Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
browsers. If the open nature really is not an option to you, then perhaps open web gaming is not
something to consider until you can justify the pros and cons that come with it as a platform.
However, all of this doesn't necessarily mean other platforms are more viable. For example, Flash isn't
developed for mobile devices any longer and other technologies like Google's Native Client don't work in all
browsers. No single platform is perfect, and no single platform will rule them all. It is important not to pit the
platforms as equals and to treat them as individuals; that way, you will pick the right one for your needs.
What does the future hold and what still needs to be
done?
I hope it is obvious by now that we're living in a massively exciting time for open web game development. I
also hope it's obvious that open web gaming isn't a magic bullet that solves the problems of all the other
platforms out there. In fact, this is categorically untrue and it won't be a viable platform for all games and
developers. Just because there is an open web game development platform, it doesn't mean that
everyone should be using it.
Aside from that, it is clear that open web game development is something to celebrate. It is a platform that
is improving each and every day, but to do that, there are a few key events that need to occur.
The first is that browsers need to consistently adopt the necessary technologies for open web games,
specifically in order to stop the platform battles we're seeing with the current influx of WebKit-only games
that target the Chrome Web Store. Prominent examples of areas to improve are the audio data APIs,
WebGL, the Gamepad API, and the Mouse Lock API.
Second, more methods of distribution and monetization are needed. We need solutions that are cross-
browser and distributed in themselves, like the Mozilla Labs Apps project. After all, there is no point in web
games if they can't be used and installed from all browsers and platforms.
Third, we need proven and easy-to-use systems for monetizing games, both through initial unit sales and
through further in-game purchases. PayPal and Google Checkout are great, but this is the web and we need
to allow developers to choose their own payment systems and be given the freedom that the web allows.
We also need more documentation and shared code to help novices and proprietary game developers get
started. The beauty of the open web games community is that it can thrive off the sharing of techniques
and code to help others create games, just as web developers share code and techniques for building web
sites. We also need more specific documentation on areas that are less about making a fun game and
more about making a living from your work and marketing your game effectively.
And finally, we need a success story like the
Angry Birds
or
Minecraft
of open web games. We need this to
validate the open web as a platform for games and show that money can be made. I think this will be a
pre-cursor for the influx of large-game studios and investment funds getting involved in a significant way.
Perhaps you will be the spark that helps propel the open web as a viable and stable platform for game
development. I sure hope so.
