Fireside chat with David Helgason

What the talk is about

David Helgason, in a fireside chat, tells how Unity came to be. The three founders merged two prototype engines, and the variety of their game ideas made it broad and flexible. Around 2004 the team chose to become an engine company rather than a game studio. He recalls the trademark mishap over the product name and how the co-founders grew with the company. He then covers Unity's direction: moving the engine to a data-oriented architecture, AI across the product, and the idea that an operating system for 21st-century computing looks like a game engine. He also describes his angel investing (games, biotech, nuclear power) and his rules for choosing deals. Finally he shares views on the industry, cloud gaming and VR, arguing that games must be truly distinctive. Useful for Unity developers, founders and aspiring investors.