Game engines like Unity and Unreal are not just for making games anymore. They are also enabling enterprises to create stunning and interactive 3D experiences for various purposes.

Two major technological trends are fueling this transformation. One is cloud streaming, which allows high-quality 3D content to be delivered smoothly to any device, regardless of its hardware capabilities. 
The other is web deployment, which allows users to access 3D apps instantly through their browsers, without any hassle of downloading or installing anything. The web is becoming the new home for 3D.

These innovations have created a huge demand for game engines and 3D technology in the enterprise. According to the latest projections, the 3D models market will grow from $1.26 billion in 2022 to over $3.5 billion by 2028. Industries from healthcare to manufacturing are using 3D to train staff, market products, and more.

3D is no longer a niche domain for gamers and developers. It is a mainstream phenomenon for enterprises. With the help of cloud streaming and web deployment, game engines are unlocking new possibilities for immersive digital experiences. The potential is enormous. 
In this blog, we explore the technologies and trends that are shaping the future of 3D in the enterprise.

The digital revolution continues to spread into new frontiers. One of the latest trends is the rise of 3D spatial computing across industries. 

Driven by rapid advancement in technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and 3D engines, enterprises are embracing immersive 3D environments.
This shift is unlocking new opportunities for innovation, engagement, and efficiency improvements through gamified experiences, digital twins of physical places, and highly realistic simulations.

Some leading examples of spatial computing adoption include:

Banking

Magnati, a payments solutions provider in Abu Dhabi, launched Magnati MetaV in 2021 – the region’s first metaverse marketplace. This platform offers immersive shopping with realistic visuals, sensory cues and traditional payment methods. Users can explore digital storefronts, try on outfits, attend events and buy assets in the metaverse.

Magnati MetaV also gives merchants data and insights to improve customer engagement and experiential commerce. Magnati is leading the way in metaverse innovation and enabling unified physical-virtual experiences with secure payments.

Education

Education meets entertainment in Coastal World – an interactive landscape built using Unity by Coastal Community Bank. This innovative game focuses on driving digital awareness through gamification.

Users can explore vivid coastal environments and learn about mobile/online banking, digital cards and other tools to reach financial goals. In-game interactions and virtual marketplaces let players apply knowledge first-hand through purchases using gaming currency.

Coastal World smartly blends edutainment to drive engagement. The real-world applicability, visual appeal and social interactivity create enjoyable, immersive and effective banking-related education.

Gamified learning epitomizes fresh thinking around bridging digital knowledge gaps. Coastal World sets a precedent in leveraging interactive experiences to craft rewarding banking journeys for customers.
(Case study)

E-Commerce

Immersive e-commerce is the new era of shopping with spatial computing and 3D experiences. Shoppers can now view 3D models of products in their surroundings using augmented and virtual reality. They can also try on outfits and see cars in their driveway with realistic visuals.

Immersive environments make shopping more interactive, personalized and experiential. Brands can be creative and customers can enjoy a new dimension of shopping.

The metaverse is the future of hyper-immersive commerce that blends real and digital worlds. Get ready for a shopping revolution in your hands!

Learn more here- Palette69/Digital Transformation Strategy

Safety

3D visualization for safety training across domains like construction sites, factories, restaurants and more. These leverage realistic environments to provide engaging and risk-free skills development.

The world is entering the next era of computing experiences driven by spatial interfaces. As 3D and immersive technologies continue maturing, enterprises have an ocean of opportunities to build the next generation of products, services and training simulations.

One such technology that is already having massive use cases is Digital Twin.

Digital Twin Use Cases 

Climate Change

A team of researchers from Beijing University of Technology led by Zeqing Hou, Yu Sun, and Mingyu Cai developed an innovative 3D simulation of wildfire spread using the Unity game engine and cellular automata models. Their 2023 research paper details a forest fire behaviour system that reconstructs detailed 3D landscapes down to individual trees and visualizes spreading flames in real-time.

By encoding scientific rules into automata governing virtual cells, the software can realistically mimic intricate fire patterns responding to winds, moisture, vegetation density and other environmental factors. Beyond 3D graphics, the tool helps evaluate various firefighting tactics and quantify emissions making it invaluable for developing mitigation strategies.

This blend of academic rigour, computing power and interactive video game tech enables policymakers to make more informed decisions through experiential learning. It sets a precedent for leveraging gaming engines to make complex climate models accessible proving unity in purpose between amusement and asset. Our planet thanks these creative Chinese scientists for advancing wildfire research through captivating simulations.

Game engines like Unity and Unreal are levelling up from just building games to crafting cutting-edge enterprise experiences. These powerful platforms provide realistic 3D simulations and immersive digital twins for serious business applications.

These gaming technologies provide several key advantages:

• Powerful Digital Twin Creation – Construct highly accurate digital replicas of physical products, factories, buildings etc.
• Seamless Cross-platform Deployment – Deploy across web, mobile and XR seamlessly from the same build.
• Interoperability With Existing Assets – Support for reusing existing CAD, BIM and other standard 3D file investments.
• Built-in Web 3D Streaming – WebGL support to deliver interactive 3D natively on enterprise web apps and portals.
• Rapid Augmented Reality Development – Expand to AR through tailored tools like Unity Reflect overlaying digital information onto real environments.
• Democratized Access – Open source options like Godot provide free yet advanced 3D development capabilities.

These engines are also expanding into augmented reality through tools like Unity Reflect. Imagine service technicians accessing holographic schematics on-site or architects previewing virtual buildings on client sites before the ground break.

One of a guy on LinkedIn who constantly shares about 3D and many use cases is Michal Gula.

Image Credit- michalgula

Driven by the advancements in cloud streaming and web deployment, these gaming platforms provide the ability to create and deliver incredibly realistic 3D simulations and digital twins. Industries ranging from banking to e-commerce are waking up to the vast potential.

The future is exhilarating as spatial computing pervades more facets of business operations and customer engagement. Imagine highly precise digital replicas optimizing manufacturing units, architects collaborating in virtual workrooms, or shoppers enjoying interactive product previews from the comfort of their homes. These cutting-edge use cases are just early glimpses of the 3D era.

As the supporting technologies mature further enabling more accessible and visually stunning 3D development, adoption will explode exponentially. Now is the time for forward-thinking enterprises to explore leveraging game engines to build their own immersive environments and stay ahead of the curve.

Spatial computing promises to be bigger than gaming alone. It underpins the next platform revolutionizing how we experience and interact with all digital information surrounding us.

The possibilities for innovation are truly endless as this powerful medium empowers enterprises in unexpected ways.