Publish your Unity 5.4 game onto a new Facebook Games platform for Windows

Sign up to be a closed-alpha partner! Unity is partnering with Facebook to lower the cost and friction of bringing your games cross-platform, with the power to reach over 650 million people who are already playing Facebook-connected games every month. With over $2.5B paid out by Facebook to game developers last year alone, Facebook will be selecting developers building in Unity 5.4 to join as closed-alpha partners to test a new export functionality within the Unity editor. With this new functionality, Unity developers will be able to easily publish their games onto a brand-new Facebook PC gaming distribution platform to help drive additional growth and monetization.

Sign up here (fb.me/FBUnityAlpha) by August 31, 2016 to help us test and provide feedback on an alpha build of the new functionality we're in building into the Unity editor. Don't miss this opportunity to help shape an exciting new venture that we're investing in and reap the benefits of being an early partner*.

* Once selected, closed-alpha partners will need to agree to the the following minimum requirements:

• Sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
• Use the alpha build and report bugs in order to help make this a better product
• Once you've built your game for the new Facebook PC platform, submit it to Facebook for review

Please share any questions you may have in this forum thread.

 

Well I signed up and the only ambiguity is:

1. We must publish to the Facebook Games platform before any other platform?
2. If one is true how long is the review process for approval to get published to the Facebook Games platform?

 

Good point, it's been reworded now. Thanks for the heads up!

(Will have an answer to your second question in a bit.)

 

I've submitted an app. I wonder if only completed games are what they are interested in? I submitted an in-progress game.

 

Thank you. I will see if I'm selected to Alpha test as development is in progress not complete. It seems with the rewording that is the case and that they accept completed games implies that so I may publish to other platforms before the FB Game Platform, which is good considering that is alpha SW testing. I hope that FB Game Platform is available on iOS & Android too, to be most practical though.

 

I cant sign up. The pop up error says Your request could not be processed.
Screenshot below
http://prnt.sc/c7lqvb

 

@Guhanesh maybe try another browser or device. Worked fine for me in win 7 chrome.

 

Where did you read this?

 

I recommend trying again, esp. with a different browser. We are receiving successful submissions, and the error may be a transient issue for certain people. Please do let us know if you continue to experience trouble with the application.

 

Are we still not clear on this?
And if yo do in fact accept unfinished games what is the deadline for having a mvp?

Also the field "Link to your game", do you expect a link to a demo (webgl build) page or what exactly?

 

[UPDATE re: application review]

Thank you to all who have already applied for closed-alpha access of the new export to Facebook functionality in Unity 5.4. We are currently reviewing all applications received, and will be in touch with all the applicants within the next week. Thank you for your patience.

 

In order for the game can go public via the export to Facebook functionality, the game will need to be in a finished state when it's submitted for review.

The 'link to your game' can either be a link to a demo or a destination that contains more information about the game itself.

 

Edit: silly me, my question is answered right there on the form!

Personally, I'd be looking at bringing over a 3 projects - two prior works and a work-in-progress.

 

One thing that isn't clear on the platform is whether it's only for F2P games as FB is usually or will it be for premium games too?

Also will it be Windows only or eventually Mac/Windows/Linux like Steam?

 

My main question is the player... will games be expected to export to webgl (and asm.js and all of that stuff that has 'replaced' the old web player)? Or is the facebook environment going to be a rebirth of the old web player or some other sandboxed environment for native execution?

It's kind of a big deal for some games. Games that depend mostly on the engine and have light scripting requirements can make an impressive show via webgl. Games that are really script/compute/memory intensive, not so much.

For instance, I published a free 'lite' version of Creeper World 3 on kongregate that ran in the web player. Fantastic, works great (because it's basically a native, though sandboxed, platform), would love to do the same sort of thing many times over on the facebook platform as well as offer the full game for sale at a full price (assuming that is where this initiative is going). If the execution environment is webgl/asm.js/etc, that's something I'd want/need to know at the start.

 

is great to know unity will work with facebook but i want to know how to monetize games on facebook ?

 

Link not accepting data. It says that was a problem with the request.

