Benefits of HTML5?
Monkey Archive Forums/Digital Discussion/Benefits of HTML5?
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| I've been spending very little (almost no) time making my games work well in HTML5 because the other targets all seem to work better, and I can get my game on any platform. I don't see why I'd want my game to work in HTML5. For 1, the source is basically open. 2, it seems to run differently in every single browser, so it's like adding ANOTHER slug of platforms I have to be compatible with. Why are you using HTML5? |
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| HTML5 is a child, give him time to grow up ;) You have to optimize your game manually for every browser who can handle HTML5. If you're scared about the "Open Source" type of the HTML5 target, compress your code with one of the many tools they are available in the net. Your source stay still "open source" but i think that nobody can read it anymore. |
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| But the question is, why bother at all when there's Flash? I just don't see the reason for doing a full 180 and adopting HTML5 when Flash just works. EDIT: I was just in another forum and it dawned on me that HTML5 is becoming popular especially due to game developers just getting started. Having used Flash for so many years, it's hard to think about what it would be like to get started today making games, but using HTML5 just makes sense. Your games can go everywhere, lots of game devs already know some JS / HTML / CSS, and then there are the apps like PhoneGap that let you put it everywhere. With Monkey, I don't know, I will probably just opt to use Flash if releasing on the web because it runs so well, but if I weren't using Monkey, and just getting started, I can now see why HTML5 makes so much sense. |
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| Think about: why develop for Amiga when i can do that easier for Windows, Android, XNA, iOS ... ? It's just fun! |
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| I view HTML 5 as an experimental target that might become more serious in the future (better performance, better audio support). Currently I create an HTML 5 version for two reasons: 1) My game can then be played on Monkeycoder! 2) My game can be played from my website by people who do not have Flash for some reason. |
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| I use Flash, but: 1) HTML5 is an open standard and developed by a large number of bodies. 2) It's built with handheld devices (and other low power devices - TVs for example) in mind. 3) It works on iOS. |
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| There really isn't much reason to develop games using the HTML5 target yet.. other than that it's just plain fun/cool/geeky and can be embedded on the MonkeyCoder website. I haven't bothered with the HTML5 target for games myself. You're right Flash is a better target for web games right now for performance, monetization and distribution. You can develop more than just games with Monkey though. You could for instance use Monkey to create an interactive slideshow on your website. I saw a plumbing company using HTML5 to make it look like water was dripping onto their website.. you could use Monkey to create this. You could of course use Flash too, but HTML5 works on more platforms. |
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| Flash is on the way out, while HTML5 is on the rise. More browsers are adopting it and with the integration of WebGL, accelerated graphics can be rendered using the GPU thus allowing for much better performance than Flash while using lesser system resources. Even Adobe themselves have started shifting the focus of their tools to garner towards HTML5. This basically sets the ground for HTML5 being a new platform for gaming as its "compatible" on all platforms as more mobile devices adopt it. Read more about it here : The reality of HTML5 game development |
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| So this is like saying the reason to use HTML5 is because the big companies are sending out Flash eviction notices :) That's a bummer. Flash has its "issues" but it's a shame that Adobe has thrown in the towel when there are so many who like it. I think the thing that will really push HTML5 forward are the cool IDE's coming out like Construct 2 for example. I would argue that the reason Flash took off was the awesome timeline editor that was one-of-a-kind back in the mid/late 90's for making presentations, interactive websites and games. Flash 5 was brilliant, and I made my first web-based games in it quite easily. A lot of times it's the tools that get the ball rolling, not the tech. A lot of creators couldn't give a crap about the open standards, GPU rendering, etc, we just want our creations to come to life and work everywhere. |
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| A lot of times it's the tools that get the ball rolling, not the tech. Which is why HTML5 is perfect for it. Just about every game engine now supports HTML5 or will be supporting it. Flash had over a decade headstart to develop and improve tools for, while HTML5 was only seriously taking off in mid 2010. But already we can see so much support for it now. Construct 2 is a great example. A lot of creators couldn't give a crap about the open standards, GPU rendering, etc, we just want our creations to come to life and work everywhere. They will pay more closer attention to it now since we're capable a lot of lot more with HTML5. I have seen some incredible Flash games created throughout the years but looking forward to seeing what developers can do with HTML5 since you won't have the limitations of Flash anymore. |
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| So this is like saying the reason to use HTML5 is because the big companies are sending out Flash eviction notices :) That's a bummer. Adobe sent Flash the eviction notice -- Android 4.0 is supposedly the last version of Android that they'll release Flash for, after that it'll be dropped. Given that iOS already doesn't support Flash and the increasing shift of 'normal' PC's to mobile phones and tablets, Flash is pretty much circling the drain right now. Even Adobe is focusing on HTML5 authoring tools going forward. |
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| To summarize: If you're developing for phones from the year 2018, or Apple devices, or the Monkeycoder website app section, use HTML5. If you're developing for current phones, or PC's, use Flash. :D |
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| If you're developing for phones from the year 2018, or Apple devices, or the Monkeycoder website app section, use HTML5. 2018? At the rate Android updates are coming out, it's highly likely that they'll be flash-less less than a year from now. |
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| That would be a pity for Android owners! It seems that you are right though: http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2012/02/flash-chrome-for-android-beta.html "Today Google introduced Chrome for Android Beta. As we announced last November, Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers, and thus Chrome for Android Beta does not support Flash content. Flash Player continues to be supported within the current Android browser." Still, I think Google is a bit early to completely drop Flash from Chrome for Android. They seem to have big problems supporting HTML 5 in Chrome for PC, with missing audio and games crashing after a minute. Then again it makes sense for Google to do this, since it's about money. |
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| More reasons I dislike HTML5: - can't load binary files natively - no standard audio or video files (browsers don't use the same formats) - dependence on third-party libraries is growing, thus, more bloat - long load times = blank or jumpy screens - can't bundle source code, graphics - easy to hack games: up your score, add items, lives |
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