubuntu bag of tricks. The first of those is the so-called "Unity" desktop, which will be the new desktop environment for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition (slated to debut in October of this year). Among other things, it boasts a range of enhancements for netbooks and touch-based devices, including a pared-down interface and a new panel and application launcher that gives you quick access to your favorite apps. The other big news is Ubuntu Light, which is Canonical's take on an instant-on OS, and is targeted directly at OEMs for use on netbooks and other mobile devices. While it can be used on its own, Canonical mostly sees it being used in a dual-boot environment with Windows (giving Canonical a bigger foothold in the process). Like other instant-on OS's, it will integrate with Windows and give you access to things like music, photos and other files, as well as provide all the basic apps you need. Unfortunately, there isn't one catch-all version of Ubuntu Light that you'll be able to download since it'll need to be tweaked for each device, but it is available to OEMs immediately -- still no word of any devices that will be using it, though.
Tron's Space Paranoids gets the browser game treatment
If you play video games because you're driven by a powerful desire to be the very best, you may want to consider skipping this one. 42 Entertainment and Disney Interactive recently paired up to release an online, Unity-based version of the arcade game featured in Tron, titled Space Paranoids. It's your basic first-person tank simulator, in which player navigate a maze while fending off enemy tanks and Recognizers. So, in that respect, we guess it's not all that "basic." It's really fun, but regardless of how adroit you become at tank-shooting, you'll never be able to beat the top score of 999,000 set by "FLN." Still, if you can be satisfied by aspirations for second place, Space Paranoids is definitely worth checking out. [Via BigDownload]
Crytek interested in offering free development platform
When Epic offered the Unreal SDK free to all users, it got Crytek to thinking -- specifically, thinking about doing the same thing. Speaking to Develop, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said that his company is looking to offer a free platform for budding game developers "that will be up to speed" with CryEngine 3. It's nothing new to Crytek, which offered free versions of its previous platforms to the modding community, but this new venture is something different -- a "standalone free platform that people can run independent of CryEngine that will also be up to speed with the latest engine," Yerli hopes. While he's quick to point out it's not the same thing as what Epic and Unity are doing -- another popular game development tool that offers a bit of variety in free and premium toolsets -- we're hard-pressed to find much of a difference between the two. Crytek curently has no timetable for release of the new platform, nor has it commented on potential tech and licensing agreements stemming from the new venture.
iPhone OS 4.0 dev agreement blocks using Flash or Unity as IDEs?
UPDATE: We've heard directly from Unity Technologies themselves, and the company's CEO, David Helgason, has been in contact with Apple over the matter. Helgason says that so far Unity has "no indication from Apple that things are going to change." This is consistent with John Gruber's viewpoint on the new iPhone OS 4.0 dev agreement. Gruber originally thought that Unity3D would be a prime candidate for banning under the new rules, but given that Unity3D is, in Gruber's words, "a pre-processor than a cross-compiler," it's nowhere near as certain that Unity will fall on what Gruber calls "the wrong side of the line" per the new dev agreement. Gruber's opinion on the fate of Flash CS5's iPhone compiler under the new rules is... we'll say, "somewhat less rosy," and given the already strained relationship between Apple and Adobe, he's very likely correct. Daring Fireball's John Gruber has found an interesting potential "gotcha" in the newest developer agreement for iPhone OS 4.0. In a section titled "PIs and Functionality," there's a sub-section written in a way that could spell the end for translation tools like Flash Professional CS5's Packager for iPhone or Unity Technologies' Unity iPhone Pro. The relevant clause starts out by saying, "Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs." That's nothing new, and has already been the basis of many App Store rejections. But it goes on to say that apps "must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine." This could be interpreted in many ways, if not for the clarification that follows: "Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited." Adobe's Packager for iPhone is a tool that basically "translates" Flash games into iPhone-compatible versions using ActionScript 3. Unity iPhone Pro similarly allows game code to be outputted into Xcode, and from there it's a very short trip to submitting an app to the App Store. Although the code these two tools output is fully iPhone-compatible (it would have to be, or it would never get approval), the new developer agreement could easily be interpreted as saying, "iPhone apps have to be developed from the ground up in Apple's development environment, or we'll reject them." If true, developers who have depended on tools like Packager for iPhone or Unity are, perhaps justifiably, going to be very displeased that their IDEs are no longer supported. It's easy to see why Apple would make a move like this -- having "ported" apps in the App Store opens the door to bug-riddled apps with potential security holes -- but it's also easy to sympathize with those who would cast such a move as only one more example of Apple's iron-fisted approach to software development on their mobile platforms. Disclaimer: I am not even remotely close to being a developer, so it's entirely possible that I'm misinterpreting all of this. If I'm off-base and there are any devs out there who'd like to set me straight, let us know in the comments.
GDC 2010: From concept to Top Paid with Unity iPhone
Unity Technologies hosted the sponsored lunch panel during GDC 2010 today, and their "product evangelist" Tom Higgins gave a quick rundown of the software platform that enables developers to assemble and release games extremely quickly on multiple platforms. The company was actually founded in Denmark, but has since expanded around the world with just two products: Unity Pro and Unity iPhone Pro. The second product, as you might imagine, allows developers to put together an application that can then be exported out into an Xcode project and released on the App Store. Higgins said that they've had over 90,000 people download the software since it was released for free last fall, and that more than 500 games in the App Store were authored by Unity. He also ran a short demo of the software at the panel. While some of the coding got a little technical (the system allows you to create and change variables on in-game objects even while the game is running in the engine), the coolest feature was the way they simulated iPhone controls: by using a real iPhone as a remote. They've released a free app on the App Store that will connect via Wi-Fi with a copy of the development tool running on your Mac, and as you touch and turn the iPhone, the editor reacts, and sends the (slightly lower resolution) output to the iPhone's screen. You can also make changes to your code as the game runs in that mode, so you can be playing and coding at the same time.
Champions Online explains microtransactions, high level UNITY missions
Cryptic Studios has released a Champions Online State of the Game for July 15. Although it highlights some of the beta happenings of late, it's likely this won't affect many of our readers. However, the info they've dropped about microtransactions and high level content is definitely worth a read for any fans of the game, whether you're a Champions Online beta tester or not. Cryptic Studios writes, "Champions Online will support micro-transactions, but contrary to the concerns of some people, the game is not 'based' on them." They explain the basic scope of what will be possible in Champions Online using microtransactions, such as aesthetic changes and account-level management tools (like renaming your character). However, in the name of balance, they state, "any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play."
Tom and Jerry and Ben 10 coming to the MMO realm
We've written a bit about the Cartoon Network MMO FusionFall of late, which enjoys a great deal of popularity with younger MMO gamers. Now it looks like two other cartoons will be coming to the MMO space: Tom and Jerry and Ben 10. Tom and Jerry is going massively multiplayer (for Asia in 2010) through TurnOut Ventures Limited, a joint venture between Turner Entertainment Holdings Asia Pacific Limited and Outblaze Investments Limited. Hong Kong-based Typhoon Games (who are developing Hello Kitty Online) is developing the Tom and Jerry MMO. A look at the TurnOut Ventures product page also shows they're working on Ben 10 Omniverse. Both massively multiplayer titles are being built on the Unity game engine, for PC and Mac compatibility. There's no announcement at this time for North American or European releases of either title. [Via Kotaku]
