Snap Reaches Partnership With Unity on in-Game Ads, Game Development

Cross-platform game engine Unity entered into a partnership with Snap Inc. that gives advertisers on Snapchat access to Unity’s ads inventory and brings Snapchat technology to game developers via Snap Kit. Unity said it powers 53% of the top 1,000 grossing mobile games, and its platform enables developers to create games across over 20 platforms, including game consoles, mobile phones and augmented reality/virtual reality devices. The Unity Ads platform is now included in Snap Audience Network, giving advertisers on that network access to inventory from Unity’s mobile gaming titles. As of June 30, Unity Ads reported more than 22.9 billion monthly global ad impressions and over 2 billion monthly active end-users reached worldwide. Unity said that thus far in 2020, install conversion rates are up 23% year-over-year, and mobile gamers are installing 84% more apps. On the developer side, select features from Snap Kit are now available via the Unity Asset Store, including Login Kit, which enables gamers to use their Snapchat accounts to sign up and login to games, and Creative Kit, which lets users share gameplay, add branded stickers to still shots or 15-second videos and attach AR lenses. Those shares also contain referral links back to the games, amplifying discovery and user acquisition for developers on the Unity platform. A Bitmoji integration will be added in early 2021, enabling developers to add personalization to their titles by leveraging 3D Bitmoji and enabling players to bring their Bitmoji avatars into games. Unity said the Snap Kit features and upcoming Bitmoji software-development kit are offered via its Verified Solutions Partner program, which ensures that developers can easily integrate elements such as cloud services, editor apps, plugins and third-party SDKs. Snap vice president of partnerships Ben Schwerin said in a statement, “Snapchat is all about staying connected with your closest friends, but friendships aren’t just about conversations. They are often also based on shared experiences, which today includes gaming. As gaming has increasingly become a visible part of the Snapchatter journey, it's also an area that we aim to make easier for retailers and brands to reach Unity’s action-orientated gaming community through their Snapchat campaigns. There are games for all types of unique social situations and social groups. The Snap Kit and Bitmoji integrations with Unity will unlock many new opportunities for game developers to reach audiences by allowing them to more easily share experiences with one another while increasing visibility of their games.” Unity vp of revenue, operate solutions Julie Shumaker added, “We’re building on our commitment of enabling developer success at all stages of the game life cycle, from creation onward. Snap brings its vast advertiser community to the Unity ecosystem, where they will reach highly engaged and valuable player audiences, while the verified elements from Snap used in games made with Unity will allow players to drive social sharing and game discovery.”