Unity Hires Former InstantAction, Io Execs

Fast-growing engine developer Unity Technologies has hired Brett Seyler, who oversaw Torque engine development for InstantAction and GarageGames, to serve as its VP of strategy. Unity also announced the appointment of Steffen Toksvig, who spent six years at developer Io Interactive (Hitman series) before departing in 2008 as its chief technology officer. Internet research suggests Toksvig was actually hired at Unity in April 2009 as a senior software developer, and was promoted in October to the company's development director. Both executives can claim experience with engine development. For two years at InstantAction and parent GarageGames, Seyler oversaw the development and business of the Torque game engines. Seyler is now based in Unity's San Francisco headquarters, while Toksvig works out of the company's development office in Copenhagen. The Unity development environment has been quickly picking up steam over the past year, and the firm's recent decision to offer an edition of the engine for free has radically increased its user base. A company representative told Gamasutra the company has surpassed 63,000 users, up 385 percent since the free version's release. "Unity Technologies has shown impressive foresight by investing early in technology for both browser and mobile games, which are now the most exciting segments in the industry," said Seyler, whose previous employer focused heavily on browser-based gaming. Said Toksvig, "Unity Technologies is probably the most exciting place in the industry to be. What the team has achieved so far is fantastic and it does not stop here." In a statement, Unity's CEO David Helgason referred to the two executives as a "pair of aces."