Unity, the world’s leading platform for creating and growing real-time 3D (RT3D) content has expanded its partnership with Google.
This renewed partnership will bring Unity Gaming Services to Google Cloud Marketplace, giving developers more access to foundational multiplayer tools. It will also give creators better access to quality ads.
What will the expanded partnership mean?
As part of their partnership, Google and Unity are making it easier for all developers to create multiplayer experiences by offering two solutions from Unity Gaming Services (UGS) on Google Cloud Marketplace: Game Server Hosting (Multiplay) and Voice and Text Chat (Vivox).
In addition to this, the companies have also announced that Google Ads and Display & Video 360 will soon bid into Unity LevelPlay, Unity’s mediation offering. This move will enable mobile developers to integrate Google’s quality advertisers into their real-time auction for their ad inventory.
On top of this, Unity and Google Cloud are also making it easier for game developers to deliver multiplayer games by making Game Server Hosting (Multiplay) and Unity’s Voice and Text Chat (Vivox) available on Google Cloud Marketplace.
Game Server Hosting helps creators effectively scale their game to millions of players in minutes. Meanwhile, Voice and Text Chat enable in-game player communications. According to the Unity 2022 Multiplayer Report, this is the primary way players want to communicate.
What are Google and Unity saying about the expanded partnership?
Speaking about the expansion of the partnership between the two companies, Jeff Collins, the General Manager of Unity Gaming Services said “Unity and Google are working together to provide developers with the most robust tools and infrastructure to build, launch, and grow games seamlessly at a global scale… The integration of Google demand into Unity LevelPlay and the expansion of our UGS solutions, Game Server Hosting and Voice and Text Chat to Google Cloud Marketplace serve as important milestones in this deepening partnership that aims to enable game creators to deliver on their creative vision and to achieve business success.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud added that “Unity and Google Cloud have a long history of partnership in supporting developers by providing access to Google Cloud’s infrastructure, cloud compute technologies, and expertise in data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning… Our expanded partnership with Unity enables us to more easily deliver products like Game Server Hosting and Voice and Text Chat at scale, making building games with Unity even more seamless.”
Why does this matter?
Initially, the partnership between Unity and Google will help bring Google Ads to Unity LevelPlay. However, it also appears as though we’ll see more app and content advertising integration in the coming months and years.
Although information on availability is yet to be forthcoming, improving monetisation opportunities and increasing auction competitiveness for developers should improve their revenue over the long-term.
Similarly, such a move would also provide app advertisers with another way to reach their target audience. This should particularly be the case as mobile developers will be able to integrate Google’s quality advertisers into their real-time auction for their ad inventory.
Author spike.digital