Prolific and flexible game engine Unity will not support Windows Phone 7. Speaking with Develop, David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies, said the company is "skipping" WP7, but is looking at Windows Phone 8.
"[WP7] is a relatively closed system so you can't run native content, which means we can't really support it," explained Helgason. "We could, in theory, do what we've done with Flash, which is to rewrite the engine so it works inside a non-native environment. So it could be done, in theory, but it's very much in theory because that would require a huge amount of work and uncertain results."
With under 2 million WP7 units sold around May, sales don't really scream for Unity to go out of its way to ride the Redmond line. Meanwhile, Apple's recently launched iPhone 4S sold four million units in a weekend.
Reader Comments (34)
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:39PM PR0F3TA said
LOL Windows Phone... who still kept theirs? all 5 people who will downvote me, thats who. In reality, you never see anyone with one.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:43PM Grimbear13 said
@PR0F3TA My WP7 works great, once it gets support it will be great. Idk bout this but I've heard ppl call it the best Mobile platform. It's the only one I know but to hear a statement that strong was shocking. Obviously I also hear Android's the best and iPhone is the best but I've been happy w/ WP7.
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Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:47PM killer rin said
@PR0F3TA I wouldn't know about that... I have seen far more people walk around with WP7 than with the other platforms. If I wasn't stuck with a handmedown Blackberry still on a contract (One More Friggen Year) I would swap to one.
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Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:36PM R Planteer said
@PR0F3TA
It is definitely a nich market, but it does exist. A coworker of mine has one, and after playing with it, both me and my girlfriend got HTC HD7s, which I am enjoying so far.
FYI, people wouldn't downvote you if you were capable of expressing an opinion without sounding like a total tool.
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It is definitely a nich market, but it does exist. A coworker of mine has one, and after playing with it, both me and my girlfriend got HTC HD7s, which I am enjoying so far.
FYI, people wouldn't downvote you if you were capable of expressing an opinion without sounding like a total tool.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:53PM xxxsam said
@PR0F3TA
Sure, Windows Phone is a very, very distant fourth place in the market, but it stopped being obviously doomed to complete failure as soon as they signed Nokia on board.
Once Nokia get into the swing of things, I fully expect Windows Phone to take over from Blackberry for third place. It's obviously not going to compete with Android but hey, maybe in turn it might even get ahead of iOS.
And no I've never seen one 'in the wild'. But after Nokia come out with theirs? I expect I will. (The blue one looks awesome, btw.)
I won't be getting it but frankly the fact of Unity not being on it is practically a positive feature :) I don't want to play games on my phone anyway.
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Sure, Windows Phone is a very, very distant fourth place in the market, but it stopped being obviously doomed to complete failure as soon as they signed Nokia on board.
Once Nokia get into the swing of things, I fully expect Windows Phone to take over from Blackberry for third place. It's obviously not going to compete with Android but hey, maybe in turn it might even get ahead of iOS.
And no I've never seen one 'in the wild'. But after Nokia come out with theirs? I expect I will. (The blue one looks awesome, btw.)
I won't be getting it but frankly the fact of Unity not being on it is practically a positive feature :) I don't want to play games on my phone anyway.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:58PM The Great Cornholio said
@PR0F3TA
And how much has the Xperia Play sold?
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And how much has the Xperia Play sold?
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 7:55PM MaulerX said
@PR0F3TA
I got a Samsung Focus last year and got the Focus S for my wife a week ago (I'm waiting for the HTC Titan to drop on the 20th). Let me tell you, it is the smoothest mobile OS out there imo (after owning an iPhone for 3 years).
The award winning Metro UI is so damn sleek and intuitive that Microsoft decided to incorporate it on the Xbox and Windows 8. If you give it a shot, you just might love it.
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I got a Samsung Focus last year and got the Focus S for my wife a week ago (I'm waiting for the HTC Titan to drop on the 20th). Let me tell you, it is the smoothest mobile OS out there imo (after owning an iPhone for 3 years).
The award winning Metro UI is so damn sleek and intuitive that Microsoft decided to incorporate it on the Xbox and Windows 8. If you give it a shot, you just might love it.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 8:27PM Punkrawk Bbob said
@PR0F3TA
Have mine and love it. All I can say is "your loss" if you aren't willing to give it a shot. Samsung Focus here. Bright, brilliant, smooth UI and apps are nice. Just needs support, but the OS is there.
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Have mine and love it. All I can say is "your loss" if you aren't willing to give it a shot. Samsung Focus here. Bright, brilliant, smooth UI and apps are nice. Just needs support, but the OS is there.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:39PM tbdcakes said
isn't flash on phones, minus the next update for supported phones, officially discontinued?
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:45PM xxxsam said
@tbdcakes
Yes. They will still be doing security fixes but no new versions after the current one.
