Wii and Unity3D

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Unity Now Authorized Middlware on the Wii Console!

Unity Technologies recently announced that it is now supporting the Nintendo Wii console as an authorized middleware provider. The Unity game engine is the cutting-edge choice for creating visually-rich, 3D games for the desktop, Web, and leading mobile devices and video game consoles.

Click to Publish
Ready to run your game on your devkit? It couldn't be easier. Build it with one click. Run it with another. That's all! A build supervisor not required.

Scriptable Controllers
A simple, straightforward, fully-featured remote scripting class lets you read data from the Wii RemoteTM, NunchukTM, and Classic ControllerTM effortlessly.

Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about about using Unity to develop games for the Wii console then please visit our website at the following URL:

http://unity3d.com/company/news/wii-press

If you still have questions about licensing or using this, then please feel free to write us at sales@... for more information.

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IPete2

Yeah ....

and its coming for the i-Pod too - yum yum yum!

IPete2.

simonh

You still need to be an authorised Nintendo developer. While it sounds great as a marketing bullet point, I can't imagine who is actually going to make use of this - established developers are more likely to use C++ and established middleware, and the average indie just isn't going to be able to afford to rent office space, buy the Wii dev kit, cut a deal with the Unity guys etc etc.

I guess the iPhone support will be a lot more useful due to their being no such barriers to entry.

Dreamora

WiiWare developers might not have the hundred of tousands of USD to get high price middle ware ... and for cross plattform devs this is definitely a great way I think. Mac, Windows, Web, iPhone and Wii from one game ... show me a "anti-benefit" in that combination ;-)

taumel

Sadly Unity's Wii export is just too expensive.

It's great for those who run small professional teams but it's just out of reach for everyone below. The best you can do is to make something which makes quite some € and then afterwards buy the Wii export option and so beeing able to release as a Wii version of your game.

But you have to be careful and and take several design related questions into account right from scratch due to the controller as otherwise i doubt the success. Anyway at least it's good for their marketing. I remember the days when it first was announced and how excited people were. During these days and now reality bite quite some.

I hope that they won't screw up the iPhone support with beeing to greedy too.

Rob Cummings

I think it will find a home in niche university courses and presentation studios / architectural design and visualisation.

The ease of use of unity coupled with the hands free wii capabilities offers a great deal to many industries outside the gaming scope.

IPete2

Simonh,

I have no proof but I suspect your thoughts are steeped in traditonal entry points, not the newer ones which undoubtedly will be springing up everywhere in the mid term. It really is only a matter of time.

IPete2.

simonh

Take a look at this:

http://www.wiiware-world.com/news/2008/06/nintendo_barring_small_developers_from_wiiware

The problem for me doesn't lie with the Unity guys, but Nintendo.

Dreamora

Right ...
Nintendo unhappily has been quite ugly in the past months ... there are devs with professional business funding in their back that are waiting for over 3 months now on Nintendos reaction to their application to become Nintendo Dev ... For those, a refusal would be better than no reaction at all.

funny enough, here in Switzerland / the german room there are teams that flood the NDS market with trashy "hatch your pet" games, a new themed version fullprice every 3 months and nintendo does not prevent those idiots from doing it. Seems like they are only picky on very specific stuff.

Blitzplotter

#10

just tried the avert fate demo from unity, very smooth and polished 3d engine. With regard to the ability to publish with Nintendo, well I feel xentoix i think it was pain, but ninty will let him try again in six months. I wonder what would happen if he rented a small unit on an industrial state prior to this and lived there instead of his house. Not exactly supporting the indy though is it?

Dark Half

#11

read the same article there simonh, and although I would agree, after seeing some of that guy's games..... I wouldn't let him have a license either........

regardless of who or what you have done for someone else, if you can't develop a full game yourself and want to dev a solo for a big console, good luck.....