10 replies to this topic

[GameEngine_Designer]

Why's most people creating broswer based games?? What's so great about them? Is it true that the future of PC gaming will be broswer based??

[monjardin]

They (usually) don't require any software installation and (almost) everyone has one. Likewise, you could ask if browser based applications are the future across the board. For example, take a look at the office suite Google is putting together.

[inigo07]

Listen, browser-based is *great*. It's like compiling to 20 different platforms at once! Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, BSD...

I am writing this from a Dell Axim PDA. It has WiFi, Flash support, some Javascript support, 3D hardware, and a 624 Mhz processor. Mobile access is becoming a major factor in browser-based game design. In fact, mobile internet use has gone up something like 17% in the last year or so. I played Quake on this PDA...think about all the time people spend waiting on flights or doctor appointments...so they just play their favorite MMOFPS.

Great opportunity in the browser-based framework.

[Dim_Yimma_H]

These days a great amount of people are "good" at using computers, but there are still even more people that have trouble extracting and installing programs properly. At the same time programs are being made easier to install/uninstall, which opens up for a slightly larger market.

Web browser-based games don't need to be downloaded/extracted/installed, they can just be automatically downloaded and started. So to quickly try out games that seem interesting, it's a breeze of ease :)
Saves a lot of time and a some effort when trying out. Of course, that's mostly for casual games that're alright with the performance provided through the web browser.

[quark]

And which technology is best for web based games? Flash is best for 2D. And what about 3D?

[inigo07]

What technology? Well, that's kind of an unclear question since you have different technologies behind the scenes, but I think I know what you mean. Yes, for 2d you can't get better than Flash. It's just...the 2d web tool!

For 3d you would ''embed'' your program using an applet of some sort. Many engines however have a ''web player'' that enables you to easily publish a game to the internet. Java, since it is portable, is a common coding choice.

[TheNut]

:lol: This very site has a news article about Unity right now, which has an awesome 3D web implementation, at the top of the page for the past week and it's like nobody even knows about it :lol:.

Java Applets are quite popular on sites like Yahoo Games, but I find them to be the poorest in quality (graphics, audio, gameplay). Flash is a step up, but without hardware acceleration it's boring and sometimes slow when over taxed. Unity is quite an awesome piece of work, and Popcap has their own web implementation that is also pretty sweet. There were also another bunch of devs that were working on running C++ apps through the browser, which would allow any application to run on the client side. That was pretty neat tech as well.

To answer the original poster, what games are you referring to? Most games on the web are quite simple, usually puzzle or board games. Most people chose the web because it's easier to work with and it targets a larger market. Casual gamers + computer illiterates that only know how to just barely browse the web + broader hardware compatibility for all those cave dwellers still lurking on the net with their Pentiums and K6 machines. It's also a time saver. You don't have to worry about packing your software, creating installers, creating patch kits, writing help manuals, etc... Just drag and drop the files into your web folder and clients automatically play the latest version.

[quark]

What about Java3D? It is running on top of OpenGL or DirectX, but somehow I can't find Java3D to be popular and widely used on the web.

[Mihail121]

quark said:

What about Java3D? It is running on top of OpenGL or DirectX, but somehow I can't find Java3D to be popular and widely used on the web.

Because of it's abstraction layer, there ain't many features to use.

[inigo07]

A big difference in browser-based games is the maintenance factor. Not only do you have to keep the server(s) running 24/7 but you have to face the problems of a complex registration/revenue system and the inevitable hacker.

Basically having an online game is a slow, steady income. Whereas a packaged standalone will get you a lotta dough, fast, and you don't have to mess with it anymore.

[Azonian]

For a good example of a browser based game go to

www.ferion.com <~~~this is an online space strategy game owned by Hail Of Bullets located in the UK.

previously owned by its creator Johan Geuze Ferion is the most copied browser based game on the web but Ferion is more fun than those copy-cats out there this game is pure strategy, in-expensive to play also has a nice forum and Ferion gives away free prizes which is
outstanding. Give it a look and visit the forum, there
is a manual on how to play this game.