Game Dev Digest — Issue #178 - Transforming The Video Games Industry
Tags: gamedev, unity3d, csharp, news
Published: 2023-03-03 14:09:31

---
title:  Game Dev Digest — Issue #178 - Transforming The Video Games Industry
published: true
date: 2023-03-03 14:09:31 UTC
tags: gamedev,unity,csharp,news
canonical_url: https://gamedevdigest.com/digests/issue-178-transforming-the-video-games-industry.html
series: Game Dev Digest - The Newsletter About Unity Game Dev
---

### Issue #178 - Transforming The Video Games Industry

*This article was originally published on [GameDevDigest.com](https://gamedevdigest.com/digests/issue-178-transforming-the-video-games-industry.html)*

![Issue #178 - Transforming The Video Games Industry](https://gamedevdigest.com/assets/social-posts/issue-178.png)

Some great long and short form content this week. How do you feel about AI, plus tutorials on creating art our own dang selves! Enjoy!

---

[**Inspecting memory with the new Memory Profiler package**](https://blog.unity.com/engine-platform/inspecting-memory-with-the-new-memory-profiler-package)  - In this blog, we will cover five key workflows in the new Memory Profiler package that you can use to diagnose and examine memory-related issues in your game.
[_Unity_](https://blog.unity.com/engine-platform/inspecting-memory-with-the-new-memory-profiler-package)

[**5 ways to draw an outline**](https://alexanderameye.github.io/notes/rendering-outlines/)  - Rendering outlines is a technique that is often used in games either for aesthetic reasons or for supporting gameplay by using it for highlights and selections around an object. For example in the game Sable, outlines are used to create a comic-book-like style. In The Last of Us, outlines are used to highlight enemies when the player goes into stealth mode.
[_alexanderameye.github.io_](https://alexanderameye.github.io/notes/rendering-outlines/)

[**Toony Crystal Shader**](https://twitter.com/SoerbGames/status/1628792781073223682)  - A Crystal Shader Breakdown
[_Sørb @SoerbGames_](https://twitter.com/SoerbGames/status/1628792781073223682)

[**Creating Isometric RPG Game Backgrounds**](https://talesofsyn.com/posts/creating-isometric-rpg-game-backgrounds)  - Using Stable Diffusion techniques to create 2D game environments
[_talesofsyn.com_](https://talesofsyn.com/posts/creating-isometric-rpg-game-backgrounds)

[**Improving job system performance scaling in 2022.2 – part 1: Background and API**](https://blog.unity.com/engine-platform/improving-job-system-performance-2022-2-part-1)  - In 2022.2 and 2021.3.14f1, we’ve improved the scheduling cost and performance scaling of the Unity job system. In this two-part article, I’ll offer a brief recap of parallel programming and job systems, discuss job system overhead, and share Unity’s approach to mitigating it.
[_Unity_](https://blog.unity.com/engine-platform/improving-job-system-performance-2022-2-part-1)

[**Minecomb - Sweeping Mines**](https://catlikecoding.com/unity/tutorials/prototypes/minecomb/)  - Create a hexagonal grid. Visualize the grid with small cubes. Touch and reveal cells. Make the grid ripple. This is the second tutorial in a series about prototypes. In it we will create a game about sweeping mines.
[_catlikecoding.com_](https://catlikecoding.com/unity/tutorials/prototypes/minecomb/)

## Videos

[![The Cr[AI]tive Revolution - The Future of Art (Full Documentary)](https://gamedevdigest.com/assets/images/24b4f5e35b3330b089f19b87a32d7070.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFr6Ltlr7kI)
[**The Cr[AI]tive Revolution - The Future of Art (Full Documentary)**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFr6Ltlr7kI)  - AI is here. Artists, game developers, writers, voice actors, video creators... All creative industries are about to be rattled up like never before. What does this mean for creatives? How can you prepare? What does the future hold? In this full length (and ad-free) documentary I want to invite you to a deep dive into the topic of AI. I don't have all the answers, but we need to start having a nuanced discussion about this right now before it's to late!
[_Jonas Tyroller_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFr6Ltlr7kI)

[**Recreating Wind Waker Style Lights in Unity**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNndyHHNh78)  - Stencil Buffer Lights
[_MinionsArt_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNndyHHNh78)

