With many of the great game engines out there, many come with beautiful assets developed by the game engine developers. The developers create these purely to encourage developers to utilize their engine and showcase the engines capabilities.
Can I use RPG Maker assets in Unity? RPG Maker assets developed by RPG Maker are not allowed to be utilized in Unity or any other game engine. There are many third party developers that have their own license agreements that may allow game developers to use assets in other places.
Let’s look at this a little closer though. There may be some conditions that would allow a game developer to utilize RPG assets in Unity. I preface this topic by saying that I am no attorney and you should always refer to the license agreement when downloading assets.
Is it Legal to Use RPG Maker Assets in Unity?
Honestly, it depends. RPG Maker does make their own assets and any assets you find directly from them are likely not allowed in other game engines. There are a lot of artists out there that develop a lot of really beautiful pixel art and other assets that could potentially be used in RPG Maker, but may be suitable for other game engines as well.
Keep in mind that artist may use platforms such as RPG Maker to showcase and allow people to utilize the art they have developed. This does not necessarily mean that its intent was to be used only with RPG Maker.
If you wish to use RPG Maker assets in Unity, you would want to contact the developer directly to receive written permission. In most cases that I have witnessed the developers are excited to have someone that wants to use their assets. They often will have a desire to work with you when it makes sense for them to do so.
Is it Legal to Use RPG Maker Assets in Unity if I Purchase Them?
I hope to only provide advice on evaluating your license agreement, what is stated here is not permission to move RPG assets to Unity.
That being said, the vast majority of assets you pay for generally releases any form of restrictions on how they are utilized. Therefore, the general rule I would consider is that if you pay for them, you own the rights to them. However, if you download them and they are free, it is very likely there are restrictions to how they can be edited or utilized in video games.
Before making any significant moves that you think may potentially be in violation of the original agreement, you should contact the artist. This is a great opportunity to showcase your work and potentially find additional advice or support for your project. In addition, you want to ensure you have written permission to make any changes. In my experience, most artists are very happy to have you use their work. They are generally pretty flexible, especially when they realize you simply want to be honest.
How Can I Move Assets From RPG Maker to Unity?
Ultimately, RPG Maker assets are simply image files. These image files can be exported from any platform and moved to other game engines, including Unity.
With the permission of the artist who originally created them, you may utilize Photoshop or other software to make changes to the asset. If you own full rights to the art, you are able to modify it how you wish, without the permission of the original artist.
To Move the files from RPG Maker to Unity:
- Download the Art Assets
- Locate the folder the assets were downloaded to
- Most asset packs come in a zip file. Right click on the file, and unzip the package.
- The assets are generally unzipped into a subfolder of the folder you downloaded the assets to. Open the folder.
- Create a folder in your Unity Project folder (must be inside of the “Assets” folder in your Unity project)
- Open your Unity Project
- You should now see the assets in your Unity project. For those images that are Sprites, you will need to select them in your Project window and change the “File Type” from Default to “2D Sprite”. You may now use the assets in the sprite editor.
Are There Alternatives to RPG Maker Assets For Use in Unity?
What you may be surprised to find is that many of the 2D Assets you might find for RPG Maker have very similar options in the Unity Asset Store. The Unity Asset store is quite robust with a lot of options. Many of the free to download assets only require that credit to the original artist be in your project. In my mind, this is the least one might could do if they intend to use a lot of the work.
In addition, if you find someone’s work that you really like, whether for RPG Maker or Unity, many of these artists are looking for additional work. In my experience, I have witnessed more developers and artists than we have projects being created. If you have a small budget, you may be able to land really talented artists looking to put their name on your project.
Conclusion
There are an abundance of assets available on the market. Looking in the Unity Asset Store you will likely find assets that you are seeking. If not, you may find artists who have the style you are looking for. This is likely a better option than attempting to move assets from RPG Maker to Unity.
Always seek permission, especially when in doubt. If you are downloading free assets and intend to use them in your project, there is a really good chance that those assets have some limitations on their use.
Always credit the artist, especially when the assets were free. This is a simple task, and artists are more than likely to continue working with you in the future if you run an honest operation. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with using assets in a commercial game. You just need to be honest about it. A quick way to ruin your reputation is claiming others work as your own! People will notice it, call you out, and they won’t hesitate to continuously point it out in future posts or communication with you.