Unity 1.5 Development Platform Released for iPhone

Game development technology provider Unity Technologies has released Unity 1.5 for iPhone, an updated development platform that boosts in-game performance and adds support for Apple's iPhone 3G hardware. Unity Technologies claims that the improvements made in the latest release allow games to render up to three times faster than in the previous version of Unity. Unity 1.5 includes full support for native Objective C and C++ code, and gives developers access to common iPhone features like video playback, an on-screen keyboard interface, and GPS functionality. The update additionally includes support for 8-texture shading on iPhone 3G S units, which will automatically scale back when older iPhone 3G hardware is detected. Adam and Matt Mechtley, creators of the Chillingo-published iPhone boxing simulation title Touch KO, note that Unity 1.5's improved functionality allowed for increased detail and motion captured animation in their game. "Unity iPhone 1.5 made Touch KO possible, period," said the Mechtleys. "With a team of two, we were able to deliver a game that can compete with some of the biggest players in the App Store." The Unity platform allows developers to create games for the iPhone, the Nintendo Wii, and for Web browsers. Current Unity clients include Cartoon Network, Funcom and Lego, along with a number of independent development studios.