The Future of Web and Mobile Game Development

Since HTML5 has become open to the public many developers have been experimenting with the new possibilities for web development, the aim of this research paper is to give an overview of what this means to the game development community. This research paper will evaluate new HTML5 elements and JavaScript features. We highlight WebGL, Canvas, and WebSockets, which have given developers the opportunity to flaunt their creativity by manipulating images, creating 3D environments and providing real-time interaction.  

MOBILE GAME DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGIES

 The HTML 5 draft brings about substantial changes to the current web standards, from supporting static websites to highly interactive visual websites. Although some features such as WebSockets are not strictly a part of HTML5, they are standardized alongside features such as canvas. Most research will still refer to WebSockets as an aspect of HTML5. Many developers have already begun using canvas to manipulate or create 2d images.  

Canvas and SVG

The HTML5 feature Canvas allows the developer to manipulate bitmap images with pixel operations; however, this means that the image will lose its quality if a scaling operation is required. Although this does mean that image size will have no effect on performance, which is advantageous. Graphical manipulation can also be done using the XML based file format SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), as a predecessor one would believe it to now be vastly inferior. This, however, is not really the case with SVG handling particular aspects much more effectively such as cross-platform resolution scalability. As the name suggests SVG is used to manipulate vector graphics, everything drawn using SVG is created within a separate DOM element. Canvas differs from this in that everything is drawn within one element using JavaScript. The advantages of drawing to DOM are substantial; the image drawn to DOM can be manipulated after they have been drawn. However with canvas, if the movement is required for an image the entire image must be redrawn to the canvas in the required position to illustrate movement. You can see how SVG appears to be advantageous in this aspect of game development, having to redraw every frame is a costly process for both performance and development. 

 2D Adobe Flash 

2D games are extremely popular on web browsers, a large proportion of these games on sites such as Facebook are created using Adobe Flash Professional. Adobe Flash Professional is a multimedia authoring program that can be used to create games, movies and more. 

WebGL 

 HTML5 Canvas does offer other substantial benefits over other technologies; one of the most exciting features added is WebGL. WebGL is a JavaScript library that allows for the creation of 3D games, the WebGL API is based on OpenGL ES 2.0 and uses canvas elements. 

 Unity 3D

 Unity offers console-like graphics on mobile platforms as shown in figure 2, as well as offering capabilities to release games directly to consoles. It is an Asset-Centric games engine focusing more on the manipulation of games object around an environment, with the ability to implement features using JavaScript, Boo or C# it also offers the developer multiple languages for script implementation. 

 CONCLUSION

HTML 5  offers the chance to invigorate the web with its list of new amazing features. Each of the features that have been mentioned in this paper brings with them innovation and the possibility of great things. The features though reach their peak when incorporated with each other, in particular WebSockets and WebGL. We must also recognize the potential of other software like Adobe Flash’s Direct 3D brings with it the