Unity accelerates Flash 3D project

Unity Technologies has hired “an acclaimed Flash games development veteran”, as part of its wider aim to incorporate the Adobe tech into its popular game engine.

The engine vendor is building a toolchain that allows Unity customers to export certain web games in Flash 3D. That tech, with the help of new hire Ralph Hauwert, is expected to reach beta by the end of the year.

Unity’s new Flash initiative, when announced in March this year, surprised many in the Flash game community. Unity allows developers to export games online through its own web player.

The company’s CEO, David Helgason (pictured), has in the past hinted at building a solution where 3D games can be exported in both Flash and the Unity Web Player. This could ramp up the number of Flash developers working with Unity and, consequently, the Unity Web Player.

Hauwert joins Unity’s Copenhagen office as senior developer.

"My mission at Unity Technologies is simple – to further develop Unity’s Flash Player toolchain for the web, which has been in development since our announcement prior to GDC 2011,” Hauwert said.

“We will ensure that our customers can continue to deploy their content to the broadest possible range of users," he added.

Unity is hosting a Flash Day designed to introduce Flash users to the Unity development platform. That takes place September 27th, one day before Unite 11 kicks off.