Unity Powers 3D Lego Star Wars Browser Game

The Unity engine continues to gain ground in the web-based arena, as the LEGO Group has announced it licensed the development platform for its browser-based game LEGO Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2. The Quest for R2-D2 is a real-time 3D game created for LEGO by Three Melons, a Buenos Aires-based web game developer that has previously worked with the toy manufacturer on games such as LEGO Exo Force, LEGO Indiana Jones Adventures, and LEGO Agents. Many of the company's previous games have used its own internal Daiquiri development environment, but lead engineer Diego Ruiz said Three Melons went with Unity for its usability benefits. "We used Unity to develop the game because it allowed us to concentrate on gameplay instead of the technical issues," he explained. "At the same time, it includes an excellent balance between productivity and performance." In the same statement, LEGO internet content manager Sten Lysdahl Sorensen commented on Unity's 3D capabilities: "Unity allows for a unique visual 3D experience that portrays our models and minifigures in a way that gives the kids a premium free online game," he said. "We firmly believe that the Unity engine and the skilled work by Three Melons is taking advergaming to a new level and thereby supporting our products in the best possible way."