 

@Gametyme others had problems too, but you should try another browser, or even another computer/device. It should work.

 

Thanks, somehow I missed that post above.

 

Regarding the signup form error - it seems like there's a problem with emails not ending with .com - you should try with an alternate email address if you have one.

 

You Have Already Disclosed this!

NOT JOKING

 

Invitation submitted.
Gigi

 

Is this why the Facebook Unity SDK version 7.8.0 completely doesn't compile on cloud build (android and ios) but compiles fine locally to each envirnment???

 

Is this basically what FB released earlier in the year as "Games Arcade" (beta) ? The platform that just showed up out of nowhere and blindsided existing FB developers?

 

Thanks. I'm glad FB is working closely with Unity on this, as our FB game did not render well at all in the open beta and had quite a frustrating time dealing with players since we had no way to support/develop to it.

 

I was gonna sign up but I'm still working on the game that I planned on trying to also add to Facebook. It is a shame that those of us with in-progress games being developed can't test and give feedback on this as well. Isn't there a lot we can do to help test the in-development aspects?

 

Only completed games? And using unity/windows exports only?

 

Ok we submitted both our Red Crucible games (Firestorm and Reloaded). Our browser game Red Crucible Reloaded is also running in WebGL, as well as a Standalone. Our game Red Crucible Firestorm is already on Steam as a standalone game.

Links
Red Crucible Firestorm Steam
Red Crucible Firestorm Facebook
Red Crucible Reloaded WebGL
Red Crucible Reloaded Facebook

 

Beta testing as even a published game is incomplete and unpublished with regard to the new Facebook Gaming platform.

You don't have to submit a completed game to beta test. I didn't submit a complete game or even list a game in my request to beta test the FB Gaming Plaform exporter but I am working on a few WebGL games that are in development although I have yet to receive an emails with a link to download the Unity FB Gaming Platform exporter. I'm not sure if they are to that point yet.

 

The facebook employee up above's post made it sound like you had to have a complete game. Can @Export2FB or one of the Unity team members please confirm whether those of use who still have games in development but not released are eligible to participate?

Thanks!

 

I am also interested in getting a clear answer to this.

 

I am also Quite interested in this

 

Why not sign up and find out? The application process is pretty short.

 

Would this count as a small volunteering experience? I had a four-month university co-op as a QA developer just last winter.

 

Its not testing like QA.
This is if you actually have a game to publish and want to work thru any bugs in their process.

 

Not yet, actually. I'll have to wait until later.

 

Does use of the FB games platform mean that our applications will be subject to FB's current terms of service? It looks like FB can literally use your game content or create a game just like yours without any payment or recourse.

One of my team members made the following observations...

Give the following Facebook Terms of Service and licensing/distribution agreements sections careful consideration before proceeding with a Facebook platform distribution.

"Special Provisions Applicable to Developers/Operators of Applications and Websites

If you are a developer or operator of a Platform application or website or if you use Social Plugins, you must comply with the Facebook Platform Policy." - (source: https://www.facebook.com/terms.php?ref=pf)

Which leads to the following clauses (source: https://developers.facebook.com/policy):

Somewhat Disturbing:
"6.1. We can analyze your app, website, content, and data for any purpose, including commercial.
6.2. We can monitor or collect data related to your use of SDKs.
6.3. We will use information we receive from you or in connection with your Platform integration in accordance with our Data Policy.
6.4. You give us all rights necessary to enable your app to work with Facebook, including the right to incorporate information you provide to us into other parts of Facebook, and the right to attribute the source of information using your name or logos."

Highly Disturbing:
"6.6. We may use your name, logos, content, and information, including screenshots and video captures of your app, to demonstrate or feature your use of Facebook, worldwide and royalty-free.
6.7. You give us the right to link to or frame your app, and place content, including ads, around your app. If you use our social plugins, feed dialog or share button, you also give us permission to use and allow others to use such links and content on Facebook.
6.9. We can create apps or products that offer features and services similar to your app.
16.5. We may enforce against your app or web site if we conclude that your app violates our terms or is negatively impacting the Platform. We may or may not notify you in advance."

