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Sponsored Feature: BlackBerry on what Unity support means for BB10

'A great opportunity for developers and the BlackBerry user alike'

Sponsored Feature: BlackBerry on what Unity support means for BB10
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The fact that the Unity engine is now being deployed on a particular mobile platform isn't something that would excite your average gamer, sure.

The folks over at BlackBerry HQ don't think that should be the case, though.

Anders Jeppsson, BlackBerry's global head of gaming, even argues that it isn't just existing BB10 users that should pay attention to this development.

He spoke to us about what it means for the immediate future of the platform, and told us that Unity is only the first in a number of engines heading BlackBerry's way.

Can you explain what Unity Technologies's full support of BlackBerry 10 for game app development means for the average consumer?

Having full Unity3D support on par with competitors means developers will now, with a push of a button, be able to bring their content to all three leading mobile platforms.

The ability to go cross-platform means the risk is lowered and the revenue streams for studios are increased. This allows them to take advantage of co-marketing and other opportunities to reach the biggest possible audience.

Why should BlackBerry users be excited about this development?

Around 50 percent of all mobile games, from big studios to indie developers, are made using Unity. So, providing an almost "one click" solution for these developers to 'deploy' to BlackBerry 10 represents a great opportunity for developers and the BlackBerry user alike.

What do you think are the main reasons Unity Technologies has decided to support Blackberry 10?

We've built both the new BlackBerry 10 operating system and BlackBerry 10 smartphones with gaming in mind.

After initial tests, Unity Technologies saw things running extremely well with a high and smooth frame rate on BlackBerry 10. It was a great opportunity for the millions of developers using Unity to start monetising on the newly redesigned and re-engineered BlackBerry 10 platform.

Are there any specific titles - old or future releases - that BB users will see now that BB10 games can be made using the Unity engine?

Thousands of developers signed up during the beta earlier this year. The first games are already starting to come out now only weeks after the gold release of Unity Pro.

Do you think this news will pave the way for other makers of game engines to support BlackBerry 10?

Many of the companies behind leading game engines like Marmalade, Shiva3D, V-play, and Ogre are all supporting BB10.

Plus, games running on Unreal Engine are on the way.

Do you think there are any other major gaming developments on the horizon for BlackBerry 10?

BlackBerry is pushing innovation in the mobile gaming space, and the gamepad architecture we rolled out ten months ago for BlackBerry 10 is now being imitated by our competitors.

We are also pushing NFC, Miracast, and BBM solutions for a more social, "hands on" gaming experience for the casual and hardcore gamer. Stay tuned for new updates in this space.