Unity's Approach to Managing Perceptions and Embracing Cloudless Generative AI

Unity recently released its 2023 Gaming Report, which highlights various trends in the industry based on data from the company's engine and Unity Gaming Services. Despite economic concerns, the report reveals encouraging trends, such as an increase in the number of game players and games shipped on various devices. However, the industry also faces challenges, including softness in advertising monetization and a decline in paying players. To address these challenges, game developers must focus on understanding their users, keeping them engaged, and optimizing their monetization strategies. Unity's Create side of the business has been perceived as taking a backseat to its Grow division, but Whitten emphasizes that the company remains committed to its core engine business and is working to improve its messaging and communication with developers. The line between the Create and Grow sides of the business is becoming increasingly blurred, as managing player engagement and driving value from users are now essential aspects of game development. Unity is working to provide developers with more tools to run their live games, understand player behavior, and manage their games effectively. The company is also investing in emerging tech trends, such as virtual reality, blockchain, and generative AI, to support its users and stay ahead of the curve. Whitten notes that Unity's support for these trends is driven by developer interest and the company's commitment to providing a consistent set of tools across various platforms. The rise of user-generated content-driven platforms, such as Roblox and Fortnite, is seen as a positive trend by Whitten, as it lowers the barrier to entry for developers and allows creators to express their creativity and monetize their work. Unity is focused on supporting creators in these platforms and enabling them to move their content across different platforms and ecosystems.