August 27, 2014 at 11:38Unity3D 4.6 beta, new advertising opportunities from Google and the sale of a gaming studio for 1 billion - the main mobile news of the week
A lot of news and figures about Unity3D from the Unite 2014 event
We decided to make a list of the most important information about Unity3D, which was announced at the Unite 2014 conference in Seattle on August 20-22. We think the comments here will be superfluous.
1. Almost half of mobile games made in non-native languages were created on Unity.
2. MAU engine - 640 thousand developers.
3. The number of installed games created on Unity3D has reached almost 9 billion!
4. The company bought Tsugi startup and renamed it Unity Austin. Based on startup technology, she creates Unity Cloud Build to automatically build projects from SVN, GIT, and other repositories. This functionality was sorely lacking. Many teams made this toolkit on their own. In addition, it will be possible to fumble builds. Service is in beta.
4. The beta version of Unity3D 4.6 is now available for download. The following functionality appeared in it:
- A powerful and fast user interface development system that looks very much like the popular NGUI asset.
- A lot of ready-made UI components from the box (buttons, sliders, scrolling lists, etc.).
- On the UI, you can apply effects and set separate lighting sources.
- Changed the system of 2D objects. It has become more flexible and equally well allows you to use 2D sprites for any purpose.
The full list of changes in version 4.6 can be found here: http://unity3d.com/unity/beta/4.6/release-notes
Google expands advertising opportunities for applications
Google has pleased developers of mobile applications with news about new types of advertising in search results and on YouTube. This extension of advertising functionality was discussed back in the spring of this year, now the innovation is becoming available to users and developers around the world.
A detailed list of new products can be found here , we will pay attention to the fact that Google continues to work actively on the basis of cross-promotion for users who migrate between mobile applications and the mobile web - the corresponding functionality will appear in the issue in the near future. From the current news, one can note a deeper integration with the advertising services AdMob and AdWords for devices based on Android - it is expected that advertising on iOS will have to be configured additionally.
Other “tricks” are the correct work with applications that are already installed on the user, and the ability to customize the advertising campaign based on recommendations based on search queries not only in Google search, but also in Google Play.
Zhongji Iron and Steel Holding buys Family Farm creators for $ 960 million
China is again blowing up the minds of ordinary people with news from the local mobile industry. Not only is the amount too overpriced (for example, Zynga bought NaturalMotion
FunPlus Game agreed to sell its DianDian Interactive Technology division along with such well-known projects as Family Farm, Family Farm Seaside, Happy Acres, Royal Story and another unannounced game. Zhongji will also receive 120 employees who are involved in supporting these projects. The deal will be closed in 2015, and the next 3 years, FunPlus Game will advise Zhongji.
It is doubtful whether such investments will pay off Zhongji. FunPlus has a monthly revenue of about $ 6 million and a profit of $ 4 million. The DianDian Interactive Technology division is about half the company, and FunPlus still has a Barn Voyage strategy, as well as about five upcoming games. FunPlus management even changed its mind about an initial public offering right before the deal.
Gumi opens four new offices and turns into a new market giant
Japanese publisher and mobile game developer Gumi, known for Brave Frontier and Puzzle Trooper games, has announced the opening of four new development studios. The company’s offices will be located in Austin, Vancouver, Stockholm and Kiev. This despite the fact that the company is currently developing 30 new games!
The company also plans to open an office in San Francisco, which will engage in business development and PR. AJ Redmer, a former manager of Xbox Studio, will become the head of the US Gumi development department.
All this was done in order to finally gain a foothold in the Western market and become one of its leaders in the future. Let's see what happens.
Bandai Namco Launches Pac-Man Friends Nac and Android
Good old hits keep making money. The new process on the ancient tree Pac-Man from the Bandai Namco gaming division - "Pac-Man Friends" on iOS and Android.
The new kolobok friends, who gave the name to the application, have special abilities - invisibility for ghosts, the ability to pass where others will not pass, and the like. They are saved and join the player during the passage of the game. All koloboks on the screen are controlled at the same time - shifting one, you move all the others. In fact, this is a modification of the old puzzle in the style of PacMan.
Time will tell whether to wait for Pac-Man Run and Clash of Pac-Mans, and now the game can already be purchased in application stores, all available seven episodes with 95 labyrinths, for $ 4.99. Wow, an unusual price from the Japanese, did someone make a mistake when choosing $ 14.99?