[**Creating A Keypad Login Screen in Unity (UI Tutorial)**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2isXP_XJxo)  - Lets create a mobile phone login screen and inputting text using the Unity UI system. We'll look at create a phone UI with buttons, input fields, design and then the implementation of inputting the codes as strings, comparing and using this with Unity buttons. Suitable for Built-in, URP and HDRP.
[_SpeedTutor_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2isXP_XJxo)

[**FREE Performance Optimization / Draw Call Reducer (HLOD) | Unity Tutorial**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6KaJHUfE2M)  - Learn how to optimize the performance of your game by automatically combining meshes, significantly reducing draw calls using the free HLOD tool from Unity. Hierarchical Level of Detail is a great tool to boost the FPS of your game, especially when you have large view distances with complex geometry!
[_LlamAcademy_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6KaJHUfE2M)

[**How Great Key Art Can Lead to Doubling Marketing Numbers**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5jpY0ArRFY)  - In this 2021 GDC talk, Graffiti Games’ Alex Van Lepp shares the effectiveness of good key art and why your studio should allocate resources to ensure your Steam banners are attracting visitors and converting these people into Wishlists and purchases.
[_GDC_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5jpY0ArRFY)

[**How Machine Learning is Transforming the Video Games Industry | AI 101**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwk37ID4qdE&amp;t=8s)  - Artificial intelligence has been adopted in many ways in the games industry over the past 30 years, but machine learning has never been considered practical until now. In this episode of AI 101 we discuss the fundamentals of what ML does, how it differs from traditional AI, what deep learning actually means, and the ways in which it is being put to good use in the industry.
[_AI and Games_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwk37ID4qdE&amp;t=8s)

[**Expert Game Devs Importing 2D Animations into Unity | Townseek**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aiYue-ZQo)  - Jorge M. Carvalho showcases how he imports Jose "Moski" Sanchez' art and animations into the game. We get a closer look at how they use animation overrides sprite atlas and memory profiler to keep things optimized.
[_Unity_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aiYue-ZQo)

[**Responsive Fortune Spin Wheel - Unity Tutorial**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ_cuxTPPsA)  - Easy to use and customize Fortune Spin Wheel for your game with just a few lines of code.
[_Hamza Herbou_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ_cuxTPPsA)

## Assets

[![Synty's POLYGON Game Dev Assets Bundle 3](https://gamedevdigest.com/assets/images/80330565-64cc-d941-72ba-c8b738a43964.jpg)](https://www.humblebundle.com/software/syntys-polygon-game-dev-assets-bundle-3-software?partner=unity3dreport)
[**Synty's POLYGON Game Dev Assets Bundle 3**](https://www.humblebundle.com/software/syntys-polygon-game-dev-assets-bundle-3-software?partner=unity3dreport)  - Build your 3D game with these stylish, versatile assets.

Add some low-poly, high-style 3D characters, environments, and props to your game with our latest POLYGON bundle from Synty! This flexible and eclectic library of over 5000 assets will help you develop games for a variety of genres in Unity and Unreal. Create treacherous dungeons, Wild West worlds, and wartorn battlefields. Prototype natural forests and bustling cities, and help support charity with your purchase!

Your purchase of this bundle will help support Direct Relief in their ongoing humanitarian response efforts for the people of Türkiye and Syria impacted by the recent tragic earthquakes.
[_Humble Bundle_](https://www.humblebundle.com/software/syntys-polygon-game-dev-assets-bundle-3-software?partner=unity3dreport) **Affiliate**

[**Learn To Make Survival Games With Unity**](https://www.humblebundle.com/software/learn-to-make-survival-games-with-unity-software?partner=unity3dreport)  - Create Your Own Survival Games
Learn to build your own survival games with Unity! Inspired by AAA games like Rust, Valheim, and the upcoming ARK 2, these courses will help you master developing inventories, resource gathering, base building, crafting, AI enemies, and more—no prior experience required.

Plus, you’ll support NPower with your purchase!
[_Humble Bundle_](https://www.humblebundle.com/software/learn-to-make-survival-games-with-unity-software?partner=unity3dreport) **Affiliate**

[**Free Background Music**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef0VrcrOatg&amp;list=PLsVfn9YIFmNC3SL_FgAe6k4_is4stMOh2&amp;index=1&amp;ab_channel=LonePeakMusic)  - Hi ! I'm a game music composer, and here's a playlist of Creative Commons tracks that you can use for free, even in commercial projects ! Hope it helps
[_LonePeakMusic_](https://old.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/119tny0/hi_im_a_game_music_composer_and_heres_a_playlist/)

