UE5 Tips & Optimization ⚙️, Playable ads 📈, Artist business kit 💼
Unreal Engine: Tips and Optimization ⚙️
25 Unreal Engine Power Tips to Supercharge Your Workflow
VR Division’s Yahiya Jasem shares 25 rapid Unreal Engine tips to boost speed and precision. Learn custom isolation shortcuts, gizmo-free transforms, fast view/asset switching, and smarter camera control. He also covers Light Mixer, light channels, Replace Actors, and scene organization with folder colors and favorites. A compact, practice-ready guide for artists and designers who want a faster, cleaner UE workflow.
Tim Sweeney: UE5’s Optimization Woes Are a Process Problem
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says UE5’s performance issues stem from studios optimizing too late, not from the engine itself. Speaking at Unreal Fest Seoul, he urged teams to start low-spec testing and optimization before full-scale production. Epic plans automated optimization features, expanded training on performance workflows, and direct engineering support. The aim: make smooth performance across hardware a built-in habit, not an endgame scramble.
Monetization & Brand Partnerships 💸
319% Better Conversions: Why Playable Ads Are Winning on Mobile
Playable ads replace passive impressions with tap-and-swipe mini-games that users actually enjoy—driving a reported 319% conversion lift over video. GeeMee’s platform layers in AI/ML personalization, a lightweight SDK, and real-time analytics to optimize eCPM, ROAS, and retention. Built for games and beyond, it delivers user-first monetization without disrupting UX.
From Hours to Dollars: Pricing Brand Integrations in UEFN
Metavision lays out a clear playbook for converting Fortnite’s 11.2B post-UFN hours into sponsor revenue. Their benchmark—about $0.002 per engaged minute (~$0.12/hour)—positions Fortnite’s undivided attention above TV and social. Real-world examples (Mentos “Fizooka,” Crocs takeovers) show how gameplay-first integrations outperform billboards, with niche non-combat maps often commanding premiums. Core advice: creators should lead the creative and charge at least $5,000 per integration.
Inside GoT: Legends Year One: Community, Cadence, and Midcore Depth
Zynga’s first year of Game of Thrones: Legends charts a shift from casual roots to midcore depth, with communication declared “foundational” to live ops. Director of design Joe Canose details rapid prototyping for big features like War of the Three Banners and a metrics-led approach focused on engagement and retention. With ~$24.6M in player spend and strong HBO collaboration, year two targets deeper PvE, PvP, Alliances, and “iconic” companion upgrades.
Creator Tools and Business Basics 🎨
Augmented VBD: Smarter, Stiffer Soft-Tissue Sims for Houdini
FX TD Hallam Roberts introduces Augmented Vertex Block Descent (AVBD), a VBD-based solver that adaptively adjusts stiffness to keep soft-tissue and cloth from getting “too loose.” Borrowing techniques from TinyVBD, Gaia, NVIDIA Warp, AVBD-2D, and Vellum, it adds mass-spring and Neo-Hookean constraints, Hessian acceleration, and robust collisions. It’s currently specialized for muscles/tissue with rigid bodies planned. Open-source on GitHub—expect early bugs but promising results.
Contracts, Invoices, Trackers: A Simple Business Kit for Game Artists
Hate paperwork? Brittnie Ortega shares a practical toolkit for artists working with clients: write a basic contract, request a 50% deposit, itemize invoices, and track projects with timelines and payment status. She breaks down exactly what to include so you’re protected when things go sideways. The goal isn’t bureaucracy—it’s peace of mind and more time creating.