Software
Unity game dev tools add iPad support, developer speaks on iPhone SDK
By Peter CohenApril 23, 2010, 6:48 am PT
Unity Technologies has announced the release of Unity iPhone 1.7, with iPad support. Unity is a 3D game development tool that works on multiple platforms, including Mac, Windows and the Web.
Unity iPhone has enabled developers up to now to deploy to iPhone and iPod touch devices, and with this release Unity iPhone 1.7 can also deploy to iPads. The new release adds iPad Simulator support, and lets you optionally build “universal” apps that can run on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. Other improvements have also been made.
Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 unveiling introduced a revised developer program license agreement that raised controversy by requiring that iPhone applications be “originally written in C, C++, Objective C or JavaScript” rather than working through an “intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool”.
This wording has concerned developers relying on Unity and similar software. While it seems that Adobe is a major casualty of the revised agreement, Unity Technologies has a more optimistic outlook.
“While we don’t yet have a definitive statement to share at this time, we have a healthy, ongoing dialogue with Apple and it seems clear that it’s not their intention to block Unity and will continue our efforts to ensure compliance with the Terms,” the developers write in a statement announcing the new Unity iPhone release.
“While it’s possible that ensuring compliance could mean additional engineering on our part, our committed goal is to provide you with uninterrupted ToS compliant tools and we think we’ll be able to do that,” said the company.
Unity users interested in staying abreast of further issues are directed to keep an eye on Unity CEO David Helgason’s blog.
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Unity game dev tools add iPad support, developer speaks on iPhone SDK
By Peter CohenApril 23, 2010, 6:48 am PT
Unity Technologies has announced the release of Unity iPhone 1.7, with iPad support. Unity is a 3D game development tool that works on multiple platforms, including Mac, Windows and the Web.
Unity iPhone has enabled developers up to now to deploy to iPhone and iPod touch devices, and with this release Unity iPhone 1.7 can also deploy to iPads. The new release adds iPad Simulator support, and lets you optionally build “universal” apps that can run on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. Other improvements have also been made.
Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 unveiling introduced a revised developer program license agreement that raised controversy by requiring that iPhone applications be “originally written in C, C++, Objective C or JavaScript” rather than working through an “intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool”.
This wording has concerned developers relying on Unity and similar software. While it seems that Adobe is a major casualty of the revised agreement, Unity Technologies has a more optimistic outlook.
“While we don’t yet have a definitive statement to share at this time, we have a healthy, ongoing dialogue with Apple and it seems clear that it’s not their intention to block Unity and will continue our efforts to ensure compliance with the Terms,” the developers write in a statement announcing the new Unity iPhone release.
“While it’s possible that ensuring compliance could mean additional engineering on our part, our committed goal is to provide you with uninterrupted ToS compliant tools and we think we’ll be able to do that,” said the company.
Unity users interested in staying abreast of further issues are directed to keep an eye on Unity CEO David Helgason’s blog.
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5 Responses to “Unity game dev tools add iPad support, developer speaks on iPhone SDK”
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Hey Adobe,
You paying attention here?
probably, but the issue with Adobe is that, it seems, they wanted to give folks that very layer that Apple says no.
Unlike Unity which might be actually writing in the correct code. I doubt it's good enough for prime time but as a rough draft to take into the testing tools it could go just fine. Then you clean it up a bit for bugs and bloat, remove any comments about how it was made and Apple would never know. You win.
"I doubt it's good enough for prime time"
Zuh? Unity has been used in plenty of shipping games for the iPhone. It's quite "good enough for prime time."
Good to hear that they may have a workable solution.
This is Apple's decision. Blocking 3rd party compilers is blocking 3rd party compilers.
Making exceptions for certain companies (like Unity) will reveal the already see-through veneer of Apple's real motives- i.e. blocking Flash in particular, and purely for business purposes. Unity likely is perceived as less of a threat to the iDevice marketing dollars & app store.
Go ahead Apple- give select companies a private pass while barricading the door against any other company you choose to. It's the Orwellian app-store approval process all over again, this time for content & technologies that they don't 'approve' of for business reasons.
So now this is happening: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/05/apples-...
Since the 'developer terms revision' happened I have been doing my part- however I can- to give business and influence minds to embrace non-evil companies that embrace developers and development methods- which is the opposite of what Apple is doing.