Now the Unity has ECS does it need a Database or Spreadsheet system for data storage?

Unity's ECS is data-driven yet data in Unity has to be obtained via ScriptableObjects, Monobehaviour Components or user developed files and file handling or hardcoded...

Therefore would a database or spreadsheet system that is built into Unity provide an ideal way to store and retrieve data for ECS?

Or something similar that can easily store and retrieve Data Entities and is easy to work with and visible within the editor...

 

Do you mean these two are built in to Unity? Or you meant, that if you build them into a game?
Personally, if I would have to, I would store data externally, for example using SQLite DB, which I did use in past. Or if data is not too big, I would convert to Json format and store as pure text file.

 

If Unity were to adopt a data storage format which one should it use a DB or a file format or a combination?

The aim here is to make it very easy to build up, edit and store ECS data in Unity...

 

But that wont make data persistent after game exit.
Storing temp data, for duration of gameplay, would be probably in memory anyway. So either in ECS on in DB, still using memory. You would need to use temp file based data storage, where you don't need access data constantly, but once in a while. For example templates of entities relation/structure.

I don't expect Unity DB solutions, or at least any time soon. There is plenty other alternatives. Also, perhaps you would like to have ECS based DB.

So far, I would simply suggest Json. or SQLite formats, for templates and persistent storing.

 

I'd be thinking a bit deterministic for this.