Right after Unite, we signed an agreement with the local government of the Putuo district of Shanghai that will create a lot of opportunities for indies in China and for international developers coming to this market. The Unity Cyberport Project will provide an incubator, an accelerator and a base for experiments of all kinds. We can’t wait to see the awesome games that come out of this cooperation!
The mobile games market in China has exploded in recent years, the scale of local user payment will be 20 billion RMB (around 3,26 billion USD) in 2014, according to estimates. The Putuo district in Western Shanghai is aiming to take full advantage of these opportunities and become the next Silicon Valley. And cooperation with Unity is of course part of that.
We signed the High Level Strategic Cooperation Agreement at the Unity head office in San Francisco on August 25th 2014 with Zhang Guohong, Governor-in-Chief of Putuo District People’s Government Shanghai, and a number of other representatives. During the meeting, Allen Foo, Unity’s Country Manager for the Greater China Region, talked about our progress in China and the Unity Cyberport Project. Liang Zhuanjian, General Manager of Shanghai Universal Software Park Co., explained incentives placed for developers that included tax and rent policies.
Unity Cyberport Project is different from traditional games industry technical bases. It will act as a comprehensive platform of engine research and development, game development, testing, operation, publishing, localization and related services, all connected with Unity. It will also support the expansion of interactive digital content into other industries, such as film and television, medical, travel, advertising, architecture etc. The exploration of AR and VR technologies is also one of the goals of the initiative.
The project will have three main parts: an incubator, an accelerator and Unity Awards Greater China. The incubator will provide select startup companies or ISV with launch funding, free office and other infrastructure, R&D guidance, technical support and commercial publishing. The accelerator project will create customized analysis for the incubated enterprises and help enterprises achieve healthy growth and earn profit. We’ll also hold Unity Awards Greater China Contest to evaluate games, inspire developers and introduce them to publishers.
Silicon Valley as the goal, Putuo district as the core, Unity Cyberport Project seeks to attract and cultivate talented developers by providing a great environment for technological and entrepreneurial innovation. With the assistance from the Putuo government, we can see that in three to five years, this technology park will become a leader in innovation and produce thriving and successful games made with the Unity Engine. More than 30 companies are already determined to join the project.
Thinking about joining too? Please send us (andrew@unity3d.com) your company info and your business plan in China, including why you’re interested in the Chinese market and what kind of business would you do here. We'll discuss your plans internally and get in touch with you for further discussions. If you’re picked, congratulations! You’ll be get a rent free office for 1.5 years and benefits on Putuo District tax rate.