Unbelievably Open Ended Disturbing:
21.6 By "Facebook" or "Facebook Services" we mean the features and services we make available …Facebook reserves the right to designate, in its sole discretion, that certain of our brands, products, or services are governed by separate terms and not our SRR."

Direct integration with Facebook, or any of its services, looks to carry with it significant risk.

 

I don't see anything wrong with those terms. Seems like pretty standard stuff to me.

 

I submitted two games of mine, some days ago.
There's a way to submit more?

 

Maybe it is standard stuff for Candy Crush type games but but I don't think it is standard for platform games.

I've not seen Steam put ads in my latest download of the new Doom title for instance...

"6.7. You give us the right to link to or frame your app, and place content, including ads, around your app. If you use our social plugins, feed dialog or share button, you also give us permission to use and allow others to use such links and content on Facebook."

If this is just referencing specific types of apps that play only on FB and links shared on FB itself, then yeah... that's standard. But if this means the new FB Steam-like platform distribution software that is downloaded on to your PC can somehow inject code or ads into your stand alone game download on someone's PC or Mac, then that's concerning.


"6.9. We can create apps or products that offer features and services similar to your app."

I know why they added this as well, but it's also concerning. I want to make sure that agreeing to use their distro network does not absolve one of intellectual property rights if they straight out copy a game or IP contained within a game.

 

Where are you getting that from? It specifically says "around" your app. I see nothing about "injecting". Honestly, almost all of the stuff there is required for them to be able to cover themselves while allowing you to have your app on their platform, and I suspect they could do a lot of it anyway even if they didn't explicitly spell it out here (eg: monitoring access to their APIs is something they'd need to do to maintain those very APIs).

As always, you definitely need to pay attention to these things. Nothing there is jumping out at me as being nasty, though.

I'm no lawyer, but as a layman I wouldn't be concerned about that. They specifically mention "features and services", which are exceptionally difficult to protect in any case (it's implementations that are protected). They don't mention implementation, content, artwork, and so on. So they could make a competing product, but I don't think they could clone a product based on that alone.

I could be wrong, but I think all that clause is doing is making it clear that they aren't agreeing not to compete with you by allowing your app on their platform.

 

AngryPenguin, I appreciate the insight. I am not what I would call a coder but I am trying to resolve security and IP concerns brought up by one on my team.

As far as injecting ads into a game wrapper... I think the idea came from the terms of service for games like Candy Crush or other games of that type. If those are the same TOS and Unity integration allows FB access to things only found in the fine print, then I think that would allow for that kind of scenario to happen.

So, I guess the question to Unity becomes... What would be the TOS for FB's Steam-like software distro service/network?

I'll likely sign our game up for the testing as we can gather more info from that process and it appears that we're not committed to delivering our game through their network by doing so.

 

wow, just found this by luck... last day so I think I just made it for the application. Anyway I submitted Dogfight Elite www.dogfightelite.com

 

Does this also work for Unity Project's with Pre-License'd Models from a Game that has already a License 1.0 and a Protection Distribution (Including Previlige's), And from that Game Extracted in another License 1.0 With DMCA Rights, and with those Models Re-License'd into Public License 2.0 Distibution's?

Like with Grand Theft Auto IV as example:
1 License.
1 Protection Distribution (Called Securelauncher in this example)
2 Previlige's, one for marketing it's game (Like: Social Club), one for claiming it's game (Customer Claiming Rights above Social Club).

Simply said: 3 Different License's for 1 Model for each model in a Unity Project.

PS: it's just a question, really interested if this is actually possible!.

Greetings.xboxxxxd

 

Well, if i was Head of Facebook, i would have made a Facebook Gaming OS, Somthing like SteamOS, but more in a way so people WONT have to install it, just live-boot a executable and make it act like a OS with maybe a .vhd included or .vhdx, better way is to generate it at first run or somthing, this can also make this executable cleaner as .vhd's and .vhdx's are pretty good in compression and this is also a great way to Prevent anyone to Include Ads, etc.. well, if you want to ad yourself with this method, enjoy.. nobady care's

Greetings.xboxxxxd