Pre-GDC: Unity Announces 3.0 Platform, Support For PS3, iPad, And Android

Unity Technologies revealed the third generation of its development platform with several new updates, and expanded its list of supported platforms to include PlayStation 3, iPad, and Android. Unity 3.0 promises updates to its rendering capabilities and physics features, as well as core systems optimizations designed to make targeting multiple platforms easier for developers. The platform will include integrated licensed technology like Illuminate Labs's Beast lighting software for photorealistic scene lighting. This third iteration will also incorporate Umbra Software's occlusion culling product, which is designed help performance for games with large, open scenes and complex geometry. The platform's top-end version, Unity Pro, will include both Umbra and Beast at no additional cost. Unity Technologies updated its Unity iPhone for version 3.0 to include streaming audio support for smaller build size, Bluetooth multiplayer support, faster in-game GUIs", and a 2D sprite engine. Furthermore, the company's iPhone product will offer performance improvements that promise to provide faster frame rates. The company says that with its new platform support for PlayStation 3, iPad, and Android, it offers developers an opportunity to target a larger install base than any other game engine. Unity's game engine currently can produce games for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Wii, with support for Xbox 360 announced last October. Unity 3.0 is slated to release this summer with its entry-level version available for free for commercial use. The company intends to keep the Unity Pro version at its current price of $1500 per developer seat, with upgrades priced at $750. Developers who preorder Unity Pro 3.0 will receive early access to the platform's beta builds. "Since our first version in 2005, Unity Technologies has been focused on the democratization of interactive 3D and delivering an impressive list of technological advances making it the technology of choice for more than 100,000 developers today," says Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason. He continues, "We have been driven by innovation and a desire to always offer the best capabilities to developers. Unity 3.0 is built on that same promise and allows our customers to further expand the reach of their games to new platforms and audiences."