The State of Open Web Games - HTML5 Games Most Wanted - page 1

Chapter 1
The State of Open Web Games
In this chapter, I introduce the concept of open web game development using technologies such as
HTML5 and JavaScript. I cover the various features that these technologies provide, including such gems
as the Gamepad API, which allows you to break away from keyboard and mouse input. Towards the end
of the chapter, I cover the current method of distributing and making money from your games, as well as
highlighting the events that must happen for the web to become a viable platform for game development.
A brief introduction
My name is Rob Hawkes. I am a serial experimenter who specializes in JavaScript development. I work for
Mozilla as a Technical Evangelist and take a strong interest in the game-related events and projects that
happen within Mozilla and the wider developer community.
I'm a hobbyist game developer and I have worked on a variety of game-related projects using a variety of
programming languages (Unity, ActionScript, PHP, Processing, and JavaScript) and technologies
(augmented reality, mobile phones, desktop, and browsers).
Most recently I have been working on a multiplayer HTML5 game called Rawkets ( http://rawkets.com )
that acts as my test bed for experimenting with the various game-related technologies that I will be
covering further on.
You can get in touch with me through my personal blog ( http://rawkes.com ) or through Twitter
(@robhawkes ). I'm always happy to help where I can.