(Or in other words, somebody at Adobe finally realised: it's 2011. Why are we still making Flash?)
In theory they're carrying on with the desktop version but uh, this situation is practically why the term 'death knell' was invented. If you're a Flash developer, it's time to learn new skills. Fast.
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Yes. They will still be doing security fixes but no new versions after the current one.
(Or in other words, somebody at Adobe finally realised: it's 2011. Why are we still making Flash?)
In theory they're carrying on with the desktop version but uh, this situation is practically why the term 'death knell' was invented. If you're a Flash developer, it's time to learn new skills. Fast.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:57PM The Great Cornholio said
@xxxsam
I'm seeing them more and more lately. They seem to be settling in more with the gamer/xbox crowd around here (myself included, even though i primarily game on PC and PS3), with Gamestop employees/customers and "younger" people having them that i've seen.
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I'm seeing them more and more lately. They seem to be settling in more with the gamer/xbox crowd around here (myself included, even though i primarily game on PC and PS3), with Gamestop employees/customers and "younger" people having them that i've seen.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:41PM Ashkental said
Unity exports to Web, Flash, iPhone, Android, PS3, Xbox, Wii, PC, Mac, will export to Linux and probably your Microwave, Freezer and Calculator, but they won't export to Windows Phone 7? lol.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:48PM Daverator said
I thought Unity was the name of my voicemail server...
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 11:28PM R Planteer said
@Daverator
Cisco Unity Messaging system!
I hear that almost every day.
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Cisco Unity Messaging system!
I hear that almost every day.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:48PM theSkillfull1 said
Not familiar with "Unity."
As a sincerely satisfied WP7 user, it appears I will remain unfamiliar with it.
As a sincerely satisfied WP7 user, it appears I will remain unfamiliar with it.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 3:50PM Exu said
Oh no now I can't play shitty Facebook games on my phone...
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:30PM danzo97 said
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:39PM Ordeith said
Their excuse, it is full of fail.
http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/microsoft-starts-allowing-native-arm-code-in-wp7-apps
and, Joystiq, stop being such iFans. You miss when there is WP7 integration into XBLA titles and you never annouce with interesting games appear on WP7. There is more to life than Apple.
http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/microsoft-starts-allowing-native-arm-code-in-wp7-apps
and, Joystiq, stop being such iFans. You miss when there is WP7 integration into XBLA titles and you never annouce with interesting games appear on WP7. There is more to life than Apple.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 4:54PM The Great Cornholio said
Love my WP7. But they're already pushing for a WP8? I literally just got this phone this year. Now I know how the iPhone users feel. =/
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 5:49PM PedoJokerBear said
@The Great Cornholio
not a new phone....new software.
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not a new phone....new software.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 11:48PM The Great Cornholio said
@PedoJokerBear
Ok. Thanks for clearing that up.
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Ok. Thanks for clearing that up.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 5:15PM brianb said
According to Engadget (and MS) Windows 8 isn't coming to phones, at least not soon enough that they're willing to say so:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/microsoft-clarifies-that-windows-8-isnt-coming-to-phones-video/
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/microsoft-clarifies-that-windows-8-isnt-coming-to-phones-video/
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 5:38PM Fermie Prime said
@brianb
I heard that the "Apollo" update will actually be WP8, and to expect that to happen sometime in the middle of next year - right around the same time Microsoft launches Windows 8 on desktop and tablets. Apparently the same Windows 8 software is designed to run on all three platforms (desktop, tablet, mobile). But before any of that happens, "Tango" has to be released (a minor update).
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I heard that the "Apollo" update will actually be WP8, and to expect that to happen sometime in the middle of next year - right around the same time Microsoft launches Windows 8 on desktop and tablets. Apparently the same Windows 8 software is designed to run on all three platforms (desktop, tablet, mobile). But before any of that happens, "Tango" has to be released (a minor update).
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 7:32PM mguniverse said
I love my iPhone, and I have an incredible library of games on it. If I really needed to though, i'd definitely switch to Windows Phone over Android. It just looks a lot nicer, and it has Xbox Live support. Its a polished operating system, especially Mango.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 7:44PM MaulerX said
Wow Joystiq. You really came off as lame iPhone fanboys with that remark. So you are comparing WP7 sales from May to the iPhone 4S sales? Most of which were iSheep upgrading their older iPhones. How about waiting for the world wide market leader Nokia to get in the swing of things before talking smack?
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 7:47PM KeegdnaB said
Are we on Engadget?
Because that was an unbearably biased post.
Because that was an unbearably biased post.
Posted: Nov 15th 2011 8:38PM Daegalus said
You know, I would care about Unity, but Developing using XNA is such a breeze, that we dont NEED unity. I am quite happy with my XNA. And if you really want a framework, get http://deltaengine.net/ it supports everything.







