The Unity game engine has been dubbed the greatest video game engine under a million dollars on numerous occasions. Unity Technologies invented it in 2004 as a development tool for their game GooBall. In 2005, it was unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. According to the Unity website, the Unity game engine is now aimed at “democratizing game production and enabling everyone to create rich interactive 3D content.” There are over 1.3 million registered Unity developers (do names like Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, Disney, LEGO, or NASA ring a bell?) and over 300,000 active Unity developers weekly, according to estimates.

 

The Unity Editor’s Ease of Use

When you begin a project with Unity, the first thing you’ll notice is how visually rich everything is. The Unity Editor is a great example of how this engine focuses on making the game production process as simple as possible.

You’ll be shocked at how quickly you can construct and alter your projects if you’ve never used a game engine with a built-in visual editor. Do you require an item that is slight to the left? You can drag your object around the scene by clicking and dragging it. Done! Would you like to see how this object responds to new properties? Just keep an eye on the inspector’s window. Shazam! The Unity editor even allows you to run the game in the game window so you can see how it will appear on your target device. Believe me when I say that being able to play your game while seeing the attributes and locations of all objects in the scene at the same time is a really useful and time-saving feature.The Unity interface can be effortlessly integrated with these tools and plugins. All of this means that you’ll be more productive over the course of your tasks. When it comes to transitions…

 

The Influence of Scripting

There are numerous game engines available that include a visual editor. Because of their formulaic approach to behaviors, many of these engines lack the power required to create substantial or complicated games. Object behaviors in Unity aren’t confined to the built-in modules that come with the engine. Instead, Unity lets you write strong actions in one of three powerful languages: JavaScript, C#, or Boo. Furthermore, inside a project, all three languages can be utilized at the same time to allow people with varied technological backgrounds to contribute at the same time. Because the languages are written as scripts, they may be compiled quickly, iterated quickly, and designed with flexibility. This approach to game production based on a common language assures that you can start producing games right away using the knowledge you already have (or is easily attained).

 

There’s Only One Source to Rule Them All!

The ability to construct projects for various platforms with ease is probably the most outstanding aspect of the Unity engine.

Unity can build for Windows PC, Linux (new with version 4), iOS (with plugin), Mac, Android (with plugin), Web Browser, Flash (with plugin), PS3, Xbox, and Wii U with only the click of a button. Did I mention that developing for many platforms necessitates no additional project changes? This means you’ll be able to spend more time increasing the quality of your products and less effort (or none at all) porting them to new devices. Gone are the days when you had to limit the platforms you could deploy to based on your team’s competence. If you’re familiar with Unity, you’re up to speed. You could, of course, continue to do things the hard way. It’s entirely up to you.

 

With a Little Help from My Friends, I’m able to get by.

If you’re stuck on a problem and don’t have any guidance, all the power in the world won’t help you. Similarly, if you have to generate things that have previously been created by others, speed isn’t as… uh… quick. Unity, thankfully, has a vibrant and supportive community (that rhymes). The Unity forums are a terrific area to ask questions, get answers, talk about best practices, help others, and even brag a little. Looking for a more systematic approach to community involvement? Unity Answers is a program that rewards good questions and answers with “karma” and badges. It takes a more social approach than your average Q&A site.

The Unity asset shop is also included, which is fully integrated into the editor and allows users to share or even sell their custom-made material. This enables you to obtain the required assets without having to make them yourself. All of this adds up to you saving time and frustration.

 

Licenses and Pricing

Many engines today have exorbitant prices or incomprehensible payment options. Many engines do not have costs stated, necessitating lengthy quote negotiations to determine true figures. Unity, on the other hand, accomplishes none of that and instead comes in two flavors: Unity Free and Unity Pro. Unity Free is, of course, free (my favorite number) and is not a diluted, gimped version of the engine. It includes all of the features you’ll need to create and sell commercial games. You can get the Unity Pro license for $1,500 if you want some of the more professional capabilities like LOD Support, Path-finding, or IK Rigs. That may seem like a lot to someone new to the area, but in the world of game engines (especially those with similar features), that sum is insignificant. If you’re not sure which license is best for you, the Unity Free license includes a 30-day Pro trial and a 30-day Android add-on trial.

Let’s Talk About Video Games

You might be asking who uses Unity and what they use it for at this point. Unity, as previously stated, has a sizable registered user base. The Unity engine’s power and versatility have been discovered by both huge corporations and small businesses. You may be surprised to learn that the engine is also used by non-gaming businesses. Companies all throughout the world utilize Unity for research, simulation, and demonstration. I could go on and on about it, but for now, let’s stick to the games. You can see some of the wonderful games that have already been created with the Unity game engine by visiting Unity’s game gallery. This gallery is only a small taste of what we have to offer. What you’ll notice, hopefully, is that each game looks and plays differently. This is a great example of the Unity game engine’s versatility. This is a tool that assists you in developing and implementing your project’s vision in your own unique style.