[**SdfPostProcessor.cs**](https://gist.github.com/mattdavisgames/da8717259f7ab2ae133b1926b53e49ec)  - Unity asset post processor for converting images to Signed Distance Fields on import
[_mattdavisgames_](https://gist.github.com/mattdavisgames/da8717259f7ab2ae133b1926b53e49ec) *Open Source*

[**Unity Excel Importer**](https://github.com/mikito/unity-excel-importer?)  - Extension to auto import data from xls, xlsx to custom ScriptableObject in Unity Editor.
Add the following entry to Packages/manifest.json or Package Manager.
[_mikito_](https://github.com/mikito/unity-excel-importer?) *Open Source*

[**Scene Reference Attribute**](https://github.com/KyleBanks/scene-ref-attribute?)  - Unity C# attribute for serializing component and interface references within the scene or prefab during OnValidate, rather than using GetComponent* functions in Awake/Start/OnEnable at runtime.
[_KyleBanks_](https://github.com/KyleBanks/scene-ref-attribute?) *Open Source*

[**RayCursor: A 3D Pointing Facilitation Technique based on Raycasting**](https://github.com/LokiResearch/RayCursor?)  - This is a Unity Project containing the source code and prefab for the pointing technique RayCursor.
[_LokiResearch_](https://github.com/LokiResearch/RayCursor?) *Open Source*

[**AltTester Unity SDK**](https://github.com/alttester/AltTester-Unity-SDK?)  - AltTester Unity SDK is an open-source UI driven test automation tool that helps you find objects in your application and interacts with them using tests written in C#, Python or Java.
[_alttester_](https://github.com/alttester/AltTester-Unity-SDK?) *Open Source*

[**Deform**](https://github.com/keenanwoodall/Deform?utm_source=pocket_saves)  - A fully-featured deformer system for Unity.
[_Keenan Woodall_](https://github.com/keenanwoodall/Deform?utm_source=pocket_saves) *Open Source*

[**UABEAvalonia**](https://github.com/nesrak1/UABEA?utm_source=pocket_saves)  - c# uabe for newer versions of unity
[_c# uabe for newer versions of unity_](https://github.com/nesrak1/UABEA?utm_source=pocket_saves) *Open Source*

[**Multi Scene Tools**](https://github.com/HenrysHouses/MultiSceneTools?)  - Unity Multi Scene Management Tools for faster and easier development
[_HenrysHouses_](https://github.com/HenrysHouses/MultiSceneTools?) *Open Source*

[**BurstFFT**](https://github.com/keijiro/BurstFFT?)  - BurstFFT is an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) implementation in high-performance C# with Unity's Burst compiler.
[_keijiro_](https://github.com/keijiro/BurstFFT?) *Open Source*

[**VTween**](https://github.com/breadnone/VTween?)  - A compact tweening library for Unity3D. Inspired by the legendary LeanTween.
[_breadnone_](https://github.com/breadnone/VTween?) *Open Source*

[**50% off Megan Alcock assets**](https://assetstore.unity.com/publisher-sale?aid=1011l8NVc)  - Save 50% on assets from Megan Alcock and get a free gift in this week’s Publisher Sale.
Plus, get a free gift! Add [Fresh Bread](https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/food/fresh-bread-104148?aid=1011l8NVc) to your cart, then enter the coupon code MEGAN at checkout to get it for free. Yum!
[_Megan Alcock_](https://assetstore.unity.com/publisher-sale?aid=1011l8NVc) **Affiliate**

[**GPU Instance Manager**](https://github.com/supremepanda/GPUInstanceManager)  - GPU Instance Manager provides a lot of batch savings to improve your game performance in Unity. GPU Instancing is a good way to improve your performance issues and also battery usages.
[_supremepanda_](https://github.com/supremepanda/GPUInstanceManager) *Open Source*

## Spotlight

[![Beneath Oresa](https://gamedevdigest.com/assets/images/64ccddf25d4c699eb93bf95a9b97cfdc.png)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803400/Beneath_Oresa/)
[**Beneath Oresa**](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803400/Beneath_Oresa/)  - Beneath Oresa, a fighting roguelike deckbuilder, takes you deep within the city to confront your foes. As a strategist, choose your cards, upgrades, and artifacts wisely, but as a fighter, turn their positioning to your advantage.

_[You can get it on [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803400/Beneath_Oresa/), visit their [website](https://www.broken-spear.com/), and follow them on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BrokenSpear3)]_
[_Broken Spear Inc._](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1803400/Beneath_Oresa/)



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